James Cave When you move into a new home, whether it’s somewhere you’ve rented or bought, you’ll most likely need to arrange utilities such as water, electricity, and, depending on whether the property has it, gas. It isn’t a major task, but you can sometimes get someone else to do it: If you’re renting, your landlord may …
One of the many administrative tasks that you need to think about when becoming resident in Portugal is exchanging your driving licence. Everyone will need to do this at some point, but the time-frame will depend on where you’re moving from. Moving from another EU Country Driving licenses that have been issued by countries belonging …
Read moreExchanging Your Licence for a Portuguese Driving Licence
A common question that gets asked with regards to the D7 visa is: can I apply with just savings? The answer – and a very unhelpful one at that – seems to be maybe. In writing this article, I spoke to several people who had successfully applied for the D7 with just savings and no …
There are a few words that help explain Portuguese culture. One of them is saudade, a word that’s considered to be untranslatable but the closest interpretation is a feeling of longing. You can feel saudade for anything: a different time, a person, a relationship you once had. You can even feel saudade for something that …
While many companies and government departments will accept a utility bill or rental contract as proof of address, that’s not enough for some and they make ask for an Atestado De Residência. It may also be required if you don’t have a rental contract or if the contract isn’t in your name. An Atestado De …
Selling a property in Portugal can be hard, but perhaps the hardest part is the realisation that you may have to pay capital gains tax. This is especially likely if you come from a country where you don’t normally have to pay capital gains tax when selling your primary residence. For residents of Portugal, capital …
Read moreUsing Your Pension to Reduce Portuguese Capital Gains Tax
A lot of people think about moving to Spain or Portugal. Both have a similar climate, they have shared histories, and are located right next to each other, so it’s understandable why so many people lump the two together. Regardless of which country you choose to live in, you’ll be right next to the other …
Read morePortugal VS Spain: Where Should Expats Choose to Live?
Parents thinking about moving to Portugal will have lots of questions about Portugal’s education system. There are three main types of schools, especially at a secondary level: public or state schools, private schools, and international schools. Each has its pros and cons and you’ll need to decide what’s best for you and your child. Of …
One of the requirements of the D7 visa – and most other residency visas – is that you purchase travel insurance [1]https://www.vfsglobal.com/one-pager/portugal/india/english/pdf/VFS-PORTUGAL.pdf. This is to cover you for the period between arriving in Portugal and attending your interview with SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) at which point you’ll be given your temporary residence permit …
Let’s say, for example, that you own a property in Portugal but you don’t live in Portugal or the EU, you live in the United States, and one day Finanças needs to contact you. Because you live outside of Portugal, they can’t just email or phone you. That would be crazy. They need to speak …
