Portugal

Community

Portugal (also known as Portuguese Republic) has a population of 10+ million people. The Portuguese are recognized as people who are very welcoming and kind towards immigrants, expats and tourists, extending hospitality. However, just like in any other country, among the people of Portugal, there is a wide perspective of different personality types. For instance, you may find differences (attitude, perspectives and so on.) between those who live in the countryside and those who live in the city. Because Portuguese people have the reputation of being friendly and easy-going towards other nations, the Portuguese are wonderful hosts, as well as making newcomers feel at home right away. Some people may even say that the best part of Portugal is the community and people there.

Benefits

Living in Portugal can provide a lot more than just financial benefits. There are much more benefits that come with moving to Portugal. Suppose that you have children and prioritize and care about their safety. Portugal is generally a safe country with a very low crime rate. As a matter of fact, Portugal ranks in the top ten safest countries worldwide. Portugal a safe and welcoming environment. Portugal is a good place to raise a family in. Public schools in Portugal are free and charge no cost to enroll in. Although According to QS Higher Education System Strength Rankings，Portugal’s education is ranked as the 35th best in the whole world. The engineering, medical and law schools in Portugal are valued and acknowledged, along with Portugal’s top tier colleges and universities. The subjects that are taught in Portuguese schools include mathematics, science, chemistry and physics. Another benefit of living in Portugal is the warm climate. During Winter, the weather in Portugal is warm or just a little bit cold. If you are planning to move to Portugal as an expat, you can get up to 90 days in a year to live in Portugal without needing a travel visa. In advance of the 90 days you are given are up, you must finish filling out an application for a Residency Permit or a Residency Visa. The financial benefits that come with moving to Portugal include special tax benefits offered to Portugal’s non-habitual residents for the first ten years of living there. A qualified non-habitual resident in Portugal would be a resident who has not been a resident living in Portugal within the last five years and wants to live there. Another requirement one must fulfill to become a non-habitual-resident in Portugal is to either have a residence to live in for at least majority of one year (a primary residence) or live in Portugal for at least 183 days straight. Portugal is cheap to live in. Many people there are able to get by on $1000 or less a month. An income of $2000 a month can afford one a luxurious lifestyle in Portugal. It is a lot cheaper to live in Portugal than the U.S.

Healthcare

The healthcare in Portugal has good infrastructure, along with good quality. U.S. citizens who get legal residency status in Portugal qualify for the public health system Portugal offers (SNS). Healthcare in Portugal is inexpensive. Most Portuguese residents pay around 400 USD a year for private healthcare however it costs more for private healthcare that covers other conditions or gives more support. According to a number of foreigners who have had first hand experience with the healthcare in Portugal that was offered to them, many of the doctors in Portugal speak English. The wide range of doctors you are able to choose from allows you to choose a doctor based on your needs (one who speaks English and much more).

Language

The two official main languages spoken in Portugal are Portuguese and Miranda Do Douro. Despite English being widely spoken in Portugal, it will be hard understanding lots of things around Portugal if you cannot speak or understand Portuguese. Portuguese is the official language of 9 countries (not just Portugal) with more than 200 million native speakers worldwide. Majority of the Portuguese speakers live in Brazil. In proportion to ‘gooverseas.com’, a website that helps English speakers find the easiest languages to learn stated “Portuguese is widely spoken around the world and is relatively easy for English speakers to learn.” On average, it usually takes a person 24 weeks (half a year) to learn Portuguese. If you speak Portuguese fluently, you will be in a good position to apply for a job in Portugal.

Paperwork

Anyone who has an American passport can enter Portugal for up to 90 days without a visa. Anyone else without an American passport must apply for a visa, which means filling out a visa application form. The 3 most commonly used Portuguese visas include the retirement visa, the Portugal golden visa and tourist visa. Once you get your hands on a retirement visa in Portugal, it will only last two years before expiring. After two years are over, you have the choice to renew the visa or not. To apply for a retirement visa in Portugal, you must have qualify for the following requirements:

A health insurance plan
A valid ID
Proof that you will be living in Portugal (show documents such as: where you will live once you move in)
At least two passport photos
Evidence that you will be able to financially support yourself during the time you are living in Portugal
No criminal records that include any misdemeanors
Filled out application form of residence visa (fill out online)

After fulfilling all the requirements, make sure to schedule an appointment with the embassy to submit your application to them. If they accept your paperwork, start applying for a residency permit. Residents that have obtained the retirement visa are allowed to enter other countries that are part of the European union.

The Portugal golden visa program is a program that allows citizens from outside the European union to reside in, work in, and attend school in Portugal. Once obtaining this visa, you have to wait till five years to renew it. This visa is best to fall into the hands of expats who may come to Portugal for business, etc.

According to visaguide.world, a website that specializes in giving out information about visas and how to attain one, to the extent of obtaining a golden visa in Portugal, you must do one of the following:

Purchase property worth $500,000 USD or more in Portugal
Invest €350,000 in a property located in a Portuguese urban regeneration area. The amount is brought down to €280,000 if the property is in a low-density area. The project you invest in must be qualified by the Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF).
Invest at least €350,000 in a qualifying Investment Fund.
Transfer at least €1 million in a Portuguese bank account.
Buy at least €1 million worth of shares or make an investment of at least €1 million in a Portuguese company.
Create at least ten new jobs for Portuguese citizens.
Invest at least €350,000 for research activities in science or technology in scientific research institutions.
Invest at least €250,000 to support the reconstruction of Portuguese heritage or arts.

Along with completing one of the options from above, you must also have no record of criminal activity, be over the age of 18, proof that you have done one of the options from above, at least 2 passport photos and a valid ID. After living in Portugal for a minimum 5 years, one may apply for permanent residency in Portugal, allowing those with the golden visa to apply right after their their 5 years living in Portugal with their visa, making it so they no longer have to renew their visa.

The tourist visa that Portugal provides to it’s tourists is meant for tourists who are staying in Portugal for up to 90 days. If your travel to Portugal does not exceed 90 days, you don’t need a visa to enter Portugal. Not everyone needs a tourist visa to enter Portugal for 90 days only. If you don’t come from countries that are not included in the following: Bulgaria. Cyprus, Greece, Grenada, Malta, Spain, Moldova, Montenegro, United Arab Emirates, Ireland and Vanuatu, and would like to travel to Portugal as tourists, you must apply for a travel visa.

Because the Portuguese tourist visa is only used for a short stay of 3 months, it is not as hard to attain as other visas. In order to get one, one must fill out the visa application online, collect all the required documents, make an appointment with the embassy of Portugal and pay the visa fee. This process usually takes around 2 weeks.

Remote Working

Sadly, Portugal does not have a visa specialized for remote workers; however, Portugal is still one of the best places to remotely work from. Those who have a passive income and would like to work in Portugal usually side with the D7 visa, a visa that allows one to remotely work during their stay in Portugal. This is the most common option for non-EU citizens who are interested in working remotely from Portugal.

The first thing to do to get the Portuguese D7 visa is to go to a Portuguese Consulate and retrieve a visa application form. A D7 visa costs $50 to $295 USD per person who applies. The D7 visa has similar requirements as the Retirement visa that was explained in the “Paperwork” section above. After being accepted, make sure to show proof of your accommodation by buying property and get a residency permit by applying to the Portuguese government. Before leaving to Portugal, make sure to set up a bank account.

Portugal is a good place for remote workers because of it’s low cost of rent and nice weather. Famous cities that usually attract tourists such as Lisbon, Algarve and many more are great places to settle as a remote worker due to the nice weather and environment.

Negatives

Living in Portugal has many perks but so does it have downsides. To live in Portugal, you will need to know Portuguese to understand most things. Sometimes, google translate is not the most reliable source. The traffic in the large cities in Portugal can be very bad at times which also causes numerous car accidents each year because of impatient drivers driving back and forth during peak hours. Another con of living in Portugal is that some things are very expensive. Although the cost to rent a place does not cost a high price, things like fresh produce can be more on the expensive side when going to the supermarket.

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