DON'T move to PORTUGAL if...

Portugal is not for everyone! Over the past couple of years, we have been plagued with videos, blogs, articles, and more about how Portugal is the hotspot. It's the place to go. But why? Does this country work for everyone? What should you be aware of before you move? While there are a lot of great things about Portugal, it's not perfect. No place is. We of course love sharing the good aspects about this beautiful country but we need to be realistic here too.

Josh and Kalie from ExpatsEverywhere lay out and discuss certain topics about Portugal that you need to know about. Don't like these things? Then maybe you shouldn't move to Portugal.

* ABOUT US *
Josh and Kalie left the US for a life abroad in 2009 and haven't looked back. They have lived in Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and are currently in Portugal. Yes, they realize they only moved to countries starting with the letter "S" until they spoiled that streak with their move to Portugal. Follow ExpatsEverywhere as we aim to get information to you through expat interviews, city breakdowns, expat life, travel, vlogs, and more.

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[tuxdude]

Thank you so much for this video. I've been in Portugal for two years and am happy. However, I've met people that are very unhappy about the change in life and the move has become a miserable experience. Most of these people are from the US and I know that most of them will probably never reconcile these problems and will eventually move back. I feel videos like this are important as it is easy to spend hundreds of hours online researching content about a foreign destination and everything is roses. This reality check is needed.

[MrUled]

So many of the things discussed are not about Portugal, just about living abroad (anywhere). The whole point of moving abroad is, things are different! Literally that's the point

[Thealexandrept]

A native Portuguese, commenting on this video:
Although overall this video is correct, but NOT all entirely correct;
1° Yes, there is Bureaucracy, too much bureaucracy! But it has been improving in recent years, and it will get better now, with new laws in 2024.
2° Taxes: Unfortunately nothing to say. It's not bad, it's terrible!...Earnings above €2, 500 pay heavy taxes. Above €4, 000 it reaches almost 40% tax... (But the average Portuguese earns no more than €1, 500/1, 600 per month!) 👈.
3° It's not just Lisbon, Porto and Algarve that speak English reasonably well.
In almost the entire country, and especially in the youngest segments of the population up to 35/40 years old, English is often dominant. And don't forget the famous Portuguese Hospitality!
4° Another frequent mistake, Portugal is not just Lisbon, Porto, Algarve. Most of this country's history and culture resides in the North of Portugal.
*It is worth visiting cities such as Braga, Guimarães, Viana Castelo, but also not forgetting the famous Coimbra* etc.., land of many traditions and culture.
5° Yes, it's true, the Portuguese love food, and sharing a meal and good wine, with Friends and Family. Portuguese food is often praised by tourists and even critics! I suggest you stay away from other tourists, from the common tourist places. Best regions to eat and drink in Portugal: Minho Region, in the north and Famoso Alentejo, in the south, near Algarve...

[davidmartinspresents]

Taxes are complicated and different types of income are taxed differently in Portugal. You could have all your income from stocks and it won't be taxed over 28% so it does depend. If you work in California, you probably pay federal income tax, state income tax, social security tax, unemployment tax, disability tax, etc which may take up to 50% of your gross income.

[ItllBeFun]

Bom dia! Nice video. You have covered so many good points that folks really need to think about.
Alan

[SharonDidThat]

I love you, guys. I think the problem is, is that people think that they are going to have the same things as their home country. Thinking sunshine and rainbows. You can’t even move to a us state without different laws. Just be open to the experience and enjoy the ride.

[ericmehl]

Two constants in life are death and taxes. It would silly to think that you can escape taxes in one country by living in another. Portuguese health services are in some ways way better than in the US, but there is always an incipient cost for it and that cost is divided among the people living there. Pure and simple math. It's a smaller county with a smaller population splitting up social service costs. Go figure. Also, I think that everyone who is planning to come there should study Portuguese on an ongoing basis here in the US long before they ever land in Portugal. The language study beforehand might be the major determining factor as to whether or not you'd really go there. Some people warm up to learning a foreign language others do not! It should probably be the first thing you try out long before you move there. I think what you both outlined is very very realistic so people do romanticize 
going to Portugal without an informed idea as to what's going on. Thank you both.

[georgd]

I liked your intro and sharing the realities. Surely when moving to another country one HAS to adapt and integrate. We gotta take the good with the bad! Great video as always! Thanks Josh & Kayley and here's wishing you a successful 2024!

[TheGlobalNobles]

Great video Josh and Kalie! We’ve loved living in Portugal. Beautiful country, the kindest people, and any little inconveniences or new ways of doing things are totally worth it.

[lorrainesclark]

I totally agree with everything. We had problems with amazon at the beginning but the other day I ordered a converter from Spain and it arrived in less than 24 hours. It is getting better here for Amazon. Love your videos.

[marianneeichler]

Hi Kailey and Josh,
Great video. I am in the San Joaquin Valley in California and I do watch your videos. I visited Portugal as part of a tour in 2018 and then went back in 2019 to live for a month. I LOVE it. Then COVID came along. I am glad to hear what these insights reveal, and I still want to be there. The two of you make very good videos and I don't know how you learned to do this but I am glad you did. :)

[mcp]

Nice summary! :) I always tell people: come with a sense of adventure, curiosity, and flexibility or don't come at all. :)

[klang]

Tax isn't a bad thing if it is spent well. In the US you get virtually nothing for it whereas in other countires you get a lot more i.e. healthcare, good schools, good transport etc. I think Americans are so anti tax just because it gives you very little apart from an oversized military that does nothing but make you more unsafe!

[johnpeterson]

I'm not leaving cause I'm still trying to figure out bed linen measurements.

[GeraldFigal]

All good points, unvarnished. Lucky for me I actively want something entirely different from US when retired; that’s the whole point for me. I enjoy language learning, love Portuguese cuisine, dislike pointless material possessions (so idc about Amazon Prime), love foreign adventures (and being the stranger), prefer mini-splits to central heating/ac (from experience living in Japan), so it’s really the Portuguese bureaucracy that’ll be the big challenge for me. My daughter did make me promise to visit future grandchildren enough to have a presence, so there’s that too….

[edbarnard]

Great video with good reality presented. We had to smile at the Amazon section as we have now adapted to Portuguese Amazon. A funny little story to share. We were out for coffee at a local cafe when the Amazon driver called saying he was at our residence, so we asked for next day delivery. He asked where we were and about 3 minutes later he showed up with the parcel at our coffee shop, so it is not all bad, just have to get used to it, the personal touch was very nice and our visiting friends from Canada had a great laugh.

[lokimikko]

Really good video overall! Wife n' I have been in Portugal for over a month and although it's been a blast...it's been a culture shock (and I lived in Greece and Spain years ago) as well. AIMA is a mess, but it's a recently consolidated agency. CTT is a mess, but strikes haven't helped that much. Grocery shopping hasn't been bad, but there are some quirky nuisances. The aisles can be a little...random (that's me being nice)? Continente has pet supplies next to the bakery. We're used to Publix in Florida, which makes shopping a breeze... Logistically, it's just... Different?

One massive pet peeve: Not a fan of the staring that we experience, primarily due to us being East Coast Americans. To us, staring is considered rude, if not threatening. I've lived in several countries and most would at least consider it rude. Yet, I've read all over that Portuguese stare and it's normal (to them). So... We walk by staring Portuguese and I throw them off with a "Bom dia/tarde/noite" or "Oi" (maybe give a wink or chin check at them for good measure). We have to accept the behavior...but it doesn't mean we can't have some fun disagreeing with it.

Cultural differences are what make moving to other countries interesting. People criticizing others for thinking "Oh wow this is different than in my country" with a borderline-pretentious response of "You moved to another country. Of course it's different Don't like it, then why are you here?" are simply being hypocritical. No one moves to another country without comparing their current location to their past location. It's that simple.

We like it here though. Growing pains are manageable. Overall, the Portuguese are very friendly and appreciate us stumbling to learn their language. We still have much to see and much more to learn 🤙

[lisajennings]

Realllly good video Josh and Kalie. Well done.

[MirandaHorger]

A lot of the issues you raised are applicable to any foreign place you might want to move to. Being self aware enough to honestly evaluate your comfort level with the issues you point out. I'm still high on Portugal, but after visiting, I really had to ask myself some hard questions. The thing about PT that put me off the most was the amount of homes in ruin. They created a feeling of almost 3rd world (maybe better classified as developing) poverty. It was uncomfortable. And the smoking. Things I need to really consider for the long term.

[ssrajput]

Feliz Ano Novo! 🎆 A great video with many important points, as I get ready to move to Lisbon in a week. I would say all of the points you brought up are why it’s important to do research and do scouting trips ahead of time, especially if you intend to stay for the long term. I started to research a move to Portugal back in 2021 and made 3 trips in 2022-2023 before fully committing to a move from the US. Watching YT videos aren’t good enough (even though your channel provides very pertinent info), but going in person and experiencing everyday life other than touristy activities are important. Obrigado!