Portugal has all kinds of landscapes: sea, mountain, countryside which is a real advantage for discovering all the regions of this country. From Lisbon, for example, you are around 300km from Porto or the Algarve.
The country is made up of 5 regions: North, Centre, Lisbon/Tagus Valley, Alentejo and the Algarve (South of Portugal).
Several thousands of expatriates come to the Portugal doors every year with good reason.
Portugal & You has listed the advantages which make Portugal an ideal place for a very enjoyable quality and pace of life.
Although it is pretty rare, some costs such as fuel, luxury fashion or perfumery are more or less the same as in France.
For the rest, whether it is public transport, leisure activities (restaurants, bars, outdoor activities, etc.) or real estate, prices are very reasonable and enable to take advantage of all the possibilities offered by this country. This is clearly attractive for tourists or expatriates who look for the balance between quality of life and affordable prices.
According to a study from the Global Peace Index in 2018, Portugal is the 4thsafest country in the world. This ranking has been made on the basis of 23 security criteria such as the level of criminality, the level of violent crimes or the potentiality of terrorism. As a comparison, France is 61stof this ranking and the United Kingdom is 57th.
Portugal is also among the 20 countries the least affected by terrorist attacks. All these data enable Portugal to be elected as the favourite place in Europe by tourists.
Of course, the weather in Portugal changes depending on the region but it is generally enjoyable and mild. Summers are hot (or very hot depending on the regions) but the coast areas benefit from a breeze from the sea which makes summer temperatures more bearable. Winters are mild with temperatures around 10°C at the lowest. This weather enables you to be outside most of the time with a lot of fresh air activities.
The Portuguese history with massive immigration from other countries has made the Portuguese a population skilled in languages, particularly English and French. There are reasons for this. Regarding English, TV programmes, films and series are not translated in Portuguese so they watch them in their original version with subtitles, which is a real advantage for understanding and learning this language.
For French, it is the Portuguese immigration in France which is the cause of the propagation of this language in Portugal.
English, French and Spanish are the main foreign languages taught in Portuguese schools.
Portugal is a very technologically advanced country in many ways.
Bank payments, for example, enable users to pay their utility bills (electricity, gas, water, etc.) and taxes (income tax, real estate tax, etc.) by using the cash dispensers. The Portuguese also often use the payment apps on their smartphone for payment.
WIFI is available in every public place and optical fibre is provided in almost all the cities of the country.
The Portuguese receive an ID card called « Cartão de Cidadão » (citizen card) with several functions in one: in particular a tax card, social security and health card, voting card. It contains all the information about the user.
Little personal anecdote from P&Y: when Delphine came to Portugal for the first time in summer 2002, chemists were already equipped with an automatic distribution system of medicines while this process only became common in France a few years ago.
Last but not least, the tax benefits and especially the non-habitual resident regime that we explained in another article.
Income tax has been deducted at source for many years, its rate depends on declared wages and some expenses can be deducted (pharmacy, medical appointment, medical spending, etc.). In 2018, there are 7 tax brackets:
| Tax brackets | Rates |
| from 0 to 7 091 € | 14.5% |
| between 7 091 € and 10 700 € | 23% |
| between 10 700 € and 20 261 € | 28,5% |
| between 20 261 € and 25 000 € | 35% |
| between 25 000 € and 36 856 € | 37% |
| between 36.856 € and 80 640 € | 45% |
| above 80 640 € | 48% |
On this issue, this is not very interesting compared to France but as the cost of living is lower, it can create a good balance.
For professionals, the basic tax rate on companies is 21%.
To resume, Portugal benefits from many advantages which can encourage you to consider a more enjoyable life.
Portugal & You can assist you in your expatriation project in Portugal from seeking real estate to all the necessary administrative procedures for setting up home.
