ctomac
Romanian expat in Portugal
Forum posts
120
About me
Romanian
Registration: 21 May 2022
Cost of living in Portugal in 2026 by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Every year, we invite you to share your experiences with the cost of living in Portugal, especially in the region or city you live in. Your insights will greatly help members planning their move to Portugal or already living ...
For a household of 4:What is the cost of renting an apartment or house in Portugal? 1460/month 3 bedrooms Bonfim, PortoWhat are the typical fares for public transportation such as buses, subways, trains, trams, or taxis? 32/monthCould you ... Read More
Portuguese nationality/Criminal record by shakahmad
Hi All,I am originally from Pakistan after completing my college in 1973. I came to the UK for further studies and stayed in UK.In 1985, I obtained British nationality. 2019, I moved to Portugal as my part of my retirement. (I am covered by ...
Same problem here, after 10 years spent in China 25 years ago, how the hell am I going to get a criminal record from there and from that time while living here? I remember getting one while I was still in China for the Canadian immigration, but even ... Read More
Managing meals in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Managing meals day-to-day can sometimes be a real mental challenge, even more so when you land in a new environment, with different schedules, habits or ingredients. How do you manage your meal routine as an expat in Portugal? We ...
There were some challenges when we first came to Portugal in terms of ingredients or foods that we were not able to find in regular stores because the Portuguese apparently don't eat them. For example it was a huge surprise for us to discover that ... Read More
Why do Portuguese just trash their own cuntry ?
[Post under review] Read More
Changing Euro to GBP by Strontium
After a sale as I need the money I have a load of Euros in a PT bank account BUT will have a couple of large bills to pay in UK. I've also got UK euro account, UK GBP account and previously used an FX account when first buying in PT. Obviously ...
@Strontium What I always do when I travel abroad and don't want to pay bank commissions for foreign currency: open a N26 account, transfer euros in it and use it to pay your bills in the UK. The conversion is automatic and at the commission is ... Read More
Do EU citizens need to pass a Portuguese language test ? by GuestPoster94290
HelloBefore they can obtain their permanent residency in Portugal ? I was told that I needed to apply for permanent residency after 5 years in Portugal and I am not sure if I needed to pass a language test before applying with AIMA ?Thanks.Julia
I am EU citizen and have been in Portugal for over 3 years, no requirement to know Portuguese to get Certificado de Registo for EU citizens. I personally did learn Portuguese not because I had to but because it seems normal to me to learn the ... Read More
Advice to anyone thinking about moving to Portugal by Perpetual_traveler
I personally love living in Portugal. For me it is an amazing country. But, if you are considering coming, there is an extremely interesting article on CNN today, about a couple who moved to France. It is called 'Too much grief and no joy’.I ...
Overall, I doubt that it is a good idea to become an expat very late in life. Me and my wife are used to it for over 30 years, but I guess I wouldn't change countries for the first time in life at 70. - @TGCampo Actually a lot of people do it ... Read More
Preventive care in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Portugal, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
As we travelled all around the world for over 30 years, we are used to keeping our own electronic health records (including X-rays, MRIs, CTs and so on) on my server. - @TGCampo How does this work, exactly? Which server are you keeping everything ... Read More
Preventive care in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Portugal, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
If the world were perfect, everyone would be happy, but it isn't. You live in a country, so you follow its rules, laws, and systems.@SimCityAT Rules, laws and systems can be improved. Suggestions and ideas should be accepted. Read More
Preventive care in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Portugal, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
I would also consider the mentioned aspects of the Canadian system superior to what is available in Portugal, but from Canadian friends I know the situation in Canada is far from perfect. Overall we personally (and so far) prefer what we get in ... Read More
Preventive care in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Portugal, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
Yes, the medical information is somewhere, but you know who has it and who accesses it. If it goes outside the boundaries that the user knows, it's easy to see where the breach of data privacy has occurred, and they can take legal action against ... Read More
Preventive care in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Portugal, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
As I mentioned, under current legislation, this sharing of medical information (public/private sectors) is not possible in Portugal. And if it were to change, I wouldn't be interested in keeping my medical information somewhere, available ... Read More
Preventive care in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Portugal, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
1) What if the patient doesn't have a family doctor? Unfortunately, a large part of the population doesn't have one. Many of the family doctors currently in the NHS are temporary and not permanent.The patients without a family doctor usually to the ... Read More
Preventive care in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As an expat in Portugal, taking care of your health would be one of your main priorities. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping fit and healthy. We therefore would like to invite you to share your insights on ...
I was a family doctor in Canada before retiring and moving to Portugal, so I was surprised by how little family doctors actually do in Portugal compared to my scope of practice in Canada (and my scope of practice in Canada was already quite limited ... Read More
Confusion about 2023 IRS return by sandraawilliams153
I am going to attempt to file the 2023 IRS statement myself .Background:1. I am a citizen of country A, which has a treaty with Portugal for the avoidance of double taxation.2. Throughout 2023 I am resident in Portugal and my NHR application has ...
Have a look athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZT78O0tpusandhttps://freshportugal.com/post/the-definitive-guide-to-nhr-tax-returns-in-portugal---2023- Read More
Tax return as a freelancer with NHR and a non-portuguese client by akhilleus94
Hi everyone,I am in the process of doing my very first PT tax return. How exiting! :-DI have read several websites in PT to fill the appendix B. F & H, but I can't infos about how to fill J & L...I have NHR status, I work as a freelancer and ...
Try having a look at https://freshportugal.com/post/the-definitive-guide-to-nhr-tax-returns-in-portugal---2023- Read More
Capital losses carry forward? How to?
Hello everybody,I understand that capital losses (resulting from selling shares through a broker) can be carried on for 5 years in Portugal. Does anybody know how exactly is that done?For example, if I had capital losses of 1000 euros in 2022, and I ... Read More
Capital losses carry forward?
Sorry, it was a double-post, I don't know how to delete this one. Read More
Income tax on foreign source income outside Portugal by yubayashi
Hello.I have a question about Portugal income tax.I am a holder of NHR status.I receive all my salary from Japanese companies.(I do not receive any remuneration or salary from Portuguese companies)In this case, what will be the income tax?My tax ...
Try having a look here:https://freshportugal.com/post/full-guide-nhr-tax-returns-in-portugal-2023I found it pretty useful for my own personal situation, helped me understand some things. Read More
Cost of living in Portugal in 2024 by Cheryl
Hello everyone, As every year, we invite you to share your experience regarding the cost of living in Portugal, and if possible, in the specific region or city where you live. This will help members who are planning to relocate in ...
For a family of 4 in Porto:3T in Bonfim - 1350Groceries - 500Utilities (NOS, Endesa, water) - 165Non-food household expenses - 320Kids expenses - 100Transportation (public + Uber occasionally) - 35Education (private - GCU, extracurriculars included) ... Read More
NISS number by giuliadioguardi97
Good Morning everyone,I'm Giulia and I moved in Porto for work reasons.On 06/01 I've applied for Niss online, but I still not have it. (I need it to fulfill the contract). Does anyone had the same problem? I've called and it seems that the office ...
Go to one of the Social Security offices in Porto, don't waste your time online.That's what I've done and I remember I got it the same day (I think).https://www.seg-social.pt/servicos-de-atendimento Read More
Health Insurance in Portugal by bloggerblogger
Hey guys,I am in Portugal, having explored many health insurance companies, Medicare seems the cheapest but they are toooo slow at sending me the invoice to just pay for their 330 Euros per year (medium plan). So frustrating.Any reliable health ...
Medicare is not health insurance, but health plan. There are many differences between the two types.You could explore health plans further for other options.As for health insurance, our family went with mgen Read More
ETF stock market while living in Portugal by bloggerblogger
Hi guys,I need suggestions on a reliable ETF stock broker I can use to invest in a basket of securities or portfolio while I am living in Portugal. Preferably an international stock broker. I'm from Africa and I'm living in Portugal. Just looking ...
Smaller sums (a few thousand to a few tens of thousands euros) - you're probably better off with Interactive Brokers Ireland - commissions based on the number of shares you trade.Sums larger than that - DeGiro is better since they have a fixed 3 ... Read More
Portugal has very HIGH taxes... don't know why I just realized it. by juliet1980
I was dreaming of eventually moving back to Hungary but now that they killed DTT (starting in 2024 https://www.mondaq.com/withholding-tax/1289000/us--hungary-double-tax-treaty-cancelled-what-are-the-consequences). I will not be able to afford to! ...
@ctomac Many countries in Europe consider Monoco's "loop holes" as tax evasion and try to impede it. French nationals residing in Monaco are subject to French income taxes, unless they became residents of Monaco before 1957. ... Read More
Portugal has very HIGH taxes... don't know why I just realized it. by juliet1980
I was dreaming of eventually moving back to Hungary but now that they killed DTT (starting in 2024 https://www.mondaq.com/withholding-tax/1289000/us--hungary-double-tax-treaty-cancelled-what-are-the-consequences). I will not be able to afford to! ...
@SimCityAT "If we didn't pay some form of taxes we would be living in a shit hole."Not necessarily. Monaco is the best example that comes to mind. Would you call it a shithole?... There are other examples too that can counter your statement. Read More
Family reunion and SEF appointment by Yoyagi
Hello guys!I will be moving to Portugal with my family and have a question. I am a Norwegian and will do my residence permit first and then I will make a Family reunion for my family. I've heard that it's sometimes possible to make my residence ...
@AA AA55Just keep trying daily, appointments become available from time to time. They won't be penalized for staying over 90 days while waiting for appointment. My family got their appointments almost 5 months after arriving in Portugal. Read More
Small motorbikes by Strontium
I've noticed several old small motorbikes being ridden, usually by old small men, and seem ideal for local transport and suitable for being maintained at home. I've even found a couple of places which seem to deal with these. Has anyone knowledge ...
I had an old small laugh reading this old small post. Read More
Your neighbours in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, When you move in Portugal, relationships with your neighbours can play a vital role in your well-being and integration. Share your experiences of the interactions and routines that punctuate your daily life in Portugal: Tell us ...
@slugsurmamatesYes, I also found it very weird. She was starting her walking around 10 or 11 in the morning but that was not bothering us because we were awake anyway and the ambiental noise would mostly cover it. But at night... man, was it bad or ... Read More
Is this a good time to move to Portugal by milkshakesbore0b
Hi All, I am considering moving to Portugal with my family mainly for the quality of education and healthcare. however I see several protestations/strikes happening and know that the society is suffering from high costs vs low salaries. therefore I ...
Yes, public education and public health have worsened substantially in recent years. Especially given the large number of immigrants/expats, currently +1 million, who have contributed nothing to the public system, and who want to benefit from public ... Read More
Is this a good time to move to Portugal by milkshakesbore0b
Hi All, I am considering moving to Portugal with my family mainly for the quality of education and healthcare. however I see several protestations/strikes happening and know that the society is suffering from high costs vs low salaries. therefore I ...
Private schools and health services in Portugal have good / very good / excellent quality services. Regarding public schools, we need to understand the following. There are public primary and secondary schools with more than 30 different ... Read More
Is this a good time to move to Portugal by milkshakesbore0b
Hi All, I am considering moving to Portugal with my family mainly for the quality of education and healthcare. however I see several protestations/strikes happening and know that the society is suffering from high costs vs low salaries. therefore I ...
@milkshakesbore0bYou should be OK with private schools and health insurance. Access to private schools is not easy, mind you! We, for example, were initially hoping to enrol both girls in the French School in Porto, but they did not have place for ... Read More
Is this a good time to move to Portugal by milkshakesbore0b
Hi All, I am considering moving to Portugal with my family mainly for the quality of education and healthcare. however I see several protestations/strikes happening and know that the society is suffering from high costs vs low salaries. therefore I ...
Quality of education: my daughters have been in public schools for almost 2 years here. Bullying, almost no homework (grades 3-4 and 4-5), disinterested teachers (not covering the curriculum, browsing on their phones during classes while kids make ... Read More
Your neighbours in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, When you move in Portugal, relationships with your neighbours can play a vital role in your well-being and integration. Share your experiences of the interactions and routines that punctuate your daily life in Portugal: Tell us ...
@rspencerkeithWhat's US got to do with it? The question was about Portugal. You probably should write your opinion on a US-related forum, shouldn't you? Read More
Your neighbours in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, When you move in Portugal, relationships with your neighbours can play a vital role in your well-being and integration. Share your experiences of the interactions and routines that punctuate your daily life in Portugal: Tell us ...
We moved to Portugal from Canada, and we found that neighbours in Portugal are not as caring and respectful as was the case in Canada.We actually had an extremely negative experience with our first neighbour in the apartment above us, who was ... Read More
Is residence before 31st December 2023 sufficient for NHR?
[Post under review] Read More
Porto (or online) accountant?
Hi, could anyone recommend an accountant in Porto who knows her/his trade when it comes to dealing with NHR status and taxation? I've had a not so great experience with one so far, who processed my taxes in a manner that doesn't make any sense to me ... Read More
Family reunif. SEF appointment + waiting time for a card after applied by MariaPort
I am relatively new to the “SEF situation” in Portugal. My husband is EU citizen and has his CRUE certificate, I am trying to apply as a non-EU spouse of EU citizen.We’ve been calling SEF for the last month and even managed to get ...
See my posts at https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=953593#5520391 Read More
Portuguese D7 Visa Medical Insurance - With Type 1 Diabetes by mcblowe
Hi All,Great to be on here.I want to apply for a Portuguesa D7 visa. However, will I be able to get one with type 1 diabetes, as the medical insurance will not cover that as it's a pre-existing medical condition. It will cover me for everything ...
Most insurers in Portugal do cover pre-existing conditions, but usually after 360 days from the moment you enrolled. Read More
Appointment with SEF for EU family member residence card by abayo41
Hello good people,Can anyone advise the best contact to reach out to SEF for appointment for EU family member resident card application in Portugal? I have tried the following contact PHONE | 217 115 000MOBILE | 965 903 700 and they are not ...
Hi,Put the phone numbers on the SEF website (both land and mobile) on a auto-redial app on your phone and keep trying both of them again and again, you will get through eventually. On the day when I got the appointment for my family I tried both ... Read More
Do I require a NISS by nimrod_1976
Hi am wondering if anyone can help I have my SEF appointment in Nov 23 for my digital nomad 1 yr residency visa do I need to apply for a NISS before that interview does anyone have any experience about recent SEF appointments and what was asked for, ...
The only time I needed the NISS was when we registered our daughters in school. And I needed their NISS, not mine, from what I recall. Read More
EU (Romania) and Canadian citizen with Canadian family by Cristian Toma
Hello everybody, I have double citizenship as above while my other family members (wife and daughters) are Canadian citizens. We intend to resettle in Portugal and it is very unclear to us what we have to do - do my family members need a visa? can ...
@milenadaley My name is actually Cristian, and not Christina. ;-)Yes, we shipped our belongings from Canada and it took 5 months to receive them - it was at the peak of Covid when there were enormous backlogs in shipping and huge prices. We needed a ... Read More
Out of pocket drug prices in Portugal & Doctor visit prices by J N1
I want to live in Portugal for a few months. I take about 4 different medications and I wanted to find out what the out of pocket cost would be? Obviously just trying to find out the average cost of medications. For example I take an anti ...
@slugsurmamates I was not talking about OTC medicines, but prescription. The person who asked the question said that they're taking 4 medications, and I am pretty sure they are not OTC.Yes, OTC medications may be, some of them, more expensive than ... Read More
Out of pocket drug prices in Portugal & Doctor visit prices by J N1
I want to live in Portugal for a few months. I take about 4 different medications and I wanted to find out what the out of pocket cost would be? Obviously just trying to find out the average cost of medications. For example I take an anti ...
As soon as you arrive here get a local phone number, download the Continente app on your phone and enrol.Having the Continente card you are automatically enrolled in the KeepWeells Zero health plan.You will be able to see a Cardiologist, for ... Read More
Driving test for uk driver by deborahandmark14
Hi my dad is a resident of portugal but for over 2 years and is over 90. He can get a medical certificate but will need to take a practical test. Can anyone tell me a bit about the test and what is involved please? Is it in English? Can he use his ...
I took the test not long ago and as far as I know the practical test is only in Portuguese (but he can bring an interpreter). I drove around for about 30 minutes with the examiner in the front passenger seat and following his instructions. Had to ... Read More
Retirement and permanent residency by Guestposter155
We are looking to retire next year and after going through all of the necessary requirements it states on one website that in order to get permanent residency after the five years we will have to pass a language test.We are in our late sixties ...
@slugsurmamates You may be retired, but your brain isn't, or at least you really, really don't want it to be. And one of the best ways to train it is to learn a new language.One cannot compare school years with life following school. Yeah, I too did ... Read More
Retirement and permanent residency by Guestposter155
We are looking to retire next year and after going through all of the necessary requirements it states on one website that in order to get permanent residency after the five years we will have to pass a language test.We are in our late sixties ...
@busyboy50 Anybody can learn anything (including a new language) at any age, provided that there's a will.But if one starts from the idea that "I'm too old to do this", then it's going to be hard. There's not even a point moving to another country ... Read More
Financial advisor in Porto?
Hi,I am trying to get a better understanding of the Portuguese tax system under NHR status in order to plan ahead our finances, and I wonder if anybody could recommend a trustworthy accountant or financial advisor in Porto. I would prefer someone ... Read More
Getting drivers license from zero by eadweard4
Hey! I never came around to getting drivers license back home, so now I want to get it in Portugal. My Portuguese knowledge is pretty bad, so wondering if anyone had any experience with learning in English language driving school (preferably in ...
@eadweard4 My wife is in the same situation and as far as we know there is no driving school in Porto that offers lessons in English.Besides, like somebody else said, the theory test is in Portuguese, as are the available resources (I highly ... Read More
Do foreigners need a local guarantor to rent ? by marcus-bremen
Is it true, that foreigners need a local guarantor to rent an apartment in Portugal?
@suraj_pt Go to Idealista, that's where we found all the apartments we looked at. Avoid private deals. Read More
Do foreigners need a local guarantor to rent ? by marcus-bremen
Is it true, that foreigners need a local guarantor to rent an apartment in Portugal?
@GuestPoster316 I remember exactly that being our situation in December 2021 when we arrived in Portugal - the rental market was very scarce, lots of days off when nobody would show us any apartments, and we had no place to move to from our ... Read More
Transfer to private school?
Hi everyone,We are transferring our daughter to a private school (6th grade) and I am not sure whether or not we have to do anything on the Portal das Matriculas. Do we have to inform the public system that she will transfer from public to private ... Read More
Reasons for leaving Portugal by nz7521137
At the moment there is a huge hype about moving to Portugal and many people from around the world are making a more permanent move towards Portugal. Stories about these people are making the headlines or are published on YouTube and the like. ...
@lizlizwilde80 Ha, ha! You just reminded me of the time, one year ago, when I was trying to find out what documents we need in order to get the numero de utente for healthcare. I called SNS24 and asked at USF, and three different people gave me ... Read More
Reasons for leaving Portugal by nz7521137
At the moment there is a huge hype about moving to Portugal and many people from around the world are making a more permanent move towards Portugal. Stories about these people are making the headlines or are published on YouTube and the like. ...
@JohnnyPT "please try to avoiding making generalizations.... ok? Thanks"If you read my post carefully you will notice that I specifically wrote "(in Porto, at least)" right at the beginning. It should be clear for anyone willing to understand that I ... Read More
Reasons for leaving Portugal by nz7521137
At the moment there is a huge hype about moving to Portugal and many people from around the world are making a more permanent move towards Portugal. Stories about these people are making the headlines or are published on YouTube and the like. ...
@JohnnyPT It seems to me that you missed the point of what I was saying, as well as taking it personally for some reason. After living in Romania, China, Hong Kong, Quebec, British Columbia and now Portugal in the last 30 years I know that the ... Read More
Reasons for leaving Portugal by nz7521137
At the moment there is a huge hype about moving to Portugal and many people from around the world are making a more permanent move towards Portugal. Stories about these people are making the headlines or are published on YouTube and the like. ...
@nz7521137 "Ad 4) I would say that there is a very good selection of foods in our local markets and supermarkets and we can make at home whatever we like. I largely agree about the restaurants, but as we are close to Lisbon we can find what we like. ... Read More
Reasons for leaving Portugal by nz7521137
At the moment there is a huge hype about moving to Portugal and many people from around the world are making a more permanent move towards Portugal. Stories about these people are making the headlines or are published on YouTube and the like. ...
Not leaving yet (but seriously thinking). After a year and a half, these are some of the things that might make us leave:1) The streets (in Porto, at least) full of dog excrements, spittle, cigarette butts. Which all reflects a certain level of ... Read More
Accountant for IRS by ctomac
We are doing our Portuguese taxes for the first time and we want to hire an accountant. We found an accounting firm who told us they can do our declarations and that all we have to do is to send them the documents proving our incomes and to provide ...
Thanks for the replies, I am relieved to know that all is OK as described. Read More
Accountant for IRS
We are doing our Portuguese taxes for the first time and we want to hire an accountant. We found an accounting firm who told us they can do our declarations and that all we have to do is to send them the documents proving our incomes and to provide ... Read More
Learning more about renting and/or buying property in Portugal by gurneykathleendr
I know I will profit from leabrning from your experience and look forward to that as I am feeling a bit skeptical at the moment about leaving our home in France and moving to Portugal.
There has to be a reason to move. Without a good reason there's no point. And if there is a good reason, why the scepticism?... Read More
IRS question by ctomac
Hi everybody,Following our first year in Portugal we have to file our first tax return. The problem is that we have not had any taxable income in 2022. So do we have to file a return? How does this work? Do we need a "dispensa de entrega da ...
@elsaBABS I looked a bit more into this, and it appears that the IBKR Forex income file is actually related to capital gains resulting from various forex transactions, so I believe this income should be declared on the tax return this year since it ... Read More
IRS question by ctomac
Hi everybody,Following our first year in Portugal we have to file our first tax return. The problem is that we have not had any taxable income in 2022. So do we have to file a return? How does this work? Do we need a "dispensa de entrega da ...
@JohnnyPT We didn't have any interest paid in our bank account, but it appears that there is a small amount of interest in our Interactive Brokers account. So thanks for mentioning that, otherwise I wouldn't have thought of checking.There is ... Read More
IRS question by ctomac
Hi everybody,Following our first year in Portugal we have to file our first tax return. The problem is that we have not had any taxable income in 2022. So do we have to file a return? How does this work? Do we need a "dispensa de entrega da ...
@janicecallant Thanks, but my question was about taxes in Portugal and not the US. But thanks for the input anyway. Read More
IRS question by ctomac
Hi everybody,Following our first year in Portugal we have to file our first tax return. The problem is that we have not had any taxable income in 2022. So do we have to file a return? How does this work? Do we need a "dispensa de entrega da ...
@JohnnyPT The thing is I had no income in 2022. We are retired, no pension, no other income in 2022 anywhere in the world, we lived off our savings. So do we still have to submit a return? I tried to but I keep getting error messages on the ... Read More
IRS question by ctomac
Hi everybody,Following our first year in Portugal we have to file our first tax return. The problem is that we have not had any taxable income in 2022. So do we have to file a return? How does this work? Do we need a "dispensa de entrega da ...
How can where I'm from be relevant?... Immigrants to Portugal are not taxed according to the country of origin, are they? Read More
Your first days in your home in Portugal by Cheryl
Hello everyone, Do you remember the first time you set foot in Portugal? One of your main concerns must have been the settling down process in your new home. Share your experience and tell us what it was like to find your new home in Portugal ...
I would say the biggest mistake when we first arrived in Portugal was to try to use a real estate agent to find a rental apartment here in Porto. She was not able to arrange almost any viewings because almost none of the contact numbers on our ... Read More
IRS question
Hi everybody,Following our first year in Portugal we have to file our first tax return. The problem is that we have not had any taxable income in 2022. So do we have to file a return? How does this work? Do we need a "dispensa de entrega da ... Read More
Landlord not returning deposit? by ctomac
Hello everybody,We seem to have a problem with the previous landlord - she has not returned our deposit one month after we moved out and gave the keys to her RE agent. Also, she is not responding to our emails requesting clarifications - whether ...
@TonyJ1 I didn't feel comfortable going it alone, being a foreigner here in Portugal and all. And the 147 euros for the lawyer did not seem that much to pay to have legal representation. Read More
Landlord not returning deposit? by ctomac
Hello everybody,We seem to have a problem with the previous landlord - she has not returned our deposit one month after we moved out and gave the keys to her RE agent. Also, she is not responding to our emails requesting clarifications - whether ...
@asma karoobi No law forum, I hired a lawyer recommended by my current landlord. Of course your prior landlord won't reply to your letters. Try sending registered mail as a first step, so that you have proof that you have approached them and asked ... Read More
Finding it Difficult to Find Annual Housing Rental in the Algarve by cynthiaelsener
Hello. We (2 adults) are moving to Portugal May/June of this year and are looking for a 12 month rental before we seek out a home to purchase (we want to get to know the areas before we buy). Would you have anything that would come close to matching ...
Try Booking.comOr Idealista Read More
Vaccination by Amanna
Hello me and my husband are planning to move to Portugal with our school age children 5 &6 year old Can you please inform me if vaccines are mandatory for all children in Portugal. I don’t mean just a COVID vaccine but all vaccines ...
@Fred "Dr. Google is very useful.He's really good at finding solid medical studies that all agree on one point - un-vaccinated kids die of easily preventable diseases."I use Google Scholar, not "Dr. Google" to find medical studies. But one has to ... Read More
Vaccination by Amanna
Hello me and my husband are planning to move to Portugal with our school age children 5 &6 year old Can you please inform me if vaccines are mandatory for all children in Portugal. I don’t mean just a COVID vaccine but all vaccines ...
@eyeshakingking1 Sorry, I mixed you up with Amanna. Also because you used the expression "baby daughter" which often indicates the younger of several children.The "inflation" of vaccines is natural and due to continuous research and medical studies ... Read More
Vaccination by Amanna
Hello me and my husband are planning to move to Portugal with our school age children 5 &6 year old Can you please inform me if vaccines are mandatory for all children in Portugal. I don’t mean just a COVID vaccine but all vaccines ...
@dwesthead66 "every parent has the right to assess his or her child's individual needs. "As a former physician, I would say your statement is false. Parents should not be allowed to make this kind of decision regarding vaccines. Firstly, in my 35 ... Read More
Vaccination by Amanna
Hello me and my husband are planning to move to Portugal with our school age children 5 &6 year old Can you please inform me if vaccines are mandatory for all children in Portugal. I don’t mean just a COVID vaccine but all vaccines ...
What I can tell you is that our daughters' (7 and 9 at the time) vaccination records from Canada were a required document in order to enrol them in the public school. I don't know, though, what would have happened if we hadn't had this document, we ... Read More
Landlord not returning deposit? by ctomac
Hello everybody,We seem to have a problem with the previous landlord - she has not returned our deposit one month after we moved out and gave the keys to her RE agent. Also, she is not responding to our emails requesting clarifications - whether ...
@nz7521137 Thank you.For us it became not strictly a matter of money anymore, but a matter of principle, at some point. There is right and there is wrong, and what she did was simply wrong, so we were willing to spend whatever necessary to prove ... Read More
Landlord not returning deposit? by ctomac
Hello everybody,We seem to have a problem with the previous landlord - she has not returned our deposit one month after we moved out and gave the keys to her RE agent. Also, she is not responding to our emails requesting clarifications - whether ...
I thought I should leave an update here, hopefully it should help others in my situation in the future.We ended up hiring a lawyer in order the try to get the deposit back. We paid almost 150 euros for her initial services: sending a letter to the ... Read More
Getting into the Portuguese Health system by gra2513
I am 70 and retired living on a foreign pension.I have all the required documents to apply to join the Portuguese health system except a Social Security number which I believe you only get if you are working in Portugal.Is that correct?So Passport, ...
I am also retired and I did not need a NISS in order to get a Numero de Utente for healthcare, I only needed my passport, residence permit (Certificado de Registo) and the NIF.I eventually got a NISS when I asked for the NISS for our minor ... Read More
Residency Status? by slugsurmamates
I am a UK National with Non Habitual Residency (NHR) Status . having been so since 2019.Non Habitual infers that I do not "live" in Portugal.Retaining a number of Ties to UK for HMRC , and still retaining my house there, what is my Status.A UK ...
@slugsurmamates There is no such thing as joint residency (or dual residency). You can only be resident in one country at any given time. But for tax purposes you may be deemed resident in 5 or 10 or more different countries at the same time - ... Read More
Residency Status? by slugsurmamates
I am a UK National with Non Habitual Residency (NHR) Status . having been so since 2019.Non Habitual infers that I do not "live" in Portugal.Retaining a number of Ties to UK for HMRC , and still retaining my house there, what is my Status.A UK ...
UK resident for tax purposes is not the same with UK resident in general. You would be a UK resident if you lived more than 183 days (or whatever is the limit for the UK) of the year in the UK.You may live zero days in UK and live permanently in ... Read More
Residency Status? by slugsurmamates
I am a UK National with Non Habitual Residency (NHR) Status . having been so since 2019.Non Habitual infers that I do not "live" in Portugal.Retaining a number of Ties to UK for HMRC , and still retaining my house there, what is my Status.A UK ...
In terms of tax residency, if you live in Portugal more than 183 days of the fiscal year you are deemed to be a Portuguese resident and liable to pay tax in Portugal.However, if your ties with the UK have not been completely or significantly ... Read More
Your best culinary memory in Portugal by Mickael
Hello everyone, As you know, every country has its own flavours and tasting the local cuisine is a great way to discover the culture of a destination. Whether it's a small typical restaurant to taste local dishes, a traditional meal in a local's ...
Hi JohnnyPT, gastronomic fairs are always impressive, in any country, but they are not necessarily a reflection of the food people regularly eat. If you go to an art exhibition, will that reflect the art people usually have in their homes?...For me, ... Read More
Your best culinary memory in Portugal by Mickael
Hello everyone, As you know, every country has its own flavours and tasting the local cuisine is a great way to discover the culture of a destination. Whether it's a small typical restaurant to taste local dishes, a traditional meal in a local's ...
Honestly, after almost one year in Portugal I find Portuguese food either relatively healthy but kinda monotonous (rice, potatoes, pasta, some other ingredients, repeat) or not very healthy (lots of deep frying, lots of fries and sausages and other ... Read More
How much does it cost to live a modest life in Portugal? by Guest8967
Hi everybody,How much money would I need to live with my wife a modest life in Portugal (rent and food). I get 2200 euro pension salary with full health care insurance, is that enough to live in Lisbon for example?Many thanks
We live in Porto, family of 4, renting for 1330/month, total monthly expenses including rent and living very comfortably are up to 3000 euros/month. Read More
Purchasing a new car by ctomac
Hello everyone,We are planning to buy a new car in Portugal and I wonder if anyone could offer any info on the process or point me to a place where I could find info pertinent to Portugal. So far most info I have found pertains to the US and the ...
@almirantereis We're in Porto. Thank you, I will probably do that in the end.I too don't have any experience with purchasing new cars in any country, My only other car purchased 30 years ago in Romania was second-hand, so it doesn't really count ... Read More
Purchasing a new car by ctomac
Hello everyone,We are planning to buy a new car in Portugal and I wonder if anyone could offer any info on the process or point me to a place where I could find info pertinent to Portugal. So far most info I have found pertains to the US and the ...
@Tim B20 Fortunately for us it's not the same. I've been living for the last 25 years without owning a car, and even now we don't urgently need one, so we can afford to wait whatever it takes provided we can get what we want.But that doesn't answer ... Read More
Purchasing a new car by ctomac
Hello everyone,We are planning to buy a new car in Portugal and I wonder if anyone could offer any info on the process or point me to a place where I could find info pertinent to Portugal. So far most info I have found pertains to the US and the ...
OK, so I get it - limited supply, the price is the price.In that case does it make any difference if I want to buy a car - say a new Renault - if I configure and purchase the car on www.renault.pt vs using an online dealer like www.entrepostoauto.pt ... Read More
Baggage Declaration Uncertified by Frank9088
I did not have enough time to have my “Baggagem Declarao” certified by a Portuguese consulate in the United States, before moving to PT. My household goods are in Storage in Florida. I have all necessary, uncertified documents ...
You don't need to wait for the Consulate to issue the Certificado de Bagagem, it will only be needed by your moving company when your belongings arrive in Portugal. So just submit the request with all the documents needed and you can be on your ... Read More
Purchasing a new car by ctomac
Hello everyone,We are planning to buy a new car in Portugal and I wonder if anyone could offer any info on the process or point me to a place where I could find info pertinent to Portugal. So far most info I have found pertains to the US and the ...
@LorieAnneC Hi Lorrie, yes, it would be great if you could give me the contact of the broker you used. What was the fee he charged for his service? Or how does it work with brokers? It's the first time ever I buy a new car, so it's all a bit of a ... Read More
Purchasing a new car
Hello everyone,We are planning to buy a new car in Portugal and I wonder if anyone could offer any info on the process or point me to a place where I could find info pertinent to Portugal. So far most info I have found pertains to the US and the ... Read More
Inflation in Portugal in 2022 by Mickael
Hello everyone, In the various media, inflation in Portugal is becoming increasingly important. This is becoming a concern for some, with fears of an impact on day-to-day budgeting. Today, how does inflation in Portugal impact on daily ...
Invest in TIPs, commodities, REITs, worldwide equities - all of these have always done well on the long run in times of inflation. Avoid bonds. Read More
EU (Romania) and Canadian citizen with Canadian family by Cristian Toma
Hello everybody, I have double citizenship as above while my other family members (wife and daughters) are Canadian citizens. We intend to resettle in Portugal and it is very unclear to us what we have to do - do my family members need a visa? can ...
@Diana Emilia That is the exact process. I, as a Romanian/Canadian citizen, have applied to the Camara Municipal for the Certificado de Registo with my Romanian passport (Canadian passport is pretty much useless in Portugal; mine got a bit soaked ... Read More
Buying property in portugal now by sdanders43
Hi,We are coming to Portugal in September and we are considering buying a property on the silver coast that we can rent until we retire in 5 years. I was looking for opinions about the real estate market in Portugal right now.I am feeling like ...
@nz7521137 And another reason, particularly relevant in Portugal from what I've been reading, is that up to 80% of the mortgages are variable rate. When the prime rate goes up, guess what happens to your mortgage rate. Yes, it also goes ... Read More
Buying property in portugal now by sdanders43
Hi,We are coming to Portugal in September and we are considering buying a property on the silver coast that we can rent until we retire in 5 years. I was looking for opinions about the real estate market in Portugal right now.I am feeling like ...
I have been watching properties on Idealista for 9 months now. What I have noticed recently (last 2 months approximately) is an increase in the offer and an increase in the frequency of discounts from 7-8 to 20%.Everybody here seems to be believing ... Read More
Landlord not returning deposit? by ctomac
Hello everybody,We seem to have a problem with the previous landlord - she has not returned our deposit one month after we moved out and gave the keys to her RE agent. Also, she is not responding to our emails requesting clarifications - whether ...
The problem is that at the time (end of June) when we decided we wanted to move somewhere else we had already paid the last month's rent (the beginning of June). Besides, the landlord agreed with the move and never mentioned that she would not ... Read More
Landlord not returning deposit?
Hello everybody,We seem to have a problem with the previous landlord - she has not returned our deposit one month after we moved out and gave the keys to her RE agent. Also, she is not responding to our emails requesting clarifications - whether ... Read More
SEF APPOINTMENT by michaeleb
I have a question regarding the SEF appointment. If the appointment is for the purpose of confirming financial record documents, health insurance documents, proof of income documents, NIF registration, and residency location documents, what is the ...
I agree with all that said that there is no need for any legal representation. The SEF staff were all very nice and patient, explained clearly what we need to present, what forms to fill, etc., no stress at all.Waste of money to hire legal ... Read More
Rescinding rental contract by ctomac
Hello,I have a question regarding the timeline for rescinding a rental contract. I've been looking for information online about this, and I understand that at least 1/3 of the term of the initial (or renewal) duration of the contract should have ...
@ctomac yeah and in the US you can be evicted after one month’s rent not paid within two weeks after your due date, whereas in Europe, in the countries I’m very familiar with, I’d you don’t pay rent you get tu stay for ... Read More
Rescinding rental contract by ctomac
Hello,I have a question regarding the timeline for rescinding a rental contract. I've been looking for information online about this, and I understand that at least 1/3 of the term of the initial (or renewal) duration of the contract should have ...
@JohnnyPT agree 100% - that’s why there is a retraction period of two weeks after you’ve signed a rental contract - without giving a reason, you can cancel a signed lease before moving in. If you want a one month cancellation you ... Read More
Rescinding rental contract by ctomac
Hello,I have a question regarding the timeline for rescinding a rental contract. I've been looking for information online about this, and I understand that at least 1/3 of the term of the initial (or renewal) duration of the contract should have ...
@bettinakozlowski We informed the landlord about the noise from the neighbours, she wrote to the condominium asking them to do something about it, was answered that this is not their job, she then advised me to talk to the neighbour and if not ... Read More
Rescinding rental contract by ctomac
Hello,I have a question regarding the timeline for rescinding a rental contract. I've been looking for information online about this, and I understand that at least 1/3 of the term of the initial (or renewal) duration of the contract should have ...
You can always talk to your landlord, explaining the problems you have encountered in the property. The termination can be friendly. - @JohnnyPTHi JohnnyPT, just wanted to say thanks for the advice above. We wrote to the landlord and ... Read More
Rescinding rental contract by ctomac
Hello,I have a question regarding the timeline for rescinding a rental contract. I've been looking for information online about this, and I understand that at least 1/3 of the term of the initial (or renewal) duration of the contract should have ...
In your case, remember that the landlord may have used a real estate agency, who charged a commission, which is at least one month's rent... Do you think it's right that the tenant can leave after 1 month of lease? Put yourself in the landlord's ... Read More