- atendimento11224
- Nov 27, 2023
- 9 min read
If you want to live in Portugal you will need good planning and dedicate time to getting to know this process. It is worth mentioning that knowledge is a source of success and a shield against scams. So dedicate yourself to reading and understanding more about this change that I intend.
Living in Portugal was a very important decision in my life that, only today, I can look at and see how much I have grown as a professional and person. Since 2019 legal in Portugal, I chose to live here because I found a safe country, a much better quality of life, fairer credits for purchasing a house, a car, having good appliances, a telephone, good schools, renowned universities, traveling to other countries from Europe and many other possibilities that made me believe it was the best project given the time I was living in Brazil.
It is important to say that when we arrive in Portugal we need to strip away our titles, our professional experiences and salary history. It is essential to work towards a change in our “mindset”, mentality, that we are immigrating and starting a new journey. This process, this journey, begins in the immigrant's country of origin because they need to prepare themselves emotionally, psychologically, reinforce their energies, be prepared for challenges that are invisible, not unknown, because if you research you will find a story more beautiful than the other as overcoming these challenges, but invisible because you have not yet seen them face-to-face in your reality. This war has its own kings and queens, each one builds their reign, no one better than anyone else, each one makes their own story that is written throughout these days of internal, emotional wars, conflicts and determination to build a new life.
Many of us, immigrants, are led to this challenge to provide the best for our family, children, siblings and even friends who are truly the ones who ultimately end up reaping the fruits of these achievements. When you receive your Residence Permit, your citizenship or nationality, you have actually opened a tunnel dug with your own hands and sweat, where many can pass and enjoy this victory. Your son, who is now 5 years old, will grow up in a European country with an excellent education, very safe and with great marketing opportunities.
Living in Portugal there is NO cake recipe, even if there were, there are many recipes that start off very well and end up going very wrong. So what we can do is dedicate ourselves to creating the best plans of our lives to make a change in this proportion.
How to live in Portugal:
Discover the regions where you have the most job opportunities: There is no point in dreaming of living in the Algarve because you have a lot of reais to consider if it is a region that will not offer a good job market, or will offer something seasonal, only in the summer for example. Analyze the regions with the greatest opportunities, accessibility to public transport and that you have another market option: restaurants, courier services (delivery people like Ifoods in Brazil for example), civil construction, families looking for caregivers for the elderly, hotels and IT are the markets that offer the most opportunities according to data from INE – National Institute of Statistics in Portugal 2020 – and APDC – Portuguese Association for the Development of Communications – these markets grew even in the face of the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and , according to SEF – Foreigners and Borders Service – are the sectors that employed the most immigrants in Portugal.
Lease = Rent: Renting a property in Portugal has been a challenge and this market has become global news, which in 2023 is still inflated, as the demand rate is much higher than the offers. I brought a list with a classification of scores between 0 and 10, where 0 is very complicated and much more expensive rentals and 10 is regions with more affordable prices and properties. Are they:
North Region - 8/10: The North region of Portugal, which includes cities such as Porto and Braga, has lower prices compared to other regions of the country. Furthermore, there is a large supply of properties for rent, which can facilitate the leasing process.
Central Region - 7/10: The Central region of Portugal, which includes cities such as Coimbra and Aveiro, also has relatively low prices compared to other regions of the country.
Alentejo - 6/10: Alentejo is a more rural region of Portugal, with cities such as Évora and Beja. Rental property prices are reasonable, but supply may be limited in some areas.
So that we can better understand the regions, we can make an analogy regarding the divisions of these regions. Respectively they are:
USA: STATE > CITY > NEIGHBORHOOD
PORTUGAL: DISTRICT > COUNCIL/LOCATION > PARISH
So whenever we talk about parishes, it's as if we were talking about our neighborhoods, so I brought here some parishes that can search and find more affordable rentals in Porto:
1.º Campanhã;
2.º Paranhos;
3.º Ramalde;
4.º Bonfim;
These are some examples of regions with greater property offers and more access to schools, universities, hospitals, public transport and jobs. These are regions where they receive many tourists and, with summer, job opportunities tend to increase.
When planning, I suggest that you consider room rental options. There are excellent shared properties that accept children and couples, this way, you will be able to organize yourself better, you will have more financial leverage because they normally only ask for an income (one month's rent) and allow you to move in. These places usually offer rent with expenses included, so always ask to avoid surprises.
You will need to have a significant reserve most of the time when you are about to rent a complete property, as owners/real estate companies may require 3-6 months of deposit, this only as a guarantee, even in violation of the laws, in addition to countless other bureaucracies. I reiterate that having a room initially allows you to keep a much larger financial reserve at your disposal for emergency issues.
Important: beware of rental scams. Do not pay while you are still in Brazil, look for real estate agents/reference professionals, visit the property, make a registered contract and ensure that the entire lease agreement is explained in this contract, as well as everything you paid, all the responsibilities of each of the detailed parts and clauses regarding the delivery of the property.
Documents: we will talk here about two important and similar topics, but I will divide them into Brazilian Documents and Documents in Portugal. I have observed that people leave Brazil without the slightest knowledge about these issues. We cannot change countries without knowing its rules, necessary documents and where to start. Minimally we need to do some research and understand a little about documents, who issues them, where I can request them and costs are important topics that you should be aware of. Knowledge is the key to avoid falling for scams and paying exorbitant amounts for these processes. In addition to a valid passport:
What documents are needed to live in Portugal: here we will talk about some important Brazilian documents that you must have to request documents in Portugal:
- Proof of Residence: having proof of residence in your name is essential when arriving in Portugal, as you need to prove your address in Brazil to request some documents here, such as the NIF – Tax Identification Number – and it must be in your name: electricity, water, gas bill, bill for payment in installments, booklet, insurance and life, travel, PB4 or other as long as it does not exceed 90 days from the date of issue. Even if you are married or a direct relative, you need to have one for each citizen, except if you are a minor, as in this case you can use the receipt in your parents' name;
- Identity and CPF: these are not mandatory documents to reside or request documents here in Portugal, but many people decide to leave their identity in Brazil and then end up having problems with their banks, especially these digital ones, which can only be resolved with those photos where they are holding your ID and many banks do not accept your passport;
- PB4: is a document that guarantees Brazilians access to free or more affordable care through the public health system. To apply, you must apply to the Gov.br portal. This document is very important;
- Digital Account: – Bank in Europe: having an account will help in the process of issuing your Activity Declaration – a mandatory document for those who are going to work on their own in Portugal – which to start you need to present an IBAN – a bank identification number – and CANNOT be Brazilian. It needs to be here in Europe. The most common bank is Wise, as in addition to serving the IBAN provided by this institution, it is widely used to receive/send amounts. We do not recommend the bank and we do not have any partnerships. It was mentioned only for ease and because the respective IBAN document is accepted here. Example of other banks: N26, Revolut, Monese and others;
Documents to live in Portugal: when you arrive here in Portugal you will first need to organize yourself to request your BASIC and mandatory documents here. These documents are mandatory in Portugal to request a Residence Permit from the SEF – Foreigners and Borders Service – or, even if you come with a consular visa, you will need them to work, open a company, start your activity as a self-employed worker and everything that do in this country. Are they:
To live in Portugal you need to have a visa that meets your needs and that you have the financial and bureaucratic conditions to apply for this particular visa. When a Brazilian enters Portugal, if they are just visiting for tourism and their stay does not exceed 90 days, a specific visa is not necessary, but they must pay attention to complying with the rules for this purpose of entering the country. Are they:
Proof of financial means: on average €70 (seventy euros) per person and per day. You can present a credit card with a sufficient limit, account value or cash (banknotes);
Proof of accommodation: proof of reservation corresponding to the intended period of stay. If you are staying 15 days, you need to have a financial and hotel reservation for this period.
Proof of health insurance: you must have insurance for emergencies. PB4 does not cover private consultations, medication, treatments and dental appointments, so we suggest taking out health insurance complementary to PB4 or in full.
Return ticket: before boarding in Brazil, you will need to prove that you have a return ticket, under the condition that you will not be able to board if you do not have one.
These are the most common requirements, but each case may have its specificities, as immigration control may conduct as it deems necessary in order to guarantee immigration control and compliance with the requirements necessary for a safe trip.
Visa to live in Portugal: to reside in Portugal you can apply for a visa that allows this process. The visa facilitates issues regarding the processes of opening an account, leasing/renting, working and even starting a business. The visa I will talk about here is:
Job search visa: allows you to come to Portugal and stay in national territory for the purpose of looking for a job. The visa is granted for a period of 120 days, but you can request an extension for another 60 days. To request an extension you must register with the IEFP, I. P. (it's like a Job Desk in Brazil created by the government, where you can register and they analyze the vacancies compatible with your profile). To apply, you must pay attention to the requirements here: (https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/pt/vistos-nacionais/documentacao-instrutoria/procura-de-trabalho) and consider that you will need to have a minimum reservation of 3 times available the value of the minimum wage in Portugal, which is €740 (seven hundred and forty euros) and you may be asked to provide proof of the accommodation conditions, where you will be staying. The request must be made at a consular post or Embassy/Consulate that has jurisdiction in that country, if there is no Portuguese consular post.
To find out about other visas, you can access the Diplomatic Portal: https://vistos.mne.gov.pt/pt/vistos-nacionais/informacao-geral/tipo-de-visto
If you are already in Portugal and have made the decision to reside, you must apply for a residence permit from the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) online. This process has taken a long time to be answered, as the correct thing to do is to apply for the visa while still in your country of origin. Submission requires the presentation of the documents mentioned above and must await authorization from the SEF, but during this period you will be able to work normally under a contract or as an independent worker, as if you were self-employed in Brazil, as long as you have declared the start of activity that mentioned at the beginning of this text.
We have heard a lot about the CPLP, which is the model of Administrative Residence Title, within the scope of the Agreement on Mobility between the Member States of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries and, without researching, they end up believing that they can be issued immediately. Today, 05/01/2023, only those who applied for residence with the SEF through the SAPA portal until 12/31/2022 can request the respective residence permit, that is, if you arrived after this date without visa and have decided to reside here, you will need to apply for an expression of interest and wait until you are called.
An expression of interest was taking 18-24 months to be addressed, given the problem, this decree came into force on 03/01/2023, speeding up old processes. We believe that, consequently, as many chose to leave the virtual queue they were waiting for and requested electronic residency, there will POSSIBLY be an improvement in this service process.
If you have questions and need to talk about your life project, be sure to talk to me at customer service here at WhatsApp or send an email. I wish you much success in this planning and we hope to see you soon!
Author: Stanislaw Costa
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