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The Real Pros and Cons of Living in Lisbon (From Someone Who Lives Here)

A charming street scene in Lisbon, Portugal, with a vintage yellow tram labeled "28" traveling along cobblestone tracks. The backdrop features colorful buildings, including a red one, trees with autumn foliage, parked vehicles, and a quaint urban atmosphere.

I first came to Lisbon in 2012. I paid around €500 a month for a one-bedroom apartment and people thought I had two heads for spending that much – friends here were paying €250 and thought they were being fleeced. I remember reading about this thing called craft beer and wondering when it might reach Portugal. Since then I’ve watched Lisbon go from a city nobody had really hard about, to a tourism and digital nomad hotspot, to somewhere people …

A toyota Camry car - one of the most popular cars in California. But should this be imported into Portugal?

Thinking about bringing your beloved car to Portugal? While it’s possible to import a vehicle tax-free when moving here, the process isn’t always straightforward. Let’s break down what you need to know. The Tax-Free Window When moving to Portugal, you have a one-time opportunity to import a vehicle without paying Portugal’s hefty vehicle tax (ISV) and VAT (IVA). This can save you thousands of euros, but there’s a catch – well, several catches. Main Requirements Important: Miss any of these …

man shrugging his shoulders against yellow background

The 2026 situation A few years ago, this was a much easier question to answer Portugal’s Golden Visa was one of the most attractive residency-by-investment programmes in Europe. You could buy a property, spend very little time in Portugal, and still work toward citizenship after five years. It was easy to see the appeal. Now the picture is more complicated. The real estate route is gone. The NHR tax regime is gone. Citizenship now takes 10 years for most people, …

On paper, Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa (often called the D8; sometimes the D9) sounds almost too simple: If you earn per month, you can move to Portugal on your foreign income, get EU residency, maybe a passport.” If you’re a remote worker or freelancer in the US, Canada, the UK, or elsewhere, that’s an intoxicating promise. You keep doing exactly what you’re doing now – same job, same clients, same laptop – you just do it from Lisbon, Porto, Madeira, …

Moving to Lisbon? The good news is that you’re headed to one of Europe’s safest capitals, where violent crime is rare and most neighborhoods are perfectly fine for daily life. But like any major city, Lisbon has areas that require extra awareness, especially after dark. Let’s break down what you actually need to know as an expat planning to make Lisbon home. The Reality Check: How Safe is Lisbon Really? Portugal consistently ranks as one of the safest countries globally, …

On October 28, 2025, Portugal’s Parliament dropped a bombshell that sent shockwaves through the global investment migration community. In a single vote, they approved legislation that would double the residency requirement for citizenship from five to ten years—affecting not just Golden Visa holders, but every foreign resident hoping to become Portuguese. The change isn’t law yet. It still awaits the President’s signature, and there’s a real possibility it could be sent to the Constitutional Court for review. But the message …

piggybank and calculator next to a notepad and keyboard

The short answer is yes—but it’s not quite as simple as showing the Portuguese government a bank statement and declaring you can support yourself. You’ll need to qualify for a specific visa or route to residency that accommodates your financial situation. Let’s explore the options available for moving to Portugal with savings. 1. The Golden Visa (For Those with €500k or More in Savings) The Golden Visa is specifically designed for individuals with substantial savings. The concept is straightforward: you …

Two flags are shown overlapping: on the left, the flag of South Africa with a green, white, red, yellow, blue, and black design, and on the right, the flag of Portugal with a red background and a coat of arms featuring a shield and armillary sphere.

For many South Africans, the appeal of Portugal goes far beyond beaches, pastel de nata, and postcard-ready towns. The real draw is safety, stability, and certainty — things that can feel increasingly fragile back home. Portugal consistently ranks as one of the safest countries in the world. Violent crime is rare, daily life feels calm, and most people don’t live behind electric fences or plan their routines around security concerns. Add political stability, predictable institutions, and the protections that come …

a box of medications with days of the week

Moving abroad is scary enough. But when you have a pre-existing condition? It gets properly terrifying. Right now, you’ve got a setup that works. Your doctor knows your history, your prescriptions are sorted, your medical records are more or less all in one place. Everything’s familiar, even if it’s not perfect. Then you start thinking about Portugal. What happens to your medications? Will insurance companies cover you? How long until you can access the public health system, and can you …

A person with light pink nails holds a pen poised over a stack of documents on a black desk. The documents appear to have text and sections for signatures. Another hand rests nearby, seemingly guiding the writing process.

Let’s talk about something that might not be the most exciting part of your Portuguese adventure, but it’s definitely worth getting right: estate planning. Whether you’ve got a lovely villa in the Algarve or a bank account in Porto, having a clear plan for your assets can save your loved ones a lot of headaches down the road. Do You Need a Portuguese Will? While there’s no legal requirement to have a Portuguese will, here’s the deal: if you own …

The Real Pros and Cons of Living in Lisbon (From Someone Who Lives Here)

Want To Import Your Car Into Portugal? Check It’s Worth It

I Looked at 9 Pros & 7 Cons of Portugal’s Golden Visa – Is Portugal’s Golden Visa Still Worth It?

What Are The Pros & Cons of Portugal’s Digital Nomad Visa (D8)?

Which Areas of Lisbon Are Unsafe?

Has Portugal Effectively Ended Its Golden Visa Program?

Can You Move to Portugal on Savings Alone? Yes — With These Caveats

Moving to Portugal from South Africa

Can You Move to Portugal With Pre-Existing Health Conditions & Prescriptions?

Wills in Portugal: What Expats Need to Know Before It’s Too Late