Americans moving to Portugal - what you should know

Moving to Portugal is pretty easy. Crossing the border is as straightforward as arriving and showing your American passport and Portugal visa but it gets complicated. If you want to get storage in Portugal or bring a pet, you need to plan a little and call a company that deals with storage before your arrival. As for your pets, they need to be vaccinated for rabies, but otherwise, they’re good to go. Another big part of moving anywhere from the US is a visa.

 

 

American citizens technically don’t need visas to enter Portugal. They can remain in Portugal for up to 90 days on a business or tourist stay without further documentation. But if you want to stay for longer, you need a residence permit. There are a few kinds, but most likely, you’ll be looking into the work visa or the residence visa. If you stay in Portugal for over five years with a residence visa, you can apply for either permanent residency or Portuguese citizenship.

There are tons of opportunities for Americans when it comes to housing, primarily because of the low price of Portuguese real estate.

 

Firstly, you need to decide if you want to buy a house or an apartment, or if you want to rent one out. The longer you want to stay, the more sense it makes to buy, but you can also see purchasing an apartment as an investment.

 

However, it will mean dealing with taxes, fees, administration, and all of that. Renting is always less constraining. Head on to Flatio to see some mid-term rentals for good deals while you decide on investing or not.

Healthcare in Portugal is entirely free for people under 18 and over 65. The extensive government healthcare provided to people in Portugal extends to foreigners as well, but only if they have permanent residence there, which you can apply for only after five years of living in Portugal.

 

You’ll need to get private insurance for shorter stays, which starts at about €370 locally.

 

Emergency healthcare services are entirely free, even without insurance.

 

There are many opportunities in Portugal, but some are more specific than others. There has been a positive explosion of tech companies and start-ups in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, so it is an oasis for any digital nomads.

 

For others, it may be a bit more complicated. However, many international companies are still looking for native English speakers for all their positions.

 

The average income is somewhere between €1000 and €1700 with an 11% income tax. The taxes go to various benefits and pensions as well as maternity leave and unemployed benefits. And if you earn less than €630, even less than the minimum wage, you pay zero tax. There are many ways to make a living in Portugal. All you need to do is go there and have a bit of luck.