– January 5, 2023 0 11
Photo by micheile.com || visual stories: https://www.pexels.com/photo/faro-portugal-12704505/
Portugal has become extremely popular in recent years among expats who want to move their nest for a better life. Whether it’s Lisbon, Porto, the Azores, the Algarve or further inland, this country with a varied landscape has something for everyone.
1) Very affordable
Portugal ranked first among the cheapest places to live in the world in the article, and while the article lists $2800 or $2000 respectively for a couple or single person, the actual numbers are much lower.
Sunset over Rio Douro. Left Vila Nova de Gaia. right the old town. City of Porto (Oporto) on the Rio Douro … [+] in the north of Portugal. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Europe. South Europe. Portugal. April. (Photo by: Martin Zwick/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Universal Images group via Getty Images
If you are not a US citizen, you can probably take advantage of the Non-Habitual Residence tax program to ease your tax burden.
Where do digital nomads pay taxes?
2) Easily apply for a residence visa – also convenient.
Portugal is both an EU and Schengen country, which means that once you have a visa to live there, you can travel virtually borderless between Portugal and the other 26 countries.
Portugal visas are very handy to haveThe types of visas you can apply for are also relatively simple, the most popular being:
D7 National Long Stay Visa
D8 Digital Nomad Visa
Golden visa
Other forms of work or self-employed visas
Portugal also has one of the shortest residence times required to qualify for permanent residence and citizenship – just five years.
3) Delicious food and wine
Oenophiles are likely to have a great experience with the diversity and quality of wines on offer in Portugal, as they recently ranked seventh in top countries for wine.
Glass of white wine to taste on the deck of a cruise boat on the river in the Douro Valley in Portugal
Portuguese food is arguably one of the most underrated cuisines out there, and dining out is a great experience regardless of budget and seasonality.
Traditional Portuguese dinner with grilled sardines, octopus salad, bread basket and salad
4) English is widely spoken
You will have no problem conversing in English in the big cities and in the Algarve. While you probably have to make a genuine effort to learn Portuguese, for many, the certainty of speaking English first and learning later is a big draw.
Being a Latin language, speakers of French, Italian and especially Spanish will have little problem navigating their daily lives here until they learn Portuguese by osmosis.
I speak portuguese (in portuguese) sign
5) Security
Portugal was named the 6th safest country in the 2022 Global Peace Index, with violent crimes scoring the lowest 1 out of 5 on its score sheet.