Thousands of people move to Portugal every year and the vast majority of them end up staying, at least for a good few years. But some people decide that Portugal just isn’t the right fit for them.
The reasons people decide this are endless, and are often very personal, but having spoken to lots of expats who’ve made this big decision, there are a few common reasons.
The purpose of this article isn’t to present a list of reasons you should leave Portugal. Rather, it’s to give realistic expectations of why Portugal doesn’t work out for some people. Portugal may or may not work out for you but by reading this article, hopefully, you’ll have moved there with as realistic expectations as possible.
They Had the Wrong Impression About Portugal
One of the biggest complaints that people have is that they were given the wrong impression of Portugal and they quickly point to YouTubers, Instagrammers, bloggers, estate agents, relocation companies, retirement magazines, and the media for giving them the wrong idea.
And, they’re right to. Many articles list all of the pros (the weather, the wine, the beaches) or the progressive things Portugal has done (an innovative drugs policy, high vaccination rate, one of the first countries to legalise same-sex marriage) without any of the negatives, all of which has the effect of suggesting that Portugal is some kind of Scandinavia in the sun — without the high taxes of course.
Newspapers talk about the Algarve as being the “California of Europe” or Lisbon as being a cheaper version of San Francisco. A few years ago, people were describing Lisbon as “the new Berlin.”
The reality is that Portugal is…Portugal. It has pros and cons, like anywhere else. The Algarve may have warm weather and nice beaches and Lisbon may have trams and steep hills, but it’s not California or anywhere in the US. Portugal, the land of fado and amanhã, is culturally a world apart from America’s culture of big smiles, positivity, and constant convenience. And Portugal has done some fantastic things, and it’s not limited to those mentioned above, but there are cons as well as pros that need to be considered before deciding to uproot your life.
It’s very hard to get an accurate impression of Portugal from afar. The best thing that you can do is to come to Portugal for a few months and try it out but even then, it can be hard to work out what it would be like to actually live here. There’s only so much you can do. Just make sure you do what you can to get as accurate a picture as possible.
They didn’t move to Portugal: They Moved Away From Somewhere Else
Lots are moving because Portugal has attainable residency visas and that means they can escape the high cost of living or gun crime in the US, violence in South Africa, or the ongoing decline of Britain post Brexit. Portugal is a route into the EU and a means of obtaining an “EU passport,” living in safety, and enjoying a better quality of life.
Essentially, for many people, living in Portugal is a means to an end, and that’s fine. If you want to escape the gun violence in the US or you’re struggling with the cost of living in Canada or anywhere else, you should absolutely consider moving to Portugal. But don’t be surprised that when the going gets tough (for example, you spend two years trying to get an appointment with SEF) you find yourself wanting to leave or looking wistfully at other EU countries like France or Spain and wondering if there are better options out there.
Something went badly wrong
Sometimes something goes terribly wrong and it’s really hard for this not to leave a sour taste in your mouth that’ll affect how much you’re able to enjoy the rest of your time in Portugal.
For example, imagine you purchased a property that had major problems that weren’t disclosed. Imagine a business ripped you off and left you significantly out of pocket. Or imagine you had a terrible landlord who didn’t fix any of the problems you reported and didn’t return your deposit when you left.
These things happen. They don’t happen to everyone but some people are unlucky and have one or several of these terrible things happen to them. After that, it’s very difficult to look at Portugal in the same way, even if after speaking to other people, you realise your experience was particularly unlucky.
It can be worse if these problems are affecting your house or apartment. Home is your safe space and sometimes you can deal with all the other problems in the world if you’ve got a quiet, comfortable place to come back to. But properties in Portugal can have a lot of problems. If your safe space is constantly affected by mould and it’s affecting your health, or no matter how many apartments you move to you can’t find one where you can’t hear your neighbours, it’s likely that you’ll start thinking about moving to somewhere where these things are less of an issue.
Something unrelated to Portugal went wrong
Sometimes bad things just happen. The most common example is that someone close to you gets sick or worse, passes away. Another example is that you end up splitting up with a partner.
Big events like this can change your entire life, and you may end up re-thinking your move to Portugal. In the case of a divorce or breakup, for example, you may decide that moving to Portugal was something from your old coupled life and now that you’re single you’d prefer to live somewhere else.
Portugal wasn’t a good personality match
A lot of people like the idea of living in Portugal, the idea of living a laid-back life where the focus is on food, family, and all of those other quintessentially important things.
However, when they get here, they find they actually put a lot of value on things like efficiency and on doing things by the book. They find the way things are done in Portugal – people often take pride in trying to find a last-minute solution rather than plan – just isn’t a good match for them.
At least not right now. Portugal traditionally attracts a lot of people who are at a stage in their lives where they don’t need things to move quickly or efficiently. These are typically people at retirement age, but not always. You’ll meet people of all ages who’ve decided they’re ready to slow down, work a little less, and spend more time living the good life.
Moving to Portugal, or any other country, involves an adjustment. Regardless of where you’re moving from, even a nearby country like Spain, life is going to be different and things are going to be done differently. You might think you’re flexible or you’re at a stage in your life where you can be more flexible, but then you discover that you’re not. Or you realise you’ve had a second wind, and you’re ready to take the world on again. That’s fine. Portugal will be waiting for you when you’re ready for that next stage in life.
They discovered Portugal wasn’t so cheap
Portugal is often advertised as cheap, particularly on YouTube, where influencers will tell you how cheap a cup of coffee is or how little a trip to the doctors costs.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the reality. While there are tax regimes that can reduce taxes for some people — and it really varies considerably from individual to individual, which is why you need to speak to a good accountant — these rarely exempts someone from paying tax entirely, despite what’s said online. And while a cup of coffee might cost you as little as 50 cents, other things like petrol, electricity, and cars are all much more expensive in Portugal than they are in other European countries. Houses aren’t well-insulated and don’t have central heating, which means that it’s easy to rack up a big electricity bill using an electric heater.
And the cost of living has increased too. Groceries and eating out are more expensive than they were a year or two ago. Property prices have increased rapidly. Sure, there are ruins in places like Castelo Branco for less than €50,000, but most people want to live near the coast or near Lisbon or Porto, and those places are more expensive.
For North Americans, in particular, Portugal is still very affordable. For people from other European countries, the savings might not be as big, but even though there are cheaper places to rent or buy, few of them offer the same quality of life that Portugal does.
It’s cheaper to live in the North of England or Bulgaria, but then you won’t get the same weather, food, and lifestyle that Portugal has to offer (although, of course, both of those places have their own selling points). It might be cheaper again to live in Latin America or Asia, but you lose a lot of the benefits that come from living in a western country that’s within the EU – important benefits like security, public healthcare, and proximity to the rest of Europe, for example.
They decided they didn’t want to spend their final years in Portugal
Although Portugal attracts a lot of people at retirement age, interestingly, a lot of people decide to move home once they get older. Despite the appeals of warm weather, access to better food, and less stress – all things you might want in your later years – many people decide that they’d rather spend their final years in a country where they understand the health system, have access to more nursing homes, speak the language, and are closer to family members who could potentially look after them – especially if they haven’t learnt Portuguese while here.
Portugal has a good public and private health system, however there are some treatments that aren’t available. In most cases, there’s a perfectly good alternative. However, if there’s a particular treatment you want or need, and it’s available in another country, you might decide it’s time to move somewhere else.
Portugal wasn’t right for their children
There are schools in every corner of Portugal but the options are more limited if you’re looking for something specific, like a school that teaches in English or teaches an international curriculum like the British A Levels or American High School curriculum. These schools exist, but they’re often expensive and only available in specific parts of the country.
What about facilities for those with learning disabilities or specialist needs? Or what about specific extra curricular activities? Again, there are resources in Portugal, and some are very good, but they may not be what you’re looking for.
Like healthcare, education is an area in which people can have very specific requirements, and while Portugal is generally good in both areas, if you’re looking for something specific, especially based on what you know is available somewhere else, you may end up leaving.
They didn’t like living abroad
Living abroad is challenging – especially once you get past the initial honeymoon phase and the novelty wears off. It’s hard living in a country where you don’t speak the language, understand how everything works, or have a big social group.
You might decide you miss your friends and family too much. Some people decide that they miss things about their home country, even simple things like the food or specific shops. Or maybe there’s something about your own culture that you miss. Mention the latter in any expat Facebook group and people will probably pounce on you and tell you to go home if you don’t like this, but here’s the thing: you don’t have to like living in Portugal or any other country. If you come to Portugal only to see your home country through new, more positive eyes, that’s still a success – you’ve figured out where you want to live, even if it was where you were already living.
They didn’t like being an expat
Some people like being an expat and others dislike it, which can become a problem if they wanted to avoid ever becoming “one of those expats” but find themselves a part of the clique anyway.
Unfortunately, integrating isn’t always easy, especially if you don’t already speak Portuguese. Even if you can speak Portuguese, it can still be hard to make local, Portuguese friends. Many already have their own friend groups and aren’t looking to add to that – especially someone who could very well decide to go back to their home country in a year or two.
Another issue that you might find with expats is that they too are often thinking about whether they will stay or go. Expats, by nature, are quite transient, which is difficult when you’re trying to build deep, long-lasting friendships.
Because of this, a lot of people find themselves mainly surrounded by other expats despite never wanting to be a part of that scene. And living in another country but not feeling like you’re a part of it can make you feel quite isolated and lonely, even if you are surrounded by plenty of other people.
They struggled with the downsides of Portugal
Living in a new country, Portugal or anywhere else, will always be hard, but there are some things about Portugal that are specifically hard. For example:
- Bureaucracy – This is a common challenge across all of Europe, but Portugal is specifically difficult when it comes to bureaucracy. Getting things like a driving licence changed or a SEF appointment booked can take months and even years.
- Integration – As mentioned, Portugal can be a difficult place to integrate into, especially if you don’t speak Portuguese.
- Speed of life – The slow pace of life is what attracts many people to Portugal, but it can become more of a downside than an upside when you’re waiting to get something done.
- Property – Many apartments and houses have been built to basic standards, which means they can be bad at retaining heat, blocking out noise, and preventing mould.
- Animal cruelty – Although attitudes to animals are improving, it’s still not uncommon to see animals chained up or left on balconies which can be very distressing for many people. Bullfighting, while not as common (or deadly) as in Spain, is still a cultural tradition.
These are just three of the downsides of living in Portugal, but they’re three that are big enough that they can discourage you from continuing to live here.
They got used to the pros of living here
After a few years of living in Portugal, it can be easy to get used to all of the pros. You might forget how nice it is to see blue skies so many days of the year, or how great it is to live near some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Instead, you focus on the downsides of living in Portugal and think that perhaps you’d rather live back home where the customer service might be better, there’s less bureaucracy, and life, in general, is easier overall.
It’s fine to reassess what’s important to you and to decide that the pros of Portugal no longer outweigh the cons. Just don’t look back with rose-tinted glasses and forget why you decided to move abroad in the first place.
They tried to combine two or more life changes
Moving to another country is a big challenge, especially if it’s your first time moving abroad. It can be even harder if you combine this move with another big change in their life.
For example, some people move to the Portuguese countryside, having normally lived in cities before. This means their move consists of two new things: living in a new country and living in the countryside for the first time. Often that move involves renovating a property at the same time. Other things that people combine are a new relationship (some people move after only being together for a few months) or perhaps starting to work for themselves. Working for yourself is hard and can be long hours. It’s the price many pay for living in Portugal, but you may decide you’d rather move back home and get a more simple 9-5.
Combining two things isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it can be hard to separate the two things in your head. For example, do you dislike living in Portugal or are you discovering that you’d prefer to live closer to a large town or city?
They didn’t fully move to Portugal
There are a lot of people that live in Portugal, and are fully registered as living in Portugal, but that only spend around 6 months of the year living here, which is typically the minimum amount of time to maintain residency requirements. Some spend the rest of the year living somewhere else, while others take the opportunity to travel.
The problem with this approach is that it’s hard to integrate if you only spend half the year in a country. You will make some friends, of course, but many people that live full-time in Portugal (Portuguese and expats alike) will be less likely to put in the effort to build a friendship if you’re only going to be there part of the year – unless they’re only going to be here part of the year too.
Others move to Portugal, but their life is still abroad. They still work for a company “back home,” they visit their friends when they can, and their real friends are not the people around them, but the people who come to visit them. They’re living here, but they’re still living somewhere else as well. Then when a job offer or new opportunity comes along, it isn’t hard to make the decision to up sticks and leave, whether that’s back home or to another place.
They couldn’t find a good job locally
Portugal has the lowest wages in western Europe and, generally speaking, it’s not somewhere people move for salaried employment. There are exceptions – some people find well-paying jobs, particularly in international companies or tech companies – but, generally, there are better places in Europe to go for work. Assuming you can go, of course: one of the attractions of Portugal is that it’s an easier country to move to than, say, France or Germany.
Because of this, most people come to Portugal with a remote job or some other kind of income, like a pension, income from a rental property, or an idea to start a business in Portugal.
But what happens if you lose that job or the business doesn’t work out? This is when a lot of people end up leaving. Portugal can be a good place to live if you have a salary from outside of Portugal, but much more difficult if you are relying on a local Portuguese salary. Don’t speak Portuguese? You’ll find the options are very limited, leaving you with little choice but to look remotely or to consider leaving.
Thinking About Leaving?
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, the majority of people that move to Portugal decide to stay – at least for a few years. However, if you’re thinking about leaving and looking for support or advice, there’s now a Facebook group for that: Why Leave Portugal?/Speaking Candidly (formerly “Leaving Portugal”). It was set up to provide expats with a safe space to speak about their experiences of Portugal without fear of being shut down by other members or the moderators of Facebook groups.
Our checklist for leaving Portugal also provides some guidance of things to think about when leaving Portugal.
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