New members of the Portugal forum, introduce yourselves here - 2025

Hey everyone!

I am very happy to be on the forum, posting from the sunshine Silver Coast where I live and work. I'm an English and a real estate agent I work with remax.

A bit about me: I share my life with my partner, who's in construction. We've got a little family too - our cat, who decided my car engine was the perfect kitten taxi when she was just four weeks old and feral. She's become the most lovable, kindest pussycat a person could dream of. Then there's our French Bulldog, who is afraid of his own reflection,  we love him.

The

Silver Coast–it's not just breathtaking beaches and sunshine! The feel of the local culture around here is a charming mixture of relaxed Coastal spirit and vibrant festivities that are part of Portuguese culture. You'll find quaint fishing villages where time seems to stand still, alongside vibrant local festivals like the famous 'Festa de São João' with its street parties and fireworks. The cuisine? Ooh, you've got something special in store for yourself-let's say, fresh seafood, the very known Pastel de Nata, and definitely, the vinho verde of the area.

This community here is very warm and welcoming, with a deep focus on family and community events. Something is always happening, be it a market day, a music event or just passers by having a barbie on the beach.

Looking forward to helping you all navigate while you dive into this amazing local culture!

@Julien

Hi Julien

I am British, live in the UK where I have a large Family.

We have been professionals for many generations who have have lived and worked in West & Central Africa, Asia, Geneva in the UN, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore. Now venturing into a Start-Up in Portugal, in the Alentejo, near to the border with Spain, where we have a fair piece of land at a very tranquil, unspoilt location - a typically Montado landscape with picturesque views and almost a kilometre long river inside our boundary; which will have us in 'development' mode the next 5 years at least - given the range of municipal approved development objectives we are fortunate to have:

1. Agriculture
2. Agri-Tourism - fair capacity
3. Wellness Centre
4. Camping Grounds

We expect to 'evolve' this into

an Age-Care service coupled with an Anti-Aging Centre

A range of Health Foods for diabetics and CKD uses

We expect to go down the D2 route to eventually becoming Portuga's

but then we are that in spirit already - given a family history linking us to Portugal

which goes as far back as the year 1612 - when we were known by the Portuguese as Chatims

PS: I think I have probably said enough to intrigue/whet the appetites of even the most curious of minds already!

Happy to be here!

Rodrigo

Susan and Layne here- planning our move to Portugal from the US within the next two years, dependent upon finances. We are retiring early and plan to apply for citizenship after the requisite amount of time. We are currently working with Prismaat and have had a good experience so far. We have visited Portugal and fell in love with the country- right now we are eyeing the Silver Coast. We’ve spent time in Lisbon, Salema, Coimbra, Nazare, and Porto. We are bringing our dog, car, and household, and while overwhelmed, very excited. We have been working on our Portuguese and hope to get a good foundation for actual language classes once we move. We love to travel, (we’ve also been to Spain, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Iceland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Dominican Republic, St Lucia, Australia, New Zealand, and Curacao- as well as all over the US), hike, camp, play video games, read, and I knit, bake, and oddly enough do nails (as a hobby, not a career)- looking forward to spending more time exploring Portugal and the Schengen countries.

Would love to make connections with like minded folks and garner any tips/tricks/advice to help along the way.

My name is Rich.  I live in the U.S. and retired a few years ago in my early 40s (thus the FIRE_Expat handle - FIRE standing for Financially Independent, Retired Early).  My partner and I had planned to slow travel the world after we FIREd, but COVID struck and all our travel plans faded away.  We finally got back into travel and realized that we wanted the opportunity to spend more time away from home than a typical Visa would allow, so we started looking into getting citizenship in an E.U. country. 

After the U.S. election, things became more urgent.  We rely on the ACA (aka Obamacare), which the Trump administration has made conflicting noises about - sometimes against, sometimes for, and sometimes for but with "significant" changes.  I'm not willing to rely on Trump's whims for my health insurance, so we decided to accelerate our plans to find a European home base. 

We are looking to move to somewhere along the Silver Coast.  We have a trip planned to visit in early March, and hope to be approved for our Visas sometime around May/June/July.  We're in the early stages of learning Portuguese, and after getting through the immigration process that's our #1 priority.  We believe it is extremely important to learn the language and really want to immerse ourselves in the culture as much as possible.  We both spend time volunteering here with local arts organizations and STEM for kids in the U.S., and I hope to find ways to get involved in Portugal. 

While we're both introverts, preferring to spend time listening to music, reading, playing piano, or hiking, we are worried about social isolation after we arrive.  Once we're settled we're going to try to connect with people through this forum, so if anyone wants to reach out please do!  Private messages are definitely welcome! 

@Julien

My wife and I really just started to consider Portugal as an option to be out of the US for 3-4 months at a time.  We have no idea where to start, as well as what areas to look for.  My wife has some disabilities limiting her walking ability so public transportation becomes critical.  Cultural amenities, as well as food are high on our list of things.  Any information would be extremely appreciated.

My husband and I are American citizens but live/work in Germany. We’re both civil servants and with the impending dismantling of our respective agencies, we’re looking to move to Portugal.

Is it possible for someone with government acquisitions and supply management experience to obtain a visa in Portugal?

@Fionawit, hi.

There's support here. You can get a job seeker visa and try to find work in your professional skills:

https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/en/national-v … pe-of-visa

Regards

@Julien

Hello, I am somewhat new here, I joined awhile ago. Last year I visited Portugal with two different realtors. I looked for either a home to purchase or an apartment to rent for 6 months to a year. During that time I visited Lisbon, Porto and Gaia. Unfortunately I think my desire is to live in a smaller city, with good proximity to mass transportation, shops and restaurants.

I am starting over again as my home was destroyed by hurricanes two years apart. My name is Tamie, I’m hoping to sell my home in the USA by June. So I am starting from scratch. All suggestions are appreciated.

Thank you

Tamie

@Plumper57

@Julien

Hi all!

My fiancée and I are in Los Angeles and hoping to retire and emigrate to Portugal in the next year or two and would welcome any advice on the next steps or anything else you have, advice-wise. Thanks!

A

Unfortunately I think my desire is to live in a smaller city, with good proximity to mass transportation, shops and restaurants. - @Plumper57

@Plumper57,

Welcome.

I think cities like Leiria, Aveiro or Braga are options to consider.

Near Lisbon, there's Oeiras, Mafra, Cascais and Setúbal.  I don't know if you know them. Have a look on the internet. There are some videos on YouTube.

Regards

My fiancée and I are in Los Angeles and hoping to retire and emigrate to Portugal in the next year or two and would welcome any advice on the next steps or anything else you have, advice-wise. Thanks! - @Lou N Davis

@Lou N Davis,

Welcome.

You have some support here.

Experience sharing about Visas to Portugal (D7 & others)

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=971460

D7 visa = for passive income, such as retirement

Forbes&InternationalLiving reports about Retirement for US citizens

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=903613

If you want more concrete answers, you'll have to detail your question. There's also a search function (top right) in this forum.

Regards

@Plumper57 - Hello! Below is a link to a condo that I know about, located in Almeirim, which is a town approximately an hour north of Lisboa. Check it out! Best wishes!! https://www.idealista.pt/imovel/33867782/

@rodrigo-candy

Interesting, regarding renewable energy for Farming, Greenhouse, Water pumping, kitchen, etc.. you get some helpful information in Tamera (Alentejo). Check it: “Institute for Global Peace Work”. For mor information, send me a message.

@adrianpt2023

Dear Adrain,

How wonderful to hear from you, and it sounds like you have a delightful place to live.  How far from the beach is it?

Your dogs sound like a real joy.  My good dog, Bullet, is 11 years old and very healthy and happy.  We are good for each other.

I love the fresh smells you must have every day with citrus trees, and it sounds really nice.  I live a block from the ocean here in Santa Cruz.  It is called Pleasure Point.  It is a great surf break, although I stopped surfing a few years back.

I do have what's ap. and would like to talk sometime. I am at***.   I have no idea what the time difference is.   

Adrian, it is also much more private on e-mails.  Mine is ***.  I hope we can connect there also.

How's your Portuguese speaking?  What is your first language?   Denise

@chefdeedee123

Hello and welcome !

Since we are a public forum, it is not advisable to publish your contact details on the forum.

You can share your contact details with any member by sending him a private message by clicking on his photo > send a message.

All the best

Bhavna

@Julien

Hello all,

I'm Fraser from UK and have made quite a few forays into the idea of moving to Portugal with minimal success.  Retired and at the moment would settle for a 50-50 thing with NHR.  (Genuinely for my "health" as I find the lack of sunlight effects my physical acuvity levels and series to actually get out and be active.)

Modest ambition to find somewher close enough to a train  bike or bus for me to get around and catch some live music now and then.

Language abilities even more minimal but I can rub along sometimes and pick up the ittle I can.

I was on here before but along with a dozen others forgot my password.

Johny PT is a total hero and his posts are comprehensive and full of links.

Next visit.  Moncarapacho and some serious getting fit while trying to collect all my paerwork together.

Best wishes to "old hands" and newbies alike and success to anyone on the same journey as myself!

F

Best of luck, Julien.

I'm venturing along the silver coast from Canada during the first 3 weeks of March and I'm looking forward to the beautiful scenery and wonderful Portuguese people.

My name is Nuno Robles, i'm 52 years old, i've been living in Lisbon for 52 years. I'm married and have a daughter of 19 years old and a son of 21. I also have a beautiful Labrador dog named Ziggy, 12 years old.

I've worked several years in the music business, Sony, BMG and local companies. I left to lead a family Wine Business, a fascinating challenge, and a successful one, that enriched my experience and my professional and personal live.

However, i've now started a new path, with a local company ***

*** I'm here to share my experience as a portuguese citizen and, particularly, as an experienced Lisbon citizen.

We have a great country here to share with you. Great weather, great food, beautiful sights, friendly people and an ntense cultural live. In a world with lots of challenges and instability, having a drink by the beach, near Lisbon or near all our most known cities (like Porto, Coimbra, cities in the Algarve region, Alentejo and many others) can be a very nice and welcome moment of freedom and relaxation. You'll love to enjoy the portuguese serene and melancholic feel, that you can find within or a few minutes from our main cities.

I hope i managed to introduce myself correctly. I'll be here and looking forward to hear from you, Nuno

@Julien

Hello,

My spouse and I are retired and living in Dallas. Although living on a pension, our house is paid for and we have no debt.My point of view is more European these days. There are guns everywhere. I have narrowed down my search to Portugal, Costa Rica and Panama. I want to check out Portugal first. I had never before really considered moving anywhere much less to another country, but the more I look into it the more appealing it becomes. First thing is we need to go there and see Portugal. Looking forward to this journey. Thank you to all the people who have been there and done that who share their experience and knowledge for beginners.

Mark

@mlinde001

Hello and welcome !

Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself to members.

If you have any questions, feel free to open a new thread on the Portugal forum so that we can help.

We also have a Portugal Guide, for all elementary infos.

All the best

Bhavna

Hello everyone.  My wife and I are just about ready to retire.  We currently living in Reno, NV but are originally from So. California.  We visited Portugal about two years ago and fell in love with the country.  We are planning our second trip in October 2025.  Our plan is to drive down south and up north to see what part of the country we want to retire in.  We are 100% sure we want to retire in Portugal.   We are currently doing our research on what we need to do and this chat group has been a great help in pointing us in the right direction.  Thanks for everyone's input and advice.

@Julien

Hello, Julien.

I'd like to set up an online chat group via a video platform. That way, people from all over the world who want to live in Portugal and create a welcoming environment and community for the future can do so. I think that's important for well-being anywhere. What do you think?

@Julien Hello, Julien.I'd like to set up an online chat group via a video platform. That way, people from all over the world who want to live in Portugal and create a welcoming environment and community for the future can do so. I think that's important for well-being anywhere. What do you think? - @ArmandoJos�

Hi,

What is the aim of creating a video platform for this purpose? Is there a purpose behind it? There are countless such platforms on YouTube, always with a purpose, namely relocation agencies, real estate agencies, making money in any way from this sharing by other people.

What motivates expats to share their experiences on video if they rarely do so in writing?

Here, where you can write, it's still free ...

First of all, what motivates you to do this?...

Post scriptum...

Tendo você um nome português, pressumo que seja português... sabe o que quer dizer "reinventar a roda" ?

Hi,

Me and my partner both in our late 30's, Quantity surveyor and a Chilled haulage business executive. 

We are seriously looking at moving out of the Uk and permanently looking to reside somewhere along the Algarve Coast.

I've been visiting the Algarve all my life and enjoy the slower pace to life.

We have planned to head out at the end of May and look at some options, our concern is work with us both knowing very little Portuguese! I have a background in Agriculture and Construction new builds property maintenance etc so that could be an option but the language barrier could be difficult.

We are both willing to do whatever it takes to make a go at it for our 2 children 5 & 7 yr old.

We want a more relaxed lifestyle approach instead of trying to burn ourselves out with 60+ hr weeks!

Hi @steveo52, Welcome.

Here are some businesses in the Algarve aimed at English speakers.  By selecting the business category, you'll find a list of companies with contact details (phone/email). Some businesses are owned by expats. Perhaps some of them can help you better in your job search.

https://www.angloinfo.com/algarve/directory

Good luck.

@jking92104

We are in Colorado and going to Portugal and Spain next month (May 2025) for the first time. We, too, are looking for a more simplified life in our retirement. I think it would be an adventure to live in any European country and be able to take a train and visit other European countries. The cultures are all so different!

@snappycheez

Hi Susan and Layne!

Your story sounds a lot like ours. We are visiting Portugal and Spain next month for the first time and have an interest in retiring there in a year or two. We are tired of US politics and being treated unfairly because we are not rich. After our visit next month, we'll have some serious thinking to do. We also want to get away from the snow. We've both lived in cold, snowy regions all our life and would like a simpler existence. Nice to meet you, and I'll post again after our trip.

Dennis & Sandy

@Julien

Bom Dia everyone!

We are currently living in Ireland (Cork City) for the past 6 years.  We are seriously considering a relocation to Lisbon.  We have traveled to the Algarve (Faro, Albufeira, Lagos) and I did a business trip to Oeiras decades ago.

We are both pensioners with dual US and Irish citizenship, so no issues with a potential move in that regard.  We are well traveled having lived in Norway, Germany, Austria and Belize, Central America.  We can easily adapt to culture and the diversity that comes with it.

We both do theatre; acting and directing, and we are interested in joining the Lisbon Players to keep ourselves occupied, engaged and out of trouble!

We will be doing an exploratory trip to Lisbon the first week of July.  If there are any Expat meet-ups planed around that time please let us know.

Atenciosamente,

Mark Francis

@markstfrancis,

Welcome. Some Expat meet-ups here:

https://www.meetup.com/find/pt--lisbon/

https://www.meetup.com/pt-BR/find/pt--lisbon/lisboa/

You can join the events close to that date. There are always new events.

@jking92104

Hi Jkings

this is George and we own a cork tree farm close to Ponte de Sor in Portugal. It's located at a great lake and just a little paradise for my wife and me. ***

Thanks

George

@JohnnyPT

Very helpful. 

Obrigado!

Hi , my name is Paul , I’ve been living in the Messines, Algarve for2 years , traveling back to the Uk for work contracts but pleased to have completed a fully furnished 2 bed annex at my home here so I am ready to start taking on jobs of any size here .

please feel free to Email me

paulmall2017@outlook.com

or mobile

931 456 901

Obrigada

Hi. My name is Janice. I’m a US citizen and a recent retiree.  I’ve been to Portugal several times over the past two years and I’m ready to move there.  I’m waiting to hear back from AIMI to schedule an interview. 😣

I’m frequently on this site looking for suggestions on neighborhoods suitable for me.  I am 67, very active, and looking for areas close to the sea.

Hi! I'm Rui, a designer, consultant and relocation specialist based in Porto.

After years working internationally in the fields of design and cultural consulting — and helping friends and colleagues settle in Portugal — I created The Oporto Experience (OPOX’): a bespoke relocation and lifestyle service designed for those who want more than just a move. They want a meaningful new beginning.

I’m here to connect, share and support others who are planning to relocate to Porto — and to help make that transition smoother, more elegant and deeply personal.

If you're curious about moving here or looking for guidance, feel free to reach out.

Sometimes, all it takes to begin again is the right conversation.

@Julien

Hi everyone! 😊

My name is Lenka, I'm a 25-year-old originally from the Czech Republic, now living in beautiful Portugal. I've recently moved to the Algarve ***

I'm passionate about surfing, exploring local food and culture, and love music, especially live shows. I'm looking forward to connecting with other expats, sharing tips, and getting to know the community better. If you're in the area and want to meet up or have any local recommendations, I'd love to hear from you!

Hello, my name is Denise and I am also a surfer, and coming to Portugal in September or October 1, 2025, and I would like to correspond with you.  I am planning to settle in the Algarve region and would like to learn more about it.

  Thank you.  Denise

@chefdeedee123

Hello Denise, welcome !

Are you replying to someone in particular on this thread ?

Regards

Bhavna

Hello, Sue in California here. I have been looking into moving to Portugal for a few years now . I am a single woman and it's a bit scary to move alone away from family and friends. But, I always have been up for adventure. The current political situation in the US is now prompting me to move even quicker. I have noticed the tax incentives for retirees seem to be expiring there though.

@Michael Nkunga, Welcome.

Please rembember that this forum is not a job agency. Firstly, you need a visa. You have some support here:

https://www.expat.com/en/forum/europe/p … -this.html