Why Should You Move To Portugal?

Another benefit of moving to the Algarve is that foreign people who retire to Portugal can receive their pension tax free for up to ten years. Portugal also has a cost of living that is less than in the UK, so if you are moving there on a UK pension it will make life easier. 

 

Another very good reason to move to the Algarve is the fish. In Portugal they are the world’s sixth largest consumer of fish, with sardines and cod being the big two. The traditional way to eat sardines there is grilled on a slice of bread. Salted cod is the other favourite, with Bacalhau com todos – “cod with everything” - being eaten every Christmas Eve. 

 

There is also plenty of wine to go with the food in Portugal. It is one of the world’s largest producers of red and white wine, and also, of course, port, which is produced in the Douro region in the north. 

 

Of course, with all this wine production it is necessary to have something with which to seal the bottles, and it just so happens that cork is produced from the cork oak tree. It also just happens that the best cork oak trees in the world grow in the Algarve! What a coincidence. Portugal actually produces half of all the world’s cork, and the industry has produced some of the richest families in Portugal since the 1800’s. 

 

Another piece of good news if you are moving to Portugal is that the country actually wants immigrants. Between 2011 and 2016 there was a lot of emigration, and this reduced the country’s workforce. The government has now made it easier for foreigners to buy properties and obtain work permits. 

 

Indeed, in January 2020 the Interior Minister proudly announced that “in 2019, for the first time in our history, the barrier of half a million foreign citizens residing in Portugal has been overcome”. With a population of 10.3 million, that means that about 5% of the population now consists of people born elsewhere. Indeed, the Algarve has a large community of expats and according to Live & Invest Overseas, Portugal – and the Algarve in particular – is the No.1 best country to retire to in 2021. They say that it is the third safest country in the world and has the second highest amount of Blue Flag beaches in the world. 

 

What’s more, if you spend at least €500,000 on Portuguese real estate, you may be able to get your hands on a Golden Visa, which means you’ll be given a free Portuguese residency permit for you and your dependents. After five years, you’ll even be able to upgrade this to Portuguese citizenship, providing you pass a basic language test and ‘demonstrate ties to the country’. 

 

For Portugal removals, at Movers International we can help you. We run regular services to Portugal every two weeks, and we have moved a lot of people there with our Portugal removals services over the last few years. Whether you want to move a complete house or just a single item to Portugal, we have the expertise to get you there safe and sound.