Portugal is known as one of the top destinations for digital nomads and for good reason. Portugal combines several factors that, together, make it hard to beat. Let’s walk through 5 of the main reasons.
1. Immigration Framework
Immigration in Portugal isn’t a patchwork of laws and rules built up piecemeal over time, the way it is in many other countries. Portugal overhauled its immigration system to create clear, solid paths for qualifying immigrants to enter and stay in the country without unnecessary red tape.
The “D” series of visas includes the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa, the Portugal Golden Visa, and the Portugal Passive Income Visa (also known as the Portugal Retirement Visa). Almost any of these visas can lead to permanent residency or Portuguese citizenship after five years. Most countries reserve these benefits for a handful of high-tier visas, such as a golden visa. Portugal opens that door much wider.
2. Technology Infrastructure
Living as a digital nomad or simply building a new home far from friends and family, works a lot better when you have access to fast, reliable internet. Portugal delivers consistently strong connectivity no matter where you are. You’ll find solid internet at hotels, cafés, and even through Vodafone’s unlimited cell phone plans. Trust us: we’ve run live streams over an iPhone connection for more than an hour without a single glitch.
Granted, it’s easier to build great infrastructure in a smaller country. But it’s still refreshing to see a government put in the work to create one of the best internet networks in the world.
3. Stability and Safety
You don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on a property that could drop in value later on or by settling on a place where you need to constantly watch your back. Portugal is both a stable, developed country and one that consistently ranks among the safest in the world.
If you’ve spent time in Portugal, you know the feeling. True or not, there’s a sense that you can go almost anywhere, at almost any time, without worrying that something bad will happen.
On the government and economy front, Portugal is as solid as it gets as a major member of the European Union. Along with a stable currency and government, Portugal has worked to streamline its business environment all while holding onto its distinctly human-centered culture.
4. Food and Health
Food and health go hand in hand. The Mediterranean cuisine found in Portugal is widely credited as one of the reasons people here live healthy, active lives well into their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s.
And Portuguese food isn’t just healthy, it’s genuinely delicious. Stale, over-processed food is hard to find. Fish, fruit, and vegetables are rarely frozen and travel a remarkably short distance from source to table. Try one of Portugal’s many cod dishes, and you’ll find it hard to believe it’s the same fish you’d buy at Costco.
5. Cost of Living
Now imagine getting all of the above at an affordable price. Portugal’s cost of living is substantially lower than in the US or the UK and that’s where geo-arbitrage comes in. Geo-arbitrage means earning money where it’s easiest to earn it, and spending it where it’s easiest to save. That’s exactly what dozens of US military retirees do every month. A disability or Social Security check of $3,000 barely covers the basics in the US, but that same amount can support a comfortable, even plentiful, lifestyle in most of Portugal.
The Bottom Line
Portugal isn’t attractive for just one reason; it’s the combination that makes it stand out. A clear, welcoming immigration system. Internet fast enough to run your business from anywhere. A level of safety and stability that’s increasingly rare. Food that supports a longer, healthier life. And a cost of living that lets your money go much further than it would back home. Put those five factors together, and it’s easy to see why so many US citizens are choosing to make Portugal their next home.
Thinking about making the move yourself? Reach out to us today for a consultation, and let’s figure out which Portugal visa path is the right fit for your situation.