How to move to Portugal from the United States

Have you ever thought about living in a small European country with safety, quality of life, and low cost? Welcome to Portugal, the new darling of American ex-pats. In the article, find out if Portugal really is the California of Europe and see what you have to do to move to Portugal from the United States. 

Move to Portugal from the United States: what Americans need to know.

First of all, know that in order for Americans to move to Portugal, they will need to obtain a visa and obtain a residence permit.

That is unless you also have citizenship in some European Union country or want to get a Golden Visa. 

But even if you don’t, you’ll be glad to know the following: anyone who has legally lived in Portugal for more than 5 years is entitled to apply for Portuguese citizenship!

The advantages of having a Portuguese passport are many, you can benefit from the protection of the European Union and much more.

How can Americans obtain a visa to live in Portugal?

In order to live in Portugal, an American citizen needs to obtain a Residence Permit. Usually, the way to obtain it is through a Residence Visa process.

Take a look at the most common Visas to Portugal required by Americans:

D1 visa: Subordinated work visa;

D2 visa: Independent professional activity or migrant entrepreneurs;

D3 visa: Teaching purposes, highly qualified activity visa;

D4 visa: Study, higher education, volunteer visa;

D6 visa: Family reunification;

D7 visa: Passive income and retirement visa.

To apply for your residency visa, you must contact the representatives of the Portuguese consulates in the United States. In other words, VFS Global, a visa outsourcing company.

When applying for a visa to Portugal, the process starts online. However, at the final stage, it will also require an interview at one of the application centres (VFS Global) in the US, such as those located in New York, San Francisco, or Washington DC.

There is also a possibility to obtain a Residence Permit without requiring a Visa first. That is the case of the Residence Permit for Investment Activity, better known as the Golden Visa.

The process of obtaining a Golden Visa, however, is not fully conducted in the United States. This process also requires a large investment, whether real estate, investment funds, or company, which must be requested from the Immigration Services in Portugal.

Deciding where to live in Portugal: best regions and cost of living.

Portugal is a small country when compared to the United States of America. See its true size on the map below.

But that does not mean that this is why it is a country with little diversity. This small country surprises both visitors and residents due to such variety of nature, culture, and customs.

Therefore, it becomes a tricky task to decide where to live in Portugal. Check out some suggestions of the best cities for ex-pats to live in the country:

Lisbon: the biggest city and the capital of Portugal, located in the centre;

Porto: Portugal’s 2nd biggest city, capital of the northern region;

Lagos: charming city of the sunny southern region, the Algarve;

Coimbra: one of the most traditional and important cities in the centre;

Braga: a very important city in northern Portugal;

Setúbal: beautiful city located only 40 minutes south of Lisbon;

Funchal: capital of the famous Madeira Island;

It is impossible to define a single city that is better than the others. Your choice should be based on your personal tastes and whether your lifestyle matches the city. But rest assured that Portugal has the right place for everyone.

Think about joining the labour market in Portugal.

For those Americans who are interested in entering the labour market in Portugal, here are some tips. Portugal has one of the lowest average salaries in Western Europe, €665 monthly (in 2021). So you should expect to have a much different way of life here.

As you can read in our article on average wages in Portugal, making money in Portugal isn’t that easy. Portugal is a place to live well, but it is not suitable for those who want to create wealth. Perhaps for that, you should stay in America.

What most American ex-pats who work in Portugal do is keep their remote job from the US. That means you get to keep your salary and get to live in a place with a low cost of living. Digital nomads who live in Portugal get to experience an amazing lifestyle, in the most beautiful locations.

To learn more about the cost of living in Portugal click here for the full article.

Article written by VIV Europe - Official Legal Partner to KipperTree.