What does comunicação prévia mean in Portugal?
A comunicação prévia is a prior notification to the council that lets you start work once it is correctly filed and the fees are paid, with no permit to wait for. It covers works in areas where a plan or subdivision already fixes the main rules.
- Rests on
- RJUE, art. 4.º n.º 4, art. 34.º, art. 35.º
- Law
- Decreto-Lei n.º 555/99 (RJUE), as republished by Decreto-Lei n.º 108/2026
- Version
- In force since 1 October 2026 (Decreto-Lei n.º 155-B/2026)
- Official text
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/108/2026/05/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
- Sources
- data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/108/2026/05/29/p/dre/pt/pdf
data.dre.pt/eli/dec-lei/155-b/2026/07/31/p/dre/pt/pdf
data.dre.pt/eli/declretif/29-a/2026/07/27/p/dre/pt/pdf - Checked
- 2026-11-05
What it means for the owner
- It applies to works in areas covered by a detailed plan, an execution unit or a subdivision that fixes the main parameters (art. 4.º n.º 4 d)), to some works in a consolidated urban zone (e)) and to swimming pools tied to a main building (j).
- Where the law requires notification, you cannot choose a licence instead (art. 4.º n.º 6).
- The council checks afterwards: it can declare a filing inept if the rules were not met, and that check lapses one year after the fees are paid (art. 35.º n.º 8 and n.º 10).
- Inspection of the finished work against the filed projects remains possible at any time (art. 35.º n.º 11).
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