Portugal how to move
Portugal Country Guide
Everything you need to know about moving to Portugal
How to Move to Portugal
Moving to Portugal can change your life. Make sure to do it the right way.
Moving anywhere poses its challenges, but Portugal is worth it. With its charming historic cities and towns, inviting climate, and welcoming culture, the country sets the stage for both adventure and tranquility. Portugal’s stable political climate, well-regarded healthcare system, and robust education offerings make it an attractive destination for retirees, families, professionals, and Digital Nomads. In this guide, we outline the steps to ensure a seamless and efficient move to Portugal.
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StartAbroad's High-level Relocation Checklist
At StartAbroad, we provide our clients detailed, tailored checklists that cover every aspect of their move. By clicking the link below, you can download a high-level relocation checklist that covers the basics of your move abroad. While it is not exhaustive, this checklist is designed to help you get started with planning your move to Portugal.
How to Move to Portugal as a Retiree
Why Retire to Portugal?
One of the safest countries in the world
Excellent visa options, specifically the D7
Affordable, high-quality healthcare
Ranked #1 place to retire in 2023
Easy access to the rest of the EU
Lower cost of living than the US or Canada
Mild Mediterranean climate
How can you retire to Portugal?
There is no one-size-fits all move to Portugal. Here is a broad outline of steps you could take to make your move a success.
- Define your goals for your life in Portugal
- Set your retirement budget
- Decide on your relocation timeline
- Visit the country at least once on a scouting trip
- Decide your residency route, connect with StartAbroad
- Understand tax implications of your move
- Choose where to live in the country
- Decide if you’ll buy or rent
- Create a medical plan, including health insurance, access to medications, access to specialists, and an emergency care plan
- Take care of banking and money transfer matters
- Make sure you have a place to stay upon arrival
- Book your ticket!
Reach out to [email protected] if you’d like to speak with a relocation specialist to start laying out a roadmap to your life in Portugal!
Not sure where to start?
Speak with an international relocation specialist for free
How to Move to Portugal as a Family
Why move your family to Portugal?
One of the safest countries in the world
Diverse, highly rated school options
Affordable, high-quality healthcare
Accessibly priced real estate
Excellent visa options, including the D7 and Digital Nomad Visa
Lower cost of living than the US or Canada
Mild Mediterranean climate
How can you move your family to Portugal?
There is no one-size-fits all move to Portugal for families. Here is a broad outline of steps you could take to make your move a success.
- Start with schools
- Set your budget
- Decide on your relocation timeline
- Visit the country at least once on a scouting trip
- Decide your residency route, connect with StartAbroad
- Understand tax implications of your move
- Choose where to live in the country
- Decide if you’ll buy or rent
- Identify the best transportation option for your needs
- Take care of banking and money transfer matters
- Understand the medical landscape, make sure that your families needs are covered
- Make sure you have a place to stay upon arrival
- Identify childcare if necessary
- Book your ticket!
Reach out to [email protected] if you’d like to speak with a relocation specialist to start laying out a roadmap to your life in Portugal!
How to Become a Digital Nomad in Portugal
Why become a digital nomad in Portugal?
One of the safest countries in the world
Excellent visa options, including the Digital Nomad Visa
Vibrant, active, like-minded community
Lots of coworking spaces and accommodation options
Excellent internet speeds
Lower cost of living than the US and Canada
Easy access to the rest of the EU
Mild Mediterranean climate
How can you become a digital nomad in Portugal?
There is no one-size-fits all move to Portugal for digital nomads. Here is a broad outline of steps you could take to make your move a success.
- Define your goals + length of stay
- Set your budget
- Speak with your employer or work with an employer of record
- Get started on your Digital Nomad Visa
- Understand tax implications of your move
- Decide where your home base will be
- Identify the best transportation option for your needs
- Take care of banking and money transfer matters
- Ensure that you’ll have fast enough internet where you’re staying
- Make sure you have a place to stay upon arrival
- Book your ticket!
Reach out to [email protected] if you’d like to speak with a relocation specialist to start laying out a roadmap to your life in Portugal!
How to Move to Portugal as a Professional
Why move to Portugal as a professional?
One of the safest countries in the world
Excellent visa options, including the Digital Nomad Visa, D1, D3, and D7 visas
Easy access to the rest of the EU
Excellent internet speeds
Mild Mediterranean climate
Accessibly priced real estate
Lower cost of living than the US and Canada
How can you move to Portugal as a professional?
There is no one-size-fits all move to Portugal for professionals. Here is a broad outline of steps you could take to make your move a success.
- Confirm that your employer has Ok’d the move, and understands the tax implications
- Define your goals + length of stay
- Set your budget
- Decide were in the country you will live
- Get started on your visa, connect with StartAbroad
- Understand tax implications of your move
- Decide where your home base will be
- Identify the best transportation option for your needs
- Take care of banking and money transfer matters
- Ensure that you’ll have fast enough internet where you’re staying
- Make sure you have a place to stay upon arrival
- Book your ticket!
Reach out to [email protected] if you’d like to speak with a relocation specialist to start laying out a roadmap to your life in Portugal!
Helpful resources
Partner Article: Protect Yourself From Currency Volatility When Purchasing a Property in Portugal
December 12, 2023
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Portugal client reviews
StartAbroad made the process easy and manageable. Anna is the BEST, she informed me of the necessary steps to get me to Portugal. StartAbroad helped with housing, needed documents, and the million questions I had. I highly recommend their services if you want an easy and very manageable process to travel and live overseas.
Joyce L.
Portugal Concierge Client
5/5
We hired StartAbroad to help us find a long-term rental in Portugal and we’re extremely happy that we did. Because we wanted to be in the Algarve where longer term rentals aren’t easy to find, Anna from StartAbroad helped us create a wish list that matched our budget [and] still managed to check the boxes that were important to us. Based on that, she compiled listings for us to see as soon as we touched down in Portugal from the US. Armed with that, and a little bit of luck, we were able to find a home that was everything we’d hoped for!
We feel very confident recommending StartAbroad to anyone looking to relocate abroad.
Richard F.
Rental Search Client
5/5
We greatly appreciated the personable…concierge service that StartAbroad offered. [They] listened to what we said and what we did not say and helped us plan a very fun, but strategic exploratory trip. We were able to see multiple cities during our very brief visit and have a lot of fun along the way.
Tea N.
Exploratory Trip Client
5/5
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