Moving to Portugal

Pros and cons of moving to Portugal
Surveys of seasoned immigrants show that the best cities to live in Portugal are Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra, Faro and Aveiro.

The pros of living in Portugal:

• Portugal is part of the European Union, so local citizens and permanent residents enjoy the economic, social and other benefits of this association, including free movement;
• Portuguese people are very hospitable, cheerful and open-minded;
• Portugal has an amazingly comfortable climate and excellent cuisine. It is a country of great history, culture and traditions;
• Property and food prices in Portugal are noticeably lower than in most Western European countries, including neighboring Spain;
• Portuguese nature and well-maintained beaches are breathtaking.

The disadvantages of living in Portugal:

• Unemployment among young people exceeds 20% and, in general, the situation in the Portuguese labor market is very deplorable, making it very difficult for job seekers from abroad to find work in Portugal;
• For many foreigners, summers in Portugal seem too hot. In July and August the temperature often exceeds 40 °C;
• Portugal has many narrow roads with dangerous descents and curves, making it somewhat difficult to drive;
• Bureaucracy in government institutions and general slow pace of locals can cause frustration :)

NIF (Numero de identificacao fiscal) is an individual tax number, one of the most important documents in Portugal, which is necessary for everyone who comes here for a long time. With it you will register your place of residence, extend your visa, apply for a residence permit and a permanent residence permit, buy real estate, open a bank account and much more.

The cost of renting an apartment:
This expense item will occupy the largest share of your expenses for the month. However, depending on the city, this amount can vary greatly.

The cost of utilities:
This expense item will also vary slightly from city to city, but mostly everything will depend on how much you will spend on water, gas and electricity. At maximum savings, these costs can be 50-100 euros per month, and if you will constantly turn on the heaters, air conditioners and take a bath every day, prepare to pay 200, 300 and more euros for utilities.

Housing prices start at 300 euros and vary by region.

Where to look for accommodation:
https://www.airbnb.ru/portugal/stays
https://withportugal.com/immigration/alugar-quarto
https://prian.ru/portugal/rent/
https://withportugal.com/immigration-info/real-estate

Mortgages in Portugal:
Nonresidents can get a mortgage loan of up to 50-60% with a rate of 2 to 4.5% for
purchase of real estate;
real estate construction;
Home or commercial building renovation and restoration;
mortgages for companies, couples and retirees.

If necessary, mortgages can be reassigned to another owner along with encumbrances or benefits, or deferred loan payments can be obtained.

carris.pt/en - public transport of Lisbon.
cp.pt - national rail carrier (we advise you to buy tickets in advance, at least 5 days before departure - it will be cheaper than at the ticket office on the day of departure, plus you will be able to choose a seat).
rede-expressos.pt - a budget and comfortable way to travel around the country.

The country's transportation system is well developed, including ferry crossings, which are popular with locals.

In Lisbon, across the Tagus River;
In Setubal across the bay to the peninsula of Troy;
Between Madeira and the island of Porto Santo;
On the Azov Archipelago between the islands.

More about Lisbon ferries can be found at https://ttsl.pt
The cost of a ferry ride in the Portuguese capital is from 1.80 to 2.5 euros, depending on the route.

The Portuguese health care system includes both public and private medical services, which are generally of high quality. Every citizen and permanent resident of Portugal has the right to medical assistance.

The Portuguese health care system consists of three parts:
The National Health Service
A special social health insurance system
Voluntary private health insurance.
In addition to dentistry and some other medical procedures, the services of the Portuguese National Health Service are free to all residents. For 100% coverage, many Portuguese buy additional private health insurance.

Education in Portugal consists of four stages:
Kindergarten for children from 3 months to 5 years (attendance is optional and left to the parents' discretion);
school education from 6 to 15 years old (9 years of schooling is free and compulsory);
Secondary education for teenagers from 15 to 18 years (vocational training or preparation for university);
Higher education.

Portuguese university diplomas are recognized in all European countries.

The best international schools in Portugal:

Greene's College Oxford in Estoril (13 to 19 years old) - tuition from 19.500 euros per year
St. Peter's International School in Palmela (6 months to 18 years) - from 6,310 euros per year
Prime School International in Estoril (ages 3 to 18) - from 7,990 euros per year
PaRK International School in Amador (1 to 18 years) - from 7.000 euros per year
King's College School in Cascais (1 to 13 years) - from 9.935 euros per year

Higher education in Portugal is at a fairly high level, 4 of the country's universities are among the top 500 universities in the world, and diplomas are recognized in almost all countries.

The top 4 best universities in Portugal:
University of Lisbon (Universidade de Lisboa)
University of Porto (Universidade do Porto)
The New University of Lisbon (Universidade NOVA de Lisboa)
Universidade de Coimbra

Note the other public universities in the country:
University of the Algarve (Univarsidade do Algarve)
Universidade Catolica Portuguesa (Catholic University of Portugal)
Universidade de Tras os Montes e Alto Douro.
University of Oporto (Oporto Global University)
Universidade de Madeira
University of the Azores (Universidade dos Acores)
Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon

And full distance education institution in Portugal - Universidade Aberta.

Portugal is a great place for foodies, so when you come to the country you should definitely try it:

Cataplana, an Algarve dish named after the dish in which it is prepared. Vegetables, fish and seafood are layered and then topped with spices, olive oil and white wine in which it is all stewed over a low heat. As a rule, cod is used, but other types of fish are also suitable, as well as shrimp, mussels, squid and octopus. There is no single, correct, "correct" order of mixing the layers, so you can safely try cataplana in different regions - the taste will differ.

Caldo Verde is a very tasty thick soup of cabbage and potatoes with onion, garlic and chorizo sausage, which is included in the list of "7 gastronomic wonders of Portugal".

Frango piri piri piri - grilled chicken served with an original spicy piri piri sauce. For those who like it hot ;)

Arroz de Marisco (Arroz de Marisco) - rice with seafood, also included in the list of "7 gastronomic wonders". The place Vieira de Leiria is considered a homeland of this delicious food.

Cozido à portuguesa (Cozido à portuguesa) is a meat dish known since the Middle Ages. Meat lovers will love this "Portuguese boiled" dish, which mixes all kinds of meat available to the cook, from pork to blood sausage.

And for dessert, have one of these delicious desserts:

Rice pudding (Arroz doce) - rice, milk, sugar, cinnamon with hints of vanilla, lemon zest, and sometimes egg white. It's really good!

Egg pudding (Pudim ovos) is a creamy, caramel and very Portuguese dessert that you should definitely try too.

Rabanadas - an unusual dessert where slices of bread are soaked in milk infused with sugar or wine and topped with eggs and sunflower oil.

"Cream of Heaven" (Natas do Ceu) - layered dessert made of thick custard, cream, egg whites, sugar and cookie crumbs.

Fried cakes (Bola de Berlim) are sweet doughnuts you just have to try!

"Bread of God" (Pao de Deus) - moist buns with coconut, which are especially perfect to complement the delicious Portuguese coffee.

And by the way, the most popular coffee brands in Portugal are Delta, Sical, Nicola and Buondi.

When you move and start settling in Portugal, you will find these interior stores and boutiques useful:

https://www.maisonsdumonde.com/PT/pt - a very nice store with lots of cool home accessories, textiles, tableware, furniture, charming decor to create coziness, etc;
https://gatopreto.com/pt/pt/ - everything you need for your home - furniture, dishes, and accessories, though not the most budget-friendly prices;
https://muymucho.es/ - a nice Spanish boho-style brand with a boutique in Porto; lots of spectacular wicker items, interesting textures;
https://www.homa.pt/ - nice, budget-friendly, no claims to special originality, but has everything you need;
https://areastore.com/ - stylish, sophisticated, more expensive than average, lots of interesting fixtures, and just a nice walk through the boutiques;
https://kindahome.com/ - original, worthy analogue of everyone's favorite IKEA;
https://www.elcorteingles.pt/casa-e-decoracao/ - widely known brand in Europe, where quite a lot of interesting things and accessories, although not with the most budget check;
https://antarte.pt/ - "expensive-rich" brand with accessories, claiming to be works of art;
https://www.espacocasaonline.com/ - not too original brand, where you will find everything you need for your home - from flower pots to furniture;
https://www.lojavivaonline.com/ - furniture, textiles, accessories, storage and organization systems - and very good ones;
https://arboretto.com/pt - quite a stylish online store, where you will find many spectacular pieces of furniture, dishes and textiles;
https://www.laredoute.pt/ - brand with original furniture, textiles and accessories, we especially recommend to pay attention to furniture and tableware;
https://www.my-furniture.com/es/ is a status brand of the middle segment with good assortment and very beautiful colors of furniture, and not only;
https://lamallorquina.es/es/ - a Spanish brand in "rustic" style with cozy furniture, nice colors and textures.

We will be adding to this list.