US retiree moving to Namur

@SereneTiger

Hi Serene, bureacracy can be unorganized and seeimingly slow here, however things do function according to the timelines in place if you stay on top of it with consistent follow-up (can be difficult to figure out what department to reach out to and get a response).

This is a subjective view but I imagine Portugal is a better spot for retirement in relation to average weather and cost of living.

Hi, I'm a US citizen currently residing in Portugal. This year the Portuguese government changed the nationality law, increasing the time for citizenship from 5 years to 10 years and changing the point in time residency is counted to a much later date. The law did not take into consideration the people who applied for visas based on the old nationality law. - @SereneTiger

Hi,

Yes, the PT nationality law has changed from 5 to 10 years in your case. Do you feel a genuine connection to Portugal that would prompt you to apply for this right, or are you simply interested in being able to travel within the Schengen area without any problems?... What about nationality requirements in US?...

This abuse of a Right – which entails not only Rights but also Obligations and Duties – has benefited many people for many years, for far too long. Fortunately, the requirements have changed, and thankfully so....

@SereneTiger

Hello and welcome !

Please note that this new thread has been created on the Namur forum for better interaction.

Feel free to have a look at our Belgium guide for all first-hand infos : https://www.expat.com/en/guide/europe/belgium/

All the best

Bhavna

@JohnnyPT I felt that comment was hurtful. I have a different perspective on this; perhaps we can clarify the facts.

I left the United States because I was living in fear every day. I did everything within my power to prevent the circumstances, but it seems enough Americans are willing to live this way to vote for politicians who allow and even encourage the lack of safety, security and democracy, not to mention making a strong effort to increase human causes of climate change, engaging in colonialist rhetoric, kidnapping and  of foreign government officials, inciting citizens to insurrection, reducing women's worth to their wombs, engaging in pointless war etc ad nauseam. My home city is occupied by Federal troops carrying automatic weapons.

I chose Portugal because I feel a strong connection here, it was affordable for me and offered a 5 year path to citizenship with clearly defined criteria for meeting citizenship requirements. I have Portuguese friends, study and try to always speak Portuguese and my classes include the culture and history of Portugal. I pay taxes, have private health insurance,  volunteer and spend with locally owned businesses. My community knows me, even though I'm an immigrant. I was so grateful to be given a path to citizenship.

My daughter and son-in-law live in Belgium. Because one never knows what life will throw at them in old age, I wanted a shorter timeline for citizenship in case I needed to temporarily live with my kids for health reasons. In times of crisis, one wants the least amount of bureaucratic friction. I've already made arrangements for elder care entirely at my own expense in Portugal, so I'm not looking for any government assistance.

I do feel strongly that the Portuguese government just basically told me they don't want me, that I don't matter and that they have no obligation to keep commitments to immigrants. Who knows what else will change? The new requirements for citizenship have yet to be defined. I believe these nationality changes were largely based on racism. The changes create instability and distrust.

My kids think I should move to Belgium and try to earn Belgian citizenship. They know me, have lived in Belgium for 5 years and think I will love it. I speak French and love to walk, so they recommended Namur or Liége which are beautiful, walkable and affordable for me. They have experienced a lot of bureaucratic issues around immigration, including my daughter not being able to work for a month because of communication issues between different levels of government. I know it won't necessarily be easy, but I am willing to do what I need to do to earn citizenship in a real social democracy that can be trusted to keep its promises.

@Typical

Thanks for the advice.

@SereneTiger

If you have such strong ties to Portugal, if you have friends and are connected to the community there, if you speak Portuguese well enough to be able to apply for citizenship, what difference can five years really make? You can continue to apply for residence permits until you have completed those five years.

Let me tell you that your perception is wrong. What on earth does this have to do with racism!?! These changes to the nationality law are based solely on addressing what the current parliament stands for, following more than eight years of neglect and a ‘laissez-faire’ approach by the previous government, in the face of the massive and uncontrolled influx of immigrants from outside Europe, mainly from South-East Asia, PALOPs countries and Brazil. If you see these changes as an attack on you, I’m sorry to say so, but you’re quite wrong.

The Portuguese people, represented by their government, have the right and the duty to change the laws whenever those laws prove to be flawed, outdated and harmful to the country (!). Portugal has amended its laws to bring them into line with the rest of Europe, and even so, they remain far less harmful and restrictive than those in the US ...

@JohnnyPt

Immigration is a complex topic and there's a lot of misinformation out in the world these days. I'm not an expert and I don't want to add to the misinformation by spouting my non-expert opinions.

I'm not responsible for what's going on in the US, which is a country that has practiced systemic racism since inception. I didn't choose my place of birth. I worked hard to change things in my native country to no avail, and that's why I decided to find another country to call home when I retired.

I would never have considered Portugal without a five year path to citizenship. Regardless of opinions about it, I legally applied for a visa with a 5 year path to application for citizenship, my visa was approved by the government, my residency application was approved gy the government and now the Portuguese government has breached my trust by changing the requirements. I made a huge and expensive life change based on the law in effect at the time I applied. Were changes needed? I truly don't know and I'm not interested in opinions about it. Going forward, people who apply for visas should have to follow the new law. If they don't agree with the requirements, then they shouldn't apply for a visa.

I'll just agree to disagree on the racism aspect.

I think we've exhausted this topic.

I'm looking for a reliable home and I'm exploring if Belgium offers that. I want to join a nation that would welcome and accept me.

@SereneTiger,

This isn’t misinformation, OK? I know what I’m saying and what I’m writing. Perhaps a little more than you,  since I was born in Portugal and you’ve only been living here for a few years.

1. Over the past 8 years (2018–2026), more than 1 million non-EU nationals have applied for Portuguese citizenship.

1. Demographic Impact: The proportion of immigrants in the total resident population of Portugal (excluding all those immigrants who have since become Portuguese citizens) has risen from around 4 % to +15%.

This has led to the collapse of public services, such as AIMA, the public health system and available housing. The laws have changed – and thank goodness for that.  After the chaos, let’s hope for some calm and time to sort out the problems arised...

I'm looking for a reliable home and I'm exploring if Belgium offers that. I want to join a nation that would welcome and accept me.

I hope you find a place like that in Europe, but bear in mind that the process of becoming an EU citizen is becoming difficult... and if you complain about racism in Portugal, you probably don’t know Europe very well...

@SereneTiger

If you have family connections with Belgium, why not just move there in the first place? Am I missing something?

My kids live in Brussels. I mistakenly thought every place in Belgium with good transport and walkability were as expensive as Brussels. As a retiree with a fixed income, I  wouldn't have a great quality of life there.

My kids were really hurt by my decision to go to Portugal, but they didn't tell me that. They are very happy I'm considering Belgium now. They told me about the three affordable, walkable French speaking cities.

I'm doing my research now before I make my final decision. As you can see from posts in this thread, there are some Portuguese who will blame all the problems of the state on immigrants. Is it like that in Namur?

I know there is a lot of racism in Europe and that it's on the rise everywhere. I have always and will always work against racism. I see the rise of the far right across the world. I will use my voice for reason and balance and hope that people who have been living with the results of corrupt politicians will come to understand that fascism is a horrible way to live and that fascists are just as corrupt as any group of politicians. We do need a better way to run our nations, but hate and authoritarianism is not the way to do it.

As you can see from posts in this thread, there are some Portuguese who will blame all the problems of the state on immigrants. Is it like that in Namur? - @SereneTiger

No one said that. When you only want to see one side of things — especially the one that interest you, and that makes your life easier (not other people’s) —  you won’t get anywhere. And if you have the time to have a look at the Portugal forum, you’ll soon realise that this isn’t true.

I sincerely hope you find your place in Belgium. And may the calm and tranquility of that place help you let go of any resentment implied in your words regarding your country of origin. Good luck.