BUPI and Recent Legislative Amendments: Land Identification and Registration in Portugal

BUPI (Balcão Único do Prédio) is a platform created by the Portuguese Government that allows individuals to identify, register, and georeference rural and mixed-use properties. The system was designed to reduce the number of properties that remain unregistered or insufficiently identified within the national cadastral framework.

In this context, recent legislative amendments have been approved, revising both the simplified cadastral information system and the legal framework governing BUPI. The purpose of this reform is to improve and clarify the existing regime, addressing practical challenges identified in its application, particularly in relation to procedural definitions and implementation mechanisms.

At the same time, the amendments introduce new procedures aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of property identification and regularisation processes within the scope of the system.

The main changes introduced include:

• The extension of the mandatory use of Georeferenced Graphic Representation in property transactions, enhancing the precision of information regarding location, boundaries, and area of the relevant properties;
• The creation of a specific procedure for the merger (annexation) of rural properties;
• The extension of the exemption from fees applicable to acts carried out under the legal framework, now valid until 30 September 2026.

Overall, these amendments aim to strengthen the effectiveness of the BUPI system, ensuring greater legal certainty, improved cadastral accuracy, and increased efficiency in the management of property registration in Portugal.