Moving to Portugal in 2026: your complete relocation guide

On this page: Why Portugal · The right order · NIF · Visas · Housing · Banking & money · Healthcare · Cost of living · Driving & car · Pets, belongings, utilities · Moving from your country · FAQ

Why people move to Portugal

Mild winters, more than 300 days of sun in the south, some of the lowest crime rates in Europe, a large English-speaking expat community and a cost of living that still undercuts most of Western Europe. Add straightforward residency routes and EU-market access, and it is easy to see the appeal. For an honest look at both sides, read our pros and cons of living in Portugal and Portugal vs Spain comparisons.

Do things in the right order

Most relocation stress comes from doing steps out of sequence. Broadly: NIF → visa → bank account → move → residence permit → tax setup → driving licence. The rest of this page follows that path, and our full step-by-step relocation handbook lays out the checklist end to end.

Step 1 — Get your NIF

Your Portuguese tax number underpins everything: renting, banking, contracts. Non-residents can get one remotely — see the NIF guide or have us handle it for €99.

Step 2 — Choose your visa route

Portugal offers routes for almost every situation — remote workers (D8), retirees and passive income (D7), entrepreneurs (D2), founders (Startup), skilled hires (Tech) and investors (Golden). Compare them all in the visas & residency hub.

Step 3 — Find somewhere to live

Rental demand is high in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, so read our renting a home guide and the rental-contract checklist before signing. Buying instead? See buying property as a foreigner. Not sure where to base yourself? Start with best places to live and the regions of Portugal.

Step 4 — Banking & money

You will need a Portuguese account and a sensible way to move money internationally. See banking & money, personal banking and, if you are buying, mortgages for foreigners.

Step 5 — Healthcare

Portugal has a strong public health service (SNS) plus affordable private cover, which most visas require initially. Our healthcare for expats guide explains how to register and what it costs.

Cost of living

Portugal remains affordable by Western-European standards, though Lisbon and the Algarve have risen. See cost of living in Portugal for real 2026 ranges.

Driving & bringing a car

Planning to drive? You will likely need to exchange your licence with the IMT, and if you are shipping a vehicle, our car import guide covers ISV, customs and registration. We now handle both as in-house services — see services.

Pets, belongings & utilities

The practical bits that catch people out: bringing pets, shipping your belongings, setting up utilities, and getting a SIM and internet. It also pays to start learning Portuguese early.

Moving from your country

Country-specific guidance, including tax and document quirks: from the US, from the UK, and from Brazil. Retiring? See retiring in Portugal.

Official immigration information is published by AIMA and general public services via ePortugal. Rules change, so verify current requirements for your situation.