Do you live overseas but always had the curiosity to visit Portugal or to go further and gain the Portuguese residency? Maybe you’ve thought about moving to Portugal because you have a wish to retire in western Europe. If that’s the case, then you may have heard about the Non-Habitual Resident and Golden Visa programmes in Portugal. You, dear reader, are not alone. The number of expats living in Portugal is growing every year.
If you haven’t heard of any of the programmes mentioned, feel free to browse our website for more information about these programmes or simply enquire us and our experts will explain everything you need to know about how to gain the Portuguese residency by investment.
The Expat Insider survey elevates Portugal to 3rd best place to live in!
The Expat Insider 2019 survey was conducted by InterNations - the largest global network for expatriates, with communities in 420 cities around the world. The target audience included all kinds of expatriates, from foreign assignees — expats in the typical sense of employees on a corporate assignment — and international hires to self-made expats relocating for a better quality of life and people making the move for various other reasons.
After two years in the top 10 of expats’ preferred countries, Portugal joins the top 3 in 2019. It’s the country where respondents are most likely to recommend expat life, and an impressive 83% agree it is easy to settle down in Portugal. Good news for the 51% who plan to stay possibly forever.
9 in 10 expats residing in Portugal say their neighbours are friendly towards expats
Expats in Portugal rank the country in first for feeling at home and third for friendliness. Close to nine in ten (87%) describe the local attitude toward foreign residents as friendly, and the majority (57%) even regards it as very good. “The people are the friendliest I've met in the world,” shares a US American.
Nearly a quarter (24%) relocated to Portugal for a better quality of life. The expats living in Portugal actually ranked the country first in the Quality of Life index.
“Life here is very peaceful, healthy, and safe,” according to a South African expat.
Portugal ranks in the top 10 for the Leisure Options, Personal Happiness, Health & Well-Being, and Safety & Security subcategories. Results for Travel and Transportation and Digital Life are below top 10, but still more than satisfactory.
Life in Portugal is very peaceful, healthy, and safe.
Portugal’s 15th place in the Personal Finance Index is a good result, but not necessarily stunning on its own. The country only placed 45th out of 68 in 2018, which makes it the biggest winner in this index.
There are pros and cons of living everywhere, and Portugal has lost some ground for family life. Expat parents are still happy with the friendly attitude towards families with children and education options in general but rate the availability of childcare worse than in 2018.
If you are considering moving to Portugal, we can tell you that the surveyed expats ranked Portugal higher than last year in the Working Abroad index. Although, expats still aren’t very satisfied with their career prospects and job security.
While 11% of the expats surveyed are currently looking for work (vs. 8% worldwide), this survey shows Portugal as a great place to retire. 15% of expats enquired say they relocated to Portugal to retire, that is five times the global average (3%).
The Expat Life in Portugal
Portugal is a country that has recently attracted more interest from expatriates from all walks of life. The affordability and warm weather are making it popular for young creatives from cities like London and Paris, creating exploding art and music scene in Lisbon.
Major industries such as oil and shipping also attract specialist workers from around the rest of the world. No matter where you're based in the country, you should find great weather, beautiful scenery and beaches, hugely affordable leisure time, and tasty food and wine, whether it's high-class dining or simply enjoying some freshly-caught sardines on a beach.
There are great cities in Portugal where you can choose to live and invest in. Whether you're in Lisbon, Braga, Porto or Madeira, you're bound to find plenty of things to see and do, regardless of your interests.
Source: InterNations
