Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Check Algarve, property reports, and buying property in the Algarve.
What is Check Algarve?
Check Algarve is a property intelligence platform that aggregates official Portuguese and EU government data into one English-language map. It covers planning zones, environmental constraints, fire risk, rental licences, water quality, flood risk, coastal erosion and market statistics for all 16 municipalities in the Algarve.
Where does the data come from?
All data comes from official Portuguese government agencies and EU institutions. We source fire risk, flood zones, environmental constraints, rental licences, market statistics and bathing water quality from the relevant national and European authorities. See our data accuracy page for more detail.
How often is the data updated?
Map overlay data is served in real time from government geographic services. Other datasets are refreshed on regular schedules: rental licences weekly, market statistics monthly, and environmental data annually.
What is included in the property report?
The EUR 99 PDF report is a detailed document covering: Algarve region introduction, municipality profile with airport distance, planning and land use, environmental constraints, fire risk with legal requirements, flood risk, noise exposure, coastal erosion, seismic risk, solar potential, rental licence density, nearby amenities (golf, hospitals), bathing water quality, property market data, full acquisition cost estimates, a step-by-step buyer checklist, and a glossary of Portuguese property terms.
Is the report a legal survey or valuation?
No. The report aggregates publicly available government data into one document. It is not a legal survey, property valuation or professional due diligence report. You should always instruct a qualified Portuguese lawyer and surveyor before purchasing property. The report gives you a clear picture of the data before you engage professionals.
Can I get a refund on a report?
Reports are digital products delivered immediately after payment. Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you consent to waive your cancellation right upon delivery. Refunds are available only if a report fails to generate or contains a material technical error. See our terms of service for full details.
Do I need this if I already have a lawyer?
A lawyer handles the legal due diligence (title, contracts, permits). Check Algarve provides a different layer of intelligence: environmental constraints, fire risk history, flood zones, rental licence density and market context. Most lawyers do not routinely check government fire risk maps or flood zone data. The two are complementary, not substitutes.
What is the IMT calculator?
Our free IMT calculator estimates the property transfer tax (Imposto Municipal sobre Transmissoes) and stamp duty you will pay when buying a property in Portugal. It uses the current tax bands for mainland Portugal and covers all property types: permanent residence, secondary home, rural land and corporate purchases.
What does the fire risk classification mean?
ICNF classifies land into five fire risk levels from very low to very high. The classification is based on vegetation type, terrain, climate and proximity to previous fires. High and very high risk areas may face higher insurance premiums and have mandatory vegetation clearance requirements around buildings.
What are REN and RAN?
REN (Reserva Ecologica Nacional) is Portugal's ecological reserve network: areas where construction is generally prohibited, including flood plains, steep slopes and coastal zones. RAN (Reserva Agricola Nacional) protects agricultural land from development. Both directly affect whether you can build on or extend a property.
What is an AL licence?
An AL (Alojamento Local) licence is the official registration required to operate short-term holiday rentals in Portugal. Without one, listing a property on Airbnb or Booking.com is illegal. Our map shows all registered AL licences from the national RNAL database, helping you assess rental market density in any area.
Does Check Algarve cover all of Portugal?
Currently we cover the 16 municipalities of the Algarve (Faro district). We plan to expand to other Portuguese regions in the future under checkportugal.com.
How accurate is the map data?
Map layers are served directly from official government geographic services. Rental licence data comes from the national registry. Market statistics come from the national statistics institute. See our data accuracy page for details on update frequencies and limitations.
Is my payment secure?
Payments are processed by Mollie, a regulated European payment service provider. We never see or store your card details. Mollie supports credit cards, iDEAL, Bancontact and other European payment methods.