What is the FINE, and why should I read it carefully?

What is the FINE?

It is the sheet with the features and costs of the loan you are offered. In English it is the ESIS. It has a single, standard format and comes in two parts, A and B.

The bank must give it to you. If you work with a credit intermediary, the intermediary may give it to you too.

When do I get the FINE?

At two moments. First, when you run the loan calculation. Then, when the bank approves the loan. At that point, the FINE shows the approved terms.

Guarantors also receive a copy of the approved FINE and of the draft contract.

What should I read first?

• How long the offer's terms are valid.
• Who lends the money and, if there is one, the credit intermediary.
• The amount, the term and the type of interest rate.
• The MTIC: the total you will pay for the loan.
• The APR (TAEG): the total cost of the loan as a yearly percentage.
• The number of repayments and the amount of each.
• The additional obligations, such as insurance and other products.
• The conditions and cost of repaying the loan early.

For the home you will live in, the FINE also simulates a fixed, a mixed and a variable rate.

What does part B show?

• The APR with the products the bank offers to lower the cost.
• The costs of buying the home that do not depend on the loan.
• The documents needed to approve the loan.
• Two tables showing how your repayment evolves over the loan.

Why does Table B matter?

Table A follows the terms of the contract. Table B shows a worse scenario: you drop the linked products and the interest rate rises sharply.

Banco de Portugal advises reading Table B carefully. Ask yourself whether you could pay that repayment.

An example with the sums

Banco de Portugal gives this example. An APR of 3.6% on a €150,000 loan means this: on top of the €150,000, you pay costs each year equal to 3.6% of the amount.

That is €5,400 a year, because 150,000 × 0.036 = 5,400. Compare this figure across the FINEs from different banks.

In the mortgage repayment calculator you can see the repayment at each interest rate.

How long do I have to decide?

The offer is valid for at least 30 days. You cannot accept it in the first 7 days. Use that time to read the FINE and the draft contract.

Who lends the money?

Always the bank, even when a credit intermediary is involved. You pay your repayments to the bank. Both must be authorised by Banco de Portugal. Check the list of authorised credit intermediaries.

Where FINOVA helps

We read each bank's FINE with you and compare the APR and the MTIC. Our fee is paid by the bank. See also What is MTIC, and why is it more important than the Spread?

Sources

• Banco de Portugal — Lost in your home loan documents? How to read them (in Portuguese)
• Banco de Portugal — How to enter into home loan agreements
• Banco de Portugal — New rules on mortgage credit (in Portuguese)

Sources checked on 22 September 2026.