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New members of the Portugal forum, introduce yourselves here - 2022

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JohnnyPT
@JohnnyPT Some great advice, I'm taking a one-year language class in Cascais starting in September. It allows English-speaking students to learn Portuguese partly by socializing with Portuguese students learning English. And they have coffee in Cascais centre as well.

Not sure whether it's allowed to mention the name here but it's ELC. Excited to start and hope to meet others doing the same!
- @Jk1976
ELC - English Language Centre
Rua da Palmeira 5, 1A/B · 2750-459 Cascais


JohnnyPT
Does anyone know similar organizations to the one above in the Tomar area?

This really the only way to be conversational with a new language!
- @williamstony360

I found this language school in Tomar. The address is in a rural area. I think they only teach online. It's not like ELC center above...

Portuguese Language Lessons
Rua da Lagoa, 36,
Vale do Poço,
2305-023 Tomar
williamstony360
Thanks Johnny,

Appreciated!
marmot243
Hello.  Retired USA guy here.  Want to check out moving to Portugal in retirement.  Would like to rent a small apartment in Porto, Cascais (sp?), Lisbon,...Budget:  $300/week USD. Looking at October 1-14, 2022.



Patrick
yasou7
Sounds a great idea. Although we've been learning Portuguese for 6 years from an excellent teacher of grammar, and we can read most of the words that come on TV, we can hardly understand a word of the quickly spoken Portuguese. Our well rounded Portuguese is difficult for them to understand too! It somehow defeats our original objective. It would be perfect our way - if you're young enough, in my opinion, and we're not. If you require quicker results, you can work on grammar later.
chrisschubert21
Hallo Patrik,

For this budget, you can get in Lisboa a good 2 bad room appartment in a good area.
lsuk2712
@Julien

Namaste sir, iam Suk Lal Bishwakarma from Nepal working in Abu Dhabi, UAE as senior security guard since 2013 in this company til now continue. Iam very energetic and hardworking person.
Guest245968
@Julien

Hi All, this is our first post on the forum. My husband and I have just moved to Lourinha from the U.K. we moved here end of March 2022 and really enjoying our time here. It would be nice to meet up with anyone local to share experiences and form friendships in this beautiful part of Portugal.
Suzet Nath

Hi, how are you?

I am Suzot deb nath. I am a Bangladeshi citizen,
But I now work in South Africa.
I am not in a good position to work in South Africa. I am going to go to Portugal from South Africa.

Please, work visa will be available in Portugal.

Okay, thank you very much
learning4all
Dear Suzot
Keep in touch with the Expat team Johnnypt will answer most of your questions.

Mainly, you have to have evidence of monthly income and a bank account in Portugal with about €8000.00 in the account.

The main difficulty is getting a Portuguese citizen to accept full financial and living accommodation responsibility for you.

I was lucky, I came over in Oct 2021 and met someone who was prepared to write a "Comfort Letter" which it's called.

Best of luck
JohnnyPT
@Julien

Hi All, this is our first post on the forum. My husband and I have just moved to Lourinha from the U.K. we moved here end of March 2022 and really enjoying our time here. It would be nice to meet up with anyone local to share experiences and form friendships in this beautiful part of Portugal.
- @julesrich



Hi Jules, Welcome.

Here are some threads with contacts of English speaking expats living near Lourinhã and surroundings. You can send them a private message to get in touch.


Kind Regards




MrFitz
Hi Folks,

3 of us, Myself, My Wife, and our Friend (female) are just starting the process of getting our D7 visas, as we are all retired.  We will be renting in the Algarve during the off-season, so as to keep our living expenses low. We currently Live In Florida, USA.  We accept any and all suggestions for any aspect of our move, including advice on Banking, Concierge services, housing, and anything else that is involved in residing in Portugal.

We look forward to meeting and hanging out with many of you,

Regards,

MrFitz, Nicke, and Ali.
Tara from Taos
@EHHackney Hi Hack, we also live in New Mexico. Just got back from a trip touring as much as we could of Portugal in 18 days. We fell in love with Amarante. We are also seeking a place to live with more water, and a country with less violence.

We wonder what others' experiences might be with buying a house in that area, settling in to learn the language, and living simply, finding a way to contribute to the community somehow.
JohnnyPT
Hi @Mr Fitz and @Tara from Taos, Welcome.

You can use the search function on this forum to find answers to your questions.


@Mr Fitz, please read this thread, some hints there:

Forbes&InternationalLiving reports about Retirement for US citizens

Kind Regards
ErnestoGuerrero86
Hi my name is Ernesto, I born in mexico but I been living in Canada almost all my life. I already get my 4 months d7 visa and I'm waiting for SEF appointment.



Somebody know when I can start working in Portugal?? Because I'm a graphic designer and I have some good options, but I'm not sure if I can start now or I need wait until the residence card??



Thanks and have a good day fellas
JohnnyPT
Hi Ernesto,

It is necessary to have a residence permit that allows you to exercise a professional activity in Portugal. You will need your fiscal identification number (NIF) and to be registered in the Portuguese social security system (NISS number).  Try to find out more reading this:



Best Regards
ErnestoGuerrero86
@JohnnyPT
Thanks a lot. You really help me
Thesixfam
@ErnestoGuerrero86 Hi Ernesto, I am from Canada too and wondered if you can share what you submitted for your visa application to get approved? I'm having trouble getting clarity about what I need to get approved and clearly you were successful!

For example, we are finding it hard to find 12 month accomodation, and I gather we cannot use hotel/Airbnb accomodation. What did you use for the application? Did you open a Portuguese bank account prior to travel? What about insurance/what level did you buy and with whom? We are quoted an astronomical amount from Cigna and Allianz (for myself, spouse and child) think there must be a cheaper option I'm not aware! How long was the processing before they approved your application?

Any help from you would be greatly greatly appreciated!
learning4all
Hi Everyone
I drove my car from the UK and have been in the process of Homologation. The car is worth the expense of new EU lights from and rear. I've got as far as applying for tax exemption but after that I don't know who issues the license plates. It's been a mine-field and the internet does not help. Anyone got an original list from start to finish.  I'll publish the results when I've taken the final pill.


JohnnyPT
How to register your imported vehicle in Portugal and get portuguese registration number plates
(Post #8)
CIARA3
Hello to all, 

Thanks for having me aboard!
Looking forward to travelling and living in Portugal very soon!
Guest245968
HI guys, I have heard on YouTube so must about Portugal. I think I need to come visit next year 2023, in see all about this place.  I'm retired in ready to see more of the world.  I'm looking for a safe and beautiful place to live as a single woman, because American is overrated.  What time of the year do I need to visit?
mattyrees99
Hi all, another Londoner looking to relocate to sunnier pastures in Lisbon ;)

I've been a contractor/ freelancer in London for some time now...is this a big thing in Lisbon? (/ Portugal in general)...doesn't appear to be based on my research!
JohnnyPT
Hi Mattyrees,

Portugal was ranked the all-round best country to work remotely from worldwide, scoring high across the board in all categories, including great weather, high abundance of places for going out, low-crime rates, and relatively low cost of living. Portugal also offers a digital nomad visa, and many locals have a high English proficiency that attracts expats.

Eg.


Lisbon has been chosen by many freelancer expats and digital nomads:



(...)

Kind Regards
Jk1976

@mattyrees99 the expat community needs some reliable, English speaking people! Not sure what your speciality is but the real estate market is quite hot, meaning lots of renovations, especially in the Cascais area.

VikingShips
@Julien Total newbie here!  We're Martin & Sophie.  We're moving from San Diego, CA in the States, arriving in Faro on the 29th of June.  We've bought a place in Vila Real de Santo António and look forward to retiring there.  We are also looking to make some English speaking and / or Scandinavian friends who might be willing to help us get around at first. 
   Look forward to a new life there!
JohnnyPT
Hi VikingShips, Welcome.

You can use the search function to look for threads you want an answer about Portugal. If you don't find any answers, you can open a new topic.

How to build a social circle from scratch in Portugal

Kind Regards
ann yarish
@Julien ,
Hello my name is Ann and live in the US and researching retirement in Portugal.
As you can imagine I’m completely lost!
Do I need to hire someone to complete the visa application?
I contacted the embassy and told all of it needs to be done online, which is very difficult to navigate.
Any ideas?
Thanks
JohnnyPT
Hi Ann Yarish, Welcome.

You can do everything by yourself. You can apply for a D7 (passive income) visa to live in Portugal:

See here for the 2 stages of the process:
(Post #2)

Also read this thread (valid for the UK but also for all countries that require a visa to live in Portugal, including the USA):

(Posts #7, 8, 9, 10, 11, .... )

Kind Regards
punbipeen
@Julien
Good afternoon sir


  • This is to inform you that recently I am working on UAE  at Emirates fast food company as a bike rider I  am willing to move and work on portugal. I will be very grateful if u can help me to fulfill my dream .
Thank you
chrisschubert21
Hallo Ann,
Don't worry about the application procedure, you don't need to hire somebody! Pls follow the indication from JhonnyPT which give you high professional information, and you will reach the Visa.
Do your documents homework, contact and go to the Portugal embassy SEF office in your area and ... maybe next year we can see you here in this beautiful country.
Have a good time,
Chris
apatil359

Hello everyone,


My Name is Avadhut Patil. Indian citizen and I am looking for job opportunity in Portugal. It's my first quote here not much today but waiting for my opportunity to come to Portugal.

Your,
Avadhut Patil.
Guest245968
@Julien

Hi Julien. I am Julie currently living in South Africa. My husband and I are finalizing our D7 application and are trying to secure a lease agreement. It has been quite a task - translating from Portuguese and also trying to make contact with agents. I would be glad for any advice.

I have just resigned from my music teaching career and am looking forward to settling into Portugal in the next month or two.

Kind regards
Julie
mwsmi
@Julien Hi
We live in Seattle and are planning to retire in Portugal in summer 2024. Learning all we can and glad to find this group.
Maya
JohnnyPT
@Julien

Hi Julien. I am Julie currently living in South Africa. My husband and I are finalizing our D7 application and are trying to secure a lease agreement. It has been quite a task - translating from Portuguese and also trying to make contact with agents. I would be glad for any advice.

I have just resigned from my music teaching career and am looking forward to settling into Portugal in the next month or two.

Kind regards
Julie
- @Julie Dipnarain


Hi Julie, Welcome.

You can carry on teaching music in Portugal. There are some music academies in this link:


Best Regards
abusfurniture19
@Julien Hello, my name is momoh Abdul and am speaking from Lagos Nigeria.
I'm interested to work in Portugal and I specialize in furniture work such as kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, office chairs, upholstery sofas etc.
Pls. can you connect me with any company for sponsors,
Thanks.
skilledhanslady

Hi everyone,


I have been a member of [link under review] for a few years now but have only just afforded the free time to post again.

I am a late middle aged semi retired skilled trades-woman.

I have finally done it and sold my property in Tasmania Australia and have made the trip to the Algarve region of Portugal.

I have started inspecting properties here with the intention to buy a very modest priced house to self renovate.

I admit though that i am quite shocked how much the property prices have sharply raised so very recently since the covid pandemic.

I am also surprised to see that the general cost of living ! Indeed it seems to be not as inexpensive as i had thought it would be prior to making this trip.

I am now at the stage of seeking trustworthy and cost effective property related legal and financial assistance prior to buying a property.

Any advice from members here who have recently purchased property in Portugal would be sincerely appreciated. Mainly regarding who you used for legal help and which banking institute for international transfer to a Portuguese bank account ect.

I must admit i am rather disappointed to find that i will likely end up buying a property that needs a lot more work than i had planned to do.

Likewise i may well have to return to Au’s or UK to go back to work which i had hoped after 40 years on tools i wouldn’t have to again.

I admit i have almost considered buying elsewhere than Portugal but the way the system works here still seems the best value from my position,

Any advice would be very much appreciated,

Kind regards
learning4all
@skilledhanslady
Hi there and welcome to the Algarve. Once you've made your mind up its all plane sailing.
I've been in the Algarve a retired healthcare worker.once you have bought and need a pair of hands I'll always give you some
Best of luck with the house hunting. There are plenty around which need some work done but with skills it will be easy.
John R
Handkerchief

Hi there,

My wife & I (Nigerians). We are looking to move to Portugal with the D7 visa.

Would welcome some insights as we start exploring Portugal.

With warm wishes xx
JohnnyPT


Any advice from members here who have recently purchased property in Portugal would be sincerely appreciated. Mainly regarding who you used for legal help and which banking institute for international transfer to a Portuguese bank account ect.

I must admit i am rather disappointed to find that i will likely end up buying a property that needs a lot more work than i had planned to do.

Likewise i may well have to return to Au’s or UK to go back to work which i had hoped after 40 years on tools i wouldn’t have to again.

I admit i have almost considered buying elsewhere than Portugal but the way the system works here still seems the best value from my position,

Any advice would be very much appreciated,

Kind regards
- @skilledhanslady

Hi Skilledhanslady, Welcome.

If you look for land outside the Algarve, you will find it cheaper and interesting as well:

I would suggest two youtube vlogs from expats who now are living in Portugal, both bought a farm in Central Portugal:

Channel "OK Portugal"
Uk couple who bought a farm near Castelo Branco. They have done a really good work in the pre-existing house and on the farm itself.


Cindy (a skilledhanslady too :) ) has bought a property in Central Portugal. In her youtube channel you can see all the process involved she has passed through to realise her life project. This may help anyone who is searching answers in subjects like this one. She will have to do a lot of renewals there.


Kind Regards

_______

Solicitors, Lawyers & Administrative division of Portugal:

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