Legal residence in Portugal is an opportunity for retirees
to spend their golden years in a carefree environment. Portugal is a developed
European country with a mild Mediterranean climate, low crime rates and
excellent food. The local immigration policies allow foreigners with a
confirmed stable passive income of 820 EUR per month or more to relocate to
Portugal and live there as long as they wish. After a few years, you can turn
your legal residence permit into a passport of Portugal.
A financially independent person from a foreign country is
eligible to apply for a D7 visa to Portugal. The visa legalizes his or her
presence in the country for two years and then it can be extended. After
permanently living in Portugal for 5 years, you can apply for citizenship of
the country by naturalization. Below we discuss the key aspects that you should
be aware about if you are considering relocating to Portugal when you retire.
Housing in Portugal
If you compare the cost of property in Portugal with that in
some other Western European countries, you will find that buying or renting an
apartment in Portugal is quite affordable. For example, you could buy a
one-bedroom apartment about 70 square meters in size for 60,000 EUR if it is
located in a small town. Speaking about rent, an unfurnished one-bedroom
apartment can cost you as little as 450 EUR per month. Naturally, you would
have to go to small towns in the north and the center of Portugal to find such
attractive prices. Living in Lisbon, Porto, or seaside towns is considerably
more expensive.
Very often, a garage or a parking lot comes together with
the rental house or apartment. This factor is important for elderly
individuals. There is no central heating in Portugal and people use air
conditioners and fireplaces to heat their apartments and houses in winter. Some
apartment buildings do have heating systems, however, with electric boilers
with water circuits and radiators in each room but there are not very many of
them. You have to bear the absence of central heating in the country in mind if
you are thinking of moving to Portugal for your retirement.
Climate in Portugal
Climates are different in different parts of Portugal. In
Algarve, a region in the south of the country preferred by European and British
tourists, summers are hot with the temperatures between +27 ?? and +35 ?? while
winters are warm and humid. Winter temperatures in Algarve are between +10 ??
and +15 ?? and it never snows there. It does snow in the central and northern
mountainous regions of Portugal, however. The Serra da Estrela National Park
has a large ski resort highly popular with skiers and snowboarders from
different European countries.
Local people love spending their vacations in the Azores, a
group of islands in the Atlantic that belong to Portugal. A flight from Lisbon
to the Azores takes 2.5 hours. Tourists also love visiting ancient castles
found in many locations in Portugal.
Food in Portugal
You can shop at Lidl, Continente, or Mini Preco supermarket
chains but locals like to attend weekly farmers’ markets where they can buy
fresh food from the farms. Food prices are quite affordable in Portugal and the
quality of food is superb. Food can be delicious even in small cafes and
bistros where the main course and a soft drink will cost you 6 to 8 EUR. A
lunch in a restaurant will cost you 10 to 15 EUR per person. A bottle of good
local wine costs between 5 and 10 euros and discounts are offered on some
special occasions.
Healthcare in Portugal
Medical services are free of charge for those who are
registered with a state clinic in Portugal. However, you have to pre-book your
doctor’s appointment and often wait for a few weeks before you can see the
doctor. Many people in Portugal prefer to buy medical insurance policies and
get healthcare services from private clinics where they don’t have to wait in
lines.
If you retire to Portugal, you will find wonderful living
conditions and high living standards. At the same time, prices are much more
affordable in Portugal than they are in Germany, France, or the Netherlands.
Retiring to Portugal: steps in the relocation process
If you decide to spend your golden years in Portugal, your
relocation process will consist of several steps:
1. Study the immigration policies in Portugal. You have to
contact the Portuguese consulate in your home countries to find out about the
current minimum monthly income requirements: they are revised every six months.
2. Obtain confirmation documents. You have to prepare the
documents that confirm your stable passive income, pass through medical
examination, and obtain a police clearance. The application documents have to
be translated into Portuguese and notarized. Please bear in mind that the
document preparation stage is going to take some time.
3. Acquire a taxpayer’s number and open a bank account in
Portugal. You can apply for a Número de Identificação Fiscal (NIF) and open a
bank account in Portugal via an intermediary or by paying a personal visit to
the country. The bank account is required for transferring the money there and
you could not buy real property without a bank account in Portugal.
4. Supply proof of address in Portugal. To qualify for a D 7
visa, you have to have residential accommodations in Portugal. Thus, you will
have to supply a rent agreement or a property ownership certificate when
applying for a long-term visa. You can rent and even buy a house or an
apartment in Portugal online.
5. Submit the application documents. When you have collected
all the papers, you have to make an appointment and pay a visit to the
Portuguese consulate to submit the application document package.
6. Relocate to Portugal. You will be issued a 120-day visa
that allows entering Portugal twice during the period. This period is long
enough to contact the Portuguese Immigration Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e
Fronteiras, SEF) and register your legal stay in Portugal.
7. Obtain a temporary residence permit. If the SEF officials
are satisfied with the documents that you have submitted, they will issue a
temporary residence permit to you and send it to your residential address in
Portugal. The first residence permit is valid for 2 years and it does not give
the right to work or engage in business operations in the country. The second residence
permit is valid for three years and its holder can work or start a business
company in Portugal.
8. Obtain a permanent residence permit. If you spend the
best part of each year in Portugal for 5 years in a row, you are eligible to
apply for a permanent residence permit. After that, you can also become a
full-fledged citizen of Portugal.
According to foreign retirees living in Portugal, 1,500 EUR
to 2,000 EUR is enough to see an elderly married couple through the month. Not
too much, considering the wonderful weather and delicious food!
