Moving to Portugal: A Practical Guide for Americans

Moving to Portugal from the US means handling several things at once: securing the right visa, finding somewhere to live, sorting out schools if you have children, shipping your belongings, and registering with local authorities once you land. None of it is complicated on its own, but the order matters and some steps depend on others.

This guide covers the practical side of the move, from finding work and renting a home to the paperwork you’ll need to complete after you arrive. If you’re still deciding whether Portugal is the right fit, our guide to living in Portugal covers day-to-day life in more detail.

Finding Work in Portugal

Portugal has grown into a base for startups and international companies, so jobs do come up in the larger cities, Lisbon especially. IT and software roles are in steady demand, and native English speakers are often sought for teaching positions.

You don’t legally need a signed contract to work in Portugal, but you may need one to support a work visa application.

A standard full-time contract is a 40-hour week with 22 days of paid annual leave, on top of the national public holidays. Wages are lower than in the US but broadly track the lower cost of living. When you plan the move, work out your monthly income needs against local costs: a couple can expect to need roughly €1,800 a month in smaller towns or around €2,600 in the cities.

Remote Working from Portugal

Portugal works well for remote workers. Internet is reliable on both mobile and fixed broadband, and the time zone lines up reasonably with much of the US and Europe. Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve are the popular bases, though people chasing cheaper rent tend to look outside those centers.

Co-working spaces are widely available and can be booked by the day, week, or month. If you want something more relaxed, cafés generally don’t mind laptop workers.

If you’re working remotely for an employer or clients outside Portugal, the visa you’ll most likely want is the D8 Digital Nomad Visa, which is built for active remote income. The older D7 is a passive-income route, better suited to people living on pensions, dividends, or rental income rather than a salary. Portugal also runs a Digital Nomad program in Madeira: the village in Ponta do Sol offers free workspaces, events, and a host to help you settle in, with short-stay furnished apartments starting from around €700.

Finding Accommodation

One of the first decisions when moving to Portugal is where to live, and whether to rent or buy.

Renting

Renting is the common choice for people arriving in Portugal, and rents are generally well below US levels.

To rent, you’ll need a Portuguese tax identification number (NIF). Some landlords also ask for a local guarantor. If you don’t have one, expect to pay a deposit plus several months’ rent in advance, with the exact amount depending on the agency or landlord.

Portuguese listings use a coding system worth knowing. A T2 has two bedrooms plus a kitchen, bathroom, and living room. A T0 is a studio. A “+1” means an extra interior room with no window.

Rents vary by city, neighborhood, property age, and amenities. In Lisbon, a decent apartment starts around €800 a month. In smaller inland cities like Guarda, you can find apartments from around €200.

Buying Property

You can buy property in Portugal, but be aware of one important change: buying real estate no longer qualifies you for the Golden Visa. That route was removed in October 2023, so property is now purely a lifestyle or investment decision, not a residency shortcut. If residency by investment is your goal, the qualifying routes are now investment funds, cultural donations, and similar options, which our Golden Visa guide covers in detail.

The property market is active, with prices driven by location, size, type, and condition. A single-family home in a coastal town like Cascais can run into the millions, while a T2 apartment in the same area might start around €300,000.

Buyers cover the transaction costs, which scale with the purchase price:

• Legal fees: 1% to 2%
• Notary and registration: 1% to 2%
• Municipal transfer tax (IMT): 0% to 6%
• Stamp duty: 0.4% to 0.8%

Estate agent fees of 5% to 7% plus VAT are normally paid by the seller.

Education in Portugal

If you’re moving with children, the school system is worth understanding early. Public education in Portugal is well regarded and free to residents, including foreign nationals.

Preschool is optional and runs from ages 3 to 5. Formal schooling is compulsory from ages 6 to 18, split into basic education and then upper secondary, which branches into academic, technical, and vocational tracks.

State schools teach in Portuguese, which younger children tend to pick up quickly through immersion. International schools teach in English and other languages but cost more, typically €400 to €1,800 a month depending on the school and city.

Homeschooling is legal but not straightforward. You enroll your child in a school and then formally elect to educate them at home. Registering with a foreign umbrella school is often a simpler route for expat families.

Moving Your Possessions to Portugal

Portugal is well served by sea, air, and road freight, and each has trade-offs on cost and speed. Sea freight is usually cheapest for a full household but slowest; air is fast but expensive; road works if you’re moving from within Europe.

Whichever you choose, you’ll need a Baggage Certificate (Certificado de Bagagem), which proves ownership of your goods and reduces customs and import duties. You get it from your nearest Portuguese embassy or consulate before you move.

Moving Pets to Portugal

You can bring pets, within rules. Cats, dogs, and ferrets need a valid rabies vaccination and a pet passport or equivalent health certificate. Requirements vary by where you’re traveling from, so confirm the current rules for your country, and your chosen pet transporter can usually walk you through the paperwork.

When You Arrive in Portugal

Some of the first administrative steps happen soon after you land, though a few need to be started before you even leave.

You’ll need a Portuguese tax number (NIF, Número de Identificação Fiscal) for almost everything: opening a bank account, signing a lease, setting up utilities. You get it from a Finanças (tax office), not the town hall. If you’re moving from the US or another non-EU country, you’ll usually need a NIF before you submit your visa application, and you’ll typically need a Portuguese fiscal representative to obtain it, so this is often arranged in advance rather than after arrival.

Once you’re living in Portugal, you’ll also register your local address and, depending on your situation, apply for a social security number (Número de Identificação de Segurança Social) if you’re working. The exact process depends on your residence permit and employment status.

These steps are manageable on your own, but many people moving from outside the EU use an immigration lawyer to handle the sequence, since the order and timing of visa, NIF, residency, and registration steps can trip you up.

Learning Portuguese

You can get by in Portugal with English, especially in cities and tourist areas, where many people speak it well. Translation apps cover most day-to-day gaps. But learning Portuguese makes daily life easier and helps you build real connections with neighbors and colleagues. It also matters if citizenship is a long-term goal, since naturalization requires proving Portuguese at A2 level, either by passing a short language exam or completing an approved 150-hour course.

Once you’re there, you have options. Language schools like CIAL in Lisbon and the Royal School of Languages in Porto run courses aimed at foreign residents. You don’t have to wait until you arrive, though. Online tools let you start now:

• italki: connects you with Portuguese tutors and conversation partners online
• Lingopie: teaches through Portuguese TV shows and films with interactive subtitles

Next Steps

Moving to Portugal comes down to sequencing: sort your visa route and NIF first, line up somewhere to live, plan the shipping, and handle the registration steps once you arrive. The order matters more than the individual tasks. Our Moving Abroad Checklist helps you keep track of each stage, and if your situation is at all complex, a Portugal immigration lawyer can map the sequence to your circumstances before you commit to dates.