Living in Portugal

With more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, must-try cuisine, distinct architecture and idyllic coastlines, it’s no wonder why millions of Brits consider immigrating to Portugal every year. Licing in Portugal

Portugal has long been a sought after destination for foreigners, particularly retirees, which make up a significant percentage of expats living in the country.

Due to its popularity with immigrants, Portugal has a large expat community, so you’ll find many non-natives to befriend. Lisbon, Porto and Cascais are home to some of the liveliest expatriate communities; although as many natives speak English, you won’t have to worry too much about a culture shock.

Brits currently living in Portugal or considering settling down permanently may have concerns over their rights to stay post-Brexit as the current rules are likely to change after the transition period.

If you are considering to buy a property in Portugal, you will be happy to know Portugal also has clear and transparent tax rules and offers facilities for obtaining residence permits, as part of new legal provisions that are more attractive to foreign investors.  It also has a special regime for non-habitual residents, aimed at attracting foreign investors through very favourable income tax rates.

That being said, whether you’re retiring, emigrating for work or considering relocating to Portugal permanently, you should understand the visa requirements for entry.

So what makes Portugal so alluring? The Portuguese people are gracious and friendly, welcoming all visitors regardless of where they come from. And, in fact, visitors do come here from all over the world, as the country is located on the western coast of Europe and, as such, is a point of entrance into the Schengen zone. A large part of the population speaks foreign languages, specifically English.

With almost nine centuries of well-defined geographical borders, a democratic parliament regime with political stability prevails in Portugal.

Portugal is a member of the European Union and forms part of the European Monetary System, using the European single currency. It is also the 46th most competitive economy, out of a total of 138 countries according to the 2016-2017 Global Competitiveness Index, produced by the World Economic Forum.

Lisbon has been ranked as the third most innovative city in the world according to a new report by Ambreyewear. Most significantly, Lisbon ranked first in the world for Education as the report showed that it is the best place for learning. The findings reveal that there is access to nearly one university for every square mile, representing a total of 34 universities. Furthermore, two of Lisbon’s public universities are featured in the QS World Rankings 2021 as well as one private university.

With the prestigious Lisbon University ranks 357 worldwide and has been commended for having a very high research output. It also has seven science museums which is why it ranks so highly in terms of education.  Lisbon also scored well in terms of creativity and it was ranked eighth in the world due to its city’s 49 art galleries and 31 notable architectural buildings.

 

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