Elimination of the need to obtain urban planning licences - SIMPLEX

Decree-Law no. 10/2024, published on 8th January, aims to simplify administrative procedures by eliminating licenses, authorizations, and administrative acts. This decree-law approves measures to allegedly promote housing and reduce burdens in urban planning and land-use planning for companies. Here are the key changes:

1. Implementation of a tacit approval regime for building licenses.

2. Elimination of the building license, which is replaced by the receipt for payment of fees.

3. Elimination of the use authorization for work subject to prior control, replaced by the submission of project-related documents without approval or assessment.

4. Elimination of the need for urban planning licenses, introducing new cases for prior communication, exemption, and waiver of prior control by municipalities.

5. For changes of use without work subject to prior control, a prior communication must be submitted within 20 days, and the request for authorization is deemed accepted if there is no response from the municipality.

6. References to building licenses and use licenses in legal and regulatory documents will now refer to the receipt for payment of fees.

7. The decree-law will be effective from 4th March 2024, except for the elimination of use authorization and housing technical file requirement during ownership transfers of urban buildings, which came into force on 1st January 2024.