True about the electric blanket, but I can't believe you didn't mention the single most important electrical item - the dehumidifier! If there's one thing that makes a cold damp house feel warm, dries my clothes, stops the mold and damp and just generally makes life tolerable, our desumidificador is that thing.
Yes! I live in Ireland which has 85 to +90% humidity -temperate rainforest climate, and have two dehumidifiers in my stone cottage. No mold or damp since I bought them.
The best is an air-conditioner used as heating. Not only does it give instant heat but also dehumidifies. Of course, you need to own the house to install it. Even better but more power consuming is floor heating. It heats and dries the structure of the building so it is the most comfortable. If you cannot afford either then an electric blanket is a must. At least you have one last refuge to be warm, in bed.
Totally agree, we live on Madeira island so not mainland Portugal but I honestly think that a dehumidifier should be considered essential for many areas of the works including Scotland which is where we were living previously. The mould that grows in cool damp conditions is so bad for health.
@@antoniocruz8083 Air conditioners draw a lot of power and are not climate friendly though. Under floor heating is great but not suitable for some older buildings - my flagstone kitchen and hall. Insulation to current standards - example 300mm attic insulation in my country, and things like triple glaze windows are best because it reduces the need for heating in the first place.
I'm Portuguese and bureaucracy is really one of the most delicate issues we have in Portugal. Even for us who have always lived here it's quite the struggle.
@Never Move To Portugal can I ask where u are from? My wife is brazilian and we are aware of the corruption and socialist policies which plague Portugal too…. But…. It’s sunny…. Cheap to buy homes and two hours from the uk on a £50 flight….. where did u come from previously that Portugal is hard to bare?
@@vggm5750 it’s the safest place in Europe! Take a look in London maybe? Or thank your European Union and the socialist government for your poor wages. I’m in the uk! Can earn 80-90k euro and pick up a cheap house in Portugal for 60k.
I did it!!! I left Belgium for Portugal one year ago. We live now in the center of Portugal, between Tomar and Abrantes, near the river Zèzere. And BLISS.... the best decision we ever made! PS : We have a stove. 😉
@@LOKI77able Sorry, I have been living in Brussels for 5 years and worked there for 15. Its about the shittiest place in the world. I have lived in many countries, including in Africa and Asia, but I never found such a level of disorganisation and corruption than in Brussels.
Your remark about the bureaucracy - “It depends who’s at the counter …” Oh, so true! If you get someone who feels like being helpful, it can be so simple. A corollary - if they don’t know the answer, there’s a good chance they’ll just make something up, so you get to go down some pretty interesting dead ends. But like you, I think the wonders of being here far outweigh the inconveniences!
I’ve lived in several southern parts of the world and there seems to be a lack of knowledge that insulating a home is NOT just for cold climates. The whole point of a well insulated home is to keep the inside temperature constant no matter what the temperature is outside, including 40!! I am grateful that our place in Portugal has some insulation, but I just want to bang my head when I think about all the properties here that lack it. To anyone who has a property or is going to buy one, please do yourself a favor and have someone add styrofoam insulation to your outside walls ( you don’t need to do the internal walls). You will be very happy you did!
Makes your house a bit ugly and often the rooftiles don‘t cover the outside insulation, making lots of expensive roof work necessary - if you find the old tiles again. Much easier is to insulate the uppermost ceiling.
*Same issue in southern Spain ! It's like they forget how cold it can get indoors during winters! It shocks me how they lack that. It's something everyone should have in mind before thinking of buying property in Portugal or Spain*
I moved from Portugal to Florida (US) 7 years ago. I currently work has a construction manager in Naples area and I also do encounter incredible amounts of bureaucracy here too dealing with permits and inspections. We also experience substantial delays in our construction projects due to global supply chain issue. So having experienced dealing with bureaucracy in Portugal prepared me well dealing with bureaucracy overseas 😀.
I've never had a problem with bureaucracy in Portugal, but you are right that you need to accept things take longer and will probably be more complicated than they would in the UK for instance. I've heard from a lot of other foreigners that they get angry or complain and I don't think that helps anyone. Smile, keep calm, use any Portuguese you know (even if it's just olá and obrigada) and at least you'll start off on the right foot. I think the other thing that people need to know before moving to Portugal is that it can REALLY rain here in winter, especially in central/north Portugal! We might have long hot, dry summers but winter months can be horribly wet.
Watching these videos makes me want to go back home. Having lived in Lisbon for 25 years, lived in London for another few years and currently being on the other side of the world.... I must say there's no place like Lisbon, it has everything... food, quality of life in summer or winter, beaches.... why the hell did I leave? 😔
Why did you left? Não sei, mas talvez o salário... A ideia de que Portugal é um sítio fantástico é propagada por influencers, mas quem vive em Portugal e tem uma vida normal e um trabalho normal não disfruta de Portugal. A realidade de quem vive o quotidiano é muito diferente, eu diria precária e deprimente... Eu saí de Portugal, passo férias em Portugal todos os anos, mas não me vejo a voltar.
@Jake LaGotta I haven´t lived in Portugal since 2016, so my perception is skewed. However, is easy for anyone to see that the average Portuguese Salary is much lower than the average salaries of countries like Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Rep. Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Northern Italy, France... the list goes on and on. Portugal has an average salary similar to former USSR countries like Slovakia or Estonia (around 30 000€ per year), however when you compare cost of living, those countries have in average a higher purchasing power. In Portugal the difference in the cost of living between cities is huge, Lisbon is super expensive, meanwhile some towns in the center, close to the border with Spain, are very affordable (Castelo Branco, Covilhã, Fundão) you can rent a decent apartment for 500 euros or a cheap one for 300, but the salaries in those towns are often very low, like 800 or 900 euros per month. Portugal has one of the most expensive electricity prices in the EU, Portugal has one of the most expensive Gasoline and Diesel prices in the EU, has a relatively high Personal Income Tax (between 14.5% and 48%). Portugal outside the large city centers is a very car-centric country with bad or sometimes nonexistent public transportation. In most of the country the economy has been depressed for decades, only recently (before Covid) it gave some signs of some dynamism. The political spectrum is quite depressing as well, the country had some staunch communist that get something like 10% of the votes (no matter what), on the other side of politics there is a neo-fascist party called Chega which has been gaining a lot of support, more than 10% (they basically want to go back to a protectionist dictatorship like that of former dictator Salazar (they are now openly saying it, they even adopted the same slogan "Deus, Pátria, Família" God, homeland, family), however, the country is mostly favorable to the subsidy dependency model (like in a socialist country) with a certain anti capitalist sentiment and wealth over a certain level is still frown upon in many circles (if you get "rich", people assume you did something wrong...). Portugal has a chronic birthrate deficit that will cause the socialist-model social security and pension system to collapse in the coming decades, the debt to GDP ratio is 130%, even tho Portugal along with Belgium are the only countries with debts over 120% that have been able to reduce the debt to GDP ratio since adopting the Euro, so I guess there is a positive point of resilience. I have high hopes for Portugal in 2040 or 2050, I see the possibilities of change for the better, but it will take a new generation of people... Portugal is very interesting for wealthy "expats" that earn their money abroad and do not understand the language or the real social situation of the country... ignorance is a bliss.
@@pedrolopes3542 nada mudou!!! Voltei em Portugal porque nunca queria ir fora más tive que seguir os meus pais. É difícil ainda mais com este tipo de influencer a fazer este tipo de vídeo que não ajuda nada.
i say - experience and the pursuit of carrier. London offers more jobs, salaries and easier way to get into company work. BUT - looking at it from a positive side! Once you gain yearly experience and wisdom - returning back might help you get a remote job or/and a higher office position. Wherever we are at life - our journey is ongoing and should never stop to pursuit happiness, stability, adventures and new knowledge :)
I lived in Japan for 15 years and never seen central heating or cooling. The house insulation is also almost non existent. Houses are hot in summer, cold in winter. Remember waking up in the morning and the temperature in the bedroom was just 4C. I could see my own breath. Constant problem with mold, etc., etc. Anyway, thank you for a great video and looking forward to the next one.
@Jake LaGotta it depends on the region. In the northern parts the temperature can drop to -20C. When I said 4C I was referring to the temperature in my bedroom, not outside.
You've never seen an air conditioning unit that heats and cools in Japan? They are pretty standard. Central heating (radiators) are unheard of, though. The problem she mentions about housing is true though. Japanese houses are built for the summer.
I'm Portuguese, lived in France, the UK, and now Hungary. A part of me really wants to go back to my country but then the other part just can't deal with the issues you mentioned in this video. Very accurate description of the most annoying things about living in Portugal!
*The issues look similar to Spain. I was thinking to move to Portugal from Spain only because people are nicer in Portugal than they are in Spain, but considering the stress of having to go through everything from 0, I'm happy to just travel there from time to time*
@@dorottyaudvardy Some things are similar in Hungary but the main difference for me is the heating inside. In Budapest, I live in a super comfortable warm apartment, I can even wear a t-shirt in the wintertime. In Portugal, I need at least 3 layers inside the house.
I would say spaniards and latino-maghreb immigrant of spain are nicer and more sociable. Except catalan they are mean i have no idea why 😂 and have a snake mentality. This is something that shocked me in barcelona. The bad mentality of catalans 😆 Portuguese old people are very nice and sociable. They act like a good dad or good mom to you. but the young adults are a bit shy and a bit arrogant. And invite themselves into light bullying if opportunity for it present itself 😂
Lived in the Algarve for almost 9 years, the one thing I don't want to live without is a dehumidifier ......the mold and damp in the colder months is horrible as is the continual smell of bleach, from cleaning it!!!! The dehumidifier really helps a lot. Please do a 'part 2'.
I personally , really appreciate THIS video. The fairytale life is a nice distraction that is so motivating to get moving, but the realities and struggles are real, and should be spoken about with the same amount if passion and earnest assessment. With that said, please continue the dialogue and the journey Liz. I am a true fan and hope to utilize all the wisdom offered when the time comes. Saúde!
I had never felt so glad about being Brazilian as when I moved to Portugal because bureaucracy in Brazil is also a pain, so it almost felt like a preparation course. I could also relate to the lack of heating system overall. Being from the South, temperatures commonly drop below zero in winter and a proper heating system is virtually nonexistent, especially in older buildings and houses, unless you're willing to spend LOTS of money on it.
@@miguellemos4669, I think E. Silveira is from the South of Brazil. There, in wintertime, the temperature drops below zero, and most people can't afford to have a heating system.
@@74the_magpie I never said anything about freezing to death. But trust me, it was much more comfortable for me to live in Montreal during the winter than in Brazil.
Absolutely, a part 2 would we awesome!! We are planning on moving to Portugal. My husband is 50% Portuguese and has family living there and he is working on getting his citizenship before we go over to Portugal. We are trying to prepare as much as possible. :)
I'm from the UK - well known for 'mixed' weather, but had always been used to lovely warm houses in winter - until I met my Portuguese partner.......my goodness, I'd never been in houses so cold! I thought it a little amusing at first, how when visiting friends and family they'd sit wearing umpteen jackets and scarves.....my amusement soon waned! It's strange in country that has real architectural appreciation - it doesn't extend to the internal comfort of a house. You make lots of good points - and I agree about electric blankets....bliss! Will check out your language videos - I think native English speakers find it almost impossible to make some of the Portuguese sounds.....we just can't find the right place to put the tongue!
You don't need a heated towel rack or a dryer in the winter in Portugal. You just need a dehumidifier. Put your drying rack in front of a dehumidifier and it'll dry in less than 24 hours. (That includes a towel and sheets.) This was my experience living in Braga (northeast of Porto, where there's a lot more cold and damp compared to Lisbon). And as an added bonus, it produces white noise, which helps a bit with the city noise... especially at night. As for apartment temperatures, I put in an A/C system (just like you did). But I made sure to have a wall unit in each bedroom as well as the living room. So I just needed to heat whatever room I was in. At night, that was just the bedroom. Which wasn't very expensive to heat, as it's not that many square meters.
We got a dehumidifier instead of a dryer. Takes up less space and also you can move it about to dry out rooms when it rains for days. We found that the house is warmer (during sunny weather) when we air out the house every morning, because that keeps it dryer inside. Curtains across open doors and large glass windows also help. We have survived ( so far) in a large house, with no heating, towel heater or dryer, but we do have a large garden to dry clothes, wear double bath robes, and bought 2 ton of seasoned firewood, to keep the temperature in the lounge between 18-20 C. The kitchen hovers between 14 and 16, burrrr. We will sort out air con, towel rails eventually. I do feel that having a cool house is better for your health. I have faced this in England too at times. I never get a cold, when living in a cold house. Also you appreciate being outside more.
I moved 4 years ago from Dubai and I can surely relate to the cold homes and patience needed! Now I can smile (mostly) but back then it would frustrate me. More videos on this please!
I moved to the Azores ... can agree on a couple of points .... but the best move I ever made, loving it 3 years in. 1/ Weather - it does not get really cold here even in January/February ... BUT... the humidity remains high and this makes everything feel much cooler and damp. Putting on another layer almost feels counteractive, as then the damp is just closer to your skin! Wood burning stove sorts it though when indoors. 2/ Damp ... mould is a problem and fabrics need airing and cleaning. Anything where your hands have touched will grow mould /: 3/ Insects... interesting. LOL. 4/Chilled pace of life... along with this comes a whole heap of paper work filling, agreed. But just get everything direct debit - getting NIF was not a problem with me as I went to Finances with my 'agent', so yes, agree you need help! Language... whew... don't get me going. But fortunately virtually almost everyone under 35 speaks good English. And older educated professionals. You'll be fine, but of course it is important to try to speak Portuguese, even though you may get the odd laugh and 'diga-diga' :) Your Portuguese sounds amazing, but for me as a retired individual learning conversational Portuguese is very hard. But I can get along OK. 5/ Dogs... yes. But all my local ones shut up after they got used to me. That and an ultrasonic device strategically placed! 6/ Azores specific ... the electricity supply is shall we say 'variable' - it has taken out my oven and hob :( So now, I have a lovely Samsung ornament and awaiting a cheap and cheerful locally common range that will be more robust with fluctuating supply voltage. Now... benefits.... many... over to you!
Dehumidifier is essential in the winter: 1) Dry air "feels" warmer than humid air at the same temperature. 2) It takes much more energy to heat humid air vs dry air. 3) A dehumidifier will dry out your walls. Dry walls insulate much better then wet walls. 4) Condensation (the process a dehumidifier uses to extract water from the air) is an exothermic reaction, meaning it releases energy. So you get free extra heat!
The reason why so many Brazilians are going to Portugal is that these issues are the same ones we face here, but with the advantage of being a safer and more stable country to live in. This is the first video I've watched on your channel and I really enjoyed it. Relevant observations and well-organized ideas. Congratulations.
Excellent video. I moved to Braga from London 2 years ago and I agree with everything you have said (I have made a note to buy a washer/dryer!). I am glad that my experiences in governmental offices have been similar to yours- and you are fluent in Pt! I love your videos BTW - thank you so much for creating them x
A big shock to us was that an appointment is not what we know as an appointment in the UK. We got caught out in both the bank and at the Financas offices where we thought being given an appointment for a certain time meant that when you arrived at the given time you would be seen by someone expecting you. In both cases all it seemed to mean was that we were ok to visit that day but we still needed to take a ticket and go to the back of the long queue that had formed because we had arrived at our 'appointed' time rather than opening time.
I agree with all the points. The bureaucracy is extremelly irritating. Regarding the noise, I've noticed in London I get a lot of noise from Police cars and Ambulances and they are allowed to use their loudest sirens from 6am or even earlier. Emergency vehicles in Portugal have a different siren for day time and night time, not to wake up the whole neighbourhood, just alert other vehicles/people on the road.
Interesting about the weather. I tell people the coldest winter of my life was when I lived in Taiwan, which is subtropical, but during the cold months it rains a lot and there was simply no escape from the cold, even indoors. I grew up in North Dakota in the US, where winters literally kill people who get caught outdoors without proper protection, but at least homes and businesses are heated.
That’s the thing HAVING NOWHERE TO GO TO GET WARM. Honestly Im so lucky as I have heat and can afford to run it but fuel poverty is a thing here and that makes me very sad.
Near to Leiria I often have freezing ground temperatures from December to February - with 20 at lunchtime. But to see old neighbour widows going out daily to collect sticks and branches for their firewood really gets to me
Interesting! Where did you live in Taiwan? I'm planning to spend at least six months there once the situation gets better and borders open back up. What time of year in your experience would be the wettest and/or coldest season?
@@oneworld1160 I live near Braga and we all have to colect stuff for the fireplace and the fire stove since it's usually the cheapest way to warm yourself
If you're buying a house (as vs an aprtment), you need to consider if you prefer the place cool in summer or warm in winter. Most houses in Portugal are built for the former. Small windows so little sun gets in. Lofts not insulated. No central heating. No carpeted floors. And if it's old, no double glazing. I prefer warm in winter. So when I was buying my house, and I couldn't find one that met these requirements, I had in mind the ease of converting it (e.g. enlarging + double galzing the windows, insulating the loft). If you can find a south facing house, it will help too. The place will warm up during the day.
This was great. I think it's important to touch on these experiences of moving here.Yes do a part 2! My husband and are here in Porto. We were watching and nodding our heads at everything you talked about lol. We are learning the practice of patience.
Hi! I am moving to Porto this summer, currently in Seattle and trying very hard to learn Portugese. Are you fluent in Portugese? If not, how is life in Porto as english speaker?
@@kylemichard4202 No I am not Fluent in Portuguese. My husband is Portuguese and can speak a little so that has helped. Living in Porto you will find a lot of people do speak english. If I can't understand what someone is saying and they can't understand my portuguese I ask "Tu Falas inglês?" If they can they will switch over. Most say " very little" don't be discouraged if they say that. They do speak very well. When I do come across someone who does not speak english or can't understand a particular word, I use google translate to communicate that has work great. Yes it is Brazilian Portuguese but that's ok when you need it to communicate. I also use it in the grocery stores to translate as it has the camera feature to translate labels. It's my best tool for stores! I did take Portuguese classes back in Canada and I am currently taking one on one lessons now. With youtube content like with Liz it all adds to your learning the language. If your stuck on a particular area of the language her you can find a video to just focus on that area. If your on Facebook join the Porto Expat page it is very helpful for so much. Long answer but I hope it helped.
@@kylemichard4202 I just got back from my introductory visit; not fluent exactly, but able to manage to some extent, even with people wearing masks. We didn't get to Porto, but we did not find in general that English is universal in Portugal. This is not news, but you know what - we're in Seattle too! Destination not fixed yet, probably in Leiria or Coimbra districts but conceivably in Vila Nova de Gaia.
I totally agree. That’s why I have decided to come back to Rio. No patience to wait months to have the “estores” fixed and not be able to open the window. If you need to repair anything in your house, be prepared to see a shrink!
Whilst I completly agree with the air conditioner system being a great addition, I just don't feel the same with the electric blanket. I don't think it is essential. More like a personal taste? I did the opposite of you (lived in PT and then moved to London/Cotswolds) and we never felt the need to have an electric blanket. Still, today, November, we still have our Summer duvet at the house. The house is sooooo hot, even without the heating. (Nothing compared to the cottage we were before where I had to sleep with two duvets!) The drying machine is something again, I've never felt it was needed. Either in PT or in the UK. We like to dry our clothes naturally, and the houses never smell of damp. If that happens to you in PT, then it is an old house? Don't know of many places with damp in PT, where in the UK I've seen a lot! We used to hang our clothes to dry and, yes, instead of taking a day, it would take two to completely dry but, I just think they're not essential. Patience is a thing. Really. Really. It is a PITA to be honest. Even for a local. It's bad. Really bad! And that's the difference between PT and UK. In the UK, you have the process. A well designed, thought-over process. And, it runs smoothly. And any one can do it. In PT, there's no process. So, if you get a person on the desk who knows the stuff, you're on a roll. If they don't, they'll have to ask, they just won't know and, because there's no process, it will take time. On the other hand, when things go South, and there;s an outlier situation, in the UK they don't know what to do, as it is not on the process, and they (might) stumble. And, in comparison, in PT, they'll shine (depending on the person on the desk) because they just go around, dig and find loopholes to unblock the situation. So, because of that, I prefer the UK system. 95% of the times, you're sorted quickly and no issue. Whilst in PT, the customer service and the lack of a process just kills it for me.
I had a long way to change plates of my motorbike brought here with me. It took almost 4 months of moving papers around and our small garden house construction will be celebrating it's first anniversary soon. But I wouldn't change my life here for nothing:) Closing laptop and having a glass of wine in the beach bar during sunset is worth everything. I also changed just to slow down my life a little. Bejinhos from north :)
O ruido é um grande problema, é verdade. Eu tive problemas em Coimbra, vivia numa "torre" de 12 andares, havia sempre obras. As obras nunca terminam porque os obreiros nao trabalham todos os dias. O problema é que havia varios apartamentos com obras ao mesmo tempo, até tiveram que substituir um elevador e foi mesmo muito ruidoso. As obras nem pararam durante o confinramento. Nao podia sair, nao podia procurar um outro lugar para viver. Trabalhava de noite e tentava dormir de dia. Agora moro num pequeno prédio. Nao tenho a certeza de nao ter este problema, já há obras perto que oiço um pouco mas acho que quanto mais pequeno e moderno o prédio melhor... E também noto a diferença com à qualidade da construçao. Nem preciso de aquecer o meu apartamento (agora pelo menos) porque o prédio é mais moderno e melhor aislado do que o anterior. As vezes a qualidade da construçao faz toda a diferença. Agora gostava de viver numa casa com uma boa conexao a Internet para poder trabalhar. Preciso de tranquilidade porque dou aulas online.
Honest video. I lived in Portugal for 15 years. 5 in Tomar, 10 in Lisbon. Had a great time, but towards the end, the never ending variety of noise, especially evenings and night, was soul destroying. Now I'm back in Chester, UK and although I miss my Portuguese friends and certain aspects of life there, I don't think I could ever move back full time, unless it was in some more isolated location 🤔hmmmm?
Really? I'm portuguese, I live in Oeiras and it's like, never noisy, I have some friends that don't live here but they don't thinks that their neighborhoods are THAT noisy :(
@@sabriel_- hi. I have ex- colleagues in Oeiras!! I'm glad it's not too noisy for you as it's a really nice place to live, but when I lived in Parede it was unrelenting. I still miss it, though. ❤️
Do ya think (by the way: its the same in germany here) that the most poor/sad mob has ONLY the chance to be HEARED ? That all those brainless cretins NEED noise to feel "alive" ? Quasi after4 the motto: "I make noise - so I AM !" (free after "cogito ergo sum") Its just a theory of mine . . .
Youve hit the nail on the head with this Video. Additionally:- Vehicle Matriculation = Nightmare Portuguese Builders = Nightmare Neighbouring AL Rentals = Nightmare But the positives of living here outweighs the negatives.
i moved here almost 3 years ago .. but I solved everything related to paperwork in the beginning … I never ever had problems with the processes but yea sometimes they take longer.. oh yea! and it really helps being fluent in Portuguese.. and have Portuguese friends that have “connections”
Thank you you're the first person on UA-cam to mention how noisy it can be living in Portugal. Having stayed a few times in Portugal, Algarve, I've always been aware how many dogs are allowed to bark day and night. No one seems to be bothered by the barking but if you're not used to it it's a problem. Still paradise. Great videos. X
Totally agree with all of your points. I lived in Portugal for 4 years and my parents for 10 years. Your points are exactly what I would warn someone about. Really appreciate the balance you gave to the topic of moving to Portugal. Of course, people want to speak about the positives but it’s super important to keep in mind the negatives. Well done and thanks for super helpful videos.
The problem with Portuguese property is not that they are built for the heat rather than the cold. The problem is that they are built without any insulation or ventilation! There's no insulation in the walls or roof or floors. There's no cavity in the walls. There's no air flow. So damp gets in and stays in, and heat gets out. The building regs changed here a few years ago, and new houses are supposed to have proper insulation. But it's mostly not happening. You still see buildings going up which are made from just a single layer of those red grid-pattern bricks, which are the perfect way to let heat out and cold/dampness in. Walk into almost any Portuguese house and you can instantly smell the mustiness, even in summer. Pull out a wardrobe or cupboard, and the wall behind it is probably black with mould. And just look at how every DIY shop has a whole aisle full of dehumidifiers and anti-fungal sprays. Liz, if you're moving next year, look for somewhere with proper insulation and ventilation. It'll save you a fortune on heating and cooling. And if you go to view places, take a humidity meter with you and check the readings. Especially in the kitchen and bathroom.
The cruelty to dogs (and other animals) who are left chained or on balconies all day and night is a recurrent theme on expat forums and despite the government changing/making laws which are supposed to protect the animals, many have found they are not enforced (as you found) so are utterly pointless. It is certainly something which can't be ignored in Portugal and very sad that things are still so bad here in this day and age. Yes we all love the country but it is a shame that this problem is so prolific.
I agree. I must say though that the huge queues are a city thing. I have been here eleven years now and on arrival in Aveiro EVERYTHING was SOOOO drawn out and frustrating...going back to offices sometimes four times and each time queuing. Since living in a small (ish) town we can sort most things out in our local camara building and it's a sit down, have a chat,wait a while and pay your fee situation. Residency cert was so different here than in the city. The tip about taking EVERY paper is a top one though. I always find myself asked for bizarre papers I had forgotten I had (junta signed declarations of address etc.) My tips would be similar. If there exists a service to skip the bureaucracy - jump at it. We imported a camper van and a caravan and would have given up if we had not discovered the car import people. They don't even charge that much! Well worth it for preserving your time and sanity. My partner is Portuguese so the language wasn't the problem! The problem is that there are so many rules and regs that no one person can know them all! I know who to speak to in my local offices. They are a walking wealth of info and I give thanks for living in the countryside 😂...
I made the same decision I was a bus driver in London , and OMG TIRED OF cities , but I'm Portuguese from Lisbon for 46 years 😉 and yes ! Portugal for me is the best place for me after other countries I visited in all Europe . But for some reason you really looks portuguese 🤔 even your accent isn't so British!
"Her mom is British,her dad is Indian ,her husband is a born American" . O k. But,there is a chance that all her family are Portuguese descendants related to Portuguese History = "Empire" .... Emigration all over the World . I do agree also that she REALLY looks Portuguese ,and her Portuguese pronunciation is literally 98% Portuguese + 2% "Brasilian".
@@klimtkahlo If we understand facts ,there is a real one: The actual Portuguese P.M. =Prime Minister António Costa is Indian but he is Portuguese at the same time. Potuguese are MIXED everywhere you go , all over the Planet. Century's of DATA. Portuguese Impire History. Portuguese Emigration History. Portuguese MIX descendants go back for Centurys: Europe,Américas,U.S.A,,China,Russia,África,India,etc etc etc
Here is another trick to keep warm. Buy an Ikea mattress which is made of foam as it is an excellent insulator instead of the old spring mattresses which have only air underneath. After I bought one I hardly use the electric blanket. Also, get an apartment or house facing south since the sun, which is more often shining than not, will actually warm up the structure of the building so that at suppertime and by the time you go to bed the building is not too cold. Also, if you own the house then install air-conditioning for heating, even if in just the living room. It is not expensive to install or run. Never turn it off all winter at a minimum comfortable temperature so as not to let the walls cool down and you will not pay more than €75/month extra on electricity, well worth it to have part of the house comfortable. As an option, if you can afford it, install floor heating and cover it with ceramic tiles for better heat spreading. The heat will come from underneath and right up the walls drying them up too. Whatever you do, don't get those gas heaters, they send moisture into the air creating more humidity. If possible get a fireplace, very cosy. Here most houses are totally made of brick and cement and have very little insulation so set a budget to heat the house unless you want to spend a fortune on covering all the interior walls with insulation and dry panelling. Since it is never too cold outside (5 to 15 celsius) it is possible to heat the houses but it will cost as much as heating a house in a nordic country. Myself, with just one air-conditioning, new warm mattresses, electric blankets, a few carpets to insulate the floor and smaller heaters in the bedrooms and bathrooms which are only turned on in the evening, I have created a comfortable enough home so that my opinion on Portuguese winter has changed drastically. Remember there are only 3 coldish months and another 2 not so bad, the rest is mostly sunshine.
Omg yes!!! Ha ha I’m missing my electric blanket, freezing!! Also the folder with ALL your info, ha ha , That’s helped me so much! Everything you’ve spoken about I’ve learnt in a few weeks . Like you say totally worth it to live in this beautiful beautiful place ❤️
As a native I can 200% confirm that you’ll hardly experience any winter worse than ours. I have heard of polish and dutch people who simply refuse to visit Portugal during winter due to the ridiculous cold felt inside our houses. Unaffordable electricity + centuries of rudimentary constructions. Unless you’re staying at an hotel, do not come to Portugal winter time!!!
I did the same move with the family back in 2019 , good things about living here, easy to buy a property, getting a mortgage here is very easy Nice weather, nice food, nice people, if you qualify you can apply for non-resident tax rules ; For non-residents, you'll pay a flat tax rate of 20% while residents are taxed on a progressive scale from 5% to 35% Things I found really difficult; changing my car plate from UK to Portugal ( took almost two years ) , getting new driving license , finding a good handy man ( plumber , electrician, buying anything online and yes make sure you buy a dehumidifier
Irish but living here and married to a Portuguese guy, can confirm it's great advice! I cracked up at the "bring all the papers" comment! He warned me about the bureaucracy but I thought he was exaggerating. Erm, he wasn't 🙈
Thank you for your solid, no frills account of what to expect. I'm an Aussie & you're truthful guide has made me reconsider moving to Portugal. It was you & a few other expats talking about the weather that really sealed it. Australia really does have most of 'all' of it 😄
As a Portuguese citizen living in the U.K. for 20 years : all things you said are 100% true . For me the worst of all is : THE DOGS constantly barking on balconies . It drives me insane ….. 🐶😡🤬
That's an interesting comment - I'm from the UK, but my partner's from Portugal, I remember on her early trips to see me - she'd say "Where are all the dogs?" I had to assure her that there were plenty, but most were inside and quiet! As much as I like Portugal and the people, I've seen some dogs kept in really cruel conditions - of course because they're not loved they distrust people.
I would add some suggestions to your "wish I had known" list - a in house clothes line sold everywhere can dry your clothes in one to two days indoors; double windows or windows with thermal double glass can isolate your apartment lessening the need for heating; another minus point I would add to my countrymen is the lack of punctuality, it is normal to arrive 15 to 30 minutes late to a meeting or a meal.
Uma vez uma senhora duma administraçao disse-me para trazer todos os documentos que tinha porque nao sabia do que precisava :-) E faço isso sempre! Aqui em Coimbra, antes do Covid pelo menos, nunca tive que aguardar muito numa administraçao. Fiz todas as coisas sozinha, sem falar quase nada de português. Nao vou mentir, foi um pesadelo no inicio, mas nao tenho dinheiro para pagar alguém e nem sabia quem contactar. Mas é uma experiencia e fiquei um pouco orgulhosa de tê-lo feito sozinha :-) Agora com o Covid muitas vezes tive de ligar para fazer uma marcaçao na loja do cidadao e nao gosto deste sistema porque sempre sinto muito stress quando devo falar ao telefone. Agora acho que ja nao é necessario e vou tentar voltar à loja do cidadao antes que haja um outro confinamento....
Eu como português com 43 anos acho que a modernização da administração pública está a anos luz daquilo que era quando eu era criança, todos os serviços ou práticamente todos estão informatizados, existem imensas coisas que se podem tratar a distância de um clique, lembro me de ser criança e de as matrículas na escola serem um horror quando hoje em dia é praticamente tudo automático, os hospitais têm o sistema de gestão hospitalar mais avançado do mundo o Alert - paper free (desenvolvido em Portugal e adotado por muitos países do primeiro mundo). O sistema de pagamentos no MB é altamente avançado (foi desenvolvido em Portugal), qualquer freguesia tem um terminal MB e onde é possível pagar tudo com as referências de pagamento, além disso, agora temos o MB way para telemóveis e é muito a frente (só usando para saber). Qualquer junta de freguesia tem os serviços básicos em muitos casos até compram os medicamentos para os idosos, recebem/enviam correio e podem inclusive tratar de outros assuntos para se lhes for solicitado. Acredito que um emigrante tenha necessidade de fazer prova de vários documentos e isso claro irá irritar as pessoas, no entanto, o governo é muito meticuloso e pretende manter por precaução comprovativos das pessoas que vêem morar para Portugal, nós portugueses não precisamos fazer prova de nada (nesse sentido) e portanto tudo é mais facilitado. Acrescento ainda que o IRS que neste momento é quase automático e permite à maioria dos contribuintes preenche-lo sem necessidade de ajuda de um oficial de contas...
True about the cold, the houses there become like a fridge during winter. I struggled during my 1-month stay coz not all hotels/Airbnbs got a warmer. 😭
Very helpful information. I am looking at Portugal as one of the options to retire to. It is definitely good to hear the day to day realities of living in Portugal.
If people have a dog in a tiny balcony you can report to the authorities, its not common at all in the north where I live but Lisbon is different , people are more friendly and respectable of others in the north and everything is less frantic.
I'm going for a visit to Portugal in April and I'm so excited! We live in Toronto and thinking of moving to Portugal for the slower pace of life too. The points about the cold and the layering clothing is very similar to Toronto in the summer actually, I'm glad I won't have to think about it too much. But I'm interested, will the towels and clothes not dry because it is humid? In Toronto it is very dry and my towels and things dry quite quickly, I've never seen towels taking long to dry before. The points about the bureaucracy make me a bit anxious but I guess bringing a book wouldn't be so bad! haha
I moved from London to Mexico and literally EVERYTHING regarding the challenges you faced is what I have faced here... I'm convinced it's the Latin culture mentality especially the bureaucracy! 😖😳🤯
True, I'd say it's more complicated for expats in general unless you're an investor or something of that sort (and still). I live in Asia and bureaucracy is also arbitrarily overly complicated.
Which part of Mexico because climate changes depending where in Mexico. I visited Mexico before CDMX, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and being part Mex and Texan I know what to expect in Mexico but most of the places I stay are modern with heat/air unless your living in a old apt, yes you might want to invest in a/c but I was under the impression most European dislike modern a/c. While staying in hostels in the NYC, I met a lot of single travelers from S.American and mostly European countries like England who could not stand our A.C running in the room during the Hottest summer time at night.. Go figure!
@@humlocker The entire country sufferers with poor work ethic, lack of integrity and punctuality being the chief issues you face living in Mexico! Because of that I mostly deal with expats as Mexicans are the most unreliable people I've ever met...😖🔥 Most places have air conditioning and it's very needed even in CDMX sometimes! As long as you don't have to rely on Mexicans for most things you live very very well here!
@@Summer-bo9rw I never said that Portuguese people were Latino what I said was on reference to the Latin culture which is completely different so maybe you should re-read what was written 😉
As a portuguese I fully agre with all the points. Hopefully soon the public Administration may upgrade the system because it’s completely outdated. I suppose it can be done in the following year.
Here is a quick story of the sort of bureaucracy that surrounds a task that would be simple in the UK. A few years ago I wanted to turn my water bill into a direct debit as I was not always here and was always late paying. This little excersise took 3.5 hrs and consisted of going to the waterboard and explaining , they recorded it, gave me a form and sent me to the Council Fiscal office where I needed to arrange my bank details. At the Ficsal office they told me I had to go to the main council office to ask them if they would allow me to have a direct debit before they could set it up. So for a third time I queued, this time in the main office before seeing someone who immediately gave me the form with their acceptance. Finally after queuing at the Fiscal office again I was able to at last set up the direct debit.
Yeah absolutely classic and I’m crying inside for you! This is why my only advice is to just manage your expectations of how long you think something will take.
To buy a dehumidifier is a must, they are cheap, energy friendly in term of cost and can elevate the temperature to a few centigrades, i dry my laundry with it, rotate it from room to room, and more... i really recommend it and specially if you live around the ocean. It is a no brainer..
I love the comment about having all your bits of paperwork with you, how true! Although it was pretty decent the process of applying for Portuguese nationality in my case. It took time (2 years), but quite straightforward (and I enjoyed using my brand new passport this summer).
@@rad0f In my case, as my wife is Portuguese, it was after three years of marriage that I can could apply (although in my case we didn't put in the paperwork until 4 years of marriage had passed). So six years in all. As I was applying via that route, and we don't live in Portugal (we live in the UK), I was tracking the progress via an online portal. So, I can't say for sure how it works in terms of applying for nationality on the basis of living there and whether you can leave after five years without having the process complete and still carry on with the passport application process. However, I imagine you'd probably not be able to be out of the country too long whilst your passport application process is going on, i.e. if you were out of the country for a certain number of months a year, it may possibly invalidate the process. But, as I say, given I got mine via the marriage route, I can't say for sure.
On the bureaucracy: it's hard enough if you're a native, gets worse when there's a language barrier. The government has been trying to automate as much as possible, and things are better now that you can do some things over the internet - but when you have to go there in person, you either get lucky to get someone who's nice and helpful or you get someone who'd rather be doing anything else and as helpful as a lump of coal. Carrying all your papers with you is a nice tip - not doable for someone who has lived a life here, but at least the papers that are even vaguely related to what you're going to do is a great help - my wife does that. Greetings from Coimbra!
Very good video. I'm glad you mentioned the noise. We live in an apartment block in Cascais and there was a period when one apartment after another was being remodelled and construction noise just went on and on for about two years or more. It has happened to some of my colleagues, too. The biggest downside to living In Portugal - for me - is the lack of a sense of collective responsibility. Parking is a case in point - cars are parked on pavements, on pedestrian crossings, anywhere, and it doesn't matter that there may be blind or disabled people or a mother with a child in a pushchair trying to use the footpath. Tell a Portuguese and they will nod sadly and agree with you, but no-one ever feels they should modify their own behaviour.
I've found it's always important to start bureaucratic conversations with bom dia / boa tarde and "I've got a problem" or "I don't understand something" and could the person can give me some advice about what to do. That seems to set the conversation off in the right direction
I'm portuguese but for sure the key to easier bureaucracy here at least is establishing rapport with the person in front of you. I see it like this - they have the job from hell, so you don't want to emotionally trigger them lol. If you are nice and don't come across as overly entitled to anything...usually people open up in most places.
We've been in our house for two years and (sadly) you do eventually get used to the dogs. I agree with most of what you say about houses being cold, needing lots of patience, etc. but just wanted to add that you can dry washing outside all winter in the Algarve.
@@TalktheStreets It certainly is ... though we love Lisbon, Setubal and the Silver Coast too. Hope to get to Porto one day soon too. Enjoying the vlogs. :)
Tracy Burton, it’s very sad to see how some people treat their dogs, which can be an absolute miserable life for that poor animal as well as their human neighbors.
I remember being in Portugal at the height of summer and the beach at Estoril was quite cold with a cold wind blowing but the next day I reached Seville in southern Spain where it was like the Sahara desert and it never cooled down at night either and there was no cooling in the old hotel where I stayed.
the issue with drying clothes' not really related to the temperature, but rather to humidity. We have the same "issue" in Brazil, but it's not impossible to adapt, outside hangers, as long as it isn't constantly raining, solve it quite fast. Wind and or ar cycling can also get it done (both much like it is done in Italy) I do, however, always advise to get a dryer, saves up time... By A lot
(dogs and other noises) I have an ocean cd that I can listen to over and over...- using headphones, I turn up the volume until I can't hear the dogs etc anymore, and instead just hear the soothing (but loud) ocean waves - after a while I forget that was even a dog....- it really works well
Thanks for this! I think this bureaucracy-thing would drive me crazy. I once lived 1 year on the Canary islands, and as a Northern European coming from a country where things just function properly and efficiently, I felt like being in a Third-world country. It sounds a bit like the same is true in Portugal. Inefficiency and slow bureaucracy just drive me nuts and I start to shout easily in such situations; I would not be in tears, but in rage. Better not move to Portugal then, and just visit. ;-)
True, true, true and true. I moved to Portugal from Belgium 4 months ago. It is freezing inside, dogs are barking day and night, bureaucracy is a living hell and patience will save you! But I love it here 🤣
There's issues everywhere. We wait forever to get estimates. We live in the country in Canada, 2 hrs east of Toronto. We get small flies that bite, then they go away to be replaced by deer flies, wasps, mosquitoes. We use essential oils to repel all this. It works to a point. We need to drive extensively to go to a major city. At least in Lisbon, you are pretty central. Enjoy.
I think the info about SNS numbers taking a long time maybe applies to a large city like Lisbon, we live in the north and walked into our centro de saude and got our numbers the same day. Also earlier people were complaining about long waits to be called in for vaccine but they called us about a week after we registered online, so again, depends on where you live. The comment about everything being "really, really hard"? We still don't speak a lot of Portuguese but people are helpful and we haven't had trouble with bureaucracy up here where we live, in fact so many things can be done online I find much of it way easier then things in the US. All about what you expect I guess but yeah, if people have an attitude then I would say don't move here LOL! Thanks for the great videos!
@@DeepTitanic To get one what, an SNS or vaccine? You have to be registered for public health according to where you live since you must take proof of your address to register so no, you can't switch saudes unless you move.
Eu moro nas Caldas da Rainha e também não tenho nada que reclamar, na câmara municipal funcionam quase todos os serviços, à 2 semanas fui à médica de família, precisei de uma consulta de especialidade e na semana seguinte já me estavam a ligar para me informarem que tinha exames para fazer (já marcados num hospital público a custo 0) e medicação a tomar... Creio que os serviços públicos de Lisboa estão saturados com tantos emigrantes e expatriados.
I would love to see a part 2. I'm following several UA-cam channels about life in Portugal, and have considered basically everything you've mentioned in this. Thanks you for confirming my need to address these in advance. I'm not the type to wait for deadlines, so anything I can do now, I like to get done. It's nice to know what we should expect, and I will be in search of a lawyer to help us. I only wish I knew where to look, and the cost to expect.
Hi Allison to find a lawyer I suggest joining a facebook group of the area you are living in or planning to live in. We live in the castelo branco region and there is an excellent group that helps us out with basically everything we need to know from getting a good accountant to finding some fertilized eggs to getting a name of a good shop for buying certain items. Hope this helps
@@lukeandsarahsoffgridlife wow! That's a lot of wonderful help I would not expect. Thank you. Does the lawyer need to be in the town I choose to buy in, or just the region? For us we know we want to be somewhere in the Algarve. Thank you again for your suggestion.
It’s interesting, I’m German and have lived in the UK, Ireland, Japan and Latin America... terrible paper work/bureaucracy, from my experience, is normal except in English speaking countries, where customer service is a concept even in government and administration.
My partner is German and I lived in Stuttgart. Great country, except if you have to pay 14% health insurance as a self employed worker like him, but things generally do work as they should there. I'm Irish and wish we had a bit more German efficiency in government lol anyway hope you enjoyed your time here :)
Portuguese currently living in the north side of Lisbon district and yes, it gets cold... Now trying to solve this issue ($$$) because it is very uncomfortable during winter.
I was forced to complain when the University of Coimbra, Faculty of Arts, Portuguese for Foreigners' Course, and the 11 months late report did not meet my access needs, especially around having presentations on a grey universal design background, in accordance with the Portuguese Anti-Discrimination Law of 2006, which instructs the use of universal design principles. Everything appeared to have been finally resolved. I wrote quite a number of widely distributed emails to put the pressure on. However, I have now been victimised by the public prosecutor, calling me in for an interview as a denounced person in a letter I received today. All they would say was that it was something to do with the Faculty of Arts. I had copied in the police as a precaution to a number of my emails. A local monthly library reading group met tonight, all of the rest of whom are Portuguese, and they said, before I had even raised the subject, that Portuguese people tend to victimise people who criticise them, whether its aspects of their culture or their institutions, rather than taking it as something that could be constructive and helpful. Anyone know of a good criminal lawyer in Coimbra?
Hi Adrian I know a good criminal lawyer in Coimbra. Dr.Isac the Office is at Rua direita there is a Chinese shop in the building !!!! I wish you All the best!!!!
We could not find any electric blankets here! Bring one with you. And many plug converters. We did find large-ish heating pads that did the trick, although we needed one each to warm up the bed properly.
'it's cold' Me, a Canadian who lives in a city that goes down to - 50 with the windchill and wants to move to portugal to live with their significant other: bet.
Portugal is my favourite country by far, despite my following words. I've lived three times in Portugal, and despite I knew perfectly well what I was going to encounter (I mean, these kind of things), thinking I was prepared for it in advance because I knew such things, and had lived them... it's been always a challenge, and in some occasion I ended up leaving because I didn't have the patience (despite I am a hyper laid back guy). The most difficult thing for me was trying not to get things personal, when you are, for instance, in an almost empty cafe or restaurant, and the waiters take 20-30 minutes to attend you, while they are doing literally nothing, or even looking at you with a funny face. And the same to pay the bill. Or worst: when they do that, and then they start to attend to Portuguese people who come much later than you (this happens especially out of Lisbon or Porto), and if you say something, even politely, they will get angry at you. When that happens every now and again, it is "ok". But sometimes that happens way too often within a short time... that's the big challenge. And when I got bronchitis it took me always longer than a month to get well, because at home it's very humid. So I was always taking care a LOT not to get colds or anything because then you'll spend the whole winter with a feverish feeling. Having said that, it is my favourite country, and I always end up giving it more tries. You miss Portugal after some months being away from there.
Totally agree, I have been here a year and a half and am still waiting for SEF to sort out my residency. Its so annoying as I can't really do anything, including get a health number, credit or a Vaccine! Still love it here though :)
Oh no! SEF is the absolute worst. I study in Lisbon and have my residency permit, but my husband can't get a SEF appointment to even request authorization for a family reunification visa until February. So he's not 'illegal', but also not 'regular'. Whatever that means. Are you allowed to travel within the EU?
@@carolinezapert2750This!!! I've been struggling with this for almost two months now- my husband is Portuguese citizen but I can't get appointment at SEF even though I keep calling every single day, countless times. Some of the agents answering calls assure me that I'm legal here and not to worry, others say that I'm ok as long as I don't travel as I might run into issues in other countries, and there are those that are claiming something completely different. What really bothers me is that I can't get straight information from some verified source, so I know which steps to take. Here everything seems to be fluid, for good and bad. To answer your question about travel: I don't have a bloody clue and I wish someone did. 😭
Really fun videos you're making. I was always attracted to the language and culture, which seems more kind than the Spanish, but it's surprising how beautiful Portugal is, and productive of good things. Nice work you're doing!
Great and Practical Video Liz! We just returned yesterday from our first reconnaissance trip to PT and noticed many issues you mentioned and heard elsewhere on YT. (Always good to be reminded of the PT lifestyle) We love Lisbon but noticed at least two troubling issues; (1) HILLS. I’ve used maps with ground elevations (I’m an engineer) so it helps somewhat. Any tips other then walking around the entire city to find where the flat areas are located? (2) FLIGHT PATHS. Much of the city seems to be subject to noise from the airport flight path. And on a rainy days, much of central Lisbon appears to taken over by take off noise. Any tips on neighborhoods to avoid this? Obrigado.
I know what you mean with how bureaucracy works in Portugal. Having made the opposite change (moved from Portugal to the UK), every time someone mentions their experience with Portuguese administrative services or I have to renew my ID/passport I'm filled with anxiety. Everything is so much more organised and streamlined in the UK that it feels like travelling back in time when I have to deal with PT authorities. I don't think I've ever been to any appointment to do anything after I got my NIN in 2013.
@@TalktheStreets Good luck with that! We're trying to get my wife naturalised through marriage and it's a right pain. Not to mention how long it takes to do anything.
As a native portuguese, I would suggest, making one or two very good friends, that will help you with this situations, it's not ideal, but speaking for myself, I have helped some friends take care of stuff, and along the way I get to teach them how to do it, and also do it much more effectively, unfortunately, the more someone has been "screwed over" by any system, whether it's healthcare , getting documents etc, the more likely that person is going to know the do's and dont's with all of it
True about the electric blanket, but I can't believe you didn't mention the single most important electrical item - the dehumidifier! If there's one thing that makes a cold damp house feel warm, dries my clothes, stops the mold and damp and just generally makes life tolerable, our desumidificador is that thing.
Agree!
Yes! I live in Ireland which has 85 to +90% humidity -temperate rainforest climate, and have two dehumidifiers in my stone cottage. No mold or damp since I bought them.
The best is an air-conditioner used as heating. Not only does it give instant heat but also dehumidifies. Of course, you need to own the house to install it. Even better but more power consuming is floor heating. It heats and dries the structure of the building so it is the most comfortable. If you cannot afford either then an electric blanket is a must. At least you have one last refuge to be warm, in bed.
Totally agree, we live on Madeira island so not mainland Portugal but I honestly think that a dehumidifier should be considered essential for many areas of the works including Scotland which is where we were living previously. The mould that grows in cool damp conditions is so bad for health.
@@antoniocruz8083 Air conditioners draw a lot of power and are not climate friendly though.
Under floor heating is great but not suitable for some older buildings - my flagstone kitchen and hall. Insulation to current standards - example 300mm attic insulation in my country, and things like triple glaze windows are best because it reduces the need for heating in the first place.
I'm Portuguese and bureaucracy is really one of the most delicate issues we have in Portugal. Even for us who have always lived here it's quite the struggle.
@Never Move To Portugal lol what’s happened to u that makes u believe that?
@Never Move To Portugal can I ask where u are from? My wife is brazilian and we are aware of the corruption and socialist policies which plague Portugal too…. But…. It’s sunny…. Cheap to buy homes and two hours from the uk on a £50 flight….. where did u come from previously that Portugal is hard to bare?
@@kohtime cheap to buy homes? Where?
@@ilana8153 😂😂 he obviously never even been to Portugal if he thinks it’s “cheap to buy homes”.
@@vggm5750 it’s the safest place in Europe! Take a look in London maybe? Or thank your European Union and the socialist government for your poor wages. I’m in the uk! Can earn 80-90k euro and pick up a cheap house in Portugal for 60k.
I did it!!!
I left Belgium for Portugal one year ago.
We live now in the center of Portugal, between Tomar and Abrantes, near the river Zèzere.
And BLISS.... the best decision we ever made!
PS : We have a stove. 😉
Omg I have friends that live there and its HEAVEN. Enjoy and congrats!!
Very beautiful region. I live between Leiria and Nazaré.
Fantastique! Vous venez d'où en Belgique?
Pretty much anywhere in the world is better than Belgium
@@LOKI77able Sorry, I have been living in Brussels for 5 years and worked there for 15. Its about the shittiest place in the world. I have lived in many countries, including in Africa and Asia, but I never found such a level of disorganisation and corruption than in Brussels.
Your remark about the bureaucracy - “It depends who’s at the counter …” Oh, so true! If you get someone who feels like being helpful, it can be so simple. A corollary - if they don’t know the answer, there’s a good chance they’ll just make something up, so you get to go down some pretty interesting dead ends. But like you, I think the wonders of being here far outweigh the inconveniences!
*Phil - If you think Portugal is bad, try going to Malta lol. It's a nightmare to even open up a bank account when you have a full time job*
Being from Costa Rica, the description of the bureaucracy made me laugh. You all are so spoiled
Dear Mr. Gold, I appreciate your attitude Sir. Wish I knew you well enough to correspond.
I’ve lived in several southern parts of the world and there seems to be a lack of knowledge that insulating a home is NOT just for cold climates. The whole point of a well insulated home is to keep the inside temperature constant no matter what the temperature is outside, including 40!! I am grateful that our place in Portugal has some insulation, but I just want to bang my head when I think about all the properties here that lack it. To anyone who has a property or is going to buy one, please do yourself a favor and have someone add styrofoam insulation to your outside walls ( you don’t need to do the internal walls). You will be very happy you did!
Makes your house a bit ugly and often the rooftiles don‘t cover the outside insulation, making lots of expensive roof work necessary - if you find the old tiles again. Much easier is to insulate the uppermost ceiling.
@@oneworld1160 You seem to know quite a bit in that regard, do you have a link/video for some tips?
@@vommir. Not really. Takes years to lesrn.
@@oneworld1160 Learned the hard way in London guess I will in Lisbon now haha!
*Same issue in southern Spain ! It's like they forget how cold it can get indoors during winters! It shocks me how they lack that. It's something everyone should have in mind before thinking of buying property in Portugal or Spain*
I moved from Portugal to Florida (US) 7 years ago. I currently work has a construction manager in Naples area and I also do encounter incredible amounts of bureaucracy here too dealing with permits and inspections. We also experience substantial delays in our construction projects due to global supply chain issue. So having experienced dealing with bureaucracy in Portugal prepared me well dealing with bureaucracy overseas 😀.
The Problem is that they hire purposely incmpetent people in the US and Naples is especially notorious for this. Greetings from Ft. Myers.
@@chasca23 thank the Dems for the problems in FL.
@@5thdimension625 yes let's thank the Dems for the problems in a republican county and in a republican state.
@@apollo-pv8rv EXACTLY!!...
@@5thdimension625 ridiculous and ignorant statement... we have had Republican Governors since Jeb Bush in 1999, almost 25 years, in Florida.
I've never had a problem with bureaucracy in Portugal, but you are right that you need to accept things take longer and will probably be more complicated than they would in the UK for instance. I've heard from a lot of other foreigners that they get angry or complain and I don't think that helps anyone. Smile, keep calm, use any Portuguese you know (even if it's just olá and obrigada) and at least you'll start off on the right foot.
I think the other thing that people need to know before moving to Portugal is that it can REALLY rain here in winter, especially in central/north Portugal! We might have long hot, dry summers but winter months can be horribly wet.
Or you could just sort your rubbish public services out instead?
as I said, can be dealt with through rapporting, nothing THAT hard... Both us (BR) and them (PT) love to break rules tbh
Watching these videos makes me want to go back home.
Having lived in Lisbon for 25 years, lived in London for another few years and currently being on the other side of the world.... I must say there's no place like Lisbon, it has everything... food, quality of life in summer or winter, beaches.... why the hell did I leave? 😔
Why did you left? Não sei, mas talvez o salário... A ideia de que Portugal é um sítio fantástico é propagada por influencers, mas quem vive em Portugal e tem uma vida normal e um trabalho normal não disfruta de Portugal. A realidade de quem vive o quotidiano é muito diferente, eu diria precária e deprimente... Eu saí de Portugal, passo férias em Portugal todos os anos, mas não me vejo a voltar.
@Jake LaGotta I haven´t lived in Portugal since 2016, so my perception is skewed. However, is easy for anyone to see that the average Portuguese Salary is much lower than the average salaries of countries like Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Rep. Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Finland, Northern Italy, France... the list goes on and on. Portugal has an average salary similar to former USSR countries like Slovakia or Estonia (around 30 000€ per year), however when you compare cost of living, those countries have in average a higher purchasing power.
In Portugal the difference in the cost of living between cities is huge, Lisbon is super expensive, meanwhile some towns in the center, close to the border with Spain, are very affordable (Castelo Branco, Covilhã, Fundão) you can rent a decent apartment for 500 euros or a cheap one for 300, but the salaries in those towns are often very low, like 800 or 900 euros per month. Portugal has one of the most expensive electricity prices in the EU, Portugal has one of the most expensive Gasoline and Diesel prices in the EU, has a relatively high Personal Income Tax (between 14.5% and 48%). Portugal outside the large city centers is a very car-centric country with bad or sometimes nonexistent public transportation. In most of the country the economy has been depressed for decades, only recently (before Covid) it gave some signs of some dynamism. The political spectrum is quite depressing as well, the country had some staunch communist that get something like 10% of the votes (no matter what), on the other side of politics there is a neo-fascist party called Chega which has been gaining a lot of support, more than 10% (they basically want to go back to a protectionist dictatorship like that of former dictator Salazar (they are now openly saying it, they even adopted the same slogan "Deus, Pátria, Família" God, homeland, family), however, the country is mostly favorable to the subsidy dependency model (like in a socialist country) with a certain anti capitalist sentiment and wealth over a certain level is still frown upon in many circles (if you get "rich", people assume you did something wrong...). Portugal has a chronic birthrate deficit that will cause the socialist-model social security and pension system to collapse in the coming decades, the debt to GDP ratio is 130%, even tho Portugal along with Belgium are the only countries with debts over 120% that have been able to reduce the debt to GDP ratio since adopting the Euro, so I guess there is a positive point of resilience. I have high hopes for Portugal in 2040 or 2050, I see the possibilities of change for the better, but it will take a new generation of people...
Portugal is very interesting for wealthy "expats" that earn their money abroad and do not understand the language or the real social situation of the country... ignorance is a bliss.
@@pedrolopes3542 Eu também estive fora uns anos, mas para quem tem dinheiro Portugal é um dos melhores países para se viver na Europa.
@@pedrolopes3542 nada mudou!!! Voltei em Portugal porque nunca queria ir fora más tive que seguir os meus pais. É difícil ainda mais com este tipo de influencer a fazer este tipo de vídeo que não ajuda nada.
i say - experience and the pursuit of carrier. London offers more jobs, salaries and easier way to get into company work. BUT - looking at it from a positive side! Once you gain yearly experience and wisdom - returning back might help you get a remote job or/and a higher office position. Wherever we are at life - our journey is ongoing and should never stop to pursuit happiness, stability, adventures and new knowledge :)
I lived in Japan for 15 years and never seen central heating or cooling. The house insulation is also almost non existent. Houses are hot in summer, cold in winter. Remember waking up in the morning and the temperature in the bedroom was just 4C. I could see my own breath. Constant problem with mold, etc., etc.
Anyway, thank you for a great video and looking forward to the next one.
@Jake LaGotta it depends on the region. In the northern parts the temperature can drop to -20C.
When I said 4C I was referring to the temperature in my bedroom, not outside.
You've never seen an air conditioning unit that heats and cools in Japan? They are pretty standard. Central heating (radiators) are unheard of, though. The problem she mentions about housing is true though. Japanese houses are built for the summer.
@@jamescorbett5729 yes I was talking about central heating not space heaters/coolers which are common of course.
@@krisgrotowski2216 “…never seen cooling” confused me.
@@jamescorbett5729 central air conditioning is what I meant. Standard in some countries.
I'm Portuguese, lived in France, the UK, and now Hungary. A part of me really wants to go back to my country but then the other part just can't deal with the issues you mentioned in this video. Very accurate description of the most annoying things about living in Portugal!
*The issues look similar to Spain. I was thinking to move to Portugal from Spain only because people are nicer in Portugal than they are in Spain, but considering the stress of having to go through everything from 0, I'm happy to just travel there from time to time*
But it’s the same in Hungary no? I am hungarian thinking to move there haha :)
I am cold here and the bureaucracy is the same here 😛
@@KryptosChain yeah? I am hesitant between Spain ( i used to live there for 8 years) and Portugal. For the nicer people i opt for Portugal
@@dorottyaudvardy Some things are similar in Hungary but the main difference for me is the heating inside. In Budapest, I live in a super comfortable warm apartment, I can even wear a t-shirt in the wintertime. In Portugal, I need at least 3 layers inside the house.
I would say spaniards and latino-maghreb immigrant of spain are nicer and more sociable. Except catalan they are mean i have no idea why 😂 and have a snake mentality. This is something that shocked me in barcelona. The bad mentality of catalans 😆
Portuguese old people are very nice and sociable. They act like a good dad or good mom to you. but the young adults are a bit shy and a bit arrogant. And invite themselves into light bullying if opportunity for it present itself 😂
Lived in the Algarve for almost 9 years, the one thing I don't want to live without is a dehumidifier ......the mold and damp in the colder months is horrible as is the continual smell of bleach, from cleaning it!!!! The dehumidifier really helps a lot. Please do a 'part 2'.
Absolutely! Just discovered them last year, but even running them for an hour a day really does wonders
I personally , really appreciate THIS video. The fairytale life is a nice distraction that is so motivating to get moving, but the realities and struggles are real, and should be spoken about with the same amount if passion and earnest assessment. With that said, please continue the dialogue and the journey Liz. I am a true fan and hope to utilize all the wisdom offered when the time comes. Saúde!
I had never felt so glad about being Brazilian as when I moved to Portugal because bureaucracy in Brazil is also a pain, so it almost felt like a preparation course. I could also relate to the lack of heating system overall. Being from the South, temperatures commonly drop below zero in winter and a proper heating system is virtually nonexistent, especially in older buildings and houses, unless you're willing to spend LOTS of money on it.
Most average appartment has heat. If you live in a below average house most probably not.
@@miguellemos4669, I think E. Silveira is from the South of Brazil. There, in wintertime, the temperature drops below zero, and most people can't afford to have a heating system.
E Silveira .... How many people in Brazil I thought you might know ..... It's a brazillion .... and that's a lot ....
You would freeze to death in below 0, are you sure?
@@74the_magpie I never said anything about freezing to death. But trust me, it was much more comfortable for me to live in Montreal during the winter than in Brazil.
Absolutely, a part 2 would we awesome!! We are planning on moving to Portugal. My husband is 50% Portuguese and has family living there and he is working on getting his citizenship before we go over to Portugal. We are trying to prepare as much as possible. :)
welcome
Did you Make the move?
Sure did! 18 months ago my husband and I moved here and he just became a citizen! @@dsd-downshiftdave8056
I'm from the UK - well known for 'mixed' weather, but had always been used to lovely warm houses in winter - until I met my Portuguese partner.......my goodness, I'd never been in houses so cold! I thought it a little amusing at first, how when visiting friends and family they'd sit wearing umpteen jackets and scarves.....my amusement soon waned! It's strange in country that has real architectural appreciation - it doesn't extend to the internal comfort of a house.
You make lots of good points - and I agree about electric blankets....bliss!
Will check out your language videos - I think native English speakers find it almost impossible to make some of the Portuguese sounds.....we just can't find the right place to put the tongue!
You don't need a heated towel rack or a dryer in the winter in Portugal. You just need a dehumidifier.
Put your drying rack in front of a dehumidifier and it'll dry in less than 24 hours. (That includes a towel and sheets.)
This was my experience living in Braga (northeast of Porto, where there's a lot more cold and damp compared to Lisbon). And as an added bonus, it produces white noise, which helps a bit with the city noise... especially at night.
As for apartment temperatures, I put in an A/C system (just like you did). But I made sure to have a wall unit in each bedroom as well as the living room. So I just needed to heat whatever room I was in. At night, that was just the bedroom. Which wasn't very expensive to heat, as it's not that many square meters.
We got a dehumidifier instead of a dryer. Takes up less space and also you can move it about to dry out rooms when it rains for days. We found that the house is warmer (during sunny weather) when we air out the house every morning, because that keeps it dryer inside. Curtains across open doors and large glass windows also help. We have survived ( so far) in a large house, with no heating, towel heater or dryer, but we do have a large garden to dry clothes, wear double bath robes, and bought 2 ton of seasoned firewood, to keep the temperature in the lounge between 18-20 C. The kitchen hovers between 14 and 16, burrrr. We will sort out air con, towel rails eventually. I do feel that having a cool house is better for your health. I have faced this in England too at times. I never get a cold, when living in a cold house. Also you appreciate being outside more.
Good tips!!
I moved 4 years ago from Dubai and I can surely relate to the cold homes and patience needed! Now I can smile (mostly) but back then it would frustrate me. More videos on this please!
I moved to the Azores ... can agree on a couple of points .... but the best move I ever made, loving it 3 years in. 1/ Weather - it does not get really cold here even in January/February ... BUT... the humidity remains high and this makes everything feel much cooler and damp. Putting on another layer almost feels counteractive, as then the damp is just closer to your skin! Wood burning stove sorts it though when indoors. 2/ Damp ... mould is a problem and fabrics need airing and cleaning. Anything where your hands have touched will grow mould /: 3/ Insects... interesting. LOL. 4/Chilled pace of life... along with this comes a whole heap of paper work filling, agreed. But just get everything direct debit - getting NIF was not a problem with me as I went to Finances with my 'agent', so yes, agree you need help! Language... whew... don't get me going. But fortunately virtually almost everyone under 35 speaks good English. And older educated professionals. You'll be fine, but of course it is important to try to speak Portuguese, even though you may get the odd laugh and 'diga-diga' :) Your Portuguese sounds amazing, but for me as a retired individual learning conversational Portuguese is very hard. But I can get along OK. 5/ Dogs... yes. But all my local ones shut up after they got used to me. That and an ultrasonic device strategically placed! 6/ Azores specific ... the electricity supply is shall we say 'variable' - it has taken out my oven and hob :( So now, I have a lovely Samsung ornament and awaiting a cheap and cheerful locally common range that will be more robust with fluctuating supply voltage. Now... benefits.... many... over to you!
Dehumidifier is essential in the winter:
1) Dry air "feels" warmer than humid air at the same temperature.
2) It takes much more energy to heat humid air vs dry air.
3) A dehumidifier will dry out your walls. Dry walls insulate much better then wet walls.
4) Condensation (the process a dehumidifier uses to extract water from the air) is an exothermic reaction, meaning it releases energy. So you get free extra heat!
The reason why so many Brazilians are going to Portugal is that these issues are the same ones we face here, but with the advantage of being a safer and more stable country to live in. This is the first video I've watched on your channel and I really enjoyed it. Relevant observations and well-organized ideas. Congratulations.
yeah, as a brazillian I dont really care about having a warm home, I cant even afford heating and cooling systems on my own country!
Do you live in Portugal? How do you like it compared to Brazil?
What part of Brazil did you live
Excellent video. I moved to Braga from London 2 years ago and I agree with everything you have said (I have made a note to buy a washer/dryer!). I am glad that my experiences in governmental offices have been similar to yours- and you are fluent in Pt! I love your videos BTW - thank you so much for creating them x
A big shock to us was that an appointment is not what we know as an appointment in the UK. We got caught out in both the bank and at the Financas offices where we thought being given an appointment for a certain time meant that when you arrived at the given time you would be seen by someone expecting you. In both cases all it seemed to mean was that we were ok to visit that day but we still needed to take a ticket and go to the back of the long queue that had formed because we had arrived at our 'appointed' time rather than opening time.
I agree with all the points. The bureaucracy is extremelly irritating. Regarding the noise, I've noticed in London I get a lot of noise from Police cars and Ambulances and they are allowed to use their loudest sirens from 6am or even earlier. Emergency vehicles in Portugal have a different siren for day time and night time, not to wake up the whole neighbourhood, just alert other vehicles/people on the road.
Interesting about the weather. I tell people the coldest winter of my life was when I lived in Taiwan, which is subtropical, but during the cold months it rains a lot and there was simply no escape from the cold, even indoors. I grew up in North Dakota in the US, where winters literally kill people who get caught outdoors without proper protection, but at least homes and businesses are heated.
That’s the thing HAVING NOWHERE TO GO TO GET WARM. Honestly Im so lucky as I have heat and can afford to run it but fuel poverty is a thing here and that makes me very sad.
Near to Leiria I often have freezing ground temperatures from December to February - with 20 at lunchtime. But to see old neighbour widows going out daily to collect sticks and branches for their firewood really gets to me
Interesting! Where did you live in Taiwan? I'm planning to spend at least six months there once the situation gets better and borders open back up. What time of year in your experience would be the wettest and/or coldest season?
@@oneworld1160 I live near Braga and we all have to colect stuff for the fireplace and the fire stove since it's usually the cheapest way to warm yourself
@@joaoduarteazevedo2818 Yes, I also collect what I can from my quintinha, but also buy firewood in addition
If you're buying a house (as vs an aprtment), you need to consider if you prefer the place cool in summer or warm in winter.
Most houses in Portugal are built for the former. Small windows so little sun gets in. Lofts not insulated. No central heating. No carpeted floors. And if it's old, no double glazing.
I prefer warm in winter. So when I was buying my house, and I couldn't find one that met these requirements, I had in mind the ease of converting it (e.g. enlarging + double galzing the windows, insulating the loft).
If you can find a south facing house, it will help too. The place will warm up during the day.
This was great. I think it's important to touch on these experiences of moving here.Yes do a part 2! My husband and are here in Porto. We were watching and nodding our heads at everything you talked about lol. We are learning the practice of patience.
Hi! I am moving to Porto this summer, currently in Seattle and trying very hard to learn Portugese. Are you fluent in Portugese? If not, how is life in Porto as english speaker?
@@kylemichard4202 No I am not Fluent in Portuguese. My husband is Portuguese and can speak a little so that has helped. Living in Porto you will find a lot of people do speak english. If I can't understand what someone is saying and they can't understand my portuguese I ask "Tu Falas inglês?" If they can they will switch over. Most say " very little" don't be discouraged if they say that. They do speak very well. When I do come across someone who does not speak english or can't understand a particular word, I use google translate to communicate that has work great. Yes it is Brazilian Portuguese but that's ok when you need it to communicate. I also use it in the grocery stores to translate as it has the camera feature to translate labels. It's my best tool for stores! I did take Portuguese classes back in Canada and I am currently taking one on one lessons now. With youtube content like with Liz it all adds to your learning the language. If your stuck on a particular area of the language her you can find a video to just focus on that area. If your on Facebook join the Porto Expat page it is very helpful for so much. Long answer but I hope it helped.
@@kylemichard4202 I just got back from my introductory visit; not fluent exactly, but able to manage to some extent, even with people wearing masks. We didn't get to Porto, but we did not find in general that English is universal in Portugal. This is not news, but you know what - we're in Seattle too! Destination not fixed yet, probably in Leiria or Coimbra districts but conceivably in Vila Nova de Gaia.
I totally agree. That’s why I have decided to come back to Rio. No patience to wait months to have the “estores” fixed and not be able to open the window. If you need to repair anything in your house, be prepared to see a shrink!
Whilst I completly agree with the air conditioner system being a great addition, I just don't feel the same with the electric blanket. I don't think it is essential. More like a personal taste? I did the opposite of you (lived in PT and then moved to London/Cotswolds) and we never felt the need to have an electric blanket. Still, today, November, we still have our Summer duvet at the house. The house is sooooo hot, even without the heating. (Nothing compared to the cottage we were before where I had to sleep with two duvets!)
The drying machine is something again, I've never felt it was needed. Either in PT or in the UK. We like to dry our clothes naturally, and the houses never smell of damp. If that happens to you in PT, then it is an old house? Don't know of many places with damp in PT, where in the UK I've seen a lot! We used to hang our clothes to dry and, yes, instead of taking a day, it would take two to completely dry but, I just think they're not essential.
Patience is a thing. Really. Really. It is a PITA to be honest. Even for a local. It's bad. Really bad!
And that's the difference between PT and UK. In the UK, you have the process. A well designed, thought-over process. And, it runs smoothly. And any one can do it.
In PT, there's no process. So, if you get a person on the desk who knows the stuff, you're on a roll. If they don't, they'll have to ask, they just won't know and, because there's no process, it will take time.
On the other hand, when things go South, and there;s an outlier situation, in the UK they don't know what to do, as it is not on the process, and they (might) stumble. And, in comparison, in PT, they'll shine (depending on the person on the desk) because they just go around, dig and find loopholes to unblock the situation.
So, because of that, I prefer the UK system. 95% of the times, you're sorted quickly and no issue. Whilst in PT, the customer service and the lack of a process just kills it for me.
I had a long way to change plates of my motorbike brought here with me. It took almost 4 months of moving papers around and our small garden house construction will be celebrating it's first anniversary soon. But I wouldn't change my life here for nothing:) Closing laptop and having a glass of wine in the beach bar during sunset is worth everything. I also changed just to slow down my life a little. Bejinhos from north :)
O ruido é um grande problema, é verdade. Eu tive problemas em Coimbra, vivia numa "torre" de 12 andares, havia sempre obras. As obras nunca terminam porque os obreiros nao trabalham todos os dias. O problema é que havia varios apartamentos com obras ao mesmo tempo, até tiveram que substituir um elevador e foi mesmo muito ruidoso. As obras nem pararam durante o confinramento. Nao podia sair, nao podia procurar um outro lugar para viver. Trabalhava de noite e tentava dormir de dia. Agora moro num pequeno prédio. Nao tenho a certeza de nao ter este problema, já há obras perto que oiço um pouco mas acho que quanto mais pequeno e moderno o prédio melhor...
E também noto a diferença com à qualidade da construçao. Nem preciso de aquecer o meu apartamento (agora pelo menos) porque o prédio é mais moderno e melhor aislado do que o anterior. As vezes a qualidade da construçao faz toda a diferença.
Agora gostava de viver numa casa com uma boa conexao a Internet para poder trabalhar. Preciso de tranquilidade porque dou aulas online.
Regarding drying clothes in winter, there are numerous laundrettes everywhere where you can easily dry your clothes, and very cheaply, too.
true! but they have big queues in the winter!
Honest video. I lived in Portugal for 15 years. 5 in Tomar, 10 in Lisbon. Had a great time, but towards the end, the never ending variety of noise, especially evenings and night, was soul destroying. Now I'm back in Chester, UK and although I miss my Portuguese friends and certain aspects of life there, I don't think I could ever move back full time, unless it was in some more isolated location 🤔hmmmm?
Really? I'm portuguese, I live in Oeiras and it's like, never noisy, I have some friends that don't live here but they don't thinks that their neighborhoods are THAT noisy :(
@@sabriel_- hi. I have ex- colleagues in Oeiras!! I'm glad it's not too noisy for you as it's a really nice place to live, but when I lived in Parede it was unrelenting. I still miss it, though. ❤️
@@glennwhitlock1272 oh wait are you kidding me? My grandmother lives in Parede! That's such a coincidence!!
Do ya think (by the way: its the same in germany here) that the most poor/sad mob has ONLY the chance to be HEARED ? That all those brainless cretins NEED noise to feel "alive" ? Quasi after4 the motto: "I make noise - so I AM !" (free after "cogito ergo sum") Its just a theory of mine . . .
Youve hit the nail on the head with this Video. Additionally:-
Vehicle Matriculation = Nightmare
Portuguese Builders = Nightmare
Neighbouring AL Rentals = Nightmare
But the positives of living here outweighs the negatives.
What is "vehicle matriculation?"
@@francispowell1811 Ha ha ha , immatriculation is for students. . . .
i moved here almost 3 years ago .. but I solved everything related to paperwork in the beginning … I never ever had problems with the processes but yea sometimes they take longer..
oh yea! and it really helps being fluent in Portuguese.. and have Portuguese friends that have “connections”
You are already becoming portuguese if you know that you need connections- " cunhas"🤣🤣🤣
Can I convert my tourist visa to a work permit or resident permit ?
The positives far out way the negatives, love Portugal can't wait to get back to the slower pace, nice weather and no traffic
Thank you you're the first person on UA-cam to mention how noisy it can be living in Portugal. Having stayed a few times in Portugal, Algarve, I've always been aware how many dogs are allowed to bark day and night. No one seems to be bothered by the barking but if you're not used to it it's a problem. Still paradise. Great videos. X
You gave us a LOT of value in just 10 minutes.
Totally agree with all of your points. I lived in Portugal for 4 years and my parents for 10 years. Your points are exactly what I would warn someone about. Really appreciate the balance you gave to the topic of moving to Portugal. Of course, people want to speak about the positives but it’s super important to keep in mind the negatives. Well done and thanks for super helpful videos.
The problem with Portuguese property is not that they are built for the heat rather than the cold. The problem is that they are built without any insulation or ventilation! There's no insulation in the walls or roof or floors. There's no cavity in the walls. There's no air flow. So damp gets in and stays in, and heat gets out. The building regs changed here a few years ago, and new houses are supposed to have proper insulation. But it's mostly not happening. You still see buildings going up which are made from just a single layer of those red grid-pattern bricks, which are the perfect way to let heat out and cold/dampness in. Walk into almost any Portuguese house and you can instantly smell the mustiness, even in summer. Pull out a wardrobe or cupboard, and the wall behind it is probably black with mould. And just look at how every DIY shop has a whole aisle full of dehumidifiers and anti-fungal sprays.
Liz, if you're moving next year, look for somewhere with proper insulation and ventilation. It'll save you a fortune on heating and cooling. And if you go to view places, take a humidity meter with you and check the readings. Especially in the kitchen and bathroom.
The cruelty to dogs (and other animals) who are left chained or on balconies all day and night is a recurrent theme on expat forums and despite the government changing/making laws which are supposed to protect the animals, many have found they are not enforced (as you found) so are utterly pointless. It is certainly something which can't be ignored in Portugal and very sad that things are still so bad here in this day and age. Yes we all love the country but it is a shame that this problem is so prolific.
I agree. I must say though that the huge queues are a city thing. I have been here eleven years now and on arrival in Aveiro EVERYTHING was SOOOO drawn out and frustrating...going back to offices sometimes four times and each time queuing. Since living in a small (ish) town we can sort most things out in our local camara building and it's a sit down, have a chat,wait a while and pay your fee situation. Residency cert was so different here than in the city. The tip about taking EVERY paper is a top one though. I always find myself asked for bizarre papers I had forgotten I had (junta signed declarations of address etc.) My tips would be similar. If there exists a service to skip the bureaucracy - jump at it. We imported a camper van and a caravan and would have given up if we had not discovered the car import people. They don't even charge that much! Well worth it for preserving your time and sanity. My partner is Portuguese so the language wasn't the problem! The problem is that there are so many rules and regs that no one person can know them all! I know who to speak to in my local offices. They are a walking wealth of info and I give thanks for living in the countryside 😂...
Hi, would you mind sharing who the car import people are with us? Thanks
I made the same decision I was a bus driver in London , and OMG TIRED OF cities , but I'm Portuguese from Lisbon for 46 years 😉 and yes ! Portugal for me is the best place for me after other countries I visited in all Europe . But for some reason you really looks portuguese 🤔 even your accent isn't so British!
Her mom is British and her dad is Indian. Her husband USA American.
@@klimtkahlo OK
"Her mom is British,her dad is Indian ,her husband is a born American" . O k. But,there is a chance that all her family are Portuguese descendants related to Portuguese History = "Empire" .... Emigration all over the World .
I do agree also that she REALLY looks Portuguese ,and her Portuguese pronunciation is literally 98% Portuguese + 2% "Brasilian".
@@klimtkahlo
If we understand facts ,there is a real one:
The actual Portuguese P.M. =Prime Minister António Costa is Indian but he is Portuguese at the same time.
Potuguese are MIXED everywhere you go , all over the Planet. Century's of DATA.
Portuguese Impire History.
Portuguese Emigration History.
Portuguese MIX descendants go back for Centurys: Europe,Américas,U.S.A,,China,Russia,África,India,etc etc etc
Here is another trick to keep warm. Buy an Ikea mattress which is made of foam as it is an excellent insulator instead of the old spring mattresses which have only air underneath. After I bought one I hardly use the electric blanket. Also, get an apartment or house facing south since the sun, which is more often shining than not, will actually warm up the structure of the building so that at suppertime and by the time you go to bed the building is not too cold. Also, if you own the house then install air-conditioning for heating, even if in just the living room. It is not expensive to install or run. Never turn it off all winter at a minimum comfortable temperature so as not to let the walls cool down and you will not pay more than €75/month extra on electricity, well worth it to have part of the house comfortable. As an option, if you can afford it, install floor heating and cover it with ceramic tiles for better heat spreading. The heat will come from underneath and right up the walls drying them up too. Whatever you do, don't get those gas heaters, they send moisture into the air creating more humidity. If possible get a fireplace, very cosy. Here most houses are totally made of brick and cement and have very little insulation so set a budget to heat the house unless you want to spend a fortune on covering all the interior walls with insulation and dry panelling. Since it is never too cold outside (5 to 15 celsius) it is possible to heat the houses but it will cost as much as heating a house in a nordic country. Myself, with just one air-conditioning, new warm mattresses, electric blankets, a few carpets to insulate the floor and smaller heaters in the bedrooms and bathrooms which are only turned on in the evening, I have created a comfortable enough home so that my opinion on Portuguese winter has changed drastically. Remember there are only 3 coldish months and another 2 not so bad, the rest is mostly sunshine.
Definitely Part 2! Thank you for Part 1, very helpful.
Omg yes!!! Ha ha I’m missing my electric blanket, freezing!! Also the folder with ALL your info, ha ha , That’s helped me so much! Everything you’ve spoken about I’ve learnt in a few weeks . Like you say totally worth it to live in this beautiful beautiful place ❤️
As a native I can 200% confirm that you’ll hardly experience any winter worse than ours. I have heard of polish and dutch people who simply refuse to visit Portugal during winter due to the ridiculous cold felt inside our houses. Unaffordable electricity + centuries of rudimentary constructions. Unless you’re staying at an hotel, do not come to Portugal winter time!!!
And very thin windows with only one layer of glass
And even Italian and Spanish people complain about it although they have similar climates in some parts
I did the same move with the family back in 2019 , good things about living here, easy to buy a property, getting a mortgage here is very easy
Nice weather, nice food, nice people, if you qualify you can apply for non-resident tax rules ; For non-residents, you'll pay a flat tax rate of 20% while residents are taxed on a progressive scale from 5% to 35%
Things I found really difficult; changing my car plate from UK to Portugal ( took almost two years ) , getting new driving license , finding a good handy man ( plumber , electrician, buying anything online and yes make sure you buy a dehumidifier
Irish but living here and married to a Portuguese guy, can confirm it's great advice! I cracked up at the "bring all the papers" comment! He warned me about the bureaucracy but I thought he was exaggerating. Erm, he wasn't 🙈
Hah nope!!
Hi Jacinta, having lived in Ireland and Portugal which country would you want to live in and settle down ?
Thank you for your solid, no frills account of what to expect.
I'm an Aussie & you're truthful guide has made me reconsider moving to Portugal. It was you & a few other expats talking about the weather that really sealed it. Australia really does have most of 'all' of it 😄
@@scottantonio4550 If you can tell me otherwise about the weather... then maybe 😁
As a Portuguese citizen living in the U.K. for 20 years : all things you said are 100% true . For me the worst of all is : THE DOGS constantly barking on balconies . It drives me insane ….. 🐶😡🤬
That's an interesting comment - I'm from the UK, but my partner's from Portugal, I remember on her early trips to see me - she'd say "Where are all the dogs?" I had to assure her that there were plenty, but most were inside and quiet! As much as I like Portugal and the people, I've seen some dogs kept in really cruel conditions - of course because they're not loved they distrust people.
@@robertp.wainman4094 totally agree 🥲🤬
🙌 👏 🙏 🤝 👍
I would add some suggestions to your "wish I had known" list - a in house clothes line sold everywhere can dry your clothes in one to two days indoors; double windows or windows with thermal double glass can isolate your apartment lessening the need for heating; another minus point I would add to my countrymen is the lack of punctuality, it is normal to arrive 15 to 30 minutes late to a meeting or a meal.
Uma vez uma senhora duma administraçao disse-me para trazer todos os documentos que tinha porque nao sabia do que precisava :-) E faço isso sempre!
Aqui em Coimbra, antes do Covid pelo menos, nunca tive que aguardar muito numa administraçao. Fiz todas as coisas sozinha, sem falar quase nada de português. Nao vou mentir, foi um pesadelo no inicio, mas nao tenho dinheiro para pagar alguém e nem sabia quem contactar. Mas é uma experiencia e fiquei um pouco orgulhosa de tê-lo feito sozinha :-) Agora com o Covid muitas vezes tive de ligar para fazer uma marcaçao na loja do cidadao e nao gosto deste sistema porque sempre sinto muito stress quando devo falar ao telefone. Agora acho que ja nao é necessario e vou tentar voltar à loja do cidadao antes que haja um outro confinamento....
Eu como português com 43 anos acho que a modernização da administração pública está a anos luz daquilo que era quando eu era criança, todos os serviços ou práticamente todos estão informatizados, existem imensas coisas que se podem tratar a distância de um clique, lembro me de ser criança e de as matrículas na escola serem um horror quando hoje em dia é praticamente tudo automático, os hospitais têm o sistema de gestão hospitalar mais avançado do mundo o Alert - paper free (desenvolvido em Portugal e adotado por muitos países do primeiro mundo). O sistema de pagamentos no MB é altamente avançado (foi desenvolvido em Portugal), qualquer freguesia tem um terminal MB e onde é possível pagar tudo com as referências de pagamento, além disso, agora temos o MB way para telemóveis e é muito a frente (só usando para saber). Qualquer junta de freguesia tem os serviços básicos em muitos casos até compram os medicamentos para os idosos, recebem/enviam correio e podem inclusive tratar de outros assuntos para se lhes for solicitado. Acredito que um emigrante tenha necessidade de fazer prova de vários documentos e isso claro irá irritar as pessoas, no entanto, o governo é muito meticuloso e pretende manter por precaução comprovativos das pessoas que vêem morar para Portugal, nós portugueses não precisamos fazer prova de nada (nesse sentido) e portanto tudo é mais facilitado. Acrescento ainda que o IRS que neste momento é quase automático e permite à maioria dos contribuintes preenche-lo sem necessidade de ajuda de um oficial de contas...
@@alvafaleiro muitas vezes as pessoas querem as coisas para ontem.
True about the cold, the houses there become like a fridge during winter. I struggled during my 1-month stay coz not all hotels/Airbnbs got a warmer. 😭
Very helpful information. I am looking at Portugal as one of the options to retire to.
It is definitely good to hear the day to day realities of living in Portugal.
If people have a dog in a tiny balcony you can report to the authorities, its not common at all in the north where I live but Lisbon is different , people are more friendly and respectable of others in the north and everything is less frantic.
I'm going for a visit to Portugal in April and I'm so excited! We live in Toronto and thinking of moving to Portugal for the slower pace of life too.
The points about the cold and the layering clothing is very similar to Toronto in the summer actually, I'm glad I won't have to think about it too much. But I'm interested, will the towels and clothes not dry because it is humid? In Toronto it is very dry and my towels and things dry quite quickly, I've never seen towels taking long to dry before.
The points about the bureaucracy make me a bit anxious but I guess bringing a book wouldn't be so bad! haha
All true. Moved here last September… wearing three pairs of socks and a stocking hat indoors along with my hot water bottle
I moved from London to Mexico and literally EVERYTHING regarding the challenges you faced is what I have faced here... I'm convinced it's the Latin culture mentality especially the bureaucracy! 😖😳🤯
True, I'd say it's more complicated for expats in general unless you're an investor or something of that sort (and still). I live in Asia and bureaucracy is also arbitrarily overly complicated.
Which part of Mexico because climate changes depending where in Mexico. I visited Mexico before CDMX, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and being part Mex and Texan I know what to expect in Mexico but most of the places I stay are modern with heat/air unless your living in a old apt, yes you might want to invest in a/c but I was under the impression most European dislike modern a/c. While staying in hostels in the NYC, I met a lot of single travelers from S.American and mostly European countries like England who could not stand our A.C running in the room during the Hottest summer time at night.. Go figure!
@@humlocker The entire country sufferers with poor work ethic, lack of integrity and punctuality being the chief issues you face living in Mexico!
Because of that I mostly deal with expats as Mexicans are the most unreliable people I've ever met...😖🔥
Most places have air conditioning and it's very needed even in CDMX sometimes!
As long as you don't have to rely on Mexicans for most things you live very very well here!
Portuguese are not Latino at all.
@@Summer-bo9rw I never said that Portuguese people were Latino what I said was on reference to the Latin culture which is completely different so maybe you should re-read what was written 😉
You also need a dehumidifier because most of the cold in winter - in Portugal - comes from humidity. Humid cold feels colder than dry cold (snow).
As a portuguese I fully agre with all the points. Hopefully soon the public Administration may upgrade the system because it’s completely outdated. I suppose it can be done in the following year.
Meh... it's been outdated for longer than I've been alive...
Management, your sharing is most wonderful. Thank you
Here is a quick story of the sort of bureaucracy that surrounds a task that would be simple in the UK. A few years ago I wanted to turn my water bill into a direct debit as I was not always here and was always late paying. This little excersise took 3.5 hrs and consisted of going to the waterboard and explaining , they recorded it, gave me a form and sent me to the Council Fiscal office where I needed to arrange my bank details. At the Ficsal office they told me I had to go to the main council office to ask them if they would allow me to have a direct debit before they could set it up. So for a third time I queued, this time in the main office before seeing someone who immediately gave me the form with their acceptance. Finally after queuing at the Fiscal office again I was able to at last set up the direct debit.
Yeah absolutely classic and I’m crying inside for you! This is why my only advice is to just manage your expectations of how long you think something will take.
Congrats! Did not think it was possible at all. After 6 years here I have still not managed…
Andrew AL, não compreendo porque foi tão difícil para você, eu tenho esse sistema de pagamento à alguns anos.
Grab the phone fill a form and in 5seconds its done. They always try to enforce that to me and i say no.
Lol! What the fuck
To buy a dehumidifier is a must, they are cheap, energy friendly in term of cost and can elevate the temperature to a few centigrades, i dry my laundry with it, rotate it from room to room, and more... i really recommend it and specially if you live around the ocean. It is a no brainer..
I love the comment about having all your bits of paperwork with you, how true! Although it was pretty decent the process of applying for Portuguese nationality in my case. It took time (2 years), but quite straightforward (and I enjoyed using my brand new passport this summer).
5 + 2 = 7 years total for the passport? Also can you leave after year 5 while you track your passport online?
@@rad0f In my case, as my wife is Portuguese, it was after three years of marriage that I can could apply (although in my case we didn't put in the paperwork until 4 years of marriage had passed). So six years in all. As I was applying via that route, and we don't live in Portugal (we live in the UK), I was tracking the progress via an online portal. So, I can't say for sure how it works in terms of applying for nationality on the basis of living there and whether you can leave after five years without having the process complete and still carry on with the passport application process. However, I imagine you'd probably not be able to be out of the country too long whilst your passport application process is going on, i.e. if you were out of the country for a certain number of months a year, it may possibly invalidate the process. But, as I say, given I got mine via the marriage route, I can't say for sure.
@@michaelrossi6733 makes sense, ty for replying. Did you like living in PT?
@@rad0f I've never actually lived there, although am a regular visitor! But I do hope to live there one day
Omg. “I chose to be here”. Yes. Thank you. I needed to hear that. 2 weeks here for work and I’m getting crazy 😜 I’m Brazilian by the way.
On the bureaucracy: it's hard enough if you're a native, gets worse when there's a language barrier. The government has been trying to automate as much as possible, and things are better now that you can do some things over the internet - but when you have to go there in person, you either get lucky to get someone who's nice and helpful or you get someone who'd rather be doing anything else and as helpful as a lump of coal. Carrying all your papers with you is a nice tip - not doable for someone who has lived a life here, but at least the papers that are even vaguely related to what you're going to do is a great help - my wife does that. Greetings from Coimbra!
Very good video. I'm glad you mentioned the noise. We live in an apartment block in Cascais and there was a period when one apartment after another was being remodelled and construction noise just went on and on for about two years or more. It has happened to some of my colleagues, too.
The biggest downside to living In Portugal - for me - is the lack of a sense of collective responsibility. Parking is a case in point - cars are parked on pavements, on pedestrian crossings, anywhere, and it doesn't matter that there may be blind or disabled people or a mother with a child in a pushchair trying to use the footpath. Tell a Portuguese and they will nod sadly and agree with you, but no-one ever feels they should modify their own behaviour.
I've found it's always important to start bureaucratic conversations with bom dia / boa tarde and "I've got a problem" or "I don't understand something" and could the person can give me some advice about what to do. That seems to set the conversation off in the right direction
Good tip!
I'm portuguese but for sure the key to easier bureaucracy here at least is establishing rapport with the person in front of you. I see it like this - they have the job from hell, so you don't want to emotionally trigger them lol. If you are nice and don't come across as overly entitled to anything...usually people open up in most places.
Thank you for sharing the video! Love all the tips especially the one on getting the paperwork done ASAP!
You are so welcome!
Sim, uma parte dois, por favor! Obrigado.
You are so sweet! Thank you for all the valuable info. My wife and I are in the process of our D7 visa from California. Thanks again ❤
My pleasure! That's awesome, hope everything goes well!
We've been in our house for two years and (sadly) you do eventually get used to the dogs. I agree with most of what you say about houses being cold, needing lots of patience, etc. but just wanted to add that you can dry washing outside all winter in the Algarve.
Yesss I am jealous of the Algarve sun! We went this weekend and even in December it is bliss.
@@TalktheStreets It certainly is ... though we love Lisbon, Setubal and the Silver Coast too. Hope to get to Porto one day soon too. Enjoying the vlogs. :)
Tracy Burton, it’s very sad to see how some people treat their dogs, which can be an absolute miserable life for that poor animal as well as their human neighbors.
As you point out…Attitude makes the difference… preparation and organization too. :) Great video! Very helpful and informative. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
I remember being in Portugal at the height of summer and the beach at Estoril was quite cold with a cold wind blowing but the next day I reached Seville in southern Spain where it was like the Sahara desert and it never cooled down at night either and there was no cooling in the old hotel where I stayed.
so maybe you should have been in the middle? : p
You may be surprised to know that if you had on the cold airconditioning setting , it produces cold dry air and that dries clothing also.
You've got it spot on!
Obrigado por teres escolhido Portugal ;)
the issue with drying clothes' not really related to the temperature, but rather to humidity. We have the same "issue" in Brazil, but it's not impossible to adapt, outside hangers, as long as it isn't constantly raining, solve it quite fast.
Wind and or ar cycling can also get it done (both much like it is done in Italy)
I do, however, always advise to get a dryer, saves up time... By A lot
Yes, part 2 please!
(dogs and other noises) I have an ocean cd that I can listen to over and over...- using headphones, I turn up the volume until I can't hear the dogs etc anymore, and instead just hear the soothing (but loud) ocean waves - after a while I forget that was even a dog....- it really works well
Hey, cool tip Lambert ! Me I´m using this too - better than always complaining !!!
Thanks for this! I think this bureaucracy-thing would drive me crazy. I once lived 1 year on the Canary islands, and as a Northern European coming from a country where things just function properly and efficiently, I felt like being in a Third-world country. It sounds a bit like the same is true in Portugal. Inefficiency and slow bureaucracy just drive me nuts and I start to shout easily in such situations; I would not be in tears, but in rage. Better not move to Portugal then, and just visit. ;-)
Thanks for the info! My wife and I are about to move there for a month and this was helpful! Keep up the good work!
Glad it was helpful!
True, true, true and true.
I moved to Portugal from Belgium 4 months ago.
It is freezing inside, dogs are barking day and night, bureaucracy is a living hell and patience will save you!
But I love it here 🤣
There's issues everywhere.
We wait forever to get estimates.
We live in the country in Canada, 2 hrs east of Toronto. We get small flies that bite, then they go away to be replaced by deer flies, wasps, mosquitoes. We use essential oils to repel all this. It works to a point.
We need to drive extensively to go to a major city. At least in Lisbon, you are pretty central. Enjoy.
I think the info about SNS numbers taking a long time maybe applies to a large city like Lisbon, we live in the north and walked into our centro de saude and got our numbers the same day. Also earlier people were complaining about long waits to be called in for vaccine but they called us about a week after we registered online, so again, depends on where you live. The comment about everything being "really, really hard"? We still don't speak a lot of Portuguese but people are helpful and we haven't had trouble with bureaucracy up here where we live, in fact so many things can be done online I find much of it way easier then things in the US. All about what you expect I guess but yeah, if people have an attitude then I would say don't move here LOL! Thanks for the great videos!
I live in Lisbon do you think you could travel to a different area to get one?
@@DeepTitanic To get one what, an SNS or vaccine? You have to be registered for public health according to where you live since you must take proof of your address to register so no, you can't switch saudes unless you move.
@@rebelmama37 OK just trying think outside the box.. thanks anyway :-)
Eu moro nas Caldas da Rainha e também não tenho nada que reclamar, na câmara municipal funcionam quase todos os serviços, à 2 semanas fui à médica de família, precisei de uma consulta de especialidade e na semana seguinte já me estavam a ligar para me informarem que tinha exames para fazer (já marcados num hospital público a custo 0) e medicação a tomar... Creio que os serviços públicos de Lisboa estão saturados com tantos emigrantes e expatriados.
@@DeepTitanic XO
I am living in Lisbon. I am learning Portuguese with you. I love your lessons so much. Hope to meet you soon.❤
Wonderful!
I would love to see a part 2. I'm following several UA-cam channels about life in Portugal, and have considered basically everything you've mentioned in this. Thanks you for confirming my need to address these in advance. I'm not the type to wait for deadlines, so anything I can do now, I like to get done. It's nice to know what we should expect, and I will be in search of a lawyer to help us. I only wish I knew where to look, and the cost to expect.
Hi Allison to find a lawyer I suggest joining a facebook group of the area you are living in or planning to live in. We live in the castelo branco region and there is an excellent group that helps us out with basically everything we need to know from getting a good accountant to finding some fertilized eggs to getting a name of a good shop for buying certain items. Hope this helps
@@lukeandsarahsoffgridlife wow! That's a lot of wonderful help I would not expect. Thank you. Does the lawyer need to be in the town I choose to buy in, or just the region? For us we know we want to be somewhere in the Algarve. Thank you again for your suggestion.
@@allison2848 it probably depends on the lawyer but over here they would not want to travel so far. So we joined the closest biggest city/town.
@@lukeandsarahsoffgridlife thank you!
@@lukeandsarahsoffgridlife ua-cam.com/video/KHIyTu78rTw/v-deo.html
Lot of comments about heating, but one thing she did say was electric very expensive, so I can understand why not so many electrical devices .
It’s interesting, I’m German and have lived in the UK, Ireland, Japan and Latin America... terrible paper work/bureaucracy, from my experience, is normal except in English speaking countries, where customer service is a concept even in government and administration.
My partner is German and I lived in Stuttgart. Great country, except if you have to pay 14% health insurance as a self employed worker like him, but things generally do work as they should there. I'm Irish and wish we had a bit more German efficiency in government lol anyway hope you enjoyed your time here :)
Portuguese currently living in the north side of Lisbon district and yes, it gets cold... Now trying to solve this issue ($$$) because it is very uncomfortable during winter.
I was forced to complain when the University of Coimbra, Faculty of Arts, Portuguese for Foreigners' Course, and the 11 months late report did not meet my access needs, especially around having presentations on a grey universal design background, in accordance with the Portuguese Anti-Discrimination Law of 2006, which instructs the use of universal design principles. Everything appeared to have been finally resolved. I wrote quite a number of widely distributed emails to put the pressure on. However, I have now been victimised by the public prosecutor, calling me in for an interview as a denounced person in a letter I received today. All they would say was that it was something to do with the Faculty of Arts. I had copied in the police as a precaution to a number of my emails. A local monthly library reading group met tonight, all of the rest of whom are Portuguese, and they said, before I had even raised the subject, that Portuguese people tend to victimise people who criticise them, whether its aspects of their culture or their institutions, rather than taking it as something that could be constructive and helpful. Anyone know of a good criminal lawyer in Coimbra?
Hi Adrian
I know a good criminal lawyer in Coimbra.
Dr.Isac the Office is at Rua direita there is a Chinese shop in the building !!!! I wish you All the best!!!!
We could not find any electric blankets here! Bring one with you. And many plug converters. We did find large-ish heating pads that did the trick, although we needed one each to warm up the bed properly.
'it's cold'
Me, a Canadian who lives in a city that goes down to - 50 with the windchill and wants to move to portugal to live with their significant other: bet.
Yes but Canadian houses are warm inside.
Portugal is my favourite country by far, despite my following words. I've lived three times in Portugal, and despite I knew perfectly well what I was going to encounter (I mean, these kind of things), thinking I was prepared for it in advance because I knew such things, and had lived them... it's been always a challenge, and in some occasion I ended up leaving because I didn't have the patience (despite I am a hyper laid back guy). The most difficult thing for me was trying not to get things personal, when you are, for instance, in an almost empty cafe or restaurant, and the waiters take 20-30 minutes to attend you, while they are doing literally nothing, or even looking at you with a funny face. And the same to pay the bill. Or worst: when they do that, and then they start to attend to Portuguese people who come much later than you (this happens especially out of Lisbon or Porto), and if you say something, even politely, they will get angry at you. When that happens every now and again, it is "ok". But sometimes that happens way too often within a short time... that's the big challenge. And when I got bronchitis it took me always longer than a month to get well, because at home it's very humid. So I was always taking care a LOT not to get colds or anything because then you'll spend the whole winter with a feverish feeling. Having said that, it is my favourite country, and I always end up giving it more tries. You miss Portugal after some months being away from there.
Best for vacation
Totally agree, I have been here a year and a half and am still waiting for SEF to sort out my residency. Its so annoying as I can't really do anything, including get a health number, credit or a Vaccine! Still love it here though :)
Oh no! SEF is the absolute worst. I study in Lisbon and have my residency permit, but my husband can't get a SEF appointment to even request authorization for a family reunification visa until February. So he's not 'illegal', but also not 'regular'. Whatever that means. Are you allowed to travel within the EU?
@@carolinezapert2750This!!! I've been struggling with this for almost two months now- my husband is Portuguese citizen but I can't get appointment at SEF even though I keep calling every single day, countless times. Some of the agents answering calls assure me that I'm legal here and not to worry, others say that I'm ok as long as I don't travel as I might run into issues in other countries, and there are those that are claiming something completely different. What really bothers me is that I can't get straight information from some verified source, so I know which steps to take. Here everything seems to be fluid, for good and bad. To answer your question about travel: I don't have a bloody clue and I wish someone did. 😭
@@carolinezapert2750 Any insight appreciated
Well, try to enter the UK as a Portuguese and you might firstly be put in jail at the airport. And after that I 100% prefer SEF to british immigation.
@@m.aj11 ua-cam.com/video/KHIyTu78rTw/v-deo.html
Really fun videos you're making. I was always attracted to the language and culture, which seems more kind than the Spanish, but it's surprising how beautiful Portugal is, and productive of good things. Nice work you're doing!
Great and Practical Video Liz! We just returned yesterday from our first reconnaissance trip to PT and noticed many issues you mentioned and heard elsewhere on YT. (Always good to be reminded of the PT lifestyle) We love Lisbon but noticed at least two troubling issues; (1) HILLS. I’ve used maps with ground elevations (I’m an engineer) so it helps somewhat. Any tips other then walking around the entire city to find where the flat areas are located? (2) FLIGHT PATHS. Much of the city seems to be subject to noise from the airport flight path. And on a rainy days, much of central Lisbon appears to taken over by take off noise. Any tips on neighborhoods to avoid this? Obrigado.
Google maps shows elevation! And I think the worst areas for the flight path are Campo Grande and Campo de Ourique
The airport is close to flights in the 00/06 period.
Muito obrigada Liz, very interesting and looking forward to part 2!
I know what you mean with how bureaucracy works in Portugal. Having made the opposite change (moved from Portugal to the UK), every time someone mentions their experience with Portuguese administrative services or I have to renew my ID/passport I'm filled with anxiety. Everything is so much more organised and streamlined in the UK that it feels like travelling back in time when I have to deal with PT authorities. I don't think I've ever been to any appointment to do anything after I got my NIN in 2013.
I have to apply for citizenship next year and I’m gathering my armour 🤣🤣
@@TalktheStreets Good luck with that! We're trying to get my wife naturalised through marriage and it's a right pain. Not to mention how long it takes to do anything.
@@foxhoundz1x92 oh my God, I am going to apply for nationality as married to Portuguese...I hope it will not be a nightmare...
@@TalktheStreets so you can make a video about it.....so I can prepare myself too 😁🤣😂
As a native portuguese, I would suggest, making one or two very good friends, that will help you with this situations, it's not ideal, but speaking for myself, I have helped some friends take care of stuff, and along the way I get to teach them how to do it, and also do it much more effectively, unfortunately, the more someone has been "screwed over" by any system, whether it's healthcare , getting documents etc, the more likely that person is going to know the do's and dont's with all of it