How to Move to Portugal: The Ultimate Guide

Why Move to Portugal?

Known as “the Garden by the Sea,” Portugal offers a lush landscape with world-class beaches, forested hills, and serene lakes. We have some of the most sunlight hours in Western Europe, with mild(ish) winters and steaming hot summers.

And then there’s the food! Portuguese cuisine is unparalleled for seafood. Though there are some great meat dishes too, the national favorites like “Bacalhau com Natas” (Cod with Cream), “Polvo à Lagareiro” (Octopus brushed with olive oil), and “sardinhas” (sardines) are a feast for fish lovers. 

Portugal is also a good first venture if you’ve never lived abroad before. The welcoming locals and low cost of living make it a popular spot for digital nomads. This means a big community of people from all over the world, making it generally easier to make friends here than in other countries.

If you’re already set on moving to Portugal, you can skip to the next section for more practical advice. But if you need more convincing, here are some pros and cons to consider.

‍

Things you'll love about living in Portugal

Some things you might love about living in Portugal include: 

• Long days of sunlight 
• Many Portuguese people speak English fluently
• Excellent climate
• Visas available for digital nomads and entrepreneurs
• Amazing local cuisine
• Cheap flights to other European countries
• Varied, lush landscapes
• Award-winning beaches
• Vibrant expat community
• National health system providing free or subsidized healthcare
• Affordable cost of living when compared to other European countries
• Quiet motorways (this is a pro for me – I love long-distance driving!)

Things you might not love about living in Portugal

Sadly, it’s not all rosy! Here are the cons of moving to Portugal:

• Rapidly rising rent prices
• Limited Portuguese job market
• Low salaries when compared to the rest of Europe
• Bureaucracy in Portugal is confusing and annoying
• Portuguese is a hard language to learn
• Houses and apartments tend to have low energy efficiency (unless brand new)
• High humidity all year round
• Lots of rain in the winter
• Prone to forest fires in the summer
• In-built heating is rare
• AC is rare (I know this is a consideration for North Americans! We Europeans are quite used to this.)

If the pros here outweigh the cons, let's dive into the real fun stuff and get you ready to move to Portugal.

Best Places to Live in Portugal

Portugal is quite a small country with just over 10 million residents, yet its towns and cities all have their own flavor. The best places to live in Portugal are:

• Lisbon
• Porto
• The Algarve
• Cascais (suburb of Lisbon)
• Setúbal
• The Silver Coast (including Nazaré and Caldas da Rainha)
• Coimbra

Can’t decide? Below, I’ll break down the pros and cons of the top three.

‍

Moving to Lisbon

Portugal’s capital city, Lisboa, is the heart of the country in many ways. As the birthplace of many great poets, artists, explorers, and musicians, it has a bohemian reputation among locals.

Fado, an important genre of Portuguese music, was born in Lisbon and is still performed in the fado bars every night.

The colorful buildings and wide open view of the River Tejo make Lisbon an optimistic, joyful place that draws thousands of expats and travelers year after year. If you want to be in the thick of everything, Lisbon is the best place for you.

Pros of living in Lisbon

The main pros of living in Lisbon are: 

• Great weather
• Home to the most active international airport in Portugal
• Excellent public transport

Cons of living in Lisbon

On the other hand, here’s the bad side of living in Lisbon:

• Overpriced rental rates
• Large tourist population
• Higher cost of living

Best areas to live in Lisbon

The best places to live in Lisbon for expats are:

• Alfama – the oldest most coveted part of town (but steer clear if you have a car!)
• Parque das Nações – spacious and modern with good transport links
• Belém – a safe neighborhood with a world-famous pastel de nata bakery

‍

Moving to Porto

Porto has been one of my favourite Portuguese cities for 15 years, and now I finally live here! It’s the cool, alternative Northern sister to Lisbon’s more optimistic vibe.

Here you’ll find centuries-old port houses and classic tiled buildings. The architecture is more gothic than Lisbon, adding to its edge. You’re also a stone’s throw away from the Douro Valley, which is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Porto was less popular with expats for a long time, but it’s gained popularity in recent years.

Pros of living in Porto

Here’s why Porto was (and is) my dream Portuguese city:

• Friendly locals
• Small city feel
• Great mix of festivals, events, and clubs

Cons of living in Porto

I love Porto, but it’s not all pretty! Here are my top three cons: 

• Terrible traffic (like most major cities)
• Less diversity
• Rainier, colder winters

Best areas to live in Porto

In my experience, the best areas to live in Porto are:

• Bonfim – easy access to the city center
• Campanhã – reasonable rent prices and nice outdoor spaces
• Matosinhos – a coastal neighborhood with cute cafés and a young entrepreneurial community

‍

Moving to The Algarve

The Algarve is the southernmost region of Portugal, known for its stunning beaches and golf courses.

We call it “The Algarve” because it’s not a city but a 5,000 square kilometer chunk of the country with many villages and towns. Think of it like “the Lake District” or “The Hamptons.”

The region's capital city is Faro, which has an international airport for easy access. However, most foreign residents flock to the resort towns for that coastal life.

Pros of living in The Algarve

Here’s why many people love The Algarve:

• Amazing beaches
• Short drive to Southern Spain
• Warm climate

Cons of living in The Algarve

The cons of living in The Algarve are:

• Huge tourist population
• Short rent contracts
• Older population (many retirees)

Best areas to live in The Algarve

The Algarve has a string of beach towns to choose from depending on your vibe. The best are:

• Faro – underrated and historical as one of Portugal's oldest cities
• Albufeira – lively resort town with busy beaches
• Lagos – top tourist destination with a world-class beachfront

‍

Visa Types in Portugal

Allow me to interrupt our fun with some dreaded bureaucracy. 

Sadly, it's a vital part of moving to Portugal but I’ll keep it short. 

If you have European citizenship within the EU, you have the right to live, work, and study in Portugal as it’s part of the European Union. All you need to do is apply for your temporary residence permit. This is a simple process at your local câmara (town hall) and is valid for five years. 

Non-EU citizens can also apply for a Portuguese residence permit, but you'll also need a visa from the Portuguese immigration agency, Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (AIMA, formerly SEF).

Here is a brief look at Portuguese visas:

• Student Visa – This allows you to stay in Portugal to study at an accredited university for one year. Your university may be able to help you with your visa and Portugal residence permit application.
• D2 Entrepreneurs Visa – Also known as the Startup Visa, this two-year permit is available for those wanting to start a business in Portugal. However, you must create a limited company and present a viable business plan. 
• D6 Family Reunification Visa – If your spouse is a Portuguese citizen, you can apply for a D6 visa to reunite your family. It is a renewable two-year visa and residence permit for you and your family members.
• D8 Digital Nomad Visa – This is a one-year visa aimed at remote workers. You must earn over €3,280 per month to apply.
• D7 Passive Income Visa – Ideal for retirees and investors, the golden visa is open to you if you can prove you have enough resources in your bank account to sustain yourself. (The Portugal golden visa is also known as the retirement visa, as it's popular with American expats.)
• Portugal Golden Visa Program – An initiative by the Portuguese government to attract foreign investors who can make a significant contribution to venture capital funds.

Note: AIMA often has long wait times which can be stressful for foreign nationals. You’ll need to be both persistent and patient when contacting them. 

After five continuous years in Portugal, you can obtain permanent residency or Portuguese citizenship whether you're a European citizen or not. A permanent residence permit lasts ten years. Portugal citizenship entitles you to a Portuguese passport. Dual citizenship is allowed in Portugal.

Although Portugal's Digital Nomad visa is one of the most popular in the world, if you want to keep your options open, here's a list of all of the countries offering a visa for remote workers.

‍

Settling Into Life in Portugal

My philosophy on living abroad is that understanding is key; understanding the language, history, and even the cuisine can help you feel more connected and settled. 

Here are some important things to be aware of before moving to Portugal.

‍

Culture

Portuguese culture is rich, given the country’s complex history as the first colonizing nation and its oppressive dictatorship that only ended in the 1970s. 

First, let’s talk about friendliness. I find Portuguese people to be welcoming, but not intimate. It’s unlikely that your neighbors will invite you to dinner right away or make a special effort to make friends. This is a relic of the dictatorship days, when people kept to themselves. Family matters more than friendship here.

In terms of religion, Portugal is a Catholic country that holds reverence for Easter and each region’s patron saint days. However, it doesn’t feel oppressively religious. For example, you won’t be stared at for wearing booty shorts in the summer. 

Food is a key cornerstone of Portuguese life, with lunch going on for at least two hours in many towns. There is a top-quality Portuguese restaurant in every town, no matter how small.

Finally, Portugal is culturally distinct from its neighboring country, Spain, and proudly so. There are no siestas and even the timezone is different. If you speak Spanish, it may help you with the language slightly, but the pronunciation and spelling are quite different.

Speaking of language…

‍

Language

Portugal is friendly to English speakers with many people in the main cities speaking English fluently. Some expats get away with living in Portugal for years and never learn more than a few words.

I studied Linguistics at university so I have a bias here, but I believe language is one of the most revealing ways to learn about a culture and its people. The structure of the Portuguese language is similar to other romance languages (e.g. Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian). Most people struggle with pronunciation.

Portuguese is a tough language to learn, but Portuguese people love it when you try. It helps to take lessons before you move to Portugal. That said, the graciousness of Portuguese citizens helps hugely with learning Portuguese.

Depending on your goals, I recommend these apps/platforms for language learning:

• Drops: Use the free version of this app for 5-minutes of vocab lessons a day. This is good for improving vocab but little else.
• Mondly: If you want to have a little bit more practice, this app is similar to Duolingo but has less silly prompts and more realistic phrases and sentences.
• Babbel: Babbel is similar to Mondly but also teaches cultural tidbits during the language lesson.
• iTalki: If you're more serious about learning to speak the language, this platform allows you to have 1:1 or group lessons with native teachers.

‍

Healthcare

The Portuguese healthcare system is mostly free to those who pay tax (social security) and have valid Portuguese residency. Emergency care is quite efficient, depending on where you live. However, there can be a long wait for elective procedures. 

Once you’re on the social security system, you don’t typically need to pay for doctor appointments. In some cases there are co-pays, though they are much more affordable than the US healthcare system. Private health insurance is affordable and widely available too. 

‍

Safety

Portugal is known to be a safe European country. In fact, it was ranked the 15th safest country in the world in 2024. Incidences of violent crime are extremely low. I once left my car unlocked for a whole four-day weekend in Porto and returned home to find it untouched. 

Having said that, always exercise normal precautions and maybe remember to lock your car doors. Pickpocketing is common on the metro in Lisbon and Porto, so be mindful of your belongings. 

‍

Will You Be Moving to Portugal?

Is moving to Portugal the right choice for you? My advice is to move for a short trial period to help you make a decision.

For me, Portugal is an underrated country that has socially, financially, and spiritually changed my life. If Portugal is calling you, give it a go!