Planning to relocate to Portugal

My girlfriend Angela and myself are planning to move to Portugal.
I am going to be visiting Portugal for the first time next May 2026

We would like a practical sequence of steps which we should consider as we gather information about the necessary experts we will need to make this step as seamless as possible.

Regards

Brent - @brntnation

Hi and Welcome,

Without some very basic information about your situation it is is pointless giving you information which may not be relevant to you.     Such as Do you have or are you entitled to EU passports?   if Yes then visa information is not relevant, if NO then which visa would you be going for, are you a digital nomad/Will you be living on retirement pensions/Do you have family here?  You could try reading some of the other posts on similar subjects then add your information so someone can give useful guidance for your situation.  Good luck.

@brntnation,

In addition to ^^^ above...

You've got some support here, but you need to go into more detail.

Experience sharing about Visas to Portugal (D7 & others)

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

@brntnation

Hello Brent!

This site is full of good info and as others in the thread have suggested, it's a good idea to ready similar posts and responses. It would also be help to know more about you both and what you are specifically looking for a suggested Step Guide on (as the others have suggested too).

That said, as an extremely generic steps-suggestion just to give you a more in-depth answer here... Start asking yourself 'Why Portugal' - What do I want out of life here and where in Portugal will tick these boxes for me. When you start to narrow down areas, start keeping your eyes on sites like Idealista and FB Rental /Sale Groups (depending if you are looking to rent or buy) and just keep an eye on the market to get a general sense of what a property would cost you. Then start to dig deeper into your budget. What realistically do you need to be earning per month to live comfortably (rent, utilities, subscription services or memberships etc) - and does the area you are looking at moving to,  make this affordable for you both. Now consider jobs (if you require these). Can you easily find work or open a business in this area of Portugal, for your skill set and potential language barriers. Can you get a remote working job?

As you start to narrow all these points down as you draw closer to your trip next May, you can start to line up some potential viewing for rent / buy. But how does it FEEL. Does it feel the right place for you both? Is there another town /region you want to explore on your trip too - it's a good idea to leave some flexibility in your trip to move to a new place if you want to when you get here.

You may need to seek assistance or guidance from: Visa/Relocation Expert, lawyer, Buyers Agent / real estate agent, tax specialist, currency exchange specialist.

Hope this has been helpful.

Jen