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In 2022, I packed up my life and moved to Portugal. I had no return ticket and no plan B. I figured I’d land, fall in love with the place, and just stay.
If you are weighing other European bases, France is a strong dog-friendly option I write about in my guide to moving to France with a dog.
I did fall in love with it. I just didn’t stay.
A few months in, I ran the numbers on what staying long-term would actually require: the visa renewals, the residency timeline, the amount of physical presence in the country I’d need to keep it all valid. At the time, my income depended on being mobile, and Portugal’s system wanted me planted. Plus, the bureaucracy of it all just felt to overwhelming.
So I left for Mexico instead, where I ended up buying property and building a life I love. But Portugal never really let go of me. I’m actively working on getting back, with a smarter strategy that I’m sharing in this guide.
This post is done in partnership with StartAbroad, a relocation company that helps people move to Portugal and other countries. As always, all opinons are my own.
Why Everyone Suddenly Wants to Move to Portugal
If you’ve spent any time in digital nomad or expat circles over the last few years, you’ve watched Portugal go from “hidden gem” to the place everybody wants to be. There are many good reasons for that, it’s not just hype:
- One of the more accessible paths to an EU passport. Compared to most of Western Europe, Portugal’s residency-to-citizenship route has historically been one of the friendlier options for non-EU nationals, which matters enormously if you want the long-term flexibility of an EU passport.
- A lower cost of living than most of Western Europe. Not cheap by global standards anymore, especially in Lisbon, but still a noticeable step down from London, Paris, or most major US cities.
- Safety. Portugal consistently ranks among the safer countries in the world, which is a big consideration when you’re moving somewhere alone or with family.
- The community. Lisbon in particular has a reputation as the place “where digital nomads go to die.” Meaning: people come for three months and never leave. I understand that completely now.
- The scenery. Cobblestone streets and tiled facades in Lisbon, cliffside towns along the Algarve coast, terraced vineyards in the Douro Valley, beach towns that hold their own against anywhere else in Europe. It’s a small country that packs in a wildly disproportionate amount of landscape.
What Happened the First Time I Moved to Portugal
I rented a place in Lisbon, no long-term lease, just enough to test the city properly. And it delivered. The colorful houses, a glass of wine on the terraces, the way the whole city tilts downhill toward the water. The community there is so strong, which makes it easy to integrate into the city.
I was there trying to figure out if I could build my actual life around this city. While I fell in love quickly, it was not suitable for my lifestyle at the time.
Staying long-term meant a level of time-in-country and paperwork commitment that didn’t fit the business I was running. So I left for Mexico, which is a different visa system entirely and, for what I needed then, an easier fit. Portugal stayed on the list. It just moved to “later” instead of “now.”
Before I even got to the visa conversation, I had to get two things every foreigner needs to do almost anything in Portugal: a NIF (your Portuguese tax number) and a Portuguese bank account.
The NIF itself I was able to do through an agency relatively painlessly, but the bank account was where things fell apart. I’m talking weeks, not days, and multiple in-person appointments before it actually worked. Documentation requirements that shifted depending on which employee I spoke to. Appointments that required other appointments.
The kind of process where you leave feeling like you accomplished something, only to find out three days later you need to come back with one more form nobody mentioned the first time. It made me realize how difficult the rest of the process was going to be.
Eventually I stopped pushing toward residency altogether, and it came down to two things stacked on top of each other. The bureaucracy was already eating more time than I’d budgeted for, and even if I’d cleared it, the visa required significant time physically in the country each year to stay valid, which didn’t fit how I was running my business or moving around at the time as a full-time digital nomad.
Staying long-term meant a level of time-in-country and paperwork commitment that didn’t fit the business I was running. Mexico, on the other hand, had a temporary residency program running at the time, a leftover from COVID, that got me four years of residency with way less friction. I took that option instead, and ended up buying property in Puerto Vallarta. I love the life I’ve built there, but I still feel like I left a piece of my heart in Portugal. It stayed on the list. It just moved to later instead of now.
What I’d Do If I Was Moving to Portugal Tomorrow
I haven’t set a move date yet. But when I do, I’m not doing the bureaucracy solo again. That’s the one thing I’d change about round one if I could.
This is where StartAbroad comes in. They’re a full-service relocation company founded in 2021 by expats Anna Sosdian and Zach Gerth, who had relocated 12 times between them before deciding to build the company they wished had existed for their own moves.
That kind of hands-on experience would have saved me weeks back in 2022. They handle every step, from discovery and planning through post-arrival settling in, including full visa support for either the D7 or D8, document prep through final review, plus in-person support for your AIMA appointment once you’re in the country, which is the step most people dread given the current backlog. Clients who meet the qualifications see a 100% visa approval rate, which tells you a lot about how thorough their prep process actually is..
They also cover the parts that buried me the first time around: remote Portuguese bank account opening without needing an apostille or power of attorney, NIF and NISS setup, and a rental search that includes up to 50 listings and up to five in-person walkthroughs with lease review and translation. Their concierge services extend to airport pickup, school search if you’re moving with kids, shipping, phone and utility setup, and pet relocation support like checklists and requirements if you’re traveling internationally with a pet.
You get one dedicated relocation specialist for the whole process, reachable by WhatsApp, phone, and email, instead of bouncing between government offices and hoping the person at the counter that day knows the current rules.
If you’re where I was in 2022, seriously considering the move and dreading the admin, this will save you so much time.
Start relocating to Portugal – get 5% off services using code LORA
Your Visa Options for Moving to Portugal
If you’re not an EU citizen, the first decision is which visa fits your situation.
| Visa | Who it’s for | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| D7 (Passive Income Visa) | People with passive income: pensions, rental income, dividends, royalties | Minimum income threshold, and “passive” is interpreted strictly |
| D8 (Digital Nomad Visa) | Remote employees and freelancers earning from abroad | Requires a meaningfully higher monthly income threshold than the D7 |
| Golden Visa | Investors | Real estate route closed in 2023; remaining routes (funds, donations, job creation) require significant capital |
| D2 (Entrepreneur/Startup Visa) | People starting a business in Portugal | Requires a viable business plan and more setup than the others |
For most location-independent people without a Portuguese employer, it comes down to D7 versus D8. The D7 is built for passive income streams while the D8 is built for active remote income.
Here’s the update that matters most right now if you’re researching this in 2026: Portugal’s citizenship timeline changed. For most non-EU nationals, the path to citizenship through residency now takes 10 years, not the 5 years it used to take.
When I go back, the D7 is my target. I already have a Portuguese NIF and bank account from my 2022 stint, which puts me ahead of where most people start. What I don’t have yet is a fixed date. I’m doing this deliberately rather than rushing it, because the application requires many steps, including proof of stable passive income above the minimum threshold, accommodation in Portugal, a clean criminal record, and increasingly, patience with AIMA, the agency now handling immigration processing with a backlog in the hundreds of thousands.
That backlog is the single biggest variable in how smooth or painful your D7 process will be, and it’s largely out of your control.
Where to Live in Portugal
Lisbon is where my heart is, for the reasons above: the community, the energy, the sense that you could disappear into that city for years without noticing time pass. It’s also the most expensive city in the country and the most competitive rental market, especially since 2022. It’s gotten kind of crazy.
If you’re looking for other options, here are a few:
- Porto: One of the best alternatives to Lisbon. Lower cost, strong infrastructure, its own thriving expat scene, and a slower pace that some people prefer.
- The Algarve: Beach-first living, popular with retirees and remote workers who want coastline over city life. Quieter, fewer job opportunities if you need local work.
- Ericeira: surf town an hour from Lisbon, growing remote work crowd
- Madeira: island, official digital nomad village in Ponta do Sol, lower cost than Lisbon
- Coimbra, Braga, Évora: Meaningfully cheaper, smaller international networks, fewer English-language services, but a more local experience if that’s what you’re after.
- The Azores: nine islands, far quieter, for people who want nature and isolation over a social scene
There’s no universally right answer here. It depends on whether you need an international community immediately, how much budget flexibility you have, and whether you want city energy or something quieter.
What It Costs to Live in Portugal
The cost of living in Portugal shifts constantly and your mileage will vary by city and lifestyle, but as a rough framework: expect Lisbon rent for a one-bedroom in a decent area to land somewhere in the €900 to €1,500 range, with Porto coming in noticeably lower and smaller cities lower still. If you go to a more rural area, you’ll pay considerably cheaper rent.
Groceries, transit, and everyday dining remain cheaper than most of Western Europe, though Lisbon prices have climbed enough that “cheap European capital” isn’t quite the right framing anymore. Private health insurance is notably affordable compared to US equivalents, often well under €100 a month for a healthy adult.
Moving to Portugal With a Pet
I travel with my rescue pug, Puglo, who’s been to 19 countries with me, so we know a bit about traveling with pets.
Moving a pet into Portugal, or any EU country, comes with its own checklist on top of everything else: a microchip, an up-to-date rabies vaccination, the correct EU health certification completed within the right window before travel, and depending on where you’re coming from, sometimes a rabies titer blood test with its own waiting period.
After 19 countries with Puglo, I’ve got this part down to a system. If you haven’t done it before, it’s worth knowing that pet relocation support is one of the concierge services some relocation companies, including StartAbroad, build into their packages, so you’re not figuring it out for the first time on a deadline.
Healthcare in Portugal
Once you’re a legal resident, you gain access to Portugal’s public healthcare system, which is tax-funded and covers most residents. It’s solid, but wait times for specialists through the public system can be long. Most expats I know layer in private health insurance, which is widely available, often costs a fraction of US equivalents, and gets you faster access and English-speaking doctors in the major cities. You’ll also need proof of health insurance as part of your visa application, so this isn’t optional.
Frequently Asked Questions about Moving to Portugal
Is it hard to move to Portugal?
The visa application itself is manageable if your documentation is correct. The harder part is the administrative layer once you arrive: opening a bank account, navigating AIMA appointments, and dealing with processing backlogs that are largely outside your control.
How long does it take to get Portuguese citizenship after moving there?
As of the current Nationality Law, most non-EU nationals are looking at a 10 year residency requirement before citizenship eligibility, a significant change from the previous 5 year timeline.
Do I need a NIF before I move to Portugal?
Yes. A NIF (tax number) is required for almost everything, including opening a bank account, signing a lease, and getting utilities set up. Many people now get this done remotely before arrival.
Can I bring my dog when I move to Portugal?
Yes, but it requires a microchip, current rabies vaccination, and the correct EU health certification completed within specific timing windows before travel. Some origin countries also require a rabies titer test with its own waiting period.
Is Lisbon or Porto better for moving to Portugal?
Lisbon offers the largest international community and the most opportunity, at the highest cost. Porto offers a meaningfully lower cost of living with its own growing expat scene and a slower pace.
Is moving to Portugal a good idea?
Depends what you’re optimizing for. If you want safety, mild weather, and an eventual EU passport, and you’re prepared for the bureaucracy, yes. If you’re chasing cheap and easy, look elsewhere.
Can you live on $1000 a month in Portugal?
Not in Lisbon or Porto if you’re renting alone, rent there can eat most of that by itself. It’s more realistic in smaller inland cities or with shared housing, but still tight in 2026.
How much money do I need in the bank to move to Portugal?
For the D7 visa, you need savings equal to about 12 months of Portugal’s minimum wage, roughly €11,040 for a single applicant in 2026, with more required per dependent.
What is the downside of living in Portugal?
The bureaucracy (AIMA backlogs, NIF and bank account friction), rising housing costs in the cities most foreigners want to live in, and local wages that haven’t kept pace, which has created tension between residents and incoming expats.
Final Thoughts about Moving to Portugal
I left Portugal in 2022 because the system and my lifestyle weren’t compatible yet. That’s not a regret, it’s just where things stood at the time. What’s changed is that I know exactly where the friction lives, I already have a NIF and bank account in place, and when I do set a date, I’m not planning to handle the rest of it solo.
If Lisbon is calling you the way it’s still calling me, go in with accurate expectations: the citizenship timeline is longer than it used to be, the bureaucracy is real, and the parts that feel small on paper (a bank account, a pet’s paperwork) can eat weeks of your life if you’re doing it alone, which is why working with a program like StartAbroad can save you so much headache. You can get a free consultation, and if you want to use their service, you can use code LORA for 5% off relocation services.
Moving to Portugal is still an attraction option in 2026, despite the hurdles! There’s a reason so many digital nomads and expats flock here, after all.
