Reasons to Move to Portugal

I totally adore living in Portugal. My original plan was to go to Spain to start my new life there, but the taxes and bureaucracy seemed hard to navigate even with two years of Spanish studies under my belt. At the last minute before BREXIT I decided to take the leap and make the move to Portugal. It was absolutely the best decision and looking back I feel that I would much prefer living here to Spain.

There are so many reasons why so many people are relocating to Portugal. Amongst the top include the weather and the healthy diet which both lead to an increase in quality-of-life. It’s also still reasonably priced. Portugal has a much lower cost of living than the UK or US. Here are my top reasons to move to Portugal…

1. Weather

The weather was my main reason for making the move to Portugal. I literally could not get through one more British winter with freezing temperatures and depressed people walking round like zombies! When I finally made my move, I literally felt like I was on holiday all the time! Average daily temperatures my hit 30° in the summer and rarely drop below 16° in the winter months.

2. Food!

The Portuguese diet is rich in fruit, vegetables and Fish. Due to the weather again many people grow their own fruit and vegetables making them completely free! Want an orange? If you are lucky enough to be able to pop outside to your Orange Grove you’ll get some completely free! With so much growing at home in Portugal little fresh produce needs to be imported keeping the costs down and making it is cheap and easy to eat fresh. The local cuisine is delightful – you must try the Portuguese Paella and Cataplana (cooked in a large copper pan). Grilled sardines are another healthy popular dish. Mmmmmm

3. Health

The warmer temperatures and stay sunshine meaning increased in vitamin D intake. It can be good if your muscles and bones and many people suffering from arthritis tend to report relief in symptoms. Depression levels are lower, particularly those relating to SAD (Seasonal Affective disorder).

With warm summer temperatures you also tend to avoid snacking on chocolate and cakes and walk more. I lost weight within my first six months of living in Portugal – which does wonders for your help.

Portugal has one of the best healthcare system in the world and the Portuguese have a long life expectancy. If you want to register with the Portuguese healthcare system you can do this as a resident by getting a Utente number.

4. Beaches

The Algarve is full of amazing beaches – 850km of sandy beaches in fact!

5. Better for Taxes

You might have heard of the concept of non-habitual residency in Portugal. It’s not necessarily at residency status but more a tax status. Check with accountant to see if you are eligible for NHR. If you are, it can give you tax breaks and certain income such as dividends, pensions and UK income for up to 10 years. You might actually be better off then when you were at home!

Remember, if you are serious about making the move to Portugal you will need to get an NIF number. You can’t rent or buy property or do any financial transaction without it. They even ask you for it at the supermarket! If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about NIF Number Portugal and Is Portugese Hard to Learn?