In 2019, Portugal was ranked fourth among the safest countries in terms of crime in the world by the Global Finance magazine. By 2020, Portugal had risen to third place in the magazine’s annual ranking of peaceful nations.
By 2021, an estimated 661,000 non-Portuguese citizens made Portugal their home, making up about 6.5% of the total population. It is very easy to apply for a Portugal visa and become a citizen.
Portugal is geographically located in the Mediterranean, accounting for its pleasant conditions throughout the country. From warm to hot regions, dry summers to wet winters, Portugal is blessed with a wonderful climate.
It has beautiful beaches, excellent cuisine, high quality of life, and a low cost of living.
Additionally, American citizens can take advantage of several thriving tax incentives in Portugal. You can check out how to get our Portugal visa.
Reasons to move to Portugal
According to data, Portugal has one of Europe’s lowest crime rates. One of the safest countries for women to visit, thanks to its low rate of sexual harassment and its reputation as a place where women can feel secure walking alone at night.
Today, Portugal has a stable government (the World Bank ranked it 23rd in 2020) and excellent ties with other countries, particularly its Western European neighbors.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean Portugal is without issues. The country’s score of 62 on the Corruption Perceptions Index is lower than that of many others in Europe.
To a large extent, the Portuguese language serves as Portugal’s de facto official language. Mirandese is Portugal’s official minority language and is spoken in the far northeastern region of Terra de Miranda.
The cities of Portugal are, by far, the most desirable destinations for ex-pats. On Mercer’s list of the best places to live in 2019, Lisbon comes in at number 37. Lisbon, the 500,000-person capital, and Porto, the 215,000-person second-largest city, attract many visitors because of their long histories, laid-back cultures, and modern amenities.
Several natural disasters, including forest fires, earthquakes, and floods, threaten Portugal regularly. The main danger here is forest fires. Lisbon was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755 that became famous worldwide, but such an event has not occurred in Portugal.
Cities like Silves in the interior of the Algarve and the coastal cities of Portimao and Albufeira are thriving economic centers. The Algarve’s beautiful coastline and a plethora of lush golf courses make it a popular tourist destination.
English is the second most spoken language in Portugal after Portuguese, and as a result, it is required coursework for all students. Smaller but sizable subsets of the population are also fluent in French and Spanish.
Getting a Portugal visa is extremely easy; you can also get the Portugal Golden Visa option.
Portugal has not experienced a natural disaster of this magnitude in quite some time, but the threat remains. According to the EU Disaster Risk Management Knowledge Centre, natural disaster risk in Portugal is relatively low, but not zero.
Concerns about the possibility of earthquakes and tsunamis should be shared with foreign residents of Portugal.
Documents that are required before you can move
Moving to Portugal requires a valid residence permit, a passport, and an identity card. To obtain a Portugal visa, one must demonstrate that they will be permanently residing or working in Portugal, attending school there, marrying a Portuguese citizen, or providing exceptionally valuable public service to the country.
You can obtain a residence Portugal visa in exchange for financial investment. If you want to be safe, figure out spending about six months on the whole process of getting a Portugal visa.
Due to Portugal’s membership in the European Union, EU citizens have the freedom to relocate there (EU). The same rules apply to British citizens who are not permanent residents of Portugal as of January 1, 2021, as they do to citizens of any other non-EU country.
Eu citizens do not have to report their presence upon arrival in Portugal like non-Eu citizens. The maximum time EU citizens are entitled to be 3 months without other means of identification than a valid passport.
After which, they must apply for a Registration certificate. It is important to note that even citizens of the EU and their families are liable to forfeit their Permanent residence card if they are outside Portugal for two years.
If you are interested in moving to Portugal or getting a Portugal visa, the steps are easy and extremely worthwhile.
