Various players in the real estate sector have been calling for the licensing processes to be sped up, in order to accelerate the increase in the supply of homes on the market.

“A profound legislative reform is being carried out in all licensing processes. And on October 12th, we will approve the diploma on the simplification of licensing in construction matters, in particular for housing, in the Council of Ministers”, stated António Costa, at the opening of the Congress of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities.

Quoted by Rádio Renascença, the prime minister said that Portugal must take a “qualitative leap” to eliminate contextual costs in licensing processes.

Speaking to idealista news, and in a first reaction to the Head of State's decision, the Portuguese Association of Real Estate Developers and Investors (APPII) said it praised the promulgation of the urban simplification decree, guaranteeing that it will "continue working to make a good legislative authorisation diploma". This has been, in fact, one of the most debated and complained about topics by the sector for several years, with several market players considering that delays in licensing affect the execution of projects and the increase in the supply of housing on the market.

With the legislation now enacted, the Government proposes to eliminate “dispensable or redundant” licenses, authorisations, acts and procedures in matters of urban planning, spatial planning and industry.