Relocate to Portugal with Ease: Your Comprehensive Guide to a Smooth Move
Are you planning a relocation to Portugal? Our expert relocation management company is here to make your move as seamless and stress-free as possible.
We provide a range of services to support corporate HR departments and individuals, including surveying, moving, shipping, insurance, PRO services for document attestation, visa applications, customs clearance, and car importation.
Let us guide you through each step of your journey to ensure a smooth transition to your new life in Portugal.
Step-by-Step Guide to Moving to Portugal
Preparing to Move
Start by organizing your belongings, decluttering, and creating an inventory of items to be shipped. Our professional surveyors will assess your needs and provide an accurate quote for our services. We’ll help you save time and money by identifying the best moving solutions for your unique situation. Bear in mind, we have a complete home search service, to find you properties in Portugal and arrange viewings before you arrive.
Applying for a Portuguese Visa
Research the visa types available for your situation (e.g., work, study, retirement) and review the requirements on the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Collect the necessary documents, complete the application form, and submit it to the nearest Portuguese consulate or embassy. Be prepared for potential delays and follow-ups
Our PRO services assist you with the visa application process by guiding you through the visa type selection, helping you gather the required documents, and ensuring your application is complete and accurate. We'll also monitor your application's progress and handle any follow-ups with the consulate or embassy.
Shipping Your Household Goods
Obtaining quotes from multiple international shipping companies, researching their reputation, and choosing a reliable one is a must – after all, you’re going to entrust your worldly belongings to them during transportation!
You’ll need to pack your belongings, arrange insurance, and coordinate the shipment to Portugal. You’ll also need to create a detailed inventory for customs clearance.
Our team will manage the entire process of shipping your household goods, from surveying your belongings to providing quotes, packing, transportation, and insurance. We'll ensure your items are well-protected and make certain the required inventory for customs clearance is accurate.
Customs Clearance
Familiarize yourself with Portugal’s customs regulations, prepare the necessary documentation, and liaise with customs officials. Be prepared for potential delays and additional costs if documentation is incorrect or incomplete. For more information, visit the Portuguese Tax Authority website.
Our experts will guide you through the customs clearance process, ensuring all documentation is correctly prepared and submitted to Portuguese authorities. We'll help you avoid delays and additional costs by handling the entire process on your behalf.
Importing Your Car
Bringing a vehicle with you to Portugal is a multi-step process. Doing it yourself is invariably time consuming and can sometimes be frustrating. It’s totally possible, but our experience can definitely help shortcut the challenges you’ll undoubtedly face.
Our team will handle the importation process. Please visit our dedicated car import page for more details on the requirements, taxes, and procedures involved.
Settling In
There will be a period when you’ve just arrived and you need some pointers. We’re here to help.
Once you've arrived in Portugal, we'll continue to support you with any necessary appointments, registrations, and other essential tasks. Keep in mind that there is currently a three-month waiting period for appointments with Portugal's authorities, so plan accordingly.
Brexit's Impact on Moving to Portugal
Brexit has changed the process of moving from the UK to Portugal. British citizens are now subject to visa requirements and other regulations that were not applicable before. Our relocation experts are well-versed in the updated procedures and can help you navigate the complexities of moving to Portugal after Brexit.
Trust our dedicated team of professionals to guide you through your move to Portugal, whether you’re relocating to Lisbon or another beautiful city. With our support, you can focus on starting your new life in Portugal while we take care of the details.
Relocating to Portugal: the complete guide
Portugal has become one of Europe’s most popular destinations for retirees, remote workers and families — drawn by the climate, safety, coastline, and access to the EU. From Lisbon and Porto to the Algarve, it offers a high quality of life at a lower cost than most of Western Europe. Relocate MENA manages moves to Portugal from the UAE, the wider GCC and worldwide, end to end — this guide covers what to plan for.
Visas and residency
Most non-EU movers use one of these residence routes:
- D7 visa — for retirees and anyone with stable passive income (pensions, rentals, dividends).
- D8 digital nomad visa — for remote workers and freelancers earning roughly four times the Portuguese minimum wage (about €3,680 a month in 2026).
- Golden Visa — an investment-based residence route, though the qualifying options have narrowed in recent years.
On tax, Portugal closed the original Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) scheme to new applicants from 1 January 2024 (with a transitional window into early 2025) and replaced it with IFICI (“NHR 2.0”), a flat 20% regime limited to eligible science, technology and innovation professions. Tax planning is specialist — take qualified advice. Our visa and immigration team confirms the right residence route and arranges the apostille and attestation your application needs.
Cost of living (2026)
Portugal is among Western Europe’s more affordable countries, with cost concentrated in city-centre housing:
| Item | Indicative cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Single person, Lisbon (all-in) | ~€1,300–2,200 / month |
| Single person, Porto (all-in) | ~€900–1,650 / month (25–35% below Lisbon) |
| One-bedroom, Lisbon city centre | ~€1,400 / month |
| Couple, smaller towns | ~€2,500–3,000 / month |
Figures are indicative and have risen with demand in Lisbon and Porto; your move manager helps you budget for your chosen area.
Where to live and home search
Lisbon offers the widest jobs market and international community at a premium; Porto is cheaper with a similar coastal-city feel; the Algarve suits retirees and families wanting sun and space. Most newcomers rent first — the city markets move quickly and landlords usually ask for proof of income and several months up front. Our home search approach matches you to the right neighbourhood for schools, commute and lifestyle.
Schools and education
Portugal has a strong network of international schools (British, American, IB and French curricula). In Lisbon, tuition is broadly €10,000–16,000 a year for primary and around €14,000 to the mid-€20,000s for secondary, with one-off enrolment and capital-fund fees on top; Porto and other cities are generally lower. Plan places early — our school search service helps you compare and secure them.
Healthcare
Once you are a registered resident with an utente number you can use the public SNS system for small user fees (routine GP and specialist consultations are free at the point of use for registered residents (user fees were largely abolished in 2022)). Many expats add private health insurance — affordable at roughly €40–80 a month for a healthy adult — to shorten waiting times and widen choice of doctors.
Shipping your belongings and customs
We manage your move door to door: packing, sea, road or air freight, and customs clearance. When you move your primary residence to Portugal from outside the EU, you can usually import used household goods free of duty and VAT under transfer-of-residence rules, provided the inventory and timelines are right — which we prepare for you. See our dedicated relocation services in Portugal page for the service detail.
Bringing pets and vehicles
As an EU destination, Portugal has clear pet-import rules (microchip, rabies vaccination and documentation) that we manage through our pet relocation team. Importing a car is involved — registration, inspection and the vehicle tax (ISV) all apply — so we explain the costs up front in our guide to importing a vehicle to Portugal and handle it if you proceed.
How Relocate MENA helps you move to Portugal
One dedicated move manager coordinates the whole relocation — visas, apostille and attestation, international shipping and customs, home and school search, pets and vehicles — so your move to Lisbon, Porto or the Algarve is handled end to end. Request a callback and a relocation specialist will build your plan.