I’m a D7 resident (American expat) and I lived up in the north for the first 6 months before getting a 5 year lease on a condo in the Algarve where I’ve lived for the last 4 years. I have never had to pay my restaurant check at the counter. They always bring the bill when you look at them with a smile and make the universal gesture for ‘ check, please’. I eat out 3-4 days a week!! Also, after 1 year here in Portimao I got cancer. Long story short, I was sent to Lisbon to the cancer center hospital where I ended up having 2 major surgeries. While the facilities were not terribly attractive, the care was sensational and they never charged me a cent! They said “it’s your right to get proper healthcare”!! I found more than a home when I moved here….
Do you feel comfortable abusing healthcare system built and paid for by poor Portugese working class over the centuries without you ever contributing a cent of your own money? Does the portugese working class have a "right" to be compensated by a rich foreigner for the excellent services he/she received? Should you also have "a right" to free food together with your free healthcare?
@@sunshinegirl4715H! It’s not special arrangements, it’s just how Portugal works! I got an unexpected cancer before I got my D7 residency visa….the pandemic was in full swing and most government offices were closed. I fully expected to have to set up a payment plan after my diagnosis and treatment, but they said “no”, I and everyone else residing here receives public healthcare!
I’m a nomad expat. I landed in Porto last May, 23. Had severe stomach pain and went to Central hospital. I was immediately tended to and next thing, I was wheeled into surgery. Five day recovery with excellent care all around. Then upon release, I was told I was free to go. Totally surprised. Best hospital care ever.
I spent a lot of time in the Porto area and loved it, but I ended up choosing to live in France. The one thing that most people looking at retiring abroad don't know is that US pensions (private pensions, Social Security, 401k and IRA distributions) are not taxed by France due to the US-France tax treaty. Of course you still pay US income tax on them. Which means that retired Americans in France paid less in income tax than they would in Portugal even before the Portuguese tax rules changed.
Nice summary of Portugal. We moved here a year ago. We made the mistake of moving too far away from Porto. Without a car we spent hours commuting each time we wanted to do anything with friends or go to a concert. So now we just moved much closer and are super happy. We are so glad to be away from the US and its nasty politics. Our stress levels are so much lower.
To all out there, don’t give up your search to find your dream property. My wife and I have been looking since 2017, thru NE Spain into Catalan France, we have taken 4 extended trips to find the right property. During Covid we explored Porto, and focused there. We have looked at literally over a 1000 places over the last 2 1/2 years, from apartments, condos, and single family homes. We did not limit it to “downtown” only, but since the Metro is so efficient, we branched out to Gaia and all the way up to Matosinhos. We found a new completely rehabbed 52 year old single family, a mere 3 km from historic Porto, a whopping 13 minutes by Metro. Everyone can complain that it is foreign buyers driving up prices, but after seeing the conditions of so many properties for sale, it is the Portuguese driving up the sell prices. €500k asking for a house that has had nothing done to it for over 50 years, and was a complete gut job. Everyone is trying to sell their house as if it is the winning lottery ticket.
Why do don't you and your wife just stay in America? There are still so many great places to live in America and of course it's still so much easier to make money in America than in a very poor country like Portugal in which 50% of the population make less than 1000 dollars a month.
@@williamMaezawa our comment was very poor..lol Does it all come down to money? Even though we live in a country where the entire population has access to carrying weapons and any crazy person can use these weapons indiscriminately? What good is money to you at a time like this? Nothing...What a distorted vision...Anyway...
@@andrevilhena4149 you should have spoken to a lot of Europeans who have relocated to the United States and are very happy with their lives. They now live in very safe and upscale neighborhood they send their children to private schools and they have a lot more money than they can ever wish to have. Not everywhere in America is full of shooting it also depends on where you live in America. This country still has so many great places to live and raise a family. I wouldn't want to live in Uruguay or Portugal or Greece where it's much more difficult to make money.
@@williamMaezawa Of course, if your goal in life is just money, the USA will be the ideal country to live. But as I think that nothing is just about making money and having money, Portugal is a good country to live in. But opinions are opinions. Hugs!
We live in Portugal - an apartment in Lagos and a hectare of land in a village about 10 minutes away where I grow a wide range of fruit and veggies. We were fortunate enough to be here a few years ago so we qualified for the NHR scheme but, to be honest, even when that ends I would be happy to stay here. The quality of life is incredible - we live by the sea and our neighbours at the land are amazing. As long as you get your overheads down - which we do by growing food and having our own water, plus solar - you can live a good life on very little. But that is our way of life and it might not appeal to many! On the down side - yes the taxation is crazy. The wages are very poor and the bureaucracy can be a bit of a nightmare. But I don't know any country that is perfect. Life and places are what you make them and where your heart is in my opinion. My heart - for the time being - is here in Portugal.
@@hasanferoz2364 It's difficult to find affordable accommodation and reasonable paid jobs. The tax is also high. It's a great pity. Unfortunately this seems to be the situation in many places now. We would have been priced out of the market if we came over now but I suspect that accommodation will be more affordable because of the changes to the NHR and AL
@@hasanferoz2364 If you can do building work, repair things, do gardening that sort of thing you could earn around 10-15€ per hour. If you can work remotely that is also an option. What part are you thinking of moving to?
Good video. We got our D-7s and arrived here in the Lisbon/Cascais (Parede) area last August. I agree with everything you pointed out. We had a similar quest when trying to figure out where we wanted to retire. We visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize and several Caribbean countries before deciding on Portugal. We have a daughter in England and we wanted to be closer to her. So that is an important factor. Your info on taxes, food, cost of living, insurance etc is spot on, from our observations. We were able to get NHR tax break, so thats good. In addition to that, expats get an IRS credit for any foreign tax paid on US income, so that lessens the burden. All in all, we're saving a lot of money living here as opposed to what we spent in Southern California. Especially transportation costs. Seniors can buy a transit pass for 20 euro/month. It covers city busses, trains, trams, and metro. We have elected not to own a car.The weather in this part of Portugal is quite similar to SoCal. We're very happy with our situation so far. We start language school next week.
Small clarification: currency conversion doesn't increase or lower your money. 1 USD = 147 JPY, but if you move your money from the USA to Japan, you're not going to multiply your money by 147, it's going to be worth the same thing, just expressed in another currency. It's things that will have different prices. If something costs 1 USD in the USA and 140 JPY in Japan, it's actually cheaper in Japan (95 cents). If I moved to Portugal from Canada, all I have to know is that cost of living is roughly 33% lower there on average. What currency they use has no relevance.
Please explain why you are getting a 7% hit on the currency? Who do you use for Forex? I only pay 0.01% on my exchange rate plus less than $3 per trade.
In parliamentary systems the changing of the government does not mean that a country is not stable. It is all about achieving balance in the cabinet and with parliament and that is why it is normal to have often times a coalition government. Japan has had like 70 governments since the end of WW2.
My wife and I visited Portugal to consider it for early retirement a few years ago. We visited Porto, Lisbon, Evora and many other places. We absolutely loved it. Unfortunately the virus hit and it made it very hard to get back over to find a place to live and open a bank account, get a NIF, etc to meet the Visa requirements. In the meantime we also visited Panama and in the end we ended up getting our residence Visas in Panama. We enjoy both but after having lived in Europe for quite a few years in the military we really felt comfortable in Portugal. The loss of the NHR benefits is definitely going to be an issue for many. One thing I would recommend however is consulting with a Portuguese CPA/Tax Pro. We did a consultation with one when we were looking at potentially moving there. Their taxes can be high but there are also rules around what is eligible for Portuguese vice U.S. taxes and also a sort of standard deduction that impacts your actual taxable income. We do really enjoy Panama and may end up moving back there full time in a few years when we "hard retire".
You and your wife look younger and happier in Portugal. It looks like Portugal is less stressful than Equator. I will keep watching your blog in case you decide to stay in Portugal that way you can tell us the steps that you took to get your permanent visa. Keep up the good work guys!
I have dual citizenship (US and German), so it was very easy for me to move to Portugal. I bought a condo on the Silver Coast in a lovely town called Sao Martinho do Porto. I love living here. The people are kind, friendly, and helpful. Most speak English, but I am taking Portuguese language lessons. I agree, it is a difficult language. It is a very safe country, it is super clean (no litter anywhere), the infrastructure is fantastic, there is no gun violence, and it is very beautiful. I moved here from California and the scenery in Portugal reminds me of California. If the foreign tax program stays in place, I highly recommend moving to Portugal.
Are you planning to stay if the new tax scheme goes into effect? If it does, how does it impact your annual budget? Can you share a bit about that? Can you share how you found your condo and costs involved including square footage? Thx.
@@CaesarRenasci I cannot speak for other people's experience but from what I see. My wife is Canadian and came to the US as a travel nurse when she was single. After we married, (I am American), she applied for American Citizenship. Yes, during the process, you profess your allegiance and forsake all other countries. That is understood, but they make it clear that she does not relinquish her Canadian citizenship. She does in fact have dual citizenship and maintains both passports.
You two are looking great. JP’s health must be good at the time of filming. I can’t believe I have been a subscriber for almost 4 years. What a great journey.
The cancelled NHR might come back. Two things that you missed. One, due to a couple of reasons, getting permission to move there is now really, really slow due to backups. Second, it's expensive and not always easy to find a place to rent almost anywhere in a decent town. If you want a vehicle and are willing to live in the countryside, it's really inexpensive but then you don't have easy access to services and you can be quite alone. I've even found places in France (obviously not Paris) at about half the price than in the desirable towns of Portugal!
My experience spending a month in Portugal in 2019 is that it was a super easy country to travel around. Everyone, literally everyone I met, of all ages and generations, spoke excellent English. I found an English language yoga class in Lisbon and went everyday for two weeks. I loved Portugal and I would move there if I could.
Here's a factor, if you don't make any money Portugal is great, except for trying to rent or purchase in a decent area. You can find something in the middle of nowhere, in the wildfire regions with nothing to do for a reasonable price, otherwise everything is overpriced sometimes double or triple compared to other warm weather EU destinations. The "trend" is shifting for good reason. Good luck
Portugal is so affordable due to local salaries being relatively low. Meanwhile public healthcare is affordable due in part to the tax levels. I do feel for the local people being priced out of housing in part due to the influx of people from other countries with higher external sources of income who are currently taxed at a lower rate than the Portuguese while enjoying Portugal's public services.
🎯 is so sad to see, last time I was there many Portugueses fathers I know have to live half of the year in another country working for their family be able to stay in Portugal
Ive been to Lisbon once and Porto 13 times. I adore the Porto in particular . Id move there in a heartbeat. I felt super safe i was out every night and i never got into any trouble. I also don't really mind all the crowds i meet new people every time i go out. I also made friends with Portuguese people they are so friendly. All the people i know in Porto welcome the tourists because without them most my friends may be out of a job or their businesses would collapse.
what is your take on the infrastructure? from many videos i have seen it is great so see all the old buildings.. but to live in they dont have a lot of the modern upgrades. tiny bedrooms converted into a bathroom with semi exposed plumbing, 1 or 2 plugins per room, single pane windows, no insulation in attic, 1940's kitchen layouts, narrow stairwells, narrow hallways.
In Thailand I pay about 1.20 US for meal at restaurant. Rent is 270 us per month. I spent 10 years in Europe before it became PROHIBITIVELY expensive. Apparently, most American's are richer than I am. Spending 30 euros for a meal seems outrageous to me. Good luck
I moved to the central highlands of Mexico almost 4 years ago as a retiree living on a small pension. But I have been following you much longer, as I was considering Ecuador beforehand and found you on TH-cam. I have decided to leave Mexico after my little casa sells and have some cash in hand. Now I am looking at several wider ranging options as well as other places in Latin America. Both he Azores and Albania are two, so I was very interested in what you had to share about portugal andof them. Climate, the peace index ranking, cost of living, and availability of fresh clean water to drink and enjoy out in nature are my criteria. So I have enjoyed watching your traveling through Europe. I too like smaller cities or a more rural setting for living, but that creates language obstacles many places. I am watching and wanted you to know I appreciate your newer videos, too and have learned from them as part of my own research and process.😊👍🏽🙏🏽
Excellent video as usual. I get so irritated with people who do videos and don't address the visa process or taxes. Those two items are super high on my list as an Expat looking for my final home I am currently in Thailand going through the painful visa process. There are rumors that Thailand will start charging taxes, but we don't know yet and I doubt that they will tax a pensioner. If they do, I will stay for a year and then probably leave. Portugal was on my list at the cost of living is less here and the weather is not as cold. I also really love the Thai people. They are so welcoming and nice and the food is fantastic.
thanks for the insight and all the information. Been following you for a while and appreciate your tips. Wife and I spent some time in Portugal and Spain recently also looking to move abroad from the US. I am only 50 years old so I will only have some passive income to live on, the tax situation would probably make me cross off Portugal from my list. At this point I am leaning more towards Spain as we are also Spanish speakers and I think we would qualify for their non-lucrative visa program. We do have 2 years until we do move out so we will keep searching and visiting places in the next couple years. With the new changes in Argentina we will also be going down there to get a feeling on their situation and see if we can add it to our list.
I havent looked into it really in detail.. but I wonder if Portugal is getting rid of that visa due to in influx of foreigners coming in raising the cost of living for natives.
@@belle42 I agree with that. I guess in pockets around the world some areas were impacted more than others. When 500,000 Californians and New Yorkers (high net worth) all decide to move at the same time (pandemic) and move to the same cities it can have an impact.
@@belle42 I really do wonder how many properties that had been rented to locals for decades were bought by speculative investors who intended to use them for Airbnb or similar use, while touting investment in those programs to folks who had the €600k or whatever seeking the Golden Visa.
7000 Americans live in Portugal as of 2022 a country of 10 million. 45000 Brits however. The way it stands with the new NHR the poorer Americans and Brits will still flock to PT as zero health care and cost of living, plus other freebies is worth the $10 they may have to pay in taxes. The more affluent Americans that pay for services and luxury items and our own health care will avoid PT like the plague and reduce jobs and opportunities for the native Portuguese people while they have to deal with our freeloaders..
@@carneyfelonlawyer4382 That's a real concern. I hope that the government works out some formula to successfully increase foreign investment to retain more young Portuguese in the country. If the exodus of Portuguese college grads for jobs elsewhere in the EU continues, it's hard for me to see a long-term positive future. Low paying tourism-related jobs won't help.
Raise the minimum wage and encourage foreign investment by not taxing pensions. Get rid of corrupt politicians that hold an interest in AirBNB conglomerates. Better be careful I will give Alan a hear attack.. @@stephenjarzombek2903
Also, the NHR (recently) taxed foreign pensions at 10%. Looks like, without it, IF what a person has is MEDIAN US Social Security, the tax will go up from 10% to 12%-14%. Or around the amount deducted from SS for Medicare part B. SO, you are right: MAYBE. But if money is the deciding factor, get a Portuguese tax accountant to do a simulation of what your taxes will be, do not make assumptions based on videos like this! (Though I love your stuff, A & JP!)
My wife and I spent 6 weeks traveling around the perimiter of Spain and Portugal. Our daughter, who had been to Porto, told us we should buy a place there and we knew some other people who actually did that. To our surprise, we weren't that thrilled with Porto. It's definitely worth a vacation but it was too crowded for us. There were many other places in Spain and Portugal that were very interesting but for some reason the place that stands out the most in our minds is San Sebastian.
Very good taste because San Sebastian, Donostia in the Basque language, is a very charming city without equal in all of Spain. But..... I love Porto.. kkkkk.. Good luck to wherever you go to live. Hugs!
If you don't like Porto you are a bad person. I'm not saying it's a good place to live or you made the wrong choice. But if you didn't dig the city, you can't be my friend, no matter where from the world you are from :P
@@jeanjacqueslundi3502 I wouldn't say we didn't like the city (double negative there). I just wouldn't move there. It is VERY popular. Too popular. I like less crowded places. We were told it was so crowded because of the airlines promotion where it was very cheap to fly from England and other places.
@@goutfromfriedokra3936 The food was great. The weather was beautiful when we there there in the end of October (luck?). We did a couple legs of the Camino Norte (the first and second legs) and it was absolutely beautiful. I guess it just hit us right.
8 cities in Portugal last week had big protests about raising housing costs. The portuguese real estate market is definitely overheated and overpriced but still attracted 23％more investment than 2022. It looks like it's possible to get a place with reasonable price in Spain 🇪🇸 instead. Please share your thoughts. ❤ guys.
I agree. Only twice did I have to go the the counter to pay. 99% of the time, they bring the machine to your table. This was throughout Portugal, not just the larger cities
I've been going to Portugal for 30 years. A couple of years ago, I bought a property under construction and it has been a total nightmare. I am out of the country now ...still waiting for the property to be finsihed. Then I plan to sell and it is unlikely that I will ever live there again. The builder I have been dealing with is a total lyer. I have two lawyers but I am just waiting to get rid of the property. You pay much much more to buy in Portugal than in the US. The issues were in Tavira.
Between Portugal and Ecuador I would choose Ecuador hands down. For someone living on less than USD$1500 Social Security Ecuador is the obvious best choice, visa-wise, tax-wise, cost-of-living-wise, etc. Both Colombia and Ecuador are safe if you don't start a competitive drug cartel. Both are cheaper than Portugal, have good health care, and better climate in coffee growing regions. Portugal will have colder winters (but no central heating) whereas it is easy to live in Ecuador without need for air conditioning or heating.
As much as Ecuador appealed to me, I would not consider moving now. Politically it' became a mess which is sad since it was one of the most stable countries in Latin America. Evenmym friend who is from there said she is willing to wait a couple of years, hoping for a positive change before moving back. Colombia also has its share of challenges but it's still another option, just like Costa Rica as well.
😊 I hear you!! I will move to Ecuador (can't wait) but, am trying to figure out a way in which I can live there and, still have a European connection - in the Azores...hoping it will work out as the 2 places seem 100% perfect for a good retirement...👍
@@ananicolaas4558 ... I understand. There is a saying in Spanish: "Cada uno es dueño de su propio miedo." (Each one is the owner of their own fear). But Ecuador is not unsafe equally in all areas. The coastal drug activity and prison riots resulting in deaths have given Ecuador a bad image. But if you visit Cuenca, or Loja, or Baños, it's a different story. Same for Colombia 40 years ago. But today smaller cities in the "Eje Cafetero" are safe places to live, like Armenia.
@@ananicolaas4558bem...comparar um dos paises mais seguros do.mundo com paises da America latina e Portugsl ficar a perder da vontade de rir..mas ok..Gostos
I've been living San Miguel de Allende for the last 2.5 years. San Miguel and Oaxaca City have gotten out of control in terms of cost of living and real estate. I've checked out Spain, Portugal and Italy. Italy won easily...for me. Moving to Italy in 18 months.
Please share your Italian experience. Are you moving to one of the eight provinces with 7%tax rate? How did you decided in the location? And what are the tax advantage for retirees in Italy?
@@explorarehoy Tax advantages...that would require a very long reply...and I'm still learning myself! Far better resources available than me. I'm leaning strongly toward properties in Northwest Tuscany aka the Lunignana region....as well as closer to Lucca. I'm pretty sure it's *not* part of the 7% flat tax on income. I will enjoy Italy's "Prima Casa" policy. If great deals are most important, Abruzzo and Puglia regions are very, very hard to beat imo. Also, I lived in Perugia for a year and loved it. Would consider Perugia in Umbria again. Honestly the number of options I find appealing in Italy are almost overwhelming. Luckily, there are a lot of awesome choices throughout Europe. I liked Portugal too. Beyond Lisbon & Porto, I enjoyed the Azores, Evora. Valencia Spain, on my list, was a disappointment.
@@wmk6325 I think there 8 provinces in Italy that will only tax you 7 % if you live in one of those provinces in a town with less that 10000 people. Double check all these on the web. There are you tube videos on this.
@@wmk6325 Two tax professionals have told me ..."zero taxes on social security". Italy and US have tax treaty...no double taxation. My understanding...please confirm... "Private" pensions can be taxed up to 40%. State pensions are tax free. Check out Italy's "Prima Casa" policy.
In Portugal as in a lot of other countries in Europe all the fees and taxes etc. are included in the prices of hotels, restaurants, shops etc. In restaurants normaly you add some Euros, if the service was okay.
Have been visiting Buenos Aires since 12/2. Oh my god what a great place. The economy is suffering hyperinflation which is terrible for the Argentinians, but you wouldn’t know it. People look happy and healthy and this huge metropolis is maintained beautifully. I.e. people treat their city like it’s their home. Of course if you live off the US dollar things are pretty rosy and you can afford to live in really prosperous neighborhoods like Recoletta, Palermo, or Belgrano. As long as you don’t want a job with an Argentine company they seem welcoming and in short order allow you to join their club. I’m seriously thinking of making the move if their new leader turns out to be less of a nut job than advertised.
Yes I have to agree! Argentinians are amazing and I respect the love they have for their country unlike Ecuadorians who love talking ill of our country (I’m Ecuadorian)
I loved studying in Buenos Aires! I'd like to move there but everyone keeps saying how dangerous it is. I live in China and have gotten quite used to the total safety here as a woman.
Nice video. My wife and I moved to the Algarve from the US in June and we love it here. Costs like property tax and insurance much lower than in the US and the towns are kept beautifully clean. Other food costs much lower and the quality much higher. You should know that the NHR tax benefit has now been extended at least until the end of 2024.
Even better, under the return program and some textchanges in the law (unclear if intentional or not), in 2024 it seems you can get a 50% income tax exemption up to 250k income.
Portugal is where my grandparents are from. My wife and I were thinking of going the D7 route to Portugal, but with the NHR program now highly restricted, as retirees, we can't afford a 37% or higher tax rate. So sad. I wish they would have worked a plan to discourage real estate speculators and encourage retirees that just want to become part of the Portuguese culture.
Do you have your grandparents birth books or citizen numbers ? I think you can still become a citizen based on your birth right. You should look into it as it eliminates all the Visa stress.
@@orlandoteixeira4446 Thank you for your response Orlando. In my case, where my father was a naturalized U.S. citizen, he would be able to apply for Portuguese citizenship through his father and, in turn, me through him. However, my father has passed, so that avenue is a dead end. As best I understand, there is still another option to reclaim my Portuguese citizenship/heritage, but part of the requirements is that I can pass the CIPLE test. Though I'm learning my native language, I have a long way to go before I will be able to pass the CIPLE test! Obrigado.
Don't let the NHR fool you, only 99k ppl used it and this tax year only 10k used it. We found that we paid less taxes filing normal than using the NHR. Why?; because the NHR allows for NO deductions and uses all income where normal filing gives lots of deductions and does not tax certain pensions/retirement incomes. We had our accountant run the figures using both NHR and normal as well as running single/married filed jointly to see which was lowest.
Nice video -- thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. My wife and I have considered Portugal since 2016 and have visited twice on exploratory visits. Note that NHR gives you a 10% tax rate for 10 years, after which you pay the standard income tax. And the Portuguese income tax is progressive, like in the US, and so you pay the lower percentage on the amount you make below each threshold and the higher percentage on the amount over each threshold.
Yeah, where I grew up near the beach in San Diego there was a multi-generational Portuguese family that lived right across the street. I remember telling my Dad that they always sounded like they were arguing. My bedroom window faced their house so a front row seat for their parties. They used to brew their own wine in their garage... But very nice people, overall.
My wife and I spent most of July in Portugal for vacation/reconnaissance mission to see if Portugal would make a good retirement destination for us. We spent time in Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve. We absolutely loved it there. We felt safe and welcomed by the locals whether we were in Porto or Lisbon or the algarve. We had zero language issues and we found prices to be ridiculously cheap. Especially coming from the Washington DC area. Some locals complained about a 100 square meter T2 apartment being 400,000 Euros and we were like Really? 400K? we'll take two. LOL. Anyway the end of the NHR pretty much killed Portugal as a destination for us. Next up is France. As far as I know, France doesn't charge any tax for US citizens on pension, 401K withdrawals or social security. But you still benefit from all the healthcare. I know France has issues that Portugal doesn't but that's what next year's trip will be about. Thanks for the video.
I would love to keep up with your travels. Do you have a website/ TH-cam site? I lived in Baltimore Harford and Cecil county for a number of decades, and left the state in 2012. Even in the eastern side of the state, the property and rental $$ have SKYROCKETED. I couldn't afford to return, on my Maryland retirement income PLUS additional $$!! Not to mention the weather there, unless you like slipping and sliding AND summer humidity!!! And TRAFFIC!!!
"" Some locals complained about a 100 square meter T2 apartment being 400,000 Euros and we were like Really? 400K? we'll take two. LOL"" You are part of the problem. Gentrification sucks when You are from there. Be kind, it affects people's standard of living.
I get that 400K is expensive for the locals. Downtown prices are usually too expensive for any local of any city. Thats why I live 35 miles outside of Washington DC. I can’t afford to live anywhere near downtown. I sorry my comment has offended some. I really am but Portugal isn’t the only place that’s experiencing out of control housing prices. Where I live, 35 miles from downtown I bought my house in 2005 for $249,000. My new neighbor just paid $800,000. And where I live nobody is traveling across the Atlantic to visit. No tourism. Heck we don’t even have a grocery store. It rural. Again I apologize for my comment but you guys aren’t the only ones up against the wall when it comes to housing prices.
As a US Expat I've lived in Europe for the last 43 years( Old guy , yes I know), 3 years in Luxembourg and the last 40 years in Denmark. Denmark makes it extremally hard now to settle/move into, unlike 40years ago. One plus is that the US and Denmark have a Social Security agreement, so Social Security is tax free income in Denmark, plus my Danish wife is included. Anyway enjoy your videos, ,,,, even if I've no intention of leaving my country home in Denmark 😎
Can you share more about Denmark and what it takes to live there on just social security? What are average rental costs there? What is required to retire there if I have dual citizenship from Ireland? What about the cold winters? Do you go south when it gets cold?
@@observer1256 Unfortunately Social Security would hardly be enough to live in Denmark . Denmark ranks #5 in cost of living in the EU. Moderate rentals are from 730USD and up. You would need other savings. Your dual citizenship would help quit allot . My advise is visit Denmark and see if you enjoy it, then visit the US embassy and ask you questions. The winters vary, this winter is a bit cold and snowy, but normally not,
@@observer1256 Your Irish citizenship would make it easier + if you did not live in any city in Denmark Social Security could stretch for it to be affordable. As I said visit and explore.
Ah, I see you noticed that ciao works worldwide! I got to visit Braga when I was there, lots of old buildings and churches that will let you tour them for a small fee. With respect to health care, you don't need a prescription for most drugs, with the usual exception of opiates and benzos. One med that was $35 in Portugal (and most other countries) is $850 in the US! It will be interesting to see what they do with their visa program.
FY, per today's news, the Portuguese government will allow people to apply for the NHR tax regime during 2024, provided that they have started their immigration process during 2023, i.e. by signing a lease, or by meeting other conditions. While that certainly won't help everyone considering a move to Portugal, it will help many who have already begun to complete the required steps. Also, I think it's not impossible that the government (which will be elected in March) would consider implementing a new tax regime that may benefit foreigners. Lastly, your video includes a photo of my apartment building, which was a nice surprise see.
I spent some time in Portugal 2 years ago and really enjoyed my time there, but the language thing was a bit daunting. I am fluent in Spanish and English but I still found Portuguese difficult. The good news is that most young people under the age of 40 speak great English! Apparently several years ago they made English very mandatory in school curriculums. I still think I prefer a spanish speaking country because I feel so comfortable with that language and culture.
@@rexx9496 My very basic knowledge of each suggests that pronunciation tends to be quite consistent in Spanish for a given word as spelled, within a particular dialect, but not in Portuguese. S, Z and X seem to have similar-but-different sounds depending on the word, or where it appears within the word. Folks in Portugal often "eat vowels" at the beginning and end of words. My Brazilian friends clearly say "obrigado" or "desculpe" ("thank you" or "sorry") but in Portugal, I heard just "brigad" and "shkoolp." The young guy at the hotel desk in Porto laughed and said "Yeah, we don't have time for all the letters here!" Reading Portuguese is much easier than understanding it as spoken for me.
@@stephenjarzombek2903 every language is hard when you’re starting from scratch I know people in America have taken Spanish in three years in high school and can’t speak a lick of Spanish. You can’t try to compare one language to another just you have to just learn the language.
portugal is great because they are both cultured and pragmatic. anyone is welcome to adapt, participate and contribute. their visa policies are written with this objective. incompatible people will get short shrift. typically, those tourists that complain are incompatible.
The post-covid retreat is happening in many of these "expat" countries. I suspect in a year or 2 Portugal will want to encourage more immigration, maybe to rural areas. There are 500k Portuguese in the UK. Portugeuse leave to find work.
That's why the Golden Visa was changed to eliminate the metro areas of Lisbon and Porto along with the Algarve. Not enough real estate investors were buying into the interior that's been largely vacated due to lack of employment opportunities. It's a real shame as Portuguese educational attainment is very high. I sincerely hope that any new administration develops a program to make foreign investment into IT-related business very attractive, as it should create more jobs per unit of investment compared to what has been experienced with the Golden Visa program to date.
I am married to a Portuguese citizen but I have never visited Portugal with her. Her relatives definitely have loud passionate conversations while I enjoy the food. I imagine that we would have an easier time with a long term visit because of her status. It's something to think about!
I wouldn't call porto exceptionally cold or rainy compared to most anywhere in the u.s. Getting u.s. Citizens talk about the price of rent or property is getting old, it is too expensive for locals but compared to anywhere in the u.s. Its still first cheap do herein u.s. Citizens complain is misleading at best, same goes for the cost of groceries because good us so cheap there the exchange rate doesn't matter. As for the ending of nhr that only matters if you're relatively rich, if you're like my wife and I and you need to move there because you cent afford to retire in the u.s. Then your taxes will only be a little higher but once you factor in lower rent lower healthcare cost ( even compared to medicare) lower food cost... Then you still come out ahead even with more taxes Side note they charge for bags and to go containers where I live in the u.s.
In conclusion, I would add that anyone who wants to include Portugal on their list and thinks that Portugal is similar to those typically capitalist countries with big skyscrapers and long avenues... forget it... if you're looking for that, don't come because Portugal is a country 900 years old and trying to preserve the old, many say it is old and outdated, considering its history. Another issue to highlight is the fact that Portugal is, if not the only, but one of the few countries in the world where whoever comes here can have the luxury of speaking in their language, at least at the beginning, and someone responds in their language or if don't know how to try to help that person. This is a luxury that is not to be taken lightly because when I travel I either speak in the native language, or in English, or they turn their backs. Hugs!
@@JayandSarah The bags they sell in Oregon are not plastic either. Most places either sell paper bags or some sort of reusable decomposable bags. I'm ok with not selling plastic bags.
My wife and I went to Portugal. I guess it's been about a year and what we found was. It was hard to find a market to shop at. I'm not saying there wasn't any. But they're few and far between hard to find. We found the english language spoken by most everyone so it's no problem to communicate, You really do not want to have a vehicle very hard to find parking. And there's other options like their tuck tucks although their prices vary depending on the person that is driving it or owns it, Things are much smaller there, like your hotel room, showers, bathrooms it's not like it is in the U S. One thing I need to mention is we did feel very safe there. We had no problems people were nice so no complaint, I did fail to mention we spent. Most of our time in lisbon then and took a train to portal , Personally we would not move there. It's not for us. At least not in the cities.
Wow. My wife and I spent almost 2 weeks in Lisbon and Porto last year, and to be honest, we were surprised at how many Pingo Doce, Continente, Aldi, and or Lidl stores we found in the central areas of both cities. We could visit any of them within a 10 minute walk from our hotels! We live 35 miles from downtown Chicago in a fast growing suburb, and we had to drive nearly 5 miles to the closest supermarket for the first 10 years we lived here.
This goes to show what happens when you take a vacation to some place, and only spend time in the tourist spots. There are grocery stores and smaller family-run markets everywhere. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting at least one. Sad to see folks who visit one city in the entire country, spend their entire time in the tourist bubble, then think that experience represents an entire country.
@@grizfan93 I starting to wonder if the OP actually meant a mercado with individual vendors rather than a supermarket/grocery/smaller "C-store" --as we've both noted, good gracious, they're all over the place. When I told my wife about that comment, she immediately said "What?!?!? Did they not have Google Maps on their phone?!?!?"
Very interesting. In early 2024 we went to Tenerife where the british press said there were mass demos about over tourism and even someone on hunger strike but we reckon most of it was hot air from the brit press as we met no backlash from the locals.
As my "Father-land" it has broken my heart a long long time ago. But like all hard relationships I, we, have to make peace with it. Portugal is not what is not, and we accept it as it is, like our family and friends.
sr rui. nós portugueses não aceitamos, esmolas de compaixão de gente que não tem nada a ver com o país, meta- se na sua vida, e não mete lá Portugal, seja você quem for...
@@cjnge6828 my feelings are my feelings, you don't have a say on if they are egotistical or not In my POV you're just a random person who wants to mess with others to feel itself better, don't put poison on others. You Are the Egothistical one!
I have really loved Portugal for many years and even have a NIF number because I was trying to buy a property there in about 2015. Sadly the deal fell through,anyway I am getting the feeling that a lot of locals are getting priced out of buying houses there and this is causing a blame the foreigners for driving up house prices period. In the end I gave up and bought a much cheaper place in Bulgaria. Bulgaria had a lot of cheap properties and low taxes too. Perhaps you could/should check it out ..
@@littletravelmonkey6727, just seen your message. Not sure if your question was for me , but I am guessing so ( because I was the one that bought a property in Bulgaria) Ok, so in Bulgaria,you have a million ,zillion forms to sign and they will always be written in Cyrillic ( Bulgarian alphabet) , this means that a translator is required for almost everything because English is not widely spoken , especially amongst the over 50s due to them learning Russian in school during their Soviet years. Bulgarians are NOT big " Hi how are you/how may I help you smilers or customer service orientated, like in North America and even the UK . But, they will help and will be pragmatic ,but just not too exuberant. From a black guy's perspective, which most people have asked , I haven't had any problems at all , and yes my eyes are peeled and sensitive towards any form of discrimination etc. Bulgarians have stared at me,but I am OK with that. I get it, I look different. My property is in a village up north Central ,close to the Romanian border and 14 minutes drive from the University of Economics in the town of Svishtov. Foreigners have to buy a property through setting up a company ,which can be set up in about 3 days and costs does varies, depending on who helps you to do it .I paid a Bulgarian guy 600 Levs ( Bulgarian currency ) £1 UK currency is worth about 2.1 Levs . A bank account will need to be opened up too and you will the help of a notary too look at legal documents for the property, before signing documents..I actually bought my property with the help of a Bulgarian in the village by giving her power of attorney. Hope this helps.
GREAT ADVICE ! Never make a "jump of faith" when moving abroad - it may end up RUINING your LIFE ! We know an older woman who moved "on a whim" to Costa Rica, became disenchanted, and returned to America in 2 years ! She never made an EXPLORATORY VISIT, did not speak Spanish, and came to CR with an aire of superiority which rankled the Ticos. BTW, this advice also applies to DOMESTIC moves, especially for "priveliged" folks from the larger cities who move to the country !
I would say that's good advice for anyone who is moving anywhere. There is no substitute for doing research, visiting a place to develop a genuine attachment - and above all, being generally respectful and mindful of culture and language nuances. It's also unfortunate because it gives others a bad name and makes cross-cultural communication generally more difficult. I had a stark realization when I traveled to Mexico City, and I found out the degree of anger about gentrification and how foreigners have driven up the cost. I had a guy scream at me when I was standing on a street corner that I was a "gringo" who should go home. I was just standing on a street corner waiting for a light, so it was unprovoked other than seeing me there. I was initially offended by his actions, but I know now that he was expressing anger that is totally justifiable based on others who look like me. While he probably should not have screamed at a stranger on the street, it was a learning opportunity. I think having the humbling experience about language and culture that forces one to ask those difficult questions is always useful.
Your comment also reminded of how strange it is that people and expect the place they travel to look and act just like home. I'm not sure why someone would bother traveling if they are expecting another version of home, but in a different location. I thought the point of travel is to experience different cultures and ways of being, not just see the same thing elsewhere. It frustrates me so much when people move some place and then try to force an experience that is just like the place from which they came. It's also arrogant and deeply rude.
I find quite a bit of this attitude here in Portugal among people who've moved here. The demand that people speak English to them, the expectation of finding random packaged foods from their home country, expecting something quickly. There is a gigantic amount of cultural understanding needed to move somewhere and integrate. What I mostly see is people who want to take all advantages of a country (financial especially) without providing anything in return. It's gross.
@@janacareylombardi8138 Absolutely. And the discussion of tax and NHR in Portugal sort of falls into that category. NHR offered temporary tax benefits (up to 10 years) for newcomers but at the end of the day if you earn money then you too are expected to contribute. Not merely take a free ride at the expense of those that earn less than you do. Those that surf countries for such schemes should get this message: don't move here because you're just parasites! 🙂 Integration is one of the most satisfying aspects of living in another country. And being an immigrant is incredibly rewarding emotionally and culturally. Being just an expat (which many of us have been) is just a cheap imitation of the real thing.
This is an excellent breakdown to explain the country. I’m so glad you will be exploring to show people multiple overseas options. Thanks! 👍😃 This should be a great series.
What a great video, I love how you go deep into every aspect of the country and it's people. I have to agree that people up North are more 'soft' / nice, but I guess that has to do with expat / tourist fatigue in the south (Algarve).
When I walk around there are those sellers of that following me all around in the city center. Even daytime and it feels so annoying. As an Eastern European, they probably mistaken me for a tourist from a rich country. I wonder how it is when living there.
Those are probably illegal immigrants or gypsies. Stupid wokeness has tied the police hands to prevent them from annoying people. We portuguese don't like it either.
Great job!! I lived in Madrid for many years and absolutely loved it. I never got to Portugal and deeply regret it especially after watching your videos.
What made you leave Madrid? I'm from San Diego, live in San Francisco, and I'm considering retiring in Portugal, Spain or in Mexico (looking at Merida/Campeche area).
It's easier for Portuguese speaking people to understand Spanish speaking people than vice versa, because Portuguese is a more phonetically complex language than Spanish.
Regarding the anti-foreigner sentiment in Portugal… People are most likely to encounter that if they appear to be non-European! This also seems to be happening in Spain and Italy as well
@@cptsuits8038 what does that have to do with the comfort of someone traveling on vacation who happens to look like they’re not from Europe? As an African-American, there are places in Europe, where I might not feel as comfortable as you, and that’s not right.
@@Pauln71 big time. There are so many millions and millions of Portuguese immigrants spread all over the whole world, probably more than the entire population of Portugal. As a matter of fact there are so many Portuguese overseas the Portuguese government doesn't even know how many there are, but yet many Portuguese in Portugal don't like it when Non European foreigners move and live there. This is why Portugal is definitely off my list. I would rather go to a place like Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador and even South East Asia in a place like the Philippines or Malaysia. Go to where you are welcomed and treated nice. Number one rule of being an retiree expat.
@@danwelterweight4137 That is so sad to hear. I notice that many African Americans on this app keep promoting Portugal . I definitely don't want to spend my hard earned dollars in a place where I am not liked or welcomed
I have planning to visit the Algarve region next winter after visiting Ecuador for the last 2 Winters. I am looking forward to seeing what it is like to be there compare it to Ecuador.
I retired early and was looking at Portugal as a possible new place to live. I've been watching tons of videos on living in Portugal and came across your channel. You mentioned the increased cost of living within the last few years. Do you think someone with a monthly income averaging around 9-10K will be fine in Portugal?
Yes. That’s way more than the cost of living. I single can live very comfortably on $2k per month, especially outside the popular areas such as Lisbon and Porto.
Well, I think Portugal is awesome (despite it's numerous faults!) but I am born and raised in Lisbon so I might be a bit biased. Anyway, anyone wanting to move here and have a decent, honest life is always very welcome!
It's also standard practice in France to go inside and pay at the till. If your table is numbered, just try to remember the number when the cashier rings up your bill, otherwise practice how to describe the precise location of your table!
Thank you so much for your summary! Portugal is on our list to retire as is Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama and maybe Spain. We’re interested in the Algarve and Madeira.
Madiera is very beautiful. Funchal is one of my favorite little cities. Just can't be afraid of heights. It was actually a deal breaker for me. No wonder Ronaldo has had such a remarkable football career. He probably walked steep hills everywhere as a child!
You're evaluation closely matches mine. I traveled to Portugal last May/June and would like to live there if they did not end the NHR. There's also the problem of housing costs continuing to skyrocket. The Portuguese government has to look after their own people and I do not blame them for changing the tax laws if foreign retirees do not bring the economic benefits they need.
This is the same conclusion as I saw in a video by Dave in Portugal. I agree that the short-term rentals contributed much more to the problem. I'm not sure that these are 100% to blame. More so than retirees, by all indications, but I still do not hold any ill feeling towards the Portuguese govt for trying to address their housing crisis. To the best of my knowledge they have put a stop to new AirBnBs but they have definitely let the vampire into their house and now they can't get rid of him. @@AmeliaAndJP
@@AmeliaAndJP I have also heard that price increases are also just simply being driven by simple supply/demand - too much demand relative to supply - and that increasing Portuguese incomes (from either property investments or working abroad, which many younger Portuguese people do) is a much greater contributing factor than anything related to the presence of foreigners. The end of the NHR is thus anticipated to have little impact on housing prices. It's termination was more the result of politics and appearing to do "something" about escalating housing costs.
Language.....Yes Portuguese does sound a bit Russian. They are both considered stress-time Languages, more so in Northern Portugal, where they also speak the indigenous Portuguese language of Mirandese. I compare Brazilian Portuguese to our US American English. We've butchered the English language according to the British and the Portuguese feel the same about their language. It is difficult to learn, although reading Portuguese is easier to comprehend. Don't be discouraged about the housing costs. In the smaller villages, homes are very affordable, and public transportation is available. My recent rentals....600 euros, central Portugal furnished, utilities including wifi, large fenced yard and pool, 750 euros 3 br, 2 bath plus utilities ocean side, pool, tennis court, gated apartment complex, currently 550 euro, Northern Portugal, 3 br, water included, large fenced yard. Enjoy your stay, and Yes! Too much rain in the north this year!
Sim o inglês americano está para o inglês britânico como o português brasileiro está para português de Portugal, ambos são paises novos, recentes e por isso pouco irreverentes no respeito pelo padrão das duas línguas. Quanto à chuva é uma dádiva de Deus ja que a agua é fonte de vida.Por isso o Norte tem paisagens verdejantes e noutros locais esta tudo seco. Abraços
@@alexzolik1133 Claro que o português não pode ter semelhanças com o russo porque são línguas com origens completamente diferentes. A fonética do português de Portugal assemelha-se um pouco ao francês já que na sua evolução como línguas foi beber alguma influência linguística e fonética à língua francesa e incorporamos, até, muitas palavras do francês na língua portuguesa ( abajur, vitrina, Boné, Maionese ,Sutiã ,Papel, Garagem,baguete (de baguette); bufê (de buffet); canapé; champanhe (de champagne); champignon; chantilly; couvert; crepe (de crêpe); croissant; croquete (de croquette); escargot; filé (de filet); glacê (de glacé); maionese (de mayonnaise); menu; omelete (de omelette); patê (de pâté); petit gâteau; petit-pois; purê (de purée); sauté; suflê (de soufflé). batom (de bâton); bijuteria (de bijouterie); boné (de bonnet); boutique; bustiê (de bustier); chique (de chic); crochê (de crochet); echarpe (de écharpe); lingerie; maiô (de maillot); maquillage, moda (de mode); nécessaire; pochete (de pochette); prêt-à-porter; robe; sutiã (de soutien); tailleur; tricô (de tricot); vitrine.
@@alexzolik1133 Portuguese in (most parts of) Portugal does indeed sound similar to Russian. I speak Portuguese. European Portuguese sounds nothing like French and not at all like Spanish (both of which I also speak). Brazilian Portuguese kinda does sound as you describe though. The Brazilian's soften "de" to sound like a French "Je" . Many other similar quirks of pronunciation in Brazilian Portuguese give the language a much more hispanic sound but with the softness of French. Portuguese in Portugal doesn't sound like that at all. The Portuguese sometimes describe Brazilian Portuguese as "Portuguese with sugar" because it sounds sweeter, lighter and less guttural than "the real thing" from Portugal. Native Portuguese pronunciation in Portugal was influenced by Arabic which is why it doesn't sound like Spanish at all even though the written language looks similar and has the same linguistic roots. French shares roots with both of the above as do Italian and Romanian. They're all romance languages. Some people from the Portuguese islands sound as if they speak Norwegian. Which is a really weird and funny because their accent in Portuguese is so radically different. For the most part the Portuguese spoken in Portugal has a fairly homogenous accent, albeit with one or two local dialects such as that from Alentejo. Mirandese, however, is a distinct language in its own right in a small part of Northern Portugal.
Good observations. I had similar ones when I was I was there last year. I have decided to stick with Ecuador for the foreseeable. The new tax plan is a deal killer for me.
This was a great overview of your time and thoughts about Portugal. It looks like a very pretty country with great food and I'm glad that it is on your list.
Concise and charming as we’ve come to expect from you Unconventionals 😉 Can’t wait to see where you’re going next. My son spent the whole summer in Croatia and he’d move there happily. ❤️
@@AmeliaAndJP Like you pointed out in your video, the extension is only for one year right now. It at least gives those who would like to move to Portugal time to obtain their visa and apply for the NHR. We moved here full time in July, and received our D7 visa in September.
We were in Lisbon over the summer. My thoughts: 1. They really love their cobblestones, don't they? There are cobblestones in the streets and sidewalks, EVERYWHERE! And they are polished, which isn't as good as it seems. See my next point. 2. The roads and sidewalks are STEEP!!! I'm talking San Francisco levels of steepness. So when you combine the polished cobblestone with the slipperiness of it, walking can be a challenge. We asked locals and many have told us that when it rains, it's not uncommon to slip and fall 3. They love their cigarettes. At times, it made outside dining not so enjoyable when everyone around you wanted to smoke. I actually think that's the part I hated the most. Imagine you're with your s/o, enjoying yourselves quietly. Next thing you know, you smell cigarette smoke and it's from a couple who sat nearby. Not my thing. 4. As someone who also knows enough Spanish to carry a conversation, I used it in many situations to get by. If I were to retire there, I'd obviously work on my Portuguese.
Estoy de acuerdo con ustedes en observar los nuevos cambios referente a los impuestos. Buena decision la esatr ahi, sin embargo creo que los precios de renta son caros, las construcciones se ven antiguas la escepcion seria que tengan muebles nuevos y de excelente calidad. Tengo casi 9 años viajando y puedo hacer esas comparaciones con facilidad.
Sales tax is already incorporated into the price, so saying there is a 23 percent tax makes people think it is added on. Now if you have a repair or an improvement made to your house, they may quote you pre-tax.
Sales tax vs. VAT overview Sales tax is collected by the retailer when the final sale in the supply chain is reached. In other words, end consumers pay sales tax when they purchase goods or services. When buying supplies or materials that will be resold, businesses can issue resale certificates to sellers and are not liable for sales tax. Until the sale is made to the final consumer, sales tax is not collected, and tax jurisdictions do not receive tax revenue. VAT (value-added tax), on the other hand, is collected by all sellers in each stage of the supply chain. Suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers all collect VAT on taxable sales. Similarly, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and end consumers all pay VAT on their purchases. Businesses must track and document the VAT they pay on purchases to receive a credit for the VAT paid on their tax return. Under a VAT regime, tax jurisdictions receive tax revenue throughout the entire supply chain, not just at the point of sale to the final consumer. I
Very nicely done-- informative, fast paced, interesting video footage, and you hit all the major topics most viewers would want to know about. I have found that the more vloggers talk up how great a place is, the more expensive and less desirable it becomes. Ideally, if you find an amazing place to live, don’t tell anyone about it so it'll stay amazing!
I've wanted to learn Portuguese but I haven't yet found a source for lessons in European Portuguese from the US (only found Brazilian Portuguese). I hope that you're able to make it to the Algarve on your trip. Thanks for all the detailed information on costs.
Language is the main problem for me living in Portugal, but I need to put in more effort! Costs are going up, but nothing compared to France or the US! We love it here and own a beautiful affordable home with a fixed rate mortgage so we are here to stay!! Great vlog so thanks!
Bom dia, That was a lovely video of a country we love dearly. However, just a little unrealistic. Assessing a country in a few weeks or a couple of months is very different from living there. Two & a half years ago we moved to Portugal on the D7 visa. We chose to live in Matosinhos. The first year, the honeymoon phase, was fabulous. But then the realization of the cons began to gnaw at us. First of all, we moved there because we wanted to experience what it's like to live in a foreign country. But looking at other expats (we are American) what we saw was that expats immediately established themselves in an expat tribe and pretty much made their new life as Americanized as possible. They looked for activities that mimicked what they did back home. They tended to socialize in groups. We were looking more for integration. But soon we realized that "most people in Portugal" speak English simply was not true outside of touristy areas. So communication at times was frustrating. We attempted learning Portuguese, thinking our Spanish skills would make it easy. Not so. And in reality, Portuguese don't always appreciate being spoken to in Spanish. Portugal fought hard to keep Spain from invading and capturing Portugal. Bureaucracy! OMG, what a mess. Seemed like the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing. Immigration (SEF) didn't communicate with Finanças (tax authority). During our stay there, foreign taxation changed 3 times from no taxation to Golden Visa, then NHR(which in reality only offered lowered taxes for 10 years)! SEF completely dismantled and became border control. Health care was phenomenal! But don't try to tangle with the insurance company. And billing? If a mistake was made (like double charging me for a hospital procedure), impossible to sort out. Went to the hospital 5 times to talk to someone in billing or insurance. Couldn't get past a receptionist. And no one spoke English! (Major hospital in Porto.) I sent emails to multiple at the hospital, even the Medical Director) every week for 5 weeks. No response. So before we left I went to the hospital to pay what I calculated I owed. Guess what? They wouldn't accept a partial payment. Huh! So while this rant presents some of the negative aspects of living in Portugal, we absolutely loved living there for all the reasons most people cite. We are back in the USA now. Do we miss Portugal? You bet! Are we glad we were able to live there? Absolutely. 😊
The biggest downside in Portugal is the high level of taxation, which is a key reason not to settle down in Portugal . In other areas, Portugal fares farely well - Quality food, Quality Healthcare, decent housing, Government stability doesn't really matter, super safe and secure country. Overall I agree with you guys.
@@DrunkDriver5considering top tier private health insurance can be purchased in Portugal for about 700 euros per year, I don’t think a 48% top tax rate and 20% VAT is really necessary to cover health care costs.
@@O1012-u7q The 700 euros per year that you quote is for a service that is underpinned by the state healthcare system. It's not a parallel system as in some countries or a really inefficient and bloated health insurance system as in the US which, quite frankly, is so ludicrously overpriced in any case. In many respects the private system in Portugal should be seen as just icing on the top of what the state provides to all legal residents of the country. Really serious treatment gets handed over from the private to the state system because that's where the real expertise is. The private system gives you improved access and a nicer experience and healthcare for the less complicated stuff. But all it sits on top of that state-funded foundation. Hence the reason that private healthcare in Portugal is so cheap compared with most other countries. The 48% top tax rate isn't different to much of Europe (with similar healthcare and social welfare provisions) although the income level that it kicks in at is far lower (due to the lower average earnings in Portugal). The 20% VAT is kinda average across the European Union by design because all the countries, which have fairly similar health/social/welfare/education/military/R&D/transport/infrastructure/agricultural spending agreed to converge on this sort of number. Portugal's overall VAT rate varies between 0% and 23% with 6% for food and various other things with 13% on stuff like agricultural equipment. I'm not sure of the average VAT rate but 20% would probably be a fair guess. Healthcare aside, university education in Portugal is really cheap and pretty good. It's a small fraction of the price of the United States or the UK. Especially if you want to become something like a doctor. The Portuguese also spend tax on investing in their own culture: art, literature, theatre, film, cuisine and so on. This is much more noticeable to me as a Briton living in this country. Much of this is spent at local level by municipalities but it certainly does significantly improve the quality of life and joy of living in this country.
I’m a D7 resident (American expat) and I lived up in the north for the first 6 months before getting a 5 year lease on a condo in the Algarve where I’ve lived for the last 4 years. I have never had to pay my restaurant check at the counter. They always bring the bill when you look at them with a smile and make the universal gesture for ‘ check, please’. I eat out 3-4 days a week!! Also, after 1 year here in Portimao I got cancer. Long story short, I was sent to Lisbon to the cancer center hospital where I ended up having 2 major surgeries. While the facilities were not terribly attractive, the care was sensational and they never charged me a cent! They said “it’s your right to get proper healthcare”!! I found more than a home when I moved here….
Do you feel comfortable abusing healthcare system built and paid for by poor Portugese working class over the centuries without you ever contributing a cent of your own money?
Does the portugese working class have a "right" to be compensated by a rich foreigner for the excellent services he/she received? Should you also have "a right" to free food together with your free healthcare?
@@ms-jl6dl How can this happen? Are you living in Portugal? Do they have special arrangements for foreigners and expats?
@@sunshinegirl4715H! It’s not special arrangements, it’s just how Portugal works! I got an unexpected cancer before I got my D7 residency visa….the pandemic was in full swing and most government offices were closed. I fully expected to have to set up a payment plan after my diagnosis and treatment, but they said “no”, I and everyone else residing here receives public healthcare!
@@ms-jl6dl You need to get educated. Expats living in Portugal also pay taxes... In fact, expats could pay double taxes: US and Portugal.
@@ms-jl6dlExpats pay taxes.
I’m a nomad expat. I landed in Porto last May, 23. Had severe stomach pain and went to Central hospital. I was immediately tended to and next thing, I was wheeled into surgery. Five day recovery with excellent care all around. Then upon release, I was told I was free to go. Totally surprised. Best hospital care ever.
How much did it cost??
Nothing. It was free. 🙏👍
That's EXACTLY why the taxes are so high. 🤫
Gallbladder removal surgery? I guess
@@llw2606 Intestinal blockage
I spent a lot of time in the Porto area and loved it, but I ended up choosing to live in France. The one thing that most people looking at retiring abroad don't know is that US pensions (private pensions, Social Security, 401k and IRA distributions) are not taxed by France due to the US-France tax treaty. Of course you still pay US income tax on them. Which means that retired Americans in France paid less in income tax than they would in Portugal even before the Portuguese tax rules changed.
Great info thaink I did not know about France's pension exclusions.
But you have to pay health insurance…….and it’s not cheap…….you are not expats you are immigrants!
True but we were keeping our U.S. insurance too and still cheaper that 38-48% tax. Good luck Portugal.@@karinlouise6572
May i ask How do you obtain a permanent residence visa in France as a US citizen.
It is mandatory to get a health insurance
Nice summary of Portugal. We moved here a year ago. We made the mistake of moving too far away from Porto. Without a car we spent hours commuting each time we wanted to do anything with friends or go to a concert. So now we just moved much closer and are super happy.
We are so glad to be away from the US and its nasty politics. Our stress levels are so much lower.
To all out there, don’t give up your search to find your dream property. My wife and I have been looking since 2017, thru NE Spain into Catalan France, we have taken 4 extended trips to find the right property. During Covid we explored Porto, and focused there. We have looked at literally over a 1000 places over the last 2 1/2 years, from apartments, condos, and single family homes. We did not limit it to “downtown” only, but since the Metro is so efficient, we branched out to Gaia and all the way up to Matosinhos. We found a new completely rehabbed 52 year old single family, a mere 3 km from historic Porto, a whopping 13 minutes by Metro.
Everyone can complain that it is foreign buyers driving up prices, but after seeing the conditions of so many properties for sale, it is the Portuguese driving up the sell prices. €500k asking for a house that has had nothing done to it for over 50 years, and was a complete gut job. Everyone is trying to sell their house as if it is the winning lottery ticket.
Why do don't you and your wife just stay in America? There are still so many great places to live in America and of course it's still so much easier to make money in America than in a very poor country like Portugal in which 50% of the population make less than 1000 dollars a month.
It's my understanding that JP can't get decent health ins in the US...from an earlier video.
@@williamMaezawa our comment was very poor..lol Does it all come down to money? Even though we live in a country where the entire population has access to carrying weapons and any crazy person can use these weapons indiscriminately? What good is money to you at a time like this? Nothing...What a distorted vision...Anyway...
@@andrevilhena4149 you should have spoken to a lot of Europeans who have relocated to the United States and are very happy with their lives. They now live in very safe and upscale neighborhood they send their children to private schools and they have a lot more money than they can ever wish to have. Not everywhere in America is full of shooting it also depends on where you live in America. This country still has so many great places to live and raise a family. I wouldn't want to live in Uruguay or Portugal or Greece where it's much more difficult to make money.
@@williamMaezawa Of course, if your goal in life is just money, the USA will be the ideal country to live. But as I think that nothing is just about making money and having money, Portugal is a good country to live in. But opinions are opinions. Hugs!
We live in Portugal - an apartment in Lagos and a hectare of land in a village about 10 minutes away where I grow a wide range of fruit and veggies. We were fortunate enough to be here a few years ago so we qualified for the NHR scheme but, to be honest, even when that ends I would be happy to stay here. The quality of life is incredible - we live by the sea and our neighbours at the land are amazing. As long as you get your overheads down - which we do by growing food and having our own water, plus solar - you can live a good life on very little. But that is our way of life and it might not appeal to many!
On the down side - yes the taxation is crazy. The wages are very poor and the bureaucracy can be a bit of a nightmare. But I don't know any country that is perfect. Life and places are what you make them and where your heart is in my opinion. My heart - for the time being - is here in Portugal.
Thanks for sharing 😊
Is it true that its very hard to find accommodation and jobs?
@@hasanferoz2364 It's difficult to find affordable accommodation and reasonable paid jobs. The tax is also high. It's a great pity. Unfortunately this seems to be the situation in many places now. We would have been priced out of the market if we came over now but I suspect that accommodation will be more affordable because of the changes to the NHR and AL
Probably be moving in Feb and that scares me lol. @@lizhutson1
@@hasanferoz2364 If you can do building work, repair things, do gardening that sort of thing you could earn around 10-15€ per hour. If you can work remotely that is also an option. What part are you thinking of moving to?
Good video. We got our D-7s and arrived here in the Lisbon/Cascais (Parede) area last August. I agree with everything you pointed out. We had a similar quest when trying to figure out where we wanted to retire. We visited Mexico, Costa Rica, Belize and several Caribbean countries before deciding on Portugal. We have a daughter in England and we wanted to be closer to her. So that is an important factor. Your info on taxes, food, cost of living, insurance etc is spot on, from our observations. We were able to get NHR tax break, so thats good. In addition to that, expats get an IRS credit for any foreign tax paid on US income, so that lessens the burden. All in all, we're saving a lot of money living here as opposed to what we spent in Southern California. Especially transportation costs. Seniors can buy a transit pass for 20 euro/month. It covers city busses, trains, trams, and metro. We have elected not to own a car.The weather in this part of Portugal is quite similar to SoCal. We're very happy with our situation so far. We start language school next week.
Small clarification: currency conversion doesn't increase or lower your money. 1 USD = 147 JPY, but if you move your money from the USA to Japan, you're not going to multiply your money by 147, it's going to be worth the same thing, just expressed in another currency. It's things that will have different prices. If something costs 1 USD in the USA and 140 JPY in Japan, it's actually cheaper in Japan (95 cents).
If I moved to Portugal from Canada, all I have to know is that cost of living is roughly 33% lower there on average. What currency they use has no relevance.
Yeah, I found that statement a bit odd, too.
Agree 100-percent. A concept that’s often not understood very well. 🤷
Please explain why you are getting a 7% hit on the currency? Who do you use for Forex? I only pay 0.01% on my exchange rate plus less than $3 per trade.
In parliamentary systems the changing of the government does not mean that a country is not stable. It is all about achieving balance in the cabinet and with parliament and that is why it is normal to have often times a coalition government. Japan has had like 70 governments since the end of WW2.
We found Portugal very safe and walkable! The people were friendly and the food was delicious ❤
My wife and I visited Portugal to consider it for early retirement a few years ago. We visited Porto, Lisbon, Evora and many other places. We absolutely loved it. Unfortunately the virus hit and it made it very hard to get back over to find a place to live and open a bank account, get a NIF, etc to meet the Visa requirements. In the meantime we also visited Panama and in the end we ended up getting our residence Visas in Panama. We enjoy both but after having lived in Europe for quite a few years in the military we really felt comfortable in Portugal. The loss of the NHR benefits is definitely going to be an issue for many. One thing I would recommend however is consulting with a Portuguese CPA/Tax Pro. We did a consultation with one when we were looking at potentially moving there. Their taxes can be high but there are also rules around what is eligible for Portuguese vice U.S. taxes and also a sort of standard deduction that impacts your actual taxable income. We do really enjoy Panama and may end up moving back there full time in a few years when we "hard retire".
You and your wife
look younger and happier in Portugal. It looks like Portugal is less stressful than Equator.
I will keep watching your blog in case you decide to stay in Portugal that way you can tell us the steps that you took to get your permanent visa.
Keep up the good work guys!
I've been in Portugal as a tourist 2 times. Lovely country, beautiful, great food, I have so many good memories. Great information guys 👌👌
I have dual citizenship (US and German), so it was very easy for me to move to Portugal. I bought a condo on the Silver Coast in a lovely town called Sao Martinho do Porto. I love living here. The people are kind, friendly, and helpful. Most speak English, but I am taking Portuguese language lessons. I agree, it is a difficult language. It is a very safe country, it is super clean (no litter anywhere), the infrastructure is fantastic, there is no gun violence, and it is very beautiful. I moved here from California and the scenery in Portugal reminds me of California. If the foreign tax program stays in place, I highly recommend moving to Portugal.
Nice small tow did you trie paraglider
Are you planning to stay if the new tax scheme goes into effect? If it does, how does it impact your annual budget? Can you share a bit about that? Can you share how you found your condo and costs involved including square footage? Thx.
Hello neighbor, from Salir do Porto.
You cannot have a dual citizenship in the U.S.: you give the other to forsake all loyalties to any other country. Have you forgotten that?
@@CaesarRenasci I cannot speak for other people's experience but from what I see. My wife is Canadian and came to the US as a travel nurse when she was single. After we married, (I am American), she applied for American Citizenship. Yes, during the process, you profess your allegiance and forsake all other countries. That is understood, but they make it clear that she does not relinquish her Canadian citizenship. She does in fact have dual citizenship and maintains both passports.
You two are looking great. JP’s health must be good at the time of filming. I can’t believe I have been a subscriber for almost 4 years. What a great journey.
We went to the Azores last February. A lot slower pace than the mainland. We loved it!
The cancelled NHR might come back. Two things that you missed. One, due to a couple of reasons, getting permission to move there is now really, really slow due to backups. Second, it's expensive and not always easy to find a place to rent almost anywhere in a decent town. If you want a vehicle and are willing to live in the countryside, it's really inexpensive but then you don't have easy access to services and you can be quite alone. I've even found places in France (obviously not Paris) at about half the price than in the desirable towns of Portugal!
My experience spending a month in Portugal in 2019 is that it was a super easy country to travel around. Everyone, literally everyone I met, of all ages and generations, spoke excellent English. I found an English language yoga class in Lisbon and went everyday for two weeks. I loved Portugal and I would move there if I could.
Here's a factor, if you don't make any money Portugal is great, except for trying to rent or purchase in a decent area. You can find something in the middle of nowhere, in the wildfire regions with nothing to do for a reasonable price, otherwise everything is overpriced sometimes double or triple compared to other warm weather EU destinations. The "trend" is shifting for good reason. Good luck
Portugal is so affordable due to local salaries being relatively low. Meanwhile public healthcare is affordable due in part to the tax levels. I do feel for the local people being priced out of housing in part due to the influx of people from other countries with higher external sources of income who are currently taxed at a lower rate than the Portuguese while enjoying Portugal's public services.
🎯 is so sad to see, last time I was there many Portugueses fathers I know have to live half of the year in another country working for their family be able to stay in Portugal
@@tatini7591you met the wrong persons then
My mother friends do that, this needs to change for the locals it’s unbearable
Ive been to Lisbon once and Porto 13 times. I adore the Porto in particular . Id move there in a heartbeat. I felt super safe i was out every night and i never got into any trouble. I also don't really mind all the crowds i meet new people every time i go out. I also made friends with Portuguese people they are so friendly. All the people i know in Porto welcome the tourists because without them most my friends may be out of a job or their businesses would collapse.
what is your take on the infrastructure? from many videos i have seen it is great so see all the old buildings.. but to live in they dont have a lot of the modern upgrades. tiny bedrooms converted into a bathroom with semi exposed plumbing, 1 or 2 plugins per room, single pane windows, no insulation in attic, 1940's kitchen layouts, narrow stairwells, narrow hallways.
Looks cute in a way but depressing indeed.
It’s not great in the old parts but modern in the new developments like in Matosinhos.
Too expensive to retire.
I am spoiled with Cuenca's fabulous and reasonable housing. Lower health insurance and no taxation.
Cuenca is amazing!
In Thailand I pay about 1.20 US for meal at restaurant. Rent is 270 us per month. I spent 10 years in Europe before it became PROHIBITIVELY expensive. Apparently, most American's are richer than I am. Spending 30 euros for a meal seems outrageous to me. Good luck
I agree. Thailand is very affordable and the quality is decent too.
Are there families with older kids and young teens in your area that speak English and are not worldschoolers (stick around)?
@@siweiss9214 , that was the cost of a meal for two. But yes, it’s obviously cheaper to live in Asia.
I moved to the central highlands of Mexico almost 4 years ago as a retiree living on a small pension. But I have been following you much longer, as I was considering Ecuador beforehand and found you on TH-cam. I have decided to leave Mexico after my little casa sells and have some cash in hand. Now I am looking at several wider ranging options as well as other places in Latin America. Both he Azores and Albania are two, so I was very interested in what you had to share about portugal andof them. Climate, the peace index ranking, cost of living, and availability of fresh clean water to drink and enjoy out in nature are my criteria. So I have enjoyed watching your traveling through Europe. I too like smaller cities or a more rural setting for living, but that creates language obstacles many places. I am watching and wanted you to know I appreciate your newer videos, too and have learned from them as part of my own research and process.😊👍🏽🙏🏽
Thanks! 😊
Excellent video as usual. I get so irritated with people who do videos and don't address the visa process or taxes. Those two items are super high on my list as an Expat looking for my final home I am currently in Thailand going through the painful visa process.
There are rumors that Thailand will start charging taxes, but we don't know yet and I doubt that they will tax a pensioner. If they do, I will stay for a year and then probably leave.
Portugal was on my list at the cost of living is less here and the weather is not as cold. I also really love the Thai people. They are so welcoming and nice and the food is fantastic.
I also have Thailand and Portugal in my top picks for relocating. Are you child-Free by choice or do you have grown children?
thanks for the insight and all the information. Been following you for a while and appreciate your tips. Wife and I spent some time in Portugal and Spain recently also looking to move abroad from the US. I am only 50 years old so I will only have some passive income to live on, the tax situation would probably make me cross off Portugal from my list. At this point I am leaning more towards Spain as we are also Spanish speakers and I think we would qualify for their non-lucrative visa program. We do have 2 years until we do move out so we will keep searching and visiting places in the next couple years. With the new changes in Argentina we will also be going down there to get a feeling on their situation and see if we can add it to our list.
I havent looked into it really in detail.. but I wonder if Portugal is getting rid of that visa due to in influx of foreigners coming in raising the cost of living for natives.
@@belle42 I agree with that. I guess in pockets around the world some areas were impacted more than others. When 500,000 Californians and New Yorkers (high net worth) all decide to move at the same time (pandemic) and move to the same cities it can have an impact.
@@belle42 I really do wonder how many properties that had been rented to locals for decades were bought by speculative investors who intended to use them for Airbnb or similar use, while touting investment in those programs to folks who had the €600k or whatever seeking the Golden Visa.
7000 Americans live in Portugal as of 2022 a country of 10 million. 45000 Brits however. The way it stands with the new NHR the poorer Americans and Brits will still flock to PT as zero health care and cost of living, plus other freebies is worth the $10 they may have to pay in taxes. The more affluent Americans that pay for services and luxury items and our own health care will avoid PT like the plague and reduce jobs and opportunities for the native Portuguese people while they have to deal with our freeloaders..
@@carneyfelonlawyer4382 That's a real concern. I hope that the government works out some formula to successfully increase foreign investment to retain more young Portuguese in the country. If the exodus of Portuguese college grads for jobs elsewhere in the EU continues, it's hard for me to see a long-term positive future. Low paying tourism-related jobs won't help.
Raise the minimum wage and encourage foreign investment by not taxing pensions. Get rid of corrupt politicians that hold an interest in AirBNB conglomerates. Better be careful I will give Alan a hear attack.. @@stephenjarzombek2903
Also, the NHR (recently) taxed foreign pensions at 10%. Looks like, without it, IF what a person has is MEDIAN US Social Security, the tax will go up from 10% to 12%-14%. Or around the amount deducted from SS for Medicare part B. SO, you are right: MAYBE. But if money is the deciding factor, get a Portuguese tax accountant to do a simulation of what your taxes will be, do not make assumptions based on videos like this! (Though I love your stuff, A & JP!)
My wife and I spent 6 weeks traveling around the perimiter of Spain and Portugal. Our daughter, who had been to Porto, told us we should buy a place there and we knew some other people who actually did that. To our surprise, we weren't that thrilled with Porto. It's definitely worth a vacation but it was too crowded for us. There were many other places in Spain and Portugal that were very interesting but for some reason the place that stands out the most in our minds is San Sebastian.
why san Sebastian ? how many days do you recommend in that area
Very good taste because San Sebastian, Donostia in the Basque language, is a very charming city without equal in all of Spain. But..... I love Porto.. kkkkk.. Good luck to wherever you go to live. Hugs!
If you don't like Porto you are a bad person. I'm not saying it's a good place to live or you made the wrong choice. But if you didn't dig the city, you can't be my friend, no matter where from the world you are from :P
@@jeanjacqueslundi3502 I wouldn't say we didn't like the city (double negative there). I just wouldn't move there. It is VERY popular. Too popular. I like less crowded places. We were told it was so crowded because of the airlines promotion where it was very cheap to fly from England and other places.
@@goutfromfriedokra3936 The food was great. The weather was beautiful when we there there in the end of October (luck?). We did a couple legs of the Camino Norte (the first and second legs) and it was absolutely beautiful. I guess it just hit us right.
Always appreciate these honest reviews
Thank you!
8 cities in Portugal last week had big protests about raising housing costs. The portuguese real estate market is definitely overheated and overpriced but still attracted 23％more investment than 2022. It looks like it's possible to get a place with reasonable price in Spain 🇪🇸 instead. Please share your thoughts. ❤ guys.
Stay tuned 😉
I love Portugal! Yes, there are pluses and minuses to everyplace you look. I ended up in Mexico. I really enjoy it!
Where in Mexico did you end up? How long have you been there? Can you shed light on your monthly expenses? What are the pros/cons?
Just 1 thing, I love Portugal and if there is a comparison, would be great to compare it with Italy Spain or France.
Never had an issue with paying at the table in any restaurant in Portugal and have spent significant time there each of the last two years.
Do you want to move there and live there full time?
I agree. Only twice did I have to go the the counter to pay. 99% of the time, they bring the machine to your table. This was throughout Portugal, not just the larger cities
I've been going to Portugal for 30 years. A couple of years ago, I bought a property under construction and it has been a total nightmare. I am out of the country now ...still waiting for the property to be finsihed. Then I plan to sell and it is unlikely that I will ever live there again. The builder I have been dealing with is a total lyer. I have two lawyers but I am just waiting to get rid of the property. You pay much much more to buy in Portugal than in the US. The issues were in Tavira.
Sorry to hear of your experience. Maybe it's better to buy a house that's already built?
Between Portugal and Ecuador I would choose Ecuador hands down. For someone living on less than USD$1500 Social Security Ecuador is the obvious best choice, visa-wise, tax-wise, cost-of-living-wise, etc. Both Colombia and Ecuador are safe if you don't start a competitive drug cartel. Both are cheaper than Portugal, have good health care, and better climate in coffee growing regions. Portugal will have colder winters (but no central heating) whereas it is easy to live in Ecuador without need for air conditioning or heating.
As much as Ecuador appealed to me, I would not consider moving now. Politically it' became a mess which is sad since it was one of the most stable countries in Latin America. Evenmym friend who is from there said she is willing to wait a couple of years, hoping for a positive change before moving back. Colombia also has its share of challenges but it's still another option, just like Costa Rica as well.
😊 I hear you!!
I will move to Ecuador (can't wait) but, am trying to figure out a way in which I can live there and, still have a European connection - in the Azores...hoping it will work out as the 2 places seem 100% perfect for a good retirement...👍
@@ananicolaas4558 ... I understand. There is a saying in Spanish: "Cada uno es dueño de su propio miedo." (Each one is the owner of their own fear). But Ecuador is not unsafe equally in all areas. The coastal drug activity and prison riots resulting in deaths have given Ecuador a bad image. But if you visit Cuenca, or Loja, or Baños, it's a different story. Same for Colombia 40 years ago. But today smaller cities in the "Eje Cafetero" are safe places to live, like Armenia.
@@ananicolaas4558bem...comparar um dos paises mais seguros do.mundo com paises da America latina e Portugsl ficar a perder da vontade de rir..mas ok..Gostos
. não gostava de viver dentro de um forno!
I've been living San Miguel de Allende for the last 2.5 years. San Miguel and Oaxaca City have gotten out of control in terms of cost of living and real estate. I've checked out Spain, Portugal and Italy. Italy won easily...for me. Moving to Italy in 18 months.
Please share your Italian experience. Are you moving to one of the eight provinces with 7%tax rate? How did you decided in the location? And what are the tax advantage for retirees in Italy?
@@explorarehoy Tax advantages...that would require a very long reply...and I'm still learning myself! Far better resources available than me. I'm leaning strongly toward properties in Northwest Tuscany aka the Lunignana region....as well as closer to Lucca. I'm pretty sure it's *not* part of the 7% flat tax on income. I will enjoy Italy's "Prima Casa" policy. If great deals are most important, Abruzzo and Puglia regions are very, very hard to beat imo. Also, I lived in Perugia for a year and loved it. Would consider Perugia in Umbria again. Honestly the number of options I find appealing in Italy are almost overwhelming. Luckily, there are a lot of awesome choices throughout Europe. I liked Portugal too. Beyond Lisbon & Porto, I enjoyed the Azores, Evora. Valencia Spain, on my list, was a disappointment.
Isn't Italy high tax for non EU citizens? From what I remember, Italy taxes American social security and pensions at around 40%. Correct? Incorrect?
@@wmk6325 I think there 8 provinces in Italy that will only tax you 7 % if you live in one of those provinces in a town with less that 10000 people. Double check all these on the web. There are you tube videos on this.
@@wmk6325 Two tax professionals have told me ..."zero taxes on social security". Italy and US have tax treaty...no double taxation. My understanding...please confirm... "Private" pensions can be taxed up to 40%. State pensions are tax free. Check out Italy's "Prima Casa" policy.
In Portugal as in a lot of other countries in Europe all the fees and taxes etc. are included in the prices of hotels, restaurants, shops etc.
In restaurants normaly you add some Euros, if the service was okay.
Have been visiting Buenos Aires since 12/2. Oh my god what a great place. The economy is suffering hyperinflation which is terrible for the Argentinians, but you wouldn’t know it. People look happy and healthy and this huge metropolis is maintained beautifully. I.e. people treat their city like it’s their home. Of course if you live off the US dollar things are pretty rosy and you can afford to live in really prosperous neighborhoods like Recoletta, Palermo, or Belgrano. As long as you don’t want a job with an Argentine company they seem welcoming and in short order allow you to join their club. I’m seriously thinking of making the move if their new leader turns out to be less of a nut job than advertised.
Yes I have to agree! Argentinians are amazing and I respect the love they have for their country unlike Ecuadorians who love talking ill of our country (I’m Ecuadorian)
I loved studying in Buenos Aires! I'd like to move there but everyone keeps saying how dangerous it is. I live in China and have gotten quite used to the total safety here as a woman.
Nice video. My wife and I moved to the Algarve from the US in June and we love it here. Costs like property tax and insurance much lower than in the US and the towns are kept beautifully clean. Other food costs much lower and the quality much higher. You should know that the NHR tax benefit has now been extended at least until the end of 2024.
Nice to hear. Could you please share your spending living in Algave please. Thank you ❤
Even better, under the return program and some textchanges in the law (unclear if intentional or not), in 2024 it seems you can get a 50% income tax exemption up to 250k income.
Portugal is where my grandparents are from. My wife and I were thinking of going the D7 route to Portugal, but with the NHR program now highly restricted, as retirees, we can't afford a 37% or higher tax rate. So sad. I wish they would have worked a plan to discourage real estate speculators and encourage retirees that just want to become part of the Portuguese culture.
Do you have your grandparents birth books or citizen numbers ? I think you can still become a citizen based on your birth right. You should look into it as it eliminates all the Visa stress.
@@orlandoteixeira4446 Thank you for your response Orlando. In my case, where my father was a naturalized U.S. citizen, he would be able to apply for Portuguese citizenship through his father and, in turn, me through him. However, my father has passed, so that avenue is a dead end. As best I understand, there is still another option to reclaim my Portuguese citizenship/heritage, but part of the requirements is that I can pass the CIPLE test. Though I'm learning my native language, I have a long way to go before I will be able to pass the CIPLE test! Obrigado.
@@chrismedeiros3201 hi. Check with your consulate. I think you can still get citizenship through your grandparents. I could be wrong but worth a try.
@@berean700 I'll have to reach out to them. You're right! It's worth a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
Don't let the NHR fool you, only 99k ppl used it and this tax year only 10k used it. We found that we paid less taxes filing normal than using the NHR. Why?; because the NHR allows for NO deductions and uses all income where normal filing gives lots of deductions and does not tax certain pensions/retirement incomes. We had our accountant run the figures using both NHR and normal as well as running single/married filed jointly to see which was lowest.
Looks like NHR was extended until Dec 31, 2024 today
We just heard that too, good news!
So does this mean if you apply for resident between now and then you'll get the old tax system for the next 10 years?
@@rexx9496yes
I went to Portugal twice this year and loved it. However, I did notice a big increase in prices compared to when I visited Porto six years ago.
Six years ago most things were cheaper there and everywhere else. Hard to imagine what prices will be in the next six years.
Yes, we visited 5 years ago, then again in October. Big difference in prices and its much more crowded now too. But still nice.
Thats everywhere
Nice video -- thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences. My wife and I have considered Portugal since 2016 and have visited twice on exploratory visits. Note that NHR gives you a 10% tax rate for 10 years, after which you pay the standard income tax. And the Portuguese income tax is progressive, like in the US, and so you pay the lower percentage on the amount you make below each threshold and the higher percentage on the amount over each threshold.
NHR is over no matter what all these TH-cam vids say
I’m sure so - the country needs the money frankly .
@@serenityinside1 not only that, locals justly complain about the preferential treatment given to foreigners.
Yeah, where I grew up near the beach in San Diego there was a multi-generational Portuguese family that lived right across the street. I remember telling my Dad that they always sounded like they were arguing. My bedroom window faced their house so a front row seat for their parties. They used to brew their own wine in their garage... But very nice people, overall.
Europe is behind the removal of that nhr rule. But the portugese allready said they will make a replacement tax rule so it basicly stays the same...
My wife and I spent most of July in Portugal for vacation/reconnaissance mission to see if Portugal would make a good retirement destination for us. We spent time in Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve. We absolutely loved it there. We felt safe and welcomed by the locals whether we were in Porto or Lisbon or the algarve. We had zero language issues and we found prices to be ridiculously cheap. Especially coming from the Washington DC area. Some locals complained about a 100 square meter T2 apartment being 400,000 Euros and we were like Really? 400K? we'll take two. LOL. Anyway the end of the NHR pretty much killed Portugal as a destination for us. Next up is France. As far as I know, France doesn't charge any tax for US citizens on pension, 401K withdrawals or social security. But you still benefit from all the healthcare. I know France has issues that Portugal doesn't but that's what next year's trip will be about. Thanks for the video.
I would love to keep up with your travels. Do you have a website/ TH-cam site? I lived in Baltimore Harford and Cecil county for a number of decades, and left the state in 2012. Even in the eastern side of the state, the property and rental $$ have SKYROCKETED. I couldn't afford to return, on my Maryland retirement income PLUS additional $$!! Not to mention the weather there, unless you like slipping and sliding AND summer humidity!!! And TRAFFIC!!!
Nice you are traveling and checking out these possible destinations for your retirement :-)
Very important
"" Some locals complained about a 100 square meter T2 apartment being 400,000 Euros and we were like Really? 400K? we'll take two. LOL"" You are part of the problem. Gentrification sucks when You are from there. Be kind, it affects people's standard of living.
400k for 1100 square feet in a country with an average income of $26k. Your comment is hard to read. The lack of awareness is painful.
I get that 400K is expensive for the locals. Downtown prices are usually too expensive for any local of any city. Thats why I live 35 miles outside of Washington DC. I can’t afford to live anywhere near downtown. I sorry my comment has offended some. I really am but Portugal isn’t the only place that’s experiencing out of control housing prices. Where I live, 35 miles from downtown I bought my house in 2005 for $249,000. My new neighbor just paid $800,000. And where I live nobody is traveling across the Atlantic to visit. No tourism. Heck we don’t even have a grocery store. It rural. Again I apologize for my comment but you guys aren’t the only ones up against the wall when it comes to housing prices.
As a US Expat I've lived in Europe for the last 43 years( Old guy , yes I know), 3 years in Luxembourg and the last 40 years in Denmark.
Denmark makes it extremally hard now to settle/move into, unlike 40years ago. One plus is that the US and Denmark have
a Social Security agreement, so Social Security is tax free income in Denmark, plus my Danish wife is included.
Anyway enjoy your videos, ,,,, even if I've no intention of leaving my country home in Denmark 😎
Can you share more about Denmark and what it takes to live there on just social security? What are average rental costs there? What is required to retire there if I have dual citizenship from Ireland?
What about the cold winters? Do you go south when it gets cold?
@@observer1256 Unfortunately Social Security would hardly be enough to live in Denmark . Denmark ranks #5 in cost of living in the EU. Moderate rentals are from 730USD and up. You would need other savings.
Your dual citizenship would help quit allot . My advise is visit Denmark and see if you enjoy it, then visit the US embassy and ask you questions.
The winters vary, this winter is a bit cold and snowy, but normally not,
@@observer1256 Your Irish citizenship would make it easier + if you did not live in any city in Denmark Social Security could stretch for it to be affordable. As I said visit and explore.
Ah, I see you noticed that ciao works worldwide! I got to visit Braga when I was there, lots of old buildings and churches that will let you tour them for a small fee. With respect to health care, you don't need a prescription for most drugs, with the usual exception of opiates and benzos. One med that was $35 in Portugal (and most other countries) is $850 in the US! It will be interesting to see what they do with their visa program.
FY, per today's news, the Portuguese government will allow people to apply for the NHR tax regime during 2024, provided that they have started their immigration process during 2023, i.e. by signing a lease, or by meeting other conditions. While that certainly won't help everyone considering a move to Portugal, it will help many who have already begun to complete the required steps. Also, I think it's not impossible that the government (which will be elected in March) would consider implementing a new tax regime that may benefit foreigners.
Lastly, your video includes a photo of my apartment building, which was a nice surprise see.
I spent some time in Portugal 2 years ago and really enjoyed my time there, but the language thing was a bit daunting. I am fluent in Spanish and English but I still found Portuguese difficult. The good news is that most young people under the age of 40 speak great English! Apparently several years ago they made English very mandatory in school curriculums. I still think I prefer a spanish speaking country because I feel so comfortable with that language and culture.
What makes Portuguese harder than Spanish?
@@rexx9496 My very basic knowledge of each suggests that pronunciation tends to be quite consistent in Spanish for a given word as spelled, within a particular dialect, but not in Portuguese. S, Z and X seem to have similar-but-different sounds depending on the word, or where it appears within the word. Folks in Portugal often "eat vowels" at the beginning and end of words. My Brazilian friends clearly say "obrigado" or "desculpe" ("thank you" or "sorry") but in Portugal, I heard just "brigad" and "shkoolp." The young guy at the hotel desk in Porto laughed and said "Yeah, we don't have time for all the letters here!" Reading Portuguese is much easier than understanding it as spoken for me.
Thats actually the opposite dude, you don t know what u r talking about.
@@stephenjarzombek2903 I agree! I find Brazilian Portuguese far easier to understand in comparison to European Portuguese
@@stephenjarzombek2903 every language is hard when you’re starting from scratch I know people in America have taken Spanish in three years in high school and can’t speak a lick of Spanish. You can’t try to compare one language to another just you have to just learn the language.
portugal is great because they are both cultured and pragmatic. anyone is welcome to adapt, participate and contribute. their visa policies are written with this objective. incompatible people will get short shrift. typically, those tourists that complain are incompatible.
The post-covid retreat is happening in many of these "expat" countries. I suspect in a year or 2 Portugal will want to encourage more immigration, maybe to rural areas. There are 500k Portuguese in the UK. Portugeuse leave to find work.
That's why the Golden Visa was changed to eliminate the metro areas of Lisbon and Porto along with the Algarve. Not enough real estate investors were buying into the interior that's been largely vacated due to lack of employment opportunities. It's a real shame as Portuguese educational attainment is very high. I sincerely hope that any new administration develops a program to make foreign investment into IT-related business very attractive, as it should create more jobs per unit of investment compared to what has been experienced with the Golden Visa program to date.
500k is a ton of people for a country of 10 million.
I am married to a Portuguese citizen but I have never visited Portugal with her. Her relatives definitely have loud passionate conversations while I enjoy the food. I imagine that we would have an easier time with a long term visit because of her status. It's something to think about!
Fala pra ela voltar pra terra dela. Ja que eles gostam de falar isso para todos os imigrantes.
I wouldn't call porto exceptionally cold or rainy compared to most anywhere in the u.s. Getting u.s. Citizens talk about the price of rent or property is getting old, it is too expensive for locals but compared to anywhere in the u.s. Its still first cheap do herein u.s. Citizens complain is misleading at best, same goes for the cost of groceries because good us so cheap there the exchange rate doesn't matter.
As for the ending of nhr that only matters if you're relatively rich, if you're like my wife and I and you need to move there because you cent afford to retire in the u.s. Then your taxes will only be a little higher but once you factor in lower rent lower healthcare cost ( even compared to medicare) lower food cost... Then you still come out ahead even with more taxes
Side note they charge for bags and to go containers where I live in the u.s.
Thank you !! Really enjoyed it. It’s interesting to get a different prospective
In conclusion, I would add that anyone who wants to include Portugal on their list and thinks that Portugal is similar to those typically capitalist countries with big skyscrapers and long avenues... forget it... if you're looking for that, don't come because Portugal is a country 900 years old and trying to preserve the old, many say it is old and outdated, considering its history. Another issue to highlight is the fact that Portugal is, if not the only, but one of the few countries in the world where whoever comes here can have the luxury of speaking in their language, at least at the beginning, and someone responds in their language or if don't know how to try to help that person. This is a luxury that is not to be taken lightly because when I travel I either speak in the native language, or in English, or they turn their backs. Hugs!
Some states in the US charge now for plastic bags as well. I know Colorado and Oregon both do.
yes we do and it’s a good system
In Canada we now have areas where you can't buy plastic bags, they banned outright. Paper only or bring your own reusable bag.
@@JayandSarah The bags they sell in Oregon are not plastic either. Most places either sell paper bags or some sort of reusable decomposable bags. I'm ok with not selling plastic bags.
@@belle42 I agree completely
My wife and I went to Portugal. I guess it's been about a year and what we found was. It was hard to find a market to shop at. I'm not saying there wasn't any. But they're few and far between hard to find. We found the english language spoken by most everyone so it's no problem to communicate, You really do not want to have a vehicle very hard to find parking. And there's other options like their tuck tucks although their prices vary depending on the person that is driving it or owns it, Things are much smaller there, like your hotel room, showers, bathrooms it's not like it is in the U S. One thing I need to mention is we did feel very safe there. We had no problems people were nice so no complaint, I did fail to mention we spent. Most of our time in lisbon then and took a train to portal , Personally we would not move there. It's not for us.
At least not in the cities.
Come back and visit the smaller places. There's a food market around every corner and prices are very low.
Wow. My wife and I spent almost 2 weeks in Lisbon and Porto last year, and to be honest, we were surprised at how many Pingo Doce, Continente, Aldi, and or Lidl stores we found in the central areas of both cities. We could visit any of them within a 10 minute walk from our hotels! We live 35 miles from downtown Chicago in a fast growing suburb, and we had to drive nearly 5 miles to the closest supermarket for the first 10 years we lived here.
This goes to show what happens when you take a vacation to some place, and only spend time in the tourist spots. There are grocery stores and smaller family-run markets everywhere. You couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting at least one. Sad to see folks who visit one city in the entire country, spend their entire time in the tourist bubble, then think that experience represents an entire country.
@@grizfan93 I starting to wonder if the OP actually meant a mercado with individual vendors rather than a supermarket/grocery/smaller "C-store" --as we've both noted, good gracious, they're all over the place. When I told my wife about that comment, she immediately said "What?!?!? Did they not have Google Maps on their phone?!?!?"
@@grizfan93Yes, their comment that English is spoken by “most everyone” suggests that they didn’t venture too far out of the tourist bubble.
Very interesting. In early 2024 we went to Tenerife where the british press said there were mass demos about over tourism and even someone on hunger strike but we reckon most of it was hot air from the brit press as we met no backlash from the locals.
As my "Father-land" it has broken my heart a long long time ago. But like all hard relationships I, we, have to make peace with it. Portugal is not what is not, and we accept it as it is, like our family and friends.
sr rui. nós portugueses não aceitamos, esmolas de compaixão de gente que não tem nada a ver com o país, meta- se na sua vida, e não mete lá Portugal, seja você quem for...
@@RuiCBGLima você sente Portugal de uma maneira egoísta... Portugal é como é, não deve ser aceite com má vontade...é assim...
@@cjnge6828 my feelings are my feelings, you don't have a say on if they are egotistical or not
In my POV you're just a random person who wants to mess with others to feel itself better, don't put poison on others.
You Are the Egothistical one!
Thanks so much for the super helpful info! You definitely mentioned some things I haven’t heard before but are really helpful to know!! ❤
Glad it was helpful!
I have really loved Portugal for many years and even have a NIF number because I was trying to buy a property there in about 2015. Sadly the deal fell through,anyway I am getting the feeling that a lot of locals are getting priced out of buying houses there and this is causing a blame the foreigners for driving up house prices period.
In the end I gave up and bought a much cheaper place in Bulgaria. Bulgaria had a lot of cheap properties and low taxes too. Perhaps you could/should check it out ..
How was your experience dealing with Bulgarians and the system ？ were you able to get residency there？Just curious, where in Bulgaria.
Thanks for sharing and for the recommendation! 👍
@@littletravelmonkey6727, just seen your message. Not sure if your question was for me , but I am guessing so ( because I was the one that bought a property in Bulgaria)
Ok, so in Bulgaria,you have a million ,zillion forms to sign and they will always be written in Cyrillic ( Bulgarian alphabet) , this means that a translator is required for almost everything because English is not widely spoken , especially amongst the over 50s due to them learning Russian in school during their Soviet years.
Bulgarians are NOT big " Hi how are you/how may I help you smilers or customer service orientated, like in North America and even the UK . But, they will help and will be pragmatic ,but just not too exuberant.
From a black guy's perspective, which most people have asked , I haven't had any problems at all , and yes my eyes are peeled and sensitive towards any form of discrimination etc. Bulgarians have stared at me,but I am OK with that. I get it, I look different.
My property is in a village up north Central ,close to the Romanian border and 14 minutes drive from the University of Economics in the town of Svishtov.
Foreigners have to buy a property through setting up a company ,which can be set up in about 3 days and costs does varies, depending on who helps you to do it .I paid a Bulgarian guy 600 Levs ( Bulgarian currency ) £1 UK currency is worth about 2.1 Levs . A bank account will need to be opened up too and you will the help of a notary too look at legal documents for the property, before signing documents..I actually bought my property with the help of a Bulgarian in the village by giving her power of attorney. Hope this helps.
@@VWApachey Thank you. I guess the ownership of your property enables you to obtain Bulgarian residence?
GREAT ADVICE ! Never make a "jump of faith" when moving abroad - it may end up RUINING your LIFE !
We know an older woman who moved "on a whim" to Costa Rica, became disenchanted, and returned to America in 2 years ! She never made an EXPLORATORY VISIT, did not speak Spanish, and came to CR with an aire of superiority which rankled the Ticos. BTW, this advice also applies to DOMESTIC moves, especially for "priveliged" folks from the larger cities who move to the country !
I would say that's good advice for anyone who is moving anywhere. There is no substitute for doing research, visiting a place to develop a genuine attachment - and above all, being generally respectful and mindful of culture and language nuances. It's also unfortunate because it gives others a bad name and makes cross-cultural communication generally more difficult. I had a stark realization when I traveled to Mexico City, and I found out the degree of anger about gentrification and how foreigners have driven up the cost. I had a guy scream at me when I was standing on a street corner that I was a "gringo" who should go home. I was just standing on a street corner waiting for a light, so it was unprovoked other than seeing me there. I was initially offended by his actions, but I know now that he was expressing anger that is totally justifiable based on others who look like me. While he probably should not have screamed at a stranger on the street, it was a learning opportunity. I think having the humbling experience about language and culture that forces one to ask those difficult questions is always useful.
Your comment also reminded of how strange it is that people and expect the place they travel to look and act just like home. I'm not sure why someone would bother traveling if they are expecting another version of home, but in a different location. I thought the point of travel is to experience different cultures and ways of being, not just see the same thing elsewhere. It frustrates me so much when people move some place and then try to force an experience that is just like the place from which they came. It's also arrogant and deeply rude.
I find quite a bit of this attitude here in Portugal among people who've moved here. The demand that people speak English to them, the expectation of finding random packaged foods from their home country, expecting something quickly. There is a gigantic amount of cultural understanding needed to move somewhere and integrate. What I mostly see is people who want to take all advantages of a country (financial especially) without providing anything in return. It's gross.
It is so crazy the lack of research that some people do!
@@janacareylombardi8138 Absolutely. And the discussion of tax and NHR in Portugal sort of falls into that category. NHR offered temporary tax benefits (up to 10 years) for newcomers but at the end of the day if you earn money then you too are expected to contribute. Not merely take a free ride at the expense of those that earn less than you do. Those that surf countries for such schemes should get this message: don't move here because you're just parasites! 🙂
Integration is one of the most satisfying aspects of living in another country. And being an immigrant is incredibly rewarding emotionally and culturally. Being just an expat (which many of us have been) is just a cheap imitation of the real thing.
This is an excellent breakdown to explain the country. I’m so glad you will be exploring to show people multiple overseas options. Thanks! 👍😃 This should be a great series.
Thank you, we’re glad you liked it!
What a great video, I love how you go deep into every aspect of the country and it's people. I have to agree that people up North are more 'soft' / nice, but I guess that has to do with expat / tourist fatigue in the south (Algarve).
When I walk around there are those sellers of that following me all around in the city center. Even daytime and it feels so annoying. As an Eastern European, they probably mistaken me for a tourist from a rich country. I wonder how it is when living there.
Those are probably illegal immigrants or gypsies. Stupid wokeness has tied the police hands to prevent them from annoying people. We portuguese don't like it either.
Great job!! I lived in Madrid for many years and absolutely loved it. I never got to Portugal and deeply regret it especially after watching your videos.
What made you leave Madrid? I'm from San Diego, live in San Francisco, and I'm considering retiring in Portugal, Spain or in Mexico (looking at Merida/Campeche area).
Let me say Amelia and JP are looking healthy and happy
Planning to move to Portugal in the next few months.
It's easier for Portuguese speaking people to understand Spanish speaking people than vice versa, because Portuguese is a more phonetically complex language than Spanish.
Regarding the anti-foreigner sentiment in Portugal… People are most likely to encounter that if they appear to be non-European! This also seems to be happening in Spain and Italy as well
So there is bigotry there based off the color of one's skin?
Perhaps the level of non-European immigration is making people uncomfortable.?
@@cptsuits8038 what does that have to do with the comfort of someone traveling on vacation who happens to look like they’re not from Europe? As an African-American, there are places in Europe, where I might not feel as comfortable as you, and that’s not right.
@@Pauln71 big time. There are so many millions and millions of Portuguese immigrants spread all over the whole world, probably more than the entire population of Portugal.
As a matter of fact there are so many Portuguese overseas the Portuguese government doesn't even know how many there are, but yet many Portuguese in Portugal don't like it when Non European foreigners move and live there.
This is why Portugal is definitely off my list.
I would rather go to a place like Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador and even South East Asia in a place like the Philippines or Malaysia.
Go to where you are welcomed and treated nice.
Number one rule of being an retiree expat.
@@danwelterweight4137 That is so sad to hear. I notice that many African Americans on this app keep promoting Portugal . I definitely don't want to spend my hard earned dollars in a place where I am not liked or welcomed
Nice, yes we have been looking at Portugal. Let’s see what happen with the NHR! Thank you for doing the video.
I have planning to visit the Algarve region next winter after visiting Ecuador for the last 2 Winters. I am looking forward to seeing what it is like to be there compare it to Ecuador.
I retired early and was looking at Portugal as a possible new place to live. I've been watching tons of videos on living in Portugal and came across your channel. You mentioned the increased cost of living within the last few years. Do you think someone with a monthly income averaging around 9-10K will be fine in Portugal?
Yes. That’s way more than the cost of living. I single can live very comfortably on $2k per month, especially outside the popular areas such as Lisbon and Porto.
Well, I think Portugal is awesome (despite it's numerous faults!) but I am born and raised in Lisbon so I might be a bit biased. Anyway, anyone wanting to move here and have a decent, honest life is always very welcome!
Have you checked out Romania and Moldova I guess the in-between would be Iasi, Romania from there you could see sites in Romania or Moldova easy.
Today is the 23rd of Nov 2024, so I'm interested to know what has happened to the tax rate?? I was just in Portugal a week ago.
Great detail and visuals. Wonderful gift to your viewers.Thank you.
It's also standard practice in France to go inside and pay at the till. If your table is numbered, just try to remember the number when the cashier rings up your bill, otherwise practice how to describe the precise location of your table!
Thank you so much for your summary! Portugal is on our list to retire as is Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama and maybe Spain.
We’re interested in the Algarve and Madeira.
Costa Rica is paradise. I live in Spain
Madiera is very beautiful. Funchal is one of my favorite little cities. Just can't be afraid of heights. It was actually a deal breaker for me. No wonder Ronaldo has had such a remarkable football career. He probably walked steep hills everywhere as a child!
@@smacktard6051- Cuenca is fantastic! Great expat scene, restaurants, healthcare.
I heard other expats complain on mold issues
You're evaluation closely matches mine. I traveled to Portugal last May/June and would like to live there if they did not end the NHR. There's also the problem of housing costs continuing to skyrocket. The Portuguese government has to look after their own people and I do not blame them for changing the tax laws if foreign retirees do not bring the economic benefits they need.
The taxes are not the main issue. It’s under-regulated Airbnb and short term tourist rentals. That’s driving the housing crisis.
This is the same conclusion as I saw in a video by Dave in Portugal. I agree that the short-term rentals contributed much more to the problem. I'm not sure that these are 100% to blame. More so than retirees, by all indications, but I still do not hold any ill feeling towards the Portuguese govt for trying to address their housing crisis. To the best of my knowledge they have put a stop to new AirBnBs but they have definitely let the vampire into their house and now they can't get rid of him. @@AmeliaAndJP
@@AmeliaAndJP I have also heard that price increases are also just simply being driven by simple supply/demand - too much demand relative to supply - and that increasing Portuguese incomes (from either property investments or working abroad, which many younger Portuguese people do) is a much greater contributing factor than anything related to the presence of foreigners. The end of the NHR is thus anticipated to have little impact on housing prices. It's termination was more the result of politics and appearing to do "something" about escalating housing costs.
Language.....Yes Portuguese does sound a bit Russian. They are both considered stress-time Languages, more so in Northern Portugal, where they also speak the indigenous Portuguese language of Mirandese. I compare Brazilian Portuguese to our US American English. We've butchered the English language according to the British and the Portuguese feel the same about their language. It is difficult to learn, although reading Portuguese is easier to comprehend. Don't be discouraged about the housing costs. In the smaller villages, homes are very affordable, and public transportation is available. My recent rentals....600 euros, central Portugal furnished, utilities including wifi, large fenced yard and pool, 750 euros 3 br, 2 bath plus utilities ocean side, pool, tennis court, gated apartment complex, currently 550 euro, Northern Portugal, 3 br, water included, large fenced yard. Enjoy your stay, and Yes! Too much rain in the north this year!
Sim o inglês americano está para o inglês britânico como o português brasileiro está para português de Portugal, ambos são paises novos, recentes e por isso pouco irreverentes no respeito pelo padrão das duas línguas. Quanto à chuva é uma dádiva de Deus ja que a agua é fonte de vida.Por isso o Norte tem paisagens verdejantes e noutros locais esta tudo seco. Abraços
To me Potoguesse sounds like a mixture of Spanish and French. Does not remind me of Russian, and I speak Russian:))
@@alexzolik1133 Claro que o português não pode ter semelhanças com o russo porque são línguas com origens completamente diferentes. A fonética do português de Portugal assemelha-se um pouco ao francês já que na sua evolução como línguas foi beber alguma influência linguística e fonética à língua francesa e incorporamos, até, muitas palavras do francês na língua portuguesa ( abajur, vitrina, Boné, Maionese ,Sutiã ,Papel, Garagem,baguete (de baguette);
bufê (de buffet);
canapé;
champanhe (de champagne);
champignon;
chantilly;
couvert;
crepe (de crêpe);
croissant;
croquete (de croquette);
escargot;
filé (de filet);
glacê (de glacé);
maionese (de mayonnaise);
menu;
omelete (de omelette);
patê (de pâté);
petit gâteau;
petit-pois;
purê (de purée);
sauté;
suflê (de soufflé).
batom (de bâton);
bijuteria (de bijouterie);
boné (de bonnet);
boutique;
bustiê (de bustier);
chique (de chic);
crochê (de crochet);
echarpe (de écharpe);
lingerie;
maiô (de maillot);
maquillage,
moda (de mode);
nécessaire;
pochete (de pochette);
prêt-à-porter;
robe;
sutiã (de soutien);
tailleur;
tricô (de tricot);
vitrine.
@@alexzolik1133 Portuguese in (most parts of) Portugal does indeed sound similar to Russian. I speak Portuguese. European Portuguese sounds nothing like French and not at all like Spanish (both of which I also speak). Brazilian Portuguese kinda does sound as you describe though. The Brazilian's soften "de" to sound like a French "Je" . Many other similar quirks of pronunciation in Brazilian Portuguese give the language a much more hispanic sound but with the softness of French. Portuguese in Portugal doesn't sound like that at all.
The Portuguese sometimes describe Brazilian Portuguese as "Portuguese with sugar" because it sounds sweeter, lighter and less guttural than "the real thing" from Portugal. Native Portuguese pronunciation in Portugal was influenced by Arabic which is why it doesn't sound like Spanish at all even though the written language looks similar and has the same linguistic roots. French shares roots with both of the above as do Italian and Romanian. They're all romance languages.
Some people from the Portuguese islands sound as if they speak Norwegian. Which is a really weird and funny because their accent in Portuguese is so radically different. For the most part the Portuguese spoken in Portugal has a fairly homogenous accent, albeit with one or two local dialects such as that from Alentejo. Mirandese, however, is a distinct language in its own right in a small part of Northern Portugal.
Good observations. I had similar ones when I was I was there last year. I have decided to stick with Ecuador for the foreseeable. The new tax plan is a deal killer for me.
This was a great overview of your time and thoughts about Portugal. It looks like a very pretty country with great food and I'm glad that it is on your list.
Concise and charming as we’ve come to expect from you Unconventionals 😉 Can’t wait to see where you’re going next. My son spent the whole summer in Croatia and he’d move there happily. ❤️
The NHR program was just extended yesterday. You may want to update.
That’s great news, but we can’t change a published video.
@@AmeliaAndJP Like you pointed out in your video, the extension is only for one year right now. It at least gives those who would like to move to Portugal time to obtain their visa and apply for the NHR. We moved here full time in July, and received our D7 visa in September.
Amelia and JP ;
Would not mind visiting Portugal.
Tks., much appreciative.
We were in Lisbon over the summer. My thoughts:
1. They really love their cobblestones, don't they? There are cobblestones in the streets and sidewalks, EVERYWHERE! And they are polished, which isn't as good as it seems. See my next point.
2. The roads and sidewalks are STEEP!!! I'm talking San Francisco levels of steepness. So when you combine the polished cobblestone with the slipperiness of it, walking can be a challenge. We asked locals and many have told us that when it rains, it's not uncommon to slip and fall
3. They love their cigarettes. At times, it made outside dining not so enjoyable when everyone around you wanted to smoke. I actually think that's the part I hated the most. Imagine you're with your s/o, enjoying yourselves quietly. Next thing you know, you smell cigarette smoke and it's from a couple who sat nearby. Not my thing.
4. As someone who also knows enough Spanish to carry a conversation, I used it in many situations to get by. If I were to retire there, I'd obviously work on my Portuguese.
Estoy de acuerdo con ustedes en observar los nuevos cambios referente a los impuestos. Buena decision la esatr ahi, sin embargo creo que los precios de renta son caros, las construcciones se ven antiguas la escepcion seria que tengan muebles nuevos y de excelente calidad. Tengo casi 9 años viajando y puedo hacer esas comparaciones con facilidad.
Sales tax is already incorporated into the price, so saying there is a 23 percent tax makes people think it is added on. Now if you have a repair or an improvement made to your house, they may quote you pre-tax.
It’s still a 23% tax on the original cost.
Sales tax vs. VAT overview
Sales tax is collected by the retailer when the final sale in the supply chain is reached. In other words, end consumers pay sales tax when they purchase goods or services. When buying supplies or materials that will be resold, businesses can issue resale certificates to sellers and are not liable for sales tax. Until the sale is made to the final consumer, sales tax is not collected, and tax jurisdictions do not receive tax revenue.
VAT (value-added tax), on the other hand, is collected by all sellers in each stage of the supply chain. Suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers all collect VAT on taxable sales. Similarly, suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and end consumers all pay VAT on their purchases. Businesses must track and document the VAT they pay on purchases to receive a credit for the VAT paid on their tax return. Under a VAT regime, tax jurisdictions receive tax revenue throughout the entire supply chain, not just at the point of sale to the final consumer.
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Good video. Since you both still work online (remotely), you may qualify for the D8 visa which is a flat 20% tax. However, 20% may still be too high.
Very nicely done-- informative, fast paced, interesting video footage, and you hit all the major topics most viewers would want to know about. I have found that the more vloggers talk up how great a place is, the more expensive and less desirable it becomes. Ideally, if you find an amazing place to live, don’t tell anyone about it so it'll stay amazing!
I've wanted to learn Portuguese but I haven't yet found a source for lessons in European Portuguese from the US (only found Brazilian Portuguese). I hope that you're able to make it to the Algarve on your trip. Thanks for all the detailed information on costs.
Try pimsleur
Search "Instituto Camões"
And on youtube there are *dozens* of channels in European Portuguese
@@anthonyanderson9326 Thank you so much for this tip!
Portugal is, by far, one of the best countries to retire. I have lived in over ten.
Language is the main problem for me living in Portugal, but I need to put in more effort! Costs are going up, but nothing compared to France or the US! We love it here and own a beautiful affordable home with a fixed rate mortgage so we are here to stay!! Great vlog so thanks!
Bom dia,
That was a lovely video of a country we love dearly. However, just a little unrealistic. Assessing a country in a few weeks or a couple of months is very different from living there. Two & a half years ago we moved to Portugal on the D7 visa. We chose to live in Matosinhos. The first year, the honeymoon phase, was fabulous. But then the realization of the cons began to gnaw at us. First of all, we moved there because we wanted to experience what it's like to live in a foreign country. But looking at other expats (we are American) what we saw was that expats immediately established themselves in an expat tribe and pretty much made their new life as Americanized as possible. They looked for activities that mimicked what they did back home. They tended to socialize in groups. We were looking more for integration. But soon we realized that "most people in Portugal" speak English simply was not true outside of touristy areas. So communication at times was frustrating. We attempted learning Portuguese, thinking our Spanish skills would make it easy. Not so. And in reality, Portuguese don't always appreciate being spoken to in Spanish. Portugal fought hard to keep Spain from invading and capturing Portugal. Bureaucracy! OMG, what a mess. Seemed like the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing. Immigration (SEF) didn't communicate with Finanças (tax authority). During our stay there, foreign taxation changed 3 times from no taxation to Golden Visa, then NHR(which in reality only offered lowered taxes for 10 years)! SEF completely dismantled and became border control.
Health care was phenomenal! But don't try to tangle with the insurance company. And billing? If a mistake was made (like double charging me for a hospital procedure), impossible to sort out. Went to the hospital 5 times to talk to someone in billing or insurance. Couldn't get past a receptionist. And no one spoke English! (Major hospital in Porto.) I sent emails to multiple at the hospital, even the Medical Director) every week for 5 weeks. No response. So before we left I went to the hospital to pay what I calculated I owed. Guess what? They wouldn't accept a partial payment. Huh!
So while this rant presents some of the negative aspects of living in Portugal, we absolutely loved living there for all the reasons most people cite. We are back in the USA now. Do we miss Portugal? You bet! Are we glad we were able to live there? Absolutely. 😊
The biggest downside in Portugal is the high level of taxation, which is a key reason not to settle down in Portugal . In other areas, Portugal fares farely well - Quality food, Quality Healthcare, decent housing, Government stability doesn't really matter, super safe and secure country. Overall I agree with you guys.
how are you going to have quality healthcare without high taxes
@form76 how much are you paying for healthcare back home? You should consider that when comparing tax rates.
@@DrunkDriver5considering top tier private health insurance can be purchased in Portugal for about 700 euros per year, I don’t think a 48% top tax rate and 20% VAT is really necessary to cover health care costs.
@@O1012-u7q The 700 euros per year that you quote is for a service that is underpinned by the state healthcare system. It's not a parallel system as in some countries or a really inefficient and bloated health insurance system as in the US which, quite frankly, is so ludicrously overpriced in any case.
In many respects the private system in Portugal should be seen as just icing on the top of what the state provides to all legal residents of the country. Really serious treatment gets handed over from the private to the state system because that's where the real expertise is. The private system gives you improved access and a nicer experience and healthcare for the less complicated stuff. But all it sits on top of that state-funded foundation. Hence the reason that private healthcare in Portugal is so cheap compared with most other countries.
The 48% top tax rate isn't different to much of Europe (with similar healthcare and social welfare provisions) although the income level that it kicks in at is far lower (due to the lower average earnings in Portugal). The 20% VAT is kinda average across the European Union by design because all the countries, which have fairly similar health/social/welfare/education/military/R&D/transport/infrastructure/agricultural spending agreed to converge on this sort of number. Portugal's overall VAT rate varies between 0% and 23% with 6% for food and various other things with 13% on stuff like agricultural equipment. I'm not sure of the average VAT rate but 20% would probably be a fair guess.
Healthcare aside, university education in Portugal is really cheap and pretty good. It's a small fraction of the price of the United States or the UK. Especially if you want to become something like a doctor.
The Portuguese also spend tax on investing in their own culture: art, literature, theatre, film, cuisine and so on. This is much more noticeable to me as a Briton living in this country. Much of this is spent at local level by municipalities but it certainly does significantly improve the quality of life and joy of living in this country.