Does Vastu work in Portugal?
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Portugal as in India, and Lisbon's Hindu community, many of whose families came from Mozambique with Gujarati roots, has long kept its own temples and traditions here. On the mainland the compass is within about 1° of true north (1° west in Lisbon), so that correction is tiny; it grows to about 4° west in Madeira and 7° west in the Azores. Portuguese listings already describe a flat's sun exposure, nascente (east) or poente (west), which tells you a lot about its Vastu before you upload the plan.
Nascente, poente: sun exposure and Vastu
Portuguese listings often give a flat's exposição solar: nascente (east, morning sun), poente (west, afternoon sun), sul (south) or norte (north), or a combination such as nascente/poente. Vastu uses the same directions.
| Listing says | Sun | Classical Vastu view |
|---|---|---|
| Nascente (east) | Morning sun | Favoured: an open, light east is what the texts ask for |
| Norte (north) | Even, cooler light | Favoured for open and light spaces |
| Sul (south) | Sun most of the day | Preferred closed and heavier; workable with the right room placement |
| Poente (west) | Afternoon sun | Preferred heavier; bedrooms and storage suit it |
The exposure is only part of the reading. The report scores your front door's exact position (pada) and where every room falls, so a poente flat with good room placement can score better than a nascente flat with poor placement.
Portuguese homes, read correctly
The report uses the names on your plan and reads them the way a home here is built:
In Portugal the number after the T is the number of bedrooms. A suíte is a bedroom with its own bathroom and is read as the main bedroom. Traditionally best: South-West, traditionally the zone of earth and stability, for the head of the household.
Sala, cozinha, quarto, casa de banho, hall, corredor, despensa, arrecadação, lavandaria, escritório, varanda and terraço are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, entrance, hall, pantry, storage, laundry, study, balcony and terrace.
A balcony is read as outdoor space; an enclosed marquise is also read as outdoor unless you change it on the confirm screen. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
A storage unit in the basement is not part of the flat's outline and need not be uploaded. A storage room inside is read as storage; a garage as parking.
Read as a prayer space. Traditionally best: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
A detached or semi-detached house is checked as a whole home: upload each floor, and the main door is checked with its exact position (pada).
New to Vastu? What it is, in brief
Vastu Shastra is a traditional Indian system of architecture and home layout, set out in Sanskrit texts such as the Mayamata and the Manasara. It divides a home into eight directional zones around its centre and suggests which rooms and activities suit which zone. Many Indian families use it when they buy, build or arrange a home, and so do people of other backgrounds who are curious about how a home is laid out.
Kept the lightest and least cluttered part of the home; a good place for prayer or quiet.
The zone traditionally linked with Agni, fire, so it is the classical place for cooking.
Linked with weight and stability; tradition places the main bedroom and heavy storage here.
It is a cultural tradition, not a science, and it does not promise outcomes. VastuIQ shows what the classical texts recommend, measured accurately for your home and your city, and you decide what to do with it. Most of the report's fixes need no building work: they are about how rooms are used and arranged.
Madeira and the Azores
On the islands the compass correction is larger than on the mainland: about 4° west in Funchal and 7° west in Ponta Delgada. Each Vastu zone is 45° wide, so on the Azores a reading near a zone boundary can land in the wrong zone if it is not corrected. VastuIQ applies the exact figure for your town. Funchal is also the furthest south of any Portuguese city, so its midday sun is higher: about 81° in June.
Condomínio and renting
In a flat, the condomínio and its administration cover the outside and the shared parts, and some works need approval from the câmara municipal. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes inside the home. Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make without the landlord.
Compass vs true north in Portugal
On the mainland a compass points within about 1° of true north. In Madeira it is about 3½° west, and in the Azores about 6–7° west. Your score uses the exact figure for your own town.
| City | Compass vs true north | Daylight, mid-winter to mid-summer |
|---|---|---|
| Braga, Braga | 0.7° west | 9.2 – 15.2 h |
| Porto, Porto | 0.8° west | 9.2 – 15.1 h |
| Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto | 0.8° west | 9.2 – 15.1 h |
| Aveiro, Aveiro | 0.8° west | 9.3 – 15.1 h |
| Coimbra, Coimbra | 0.7° west | 9.3 – 15.0 h |
| Leiria, Leiria | 0.8° west | 9.4 – 15.0 h |
| Lisbon, Lisbon | 0.9° west | 9.5 – 14.9 h |
| Odivelas, Lisbon | 0.9° west | 9.4 – 14.9 h |
| Amadora, Lisbon | 0.9° west | 9.5 – 14.9 h |
| Cascais, Lisbon | 1.0° west | 9.5 – 14.9 h |
| Setúbal, Setúbal | 0.8° west | 9.5 – 14.9 h |
| Évora, Évora | 0.5° west | 9.5 – 14.9 h |
| Faro, Faro | 0.5° west | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| Portimão, Faro | 0.7° west | 9.6 – 14.7 h |
| Funchal, Madeira | 3.5° west | 10.0 – 14.3 h |
| Ponta Delgada, Azores | 6.7° west | 9.6 – 14.8 h |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey) and NOAA solar equations. "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
Check one home, or compare your shortlist
- Score out of 100 and its band
- Your top three issues
- True north correction for your city
- Every room scored, with no-cost and low-cost fixes
- Your floor plans with the zones at true north
- Centre, front door and pada
- Action plan, 90-day plan and checklist
- Two or three homes side by side
- Which home fits Vastu best, and why
- Plus the full report for the home you choose
Prices are charged in US dollars and your bank converts them; local amounts are a guide.
Vastu in Portugal: questions people ask
Does Vastu work in Portugal?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Portugal as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Portuguese flat or moradia. What matters is setting north correctly on the planta and reading the rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Is a flat with nascente exposure good for Vastu?
East-facing (nascente) openings fit classical Vastu well, because the texts ask for an open, light east. But the exposure is only part of it: the report also scores the front door's position and every room.
What does T2 mean, and does it matter for Vastu?
In Portugal a T2 has two bedrooms (in France a T2 means two main rooms). For Vastu the label does not matter: the report reads every room on the plan by its direction.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Portugal?
Hardly on the mainland: about 1° west in Lisbon, 1° west in Porto and 1° west in Faro. More on the islands: 4° west in Funchal and 7° west in Ponta Delgada (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
Can I check a new-build flat from the developer's plan?
Yes. Upload the planta from the brochure, set north from the site plan or a map, confirm the rooms and you get a free score in a few minutes, so you can compare units before you sign a contrato-promessa.
Can I compare flats before buying?
Yes. Use Compare 2–3 homes: the side-by-side comparison is free, and Home Buyer Compare (US$79, about €70) adds a PDF that ranks the homes and includes the full report for the one you choose.
Vastu for homes in other countries
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 20 October 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.