Já ouviu falar no protocolo APB? Saiba o que é

Have you heard about the APB protocol? Find out what it is.

The APB protocol is an agreement among Portuguese banks that facilitates the cancellation of mortgages. Are you in the process of transferring credit and have you heard about this agreement? Understand better how it works.

02 Jan 20243 min

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Wouldn't it be easier to understand these processes if you had a credit intermediary with you? With the help of the free credit mediation service from Poupança no Minuto, we take care of all the bureaucratic part and answer any questions you may have throughout the entire process! But first understand what the APB protocol is.

APB Protocol - What does it represent?

The APB protocol (from the Portuguese Banking Association) is an agreement between most Portuguese banks, to facilitate the cancellation of a mortgage in one bank and be established in another.

That is, it serves to transfer a loan between banks, but also for buying/selling transactions between banks that have adhered to the protocol.

To do this, the client must first go to the bank where the mortgage is held and obtain the signed and stamped Authorization Term. When transferring credit to another bank, the Term must be delivered to the new institution where the mortgage will be established.

In this credit transfer process, the borrower must notify the current bank with 8 calendar days of notification between banks, starting from the next business day, that they intend to transfer the mortgage. In the case of rescheduling, it is 4 calendar days from the new notification between banks.

Attention that it is only possible to cancel the mortgage in a simple way, resorting to the APB protocol, if both banks (current and the one you will transfer to) are part of the agreement.    

Only then can the bank receiving the mortgage request cancellation from the other bank from the day the final contract is signed: the deed.

How is the APB protocol processed?

To transfer the mortgage from one bank to another, Bank A has to send the SWIFT code to Bank B, which will receive the mortgage, with an electronic consultation of the mortgage cancellation term for the deed to be performed.

This is the moment when banks communicate the amount owed. And it is also when the new bank will request the same documents that the customer had to present to the first bank, in order to: prove income, tax and professional situation, and financial capacity. Still in terms of bureaucracy, it is necessary to present the documents related to the property again.

The process is the same as when the first mortgage was constituted: the bank will consult the Credit Responsibility Central of the Bank of Portugal, to verify the tax history of the borrower and analyze if there are credit debts or non-compliance with installments.

Therefore, it is essential for a customer who wants to make a credit transfer, to ensure that they pay off any debt so that the process is approved.

Which banks adhere to the protocol?

The Portuguese banks adhering to the APB protocol currently are: the following: 

  • BBVA - Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (Portugal) S.A.
  • Millenium BCP - Banco Comercial Português, S.A., Public Company;
  • New Bank, S.A. & nbsp;
  • Global Investment Bank, S.A.;
  • Banco BPI, S.A., Sociedade Aberta;
  • Popular Bank Portugal, S.A.
  • Santander Totta Bank, S.A.
  • ABANCA Bank Corporation, S.A. – Branch;
  • Caixa Geral de Depósitos, S.A. (Portuguese bank)
  • Montepio Geral Economic Box.
  • Bankinter S.A. - Branch in Portugal.

That is, the remaining banks are not adherents to the APB protocol. And be aware: there are banks that only accept mortgage cancellations through this agreement.

With the APB protocol, it is now easier to change your credit, minimizing bureaucracies for the moment of the deed.

Want to advance with hiring the credit intermediary and save yourself from dealing with these bureaucratic issues? Talk to Poupança no Minuto, and save time and money!

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