We used this agency based in Portugal to get our NIF number, they were very quick and sent the paperwork from the Finanças Office in a PDF format. We only waited 48 hours for our NIF number (tax number), this number is vital to your D7 application. e-residence.com?via=norman
We are retired in Switzerland and recall the same sort of circular administrative issues but they all get sorted in the end. I believe that if you move to a foreign country it is important and polite to learn the language and the culture as best you can and always remember you are a guest.
I am currently a retired Canadian citizen, researching moving to either Portugal or Panama. I am more tempted towards Portugal, for the cultural experiences of being in Europe, but drawn to Panama too for the weather. I hope to travel to the Algarve again in January, for a 3-month stay, which I hope will help me to make the final decision. I have been learning both Spanish and Portuguese (wouldn't for a moment even ponder moving to another country without making the effort to learn the language!). Your videos have been very helpful, and I thank you for them. Keep up the good work, sharing your experiences. I look forward to your videos every Saturday. Best regards...
We have a place in Costa Rica, which will be our winter home for 6 months. Panama would be similar but cheaper than CR. A friend of mine has a place in Panama and has said that the locals are really not very welcoming to expats. CR on the other hand are very welcoming.
Good luck. I have migrated a couple of times, from the UK to Australia and then to Portugal. (Now back in the UK as my mom is ill) It isn't easy. You need to do lots of research and ensure you speak to people who have actually done it, because it isn't a 10 minute decision, and the rose tinted specs need to be very much removed before you make any decision. There are lots of pluses about Portugal and you will know those, but to balance it up, some of the negatives are the painful bureaucracy, and it is fairly cool in the winter. Renting a home out of the winter period is very difficult, unless you go inland. Hope your choice goes well.
A lot of people think that just because food and wine are cheap in Portugal, everything else is. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Electricity and petrol are two good examples of things that are really expensive in Portugal. Per kilowatt, Portugal is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. It’s also one of the most expensive countries for fuel. Rent, particularly in somewhere like Lisbon, can be as expensive as a major Northern European city. Then there are cars, furniture, electronic appliances, books, branded international foods, cosmetics, and toiletries, all of which are typically more expensive than elsewhere. BEWARE BEFORE YOU MOVE.
Very useful information.Travel and new experiences are what makes life exciting. We left the UK and moved to Kamloops BC back in 2008, living there for a few years then headed back to a different part of the UK. We are about 7 years away from retirement and going through all the different planning stages, building up wealth, getting healthy, looking at where we want to retire to. Portugal on the Silver coast is looking to be of particular interest and we have booked up for A place in the Sun exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham next week which will have the various information on moving abroad , buying and how to go through the different entry visas etc. Exciting times ! Thanks for sharing that valuable information and all your other videos we look forward to watching you guys every week🙂
You can open an account at the Caixa Geral de Depositas in Toronto by arranging an appointment in advance (we did that via email). They do not accept deposits at the branch. You have to transfer money into the new account online. You also need to ensure you have a 12 month rental contract in place before attending your D7 appointment at the consulate.
We were aware of this bank, we also found a service in Portugal that got us our tax numbers, they also will get us a bank account for a fee. The twelve month lease for the Toronto interview seems not to be the case, you need it for the in country interview with the border services. Thanks for watching Donna!
I was also told by a Portuguese lawyer , and the girls at EI. the Portuguese migration company that helps you immigrate that I need a 12 month commitment of where I’ll be living for my D7 visa . I love your channel . Please keep up the great work .
Interesting information Tina and Norm. People interested in going to Portugal to apply for Residency and requiring a Police Record Check should also be aware that in many cities, Police Record Checks have a current backlog of up to 12 weeks.
Hi Tina and Norm. How are you? I am familiar with the D7 Reformado Visa process. I have the NIF and a bank account with Millennium. I have watched several individuals, creators of UA-cam videos be them Americans, Brazilians, etc. Some of them provide valuable information be that good or terrible things about Portugal. I also have an attorney in Lisbon. Because of such diverse information, I decided to take a trip to Portugal this past May primarily to check Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve area. While there I eat all diverse types of culinary, traveled by local and long-distance trains primarily in first class where offered. I also traveled by buses, taxis, street cars, Uber, and Bolt (which I liked better than Uber). I also had an emergency where I had to go to a Hospital in Lisbon. My wife and me were not impressed with Portugal as a whole and what it has to offer. The people are great, and they will help you as much as they can. Most of the younger generation speak fluent English. We spoke more English than Portuguese. We are fluent in both languages, and we can also dabble in Spanish (wife) and Italian (me). While I believe in doing things the right way, I do not particularly care in depositing a total of 12 months of Minimum salary (705 euros for me) and I believe plus 50% of that for my wife in a Portuguese bank. That's too much money without any return. Also finding a place to live and signing a contract for 12 months with 3 to 6 months of deposit required by property owners for places that could not be up to your standard of living did not settle well with me. To bypass this a lot of people are going to Portugal as a tourist and then register with SEF stating that they would like to stay in the country and then start processing the required paperwork. This process takes a long time and I believe you cannot leave the country until the residency card is approved. There are other things you can do but I should not mention them here. Today, I would not go to live in EU primarily with what is going on there because of the geopolitical situation. Anyone planning to travel to EU countries should do a due diligence and have a plan "B" to get out of there in a hurry. Of course, this is my opinion and not a recommendation. I am not a pessimistic, but I am realistic. I hope I made some sense above with all this mambo jumble. All the best to you. Ate logo.
You pretty much summed up our views on Portugal, we value living in Canada and appreciate what we have here. We are not willing to go through the residency application and deposit €15,000 for the two of us in a Portuguese bank and pay €8.50 a month in bank fees. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, have a great weekend.
My husband is retired and I’ll be retiring to something in 3.5 years. We’re so excited! He’s a Canadian citizen with his permanent residency in the US 🇺🇸 but we will be moving to either Winnipeg or someplace in Southern Ontario. We are very much looking forward to traveling and finding our “Go to” place during the winter months. Just because you two have lauded Portugal, it’s on our list in addition to other places in Europe in addition to Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico as well as Thailand. We should be able to find our snowbird place in one of those locations. Love your videos and you consistently give us great information to consider. Thank you!
Been retired 12 years now, and have been travelling the world three months at a time . Which seems to be the maximum visa time allowed without any extra paperwork. in many countries. we have finally ended up in Thailand where the temperature is excellent cost of living excellent , private medical affordable. ease of getting a yearly retirement Visa would recommend it. We have totally changed our outlook on retirement , given us a new lease of life. Now 66 and loving life.
I have Portuguese residency from the days when the UK was part of the EU. However, I did look into the D7 aswell. I did not know about the initial 4 months, but the intention of a D7 is it is a permanent residency visa, not a long holiday visa. There are various issues to the D7. It can only be applied for permanently after a series of shorter residence applications. Importantly, the holder of a D7 temporary residence permit, is expected to be, at least, 16 months in the country during the first 2-year period, and 28 months in each 3-year subsequent period provided no absence exceeds 6 consecutive months. Once it has become permanent, which takes about 5 years... provided no absence exceeds 24 consecutive months...... In other words, you need to be mindful of the risks of disconnecting yourself from your home country's health system etc. The Portuguese health system, is not too good. My experience so far, is that Portugal can be very painful with bureaucracy. It is a nice idea to try living elsewhere, but renting in Portugal between May and the end of September is very very difficult, because landlords can get more in a week in summer, than they can in a month from long term tenants, so anything at the standard you are used to is not easy to find except in winter. I think your 3 month trips are probably a better bet. I have had to abort my Portuguese residence status due to my mothers ill health, but I can return later.... however finding a long term rental is the number 1 problem... and it is a big big one which needs careful research so you can form your own views. I got my NIF from the Repartição de Finanças de Albufeira, and it only took a few minutes with the right paperwork. The same morning I opened a bank account at Caixa Geral de Depositos, which is owned by the Portuguese Government and has a branch opposite Albufeira shopping. (They also have a branch in Toronto). It took about 2 hours with the correct paperwork... if you are in town... All the best.
Hello Norm and Tina. Great topic..love travel. Your topic had hubby and I sit down and have a good chat about what we would like to do. We loved Portugal, however, we couldn't live there more than 3 months. For us we are looking more towards the USA 🇺🇸 because we can drive or fly. The wonderful part is we are all different and we are so spoiled for choice and in retirement we have the time. We are so ready to click our shoes together and just 'be there'. You definitely have friends in us❤
We agree Fay 3 months over Winter 🥶 is good for us too , we love visiting Portugal 🇵🇹 but also love driving 🚗to the USA 🇺🇸 more freedom at your own pace etc so again great option for Winter . We are sure you are counting down the days till your 🚢 cruise have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇺🇸🇨🇦😎
What an interesting topic.I live in the Netherlands where I will stay forever, but I do'nt like the cold and dark winters. In January we hope to go to Portugal for 3 months. I book this trip at Primavera Travel, they are specialized in long stay. Have a good weekend and till the next time.....
Thanks for sharing! we have a lot in common finding somewhere warm for 3 months LOL 😂we will check that travel company out , have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🇳🇱 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦 😎
Throughout life; even approaching or in “retirement” (whatever that is), many of us are never content. You two very content - is that real… Near the end of this video you talk about making friends with moves etc. You often refer to having children (& presumably grandchildren). How do you stay so relaxed; content? Please consider making a video about this. Contentment, may be the holy grail of life. Thank you - you make our week! David & Sue (in Alabama)
Thanks for the suggestion David , we are very happy as a couple if you can learn to accept and be happy with your life you can become very content with all that you do , have a wonderful weekend and thanks for watching Cheers 🌺🇺🇸🍷🇨🇦
Love your UA-cam video and the information you have done on the D7 visa for Portugal I am currently living in Thailand have been here over 5 years now but thinking to be closer to my family in the UK and Portugal is at the top of my list thank you regards Alan
Great informative video we love watching you two 😊 hope all carries on going well for your move. We are retired brits who have lived in France for the last 61/2 years and are now leaving France to live in Madeira Portugal in the next 21/2 weeks 😃
Hi Tina & Norm another good video and I agree it does sound very tempting and quit straight forward worth some serious thought . Stay safe. Christopher Barker
Hello T&N very good info but seems at lot for just a 4 month visa, I would like to visit, but for me America is home warts and all .I will be moving to Las Vagas in 2023 that will be my permanent home, the winters are mild but summers are intense .Have a great week see you next week.
I had planned on buying an apartment in Italy in retirement and staying there 3 months out of the year. Now with stocks going down not sure I want to put money into that (as most require some work or upgrades) so we are looking at just staying in different countries for 3 months instead. Mostly Europe as we like traveling around there. We will see!
For us elderly folk in the UK retiring to Portugal could be the dream solution to avoiding the grey skies, drizzle and harsh cold winds of winter. However, for the younger generation moving to Portugal I question their choices. It is now apparent sea levels are rising and summer temperatures increasing. It is anticipated by scientists the situation will worsen over the coming years potentially leading to drought and local crop failures. My son has owned property outside Paderne, Algarve for several years and he has already noticed an increase in temperature during the summer months. So, when applying for a D7 visa stock up on the sun screen.
It does seem a lot of folk from UK 🇬🇧, Canada 🇨🇦 and the USA 🇺🇸 are heading to Portugal 🇵🇹 all to escape the bad weather and yes sun screen is a must Cheers Steven 🍷🇵🇹
I love spring, summer and fall in NB Canada. When I was younger I loved the winter too but as I near retirement I see the appeal of spending a few months in a more temperate climate and having a cultural experience. I don't think that I would leave Canada to live elsewhere, but if you choose to I wish you the best.
We agree Shelley we love those three seasons but it’s harder being retired to cope with Winter , we are very happy here and will probably just choose different places for 3 - 4 months during Winter 🥶. Have a great weekend Cheers 🍷😎🌺
Prefer to stay in Canada and travel from here one to three months. World stability, pandemics and health care our are reasons. Stay safe Cheers Norm and Tina!
We agree Paul we are working out that is best for us too , we are very happy in Canada 🇨🇦 and it means we can visit different places as we choose over the Winter 🥶 months Cheers 🍺🍺
Very interesting topic for me, as I also have been researching Portugal as a place in which to retire. I am part of several Facebook groups dedicated to this subject. However, I recently found out that I have path to dual citizenship in Italy, so I am pursuing that. If I can make that happen, I can retire anywhere in the EU and be closer to my daughter in Germany. I'm not able to retire for another 4 or so years, so hopefully I'll better know the path I'll be able to take by then!
I planned to retire at 62 and move to Malaysia where the cost of living is very low as I could live comfortably and save a large portion of my pension. Recently Malaysia changed their retirement visa program and now I no longer qualify so I have to find a new spot. I'm considering Portugal but France is likely my first choice. Their visitor long stay (VLS-TS) visa is similar to Portugal, allowing you to stay up to 12 months and renewable for another 4 yrs after that.
Sorry to hear your retirement plans have had a curve ball Linda as we knew you wanted to go to Malaysia 🇲🇾, hope you can find a new solution Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Thanks for that info. Many countries have fairly high minimum income requirements for retirement visas, in Mexico and Thailand it's over $2,000 per month, which is more than many low income retirees get (people have to do 6 month visa runs to a nearby country) . That's why Equador has been so popular. If people can find cheap cost of living, Portugal will become very popular. For myself, I'm lucky to have a very inexpensive place I love here in Canada, so I try to hygge my way thru winter. However, hoping to walk the camino portugal in spring...Cheers
Ecuador is beautiful, and it’s a wonderfully diverse country. It’s also extremely dangerous. I lived there in 2011, and I honed survival instincts there that I hadn’t needed in most places in the US.
A very interesting video! Thank you explaining all the pros and cons. As we have just got our residency in Canada it wont be for us! Also we are in our mid 70's. We like the weather here in the Winter months Cold but dry. Quite different from the UK weather (damp and cold) We look forward to your Saturday videos.
New arrivals have to have 12 months of private healthcare insurance. They use the private hospitals and medical centres. Plenty of pay as you go doctors offices
In your video, you speak about a book that details typical regrets of the elderly. I just finished a wonderful book by New York Times bestselling author, Neil Pasricha, entitled The Happiness Equation. In one part of the book, the author describes an Australian palliative nurse who worked for years taking care of dying patients. In speaking with her patients, she had a practice of asking whether they have any regrets or if there is anything they would do differently. She began to notice similarities in their responses. The top 5 regrets listed in the book are: 1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. 2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard. 3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings. 4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. 5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Like the examples in the book you referenced in your video, people's regrets do not pertain to money or status or property. There is probably a great deal we can all learn from this list of top regrets. Thanks for another great video. For anyone interested in practical ways to increase one's life happiness, I would recommend Mr. Pasricha's excellent book.
I live in Australia and have considered retiring to Portugal but health insurance concerns me, both getting private health insurance with pre-existing conditions and loosing access to universal healthcare here in Australia. Taxes are another thing to consider.
That’s the same reason we are not going Rebecca we have universal healthcare in Canada and would have to pay a lot for private healthcare in Portugal 🇵🇹. Have a wonderful week Cheers 🍷🇦🇺🇨🇦😎
When we moved to France from Australia the biggest problem was swapping our driving license. Despite there being a bilateral agreement they insisted on proof of the original date of issue of the license (not the last renewal or expiry date) and proof that we were living in Australia at the time (despite us being Australian citizens). That was very difficult because forty year old documents are long gone and it took months and lots of stress to convince them. In the meantime we had to surrender our Australian license and they gave us a piece of paper that a car rental company would have been unlikely to recognise. Apparently the French test is very difficult and a lot of French backpackers had been getting their license in Australia and swapping it when they got back home - but we got caught in the crackdown. Be careful to read the small print for example I just googled Portugal and noticed: "Despite introducing new rules on the recognition of foreign driving licences, the Portuguese authorities have emphasised that certain exceptions apply. According to Portugal’s Institute of Mobility and Transport, the holder of the foreign driving licence must not be over 60 in order to be able to drive with the original document in Portugal. In addition, the same explains that the new rules apply only if the driver received or renewed the foreign driving licence more than 15 years ago. This means that new drivers, as well as those with less than 15-year driving experience, will not be able to use their documents while in Portugal" schengenvisainfo.com/news/portugal-now-recognises-several-foreign-issued-driving-licenses/
I think the passive income/non-lucrative visas for Spain and Portugal are tremendous options for people residing outside of the EU. They are affordable and fairly easy to navigate. Not having to tie up $250,000+ of money in real estate by going the “golden visa” route is a major plus. This would also allow more flexibility and adventure in your golden years, especially if the world were to change drastically due to another pandemic or war. One could spend 2 years in Portugal, hop over to S.E. Asia for 2 years, then come back and do 2 years in Spain. One small hurdle is finding a suitable rental apartment willing to write you a contract for the required 12 months if you want to live in a tourist hotspot like the Algarve or Costa Del Sol. Many of the prime destinations and properties are perfectly fine renting to you from Oct-March, but then prefer to switch to the more lucrative vacation rental market for the summer season. It's much easier if you prefer destinations like Porto or Lisbon.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement I agree. Sun. sea. and warmth is more our speed as well. Plus, we really just like the feeling and lifestyle of the Algarve and Costa Del Sol. We have been looking into this option for some time. We currently own a second home in Sarawak, Malaysia but would like to have the ability to live/stay in the EU for more than 90 days but less than a year. The problem is we still want to live in Malaysia part time. Since the visa seems to require a 12-month rental contract and minimum stay of 6 consecutive months (or 8 non-consecutive), that means our rental property would not be occupied for roughly half the year. I have heard of various ways to get around this and all seem to involve a lot of paperwork (tourist visa extensions) or somewhat dubious behavior (12-month rental contract, but the owner still Airbnb’s the apartment when you are not there). The other option would seem to be renting a very affordable place that has a smaller size and less ideal location than we would normally choose.
Dear friends, do you have any information on the health insurance in Portugal or /and in Schengen zone? Can you cover this topic in one of your videos? By the way, watching how creative and diligent you are with your videos, how simply and yet informative you lay out the information, I thought your former employers must have been devastated loosing you!
I’ve always said if I spoke a third language it would be Portuguese. Love Portugal but France would be my go to for extended European stays based on my current language abilities.
costs is Portugal are skyrocketing now, perhaps a victim of it's own success...places like Lisbon are becoming so overrun with expats overbidding on rentals and properties that the locals are priced out of their own cities which is pretty unfortunate.
That's what we are afraid of. We're 43 and by the time we retire we will be priced out of moving out of the USA. It's sad for the locals like you said too. In all fairness my heritage came from Portugal on the Garcia side of my family so I'd just be relocating back to ancestry land lol. I hope it will still be an option in some places there when we retire. We most definitely don't want to stay in Texas usa, or the south period. We'd like to move north usa in cooler weather but every decent city is so expensive. The Great Lakes is an area expected to fair better in climate change so that's the plan so far, but Portugal is an option. My husband loves cooler weather due to health issues he gets very hot easily in this heat and humidity in TX. I like hot weather so we are different in that regards. But later in life I may enjoy cooler weather. Just not freezing snow half the year.
@@micart79 I am also in Texas and have lived here since 1985. The heat is just getting so bad here, especially when there isn’t enough rain (like this year in North Texas), so I don’t know how much longer I can survive in this oven. Add to that the radicalization of the government and it’s almost to the point that I have no option but to leave. But then, I’m not yet retired and I do have a spouse (at the moment), so if and where will be two conversations that are likely to find us far apart. But with the rate of inflation here in north Texas (and market analysts who have been promising a deep recession for months, making for skittish investors and falling markets), staying here may not be possible. IOW, I could be screwed by time I am finally able to do something!
@@texaszag8748 I hope you will fair well. I totally understand the politics of TX is pushing us also to want to leave. We are deciding if it would be smart to go on and purchase a house around the Great Lakes just to get on the property ladder and have it gain value to sell or move into in 15 years. We could rent it out in the meantime. When mass migration starts to happen due to climate change we may be happy we got a place in time before values sky rocket.. just don't know if we should put that money in the market or put it in the investment property. Because we'd like having a 2nd home in a good market area in case this house is not desirable to sell if Houston is too hot to live anymore. It's a matter of time it will get worse, when is the question.
I think you missed some of the other requirements needed to get the D7 viasa. As to moving its a much safer place and very inexpensive to live. Plus in the US living outside of the country you can wave taxes to a certain point and the medical is vastly less.
I had to do a criminal check for a job and there are online services. Backcheck was the one I used. It cost about $65 back then not sure what it is today. The check can be shared for free as far as I know
Hi Tina and Norm! I enjoy your videos! We plan to be in the Algarve January 2024. Will it be warm at this time so we are able to wear shorts? Did you take a winter coat along or just a spring coat that you are able to layer?
I have som friends living in Nova Scotia, their Winter temperatures last for about seven months. Next month their average temp is 13C and falling. I would be on the next plane to Sydney, before you could say here comes Polar Bear.
No Julie Medicare doesn't cover it but thats why we buy travel insurance. If you lived in Portugal private healthcare insurance for a 65 year old couple is about $650 per year!
I heard all those abbreviations sail by and thought: Gosh I am glad I live in Europe 😂😂😂😂! I have a cousin who rents an apartment for 2 months each year...so well known now the owner generally reserves the same one for them- counting on their return ( which they do😎). I'm happy to just flit hither and Yon is the mood so takes me. Not really upset by the winter months.I am extremely fortunate this year to experience two Spring time seasons with summer slap bang in the middle. I'll go tanned into winter 😎! Have a great week you two. Trailer park closing soon? Baby calling: Oa is on duty! 😂 🇳🇱 🙋♀ 🇳🇿 🍷
Sounds like lovely family time Anita enjoy it while you can , yes the trailer park closes in another couple of week but we will be off visiting the USA 🇺🇸 soon . Hope you have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷🇳🇿🇨🇦🌺
I have been glued to your videos I love all of them, very informative, have been very overwhelmed and cant seem to start my d7 visa process. I am looking into start the process on my own or with a portuguese law firm, but I have send many emails to many different law firms and havent received a reply yet,,, very frustrating. is there a law firm you could suggest thanks
We are sorry Anna Marie we don’t as we have never used one, perhaps another viewer might be able to help, we wish you well with your visa process have a wonderful weekend Cheers🍷 🇵🇹 🌺😎🇨🇦
I speak Portuguese fairly well, but with a Brazilian accent, so Brazil would be my ideal country to retire if I didn't love West Virginia so much. I've never been able to get that weird way they speak in Portugal down, sorry. Boa sorte e muito obrigado!🙂😄
We thought it would help those who are applying for a D 7 visa Richard , we are like you happy here in Canada 🇨🇦 and just going for possibly 3 months over Winter . We would also like to spend more time in the USA over Winter too . Have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🇺🇸🍷🇨🇦
Hello, we are interested to learn of the towns you have previously based yourselves in for winter stays in Portugal? What are the pros and cons of the locations? Where is your favourite location? What sort of price would we be looking at for an apartment for 2 months? Any other details you think would be of interest would be appreciated by us and a larger audience. If you have already done a video on this, please direct us to it? Thanks. Jason and Joanne, Calgary.
We do have a number of videos dealing with winter stays in Portugal, maybe this video might answer some of your questions. ua-cam.com/video/ZEA33jkxJlg/v-deo.html
That process seems like a lot of work for an extra month. Unless I misunderstood you said a regular tourist visa was for 90 days and the D7 was 4 months. Why would I want a 12 month lease if I could only stay for 4 of them. What am I missing?
The four months that you are there allows you to apply for residency, if you get it you can be there 8 months a year have a great weekend David Cheers 🍷🇨🇦🇵🇹
Adding a question: why would getting a 4 month visa (D7) be any better than applying for a full time residency remotely. If your application failed than you could be out in 4 months and tied to a 12 month rental. agreement.
You can’t apply for residency remotely you have to apply in person in Portugal hence the 4 month visa to allow sufficient time to have your residency interview.
Hi from PEI! While this video isn't relevant for me at all, I enjoyed your explanation that I'm certain will inform others who can use this information. Are you headed out of Canada soon?
Great information thank you. Was wondering how the system works even if I don't plan on moving to Portugal. One of my concerns is potential for fraud when using a third party. How do you know who to trust with your sensitive information?
Hello. I really enjoy your weekly videos. Thanks to you, we're going to Algarve this winter. I watched for a second time your Portugal videos but I couldn't find your contact for the car rental. Could you please share that info? Thank you.
Is this D7 process just an exercise you are going through or are you planning to apply for and take up residency in Portugal? We have our Mexico permanent residency visas which has different but, in some ways, similar requirements though we still only winter there. Do you have similar plans for Portugal or are you looking for a more long-term move?
At the moment we were curious to how easy it would be to start the process with number one being the NIF number , we want to be somewhere for the Winter months and are just weighing up options to be able to be somewhere more than a couple of months . Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
Hi, I am a subscriber. I will be going from Halifax Ca. To the Algarve for the month of February. Where do you recommend I rent a car for a month? Thanks.
Fellow Canadian's planning on visiting Portugal this winter (2023) and would like to know what bank machines you found "Canadian" friendly? We were in Portugal last September and found most bank machines would not take our Simplii Financial bank cards when trying to withdraw cash.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Thanks for the help! Our Simplii bank card does have both Cirrus & Interact symbols on the card, but for some reason it only worked at one machine in Lisbon - Bancoctt
Great information. I don't think it matters what country you want to Snowbird too, they all have there hoops and limitations to get more of your money! We are 5 years from retirement and have a house in Costa Rica. It seems like every other year they add or change a tax or you need this now or that. It keeps the money coming in and people employed. Question for Norm. What is your Rock T-shirt? What is your top 3 Groups? Mine are Rush, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. Have a Great week, you 2
We hear you Doug rules seem to be changing all the time hard to keep track ! Norms are ACDC, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd have an awesome weekend Cheers 🍷🌺😎🍺
We are planning to go somewhere warm the week of Dec 24-Jan 1. We are 10 adults and 9 children. We are looking at the Algarve region. Can you please give us an advice on the best area in Algarve to stay that is kids friendly. A region in the Algarve that is the easiest to reach from the airport. Thanks.
Hi Tina and Norm, do you actually already know where you will be staying in the Algarve? Just curious as I'm looking for a nice place. I usually go to the Lisbon area. Haven't been in the South since 2009. I remember the Carvoeiro area as being nice but I'm looking for somewhere where I can take walks alongside the sea, like a long boulevard. Would be great to get some suggestions from you or anyone else!
We are juggling Lotte between The Algarve and Florida for this winter , but you might like Alvor lovely boardwalk , Quarteria and Armacao de Pera both have lovely long promenades and flat good luck Cheers 🇵🇹🍷🇨🇦😎
@@ThisIsOurRetirement thanks so much for the suggestions 🙂. Because of the Ukranian war, shortages, prices hitting the roof etc, you might not want to visit Europe for the time being and Florida would certainly be a better choice.
As an American, I would love to live in European countries a few months at a time to visit everything I'd like to see. Is it possible to stay for 2-3 months in Spain, Italy and France? I'd also love to stay in the UK for a while to see more of England and Scotland. Do you need visas to stay longer than 90 days? Thank you both for doing these videos - I'm a little bit away from full retirement and I can't wait!
Yes you can stay for up to 90 days in Spain 🇪🇸,Italy 🇮🇹 ,and France 🇫🇷 you can also visit The UK 🇬🇧 and Scotland 🏴 glad you are enjoying our videos Cheers 🌺😎🍷
As new subscriber, i am not quite following.. do you live inPortugal now? or are you moving there? you obs have some link but i thought you moved from UK to Canada on retiring? gillian
We have used Albufeira for three years as a home base, as it is virtually in the centre of The Algarve and good for travelling east and west, towns either side would be cheaper rents however.
That's a lot of work and hoops to jump thru...here the people entering the country just have to get past the border fence to circumvent all that messy red tape. Many even get free transportation to an interior city, food, housing, medical care, phone, ID card, driver's license, education for any kids they bring along, and can even vote in elections.
We live in Point Roberts where we experienced border shutdown for 2 years during COVID and wonder what happens if we're in Portugal on the 4 month D7 and it happens again.
The D7 is only available for applying for residency, it’s not a tourist visa. People abroad during the Canadian border closures had to stay in that country.
I always wanted to leave for couple of month or maybe retire in one of the EU countries. I am 1 year away from retirement and my DH is two. We can retire now at 62, but the delay of 1 and 2 years will add additional 20k to our yearly company pension. We were not able to save a lot, and will depend mostly on our pension and social security benefits. It is basically 70k vs 90k if delayed. But two years is a lot, and I still doubt if the delay worth the money. I wonder how do you guys handle aging. You started traveling relatively young and full of energy. How is it to travel now after 7 years of retirement? Hope your example will help us make a choice. As always, with admiration and gratitude,
We are still fit and eager to travel even after 7 years, check on your government pensions to see what you would get, our government pensions pay for our day to expenses. Travel is obviously expensive but worth it and you can always find bargains online. Good luck, we value time over anything else.
Thank you, I was hoping for the last comment😃. Is it too much to ask what are your average monthly expense aside from rent? Is it less than your monthly expenses while you were working?
Great information, however, I have no interest in moving overseas. We plan to spend the month of April 2023! Is there anything we need to know about spending 30 days there?
We are heading to Portugal in January for 6 weeks. I've been told to only get a card with data and not bother with voice. I have identified that it is not possible to forward my phone number in Canada to a number in Europe. Do you recommend any specific provider for a SIM card?
We don’t recommend any but you can use Magic Jack or We chat as Wifi calling , we called Canada 🇨🇦 regularly on Majic Jack , you can get SIM cards in the shopping malls have a great trip Drew Cheers 🇨🇦☕️🇵🇹
…and we still have a worker shortage, which puts pressure on wages. Then people moan about inflation. Here’s another fun fact: most of undocumented migrants pay taxes and have social security and medicare taken from their wages, but cannot file tax returns and receive a refund and will never be able to collect a dime in social security or medicare benefits. In other words, in addition to working for low wages, they are also subsidizing our social services.
We used this agency based in Portugal to get our NIF number, they were very quick and sent the paperwork from the Finanças Office in a PDF format. We only waited 48 hours for our NIF number (tax number), this number is vital to your D7 application. e-residence.com?via=norman
We are retired in Switzerland and recall the same sort of circular administrative issues but they all get sorted in the end.
I believe that if you move to a foreign country it is important and polite to learn the language and the culture as best you can and always remember you are a guest.
Thanks for sharing Glen have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🇨🇭🍷🇨🇦🇵🇹😎
Well said!
100% It is a privilege to be allowed to live in another country and should be treated as such
I am currently a retired Canadian citizen, researching moving to either Portugal or Panama. I am more tempted towards Portugal, for the cultural experiences of being in Europe, but drawn to Panama too for the weather. I hope to travel to the Algarve again in January, for a 3-month stay, which I hope will help me to make the final decision. I have been learning both Spanish and Portuguese (wouldn't for a moment even ponder moving to another country without making the effort to learn the language!). Your videos have been very helpful, and I thank you for them. Keep up the good work, sharing your experiences. I look forward to your videos every Saturday. Best regards...
We have a place in Costa Rica, which will be our winter home for 6 months. Panama would be similar but cheaper than CR. A friend of mine has a place in Panama and has said that the locals are really not very welcoming to expats. CR on the other hand are very welcoming.
We wish you all the best on deciding on your future Sharon , we are hoping to visit the Algarve this Winter too, have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
Thanks for sharing Doug have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
Thank you all for your input. It's obviously a huge decision to make, and the research is helpful, as is the input from everyone. Much appreciated.
Good luck. I have migrated a couple of times, from the UK to Australia and then to Portugal. (Now back in the UK as my mom is ill) It isn't easy. You need to do lots of research and ensure you speak to people who have actually done it, because it isn't a 10 minute decision, and the rose tinted specs need to be very much removed before you make any decision. There are lots of pluses about Portugal and you will know those, but to balance it up, some of the negatives are the painful bureaucracy, and it is fairly cool in the winter. Renting a home out of the winter period is very difficult, unless you go inland. Hope your choice goes well.
A lot of people think that just because food and wine are cheap in Portugal, everything else is. Unfortunately, that’s not true. Electricity and petrol are two good examples of things that are really expensive in Portugal. Per kilowatt, Portugal is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. It’s also one of the most expensive countries for fuel. Rent, particularly in somewhere like Lisbon, can be as expensive as a major Northern European city. Then there are cars, furniture, electronic appliances, books, branded international foods, cosmetics, and toiletries, all of which are typically more expensive than elsewhere. BEWARE BEFORE YOU MOVE.
Hefty price to pay for a bit of sunshine.
It’s not as bleak as you say, yes gas and electricity are expensive, other things are not that expensive, food is cheaper than Canada.
Very useful information.Travel and new experiences are what makes life exciting. We left the UK and moved to Kamloops BC back in 2008, living there for a few years then headed back to a different part of the UK. We are about 7 years away from retirement and going through all the different planning stages, building up wealth, getting healthy, looking at where we want to retire to. Portugal on the Silver coast is looking to be of particular interest and we have booked up for A place in the Sun exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham next week which will have the various information on moving abroad , buying and how to go through the different entry visas etc. Exciting times ! Thanks for sharing that valuable information and all your other videos we look forward to watching you guys every week🙂
The Silver coast is popular with expats, a little chilly in winter! Thanks for watching our channel we really appreciate it.
Wow! That’s quite a process. Good to know. Thank you for gathering all info for us. Stay well you 2.
Thanks, you too!
Doing it now. I will be submitting my application in a week. I'm so excited!
Good luck!! we wish you all the best have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
No regrets !.... My absolute goal is to get into my 'No Go' years and be able to sit in my chair, sip a nice Whisky, think back and smile.
Sounds wonderful Dean have a wonderful weekend Cheers 😎🌺
You can open an account at the Caixa Geral de Depositas in Toronto by arranging an appointment in advance (we did that via email). They do not accept deposits at the branch. You have to transfer money into the new account online. You also need to ensure you have a 12 month rental contract in place before attending your D7 appointment at the consulate.
Thanks for sharing Donna Cheers 🇵🇹🍷🇨🇦
We were aware of this bank, we also found a service in Portugal that got us our tax numbers, they also will get us a bank account for a fee. The twelve month lease for the Toronto interview seems not to be the case, you need it for the in country interview with the border services. Thanks for watching Donna!
I was also told by a Portuguese lawyer , and the girls at EI. the Portuguese migration company that helps you immigrate that I need a 12 month commitment of where I’ll be living for my D7 visa .
I love your channel . Please keep up the great work .
Interesting information Tina and Norm. People interested in going to Portugal to apply for Residency and requiring a Police Record Check should also be aware that in many cities, Police Record Checks have a current backlog of up to 12 weeks.
Thanks for sharing Wendy 🌺
Hi Tina and Norm. How are you? I am familiar with the D7 Reformado Visa process. I have the NIF and a bank account with Millennium. I have watched several individuals, creators of UA-cam videos be them Americans, Brazilians, etc. Some of them provide valuable information be that good or terrible things about Portugal. I also have an attorney in Lisbon. Because of such diverse information, I decided to take a trip to Portugal this past May primarily to check Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve area. While there I eat all diverse types of culinary, traveled by local and long-distance trains primarily in first class where offered. I also traveled by buses, taxis, street cars, Uber, and Bolt (which I liked better than Uber). I also had an emergency where I had to go to a Hospital in Lisbon. My wife and me were not impressed with Portugal as a whole and what it has to offer. The people are great, and they will help you as much as they can. Most of the younger generation speak fluent English. We spoke more English than Portuguese. We are fluent in both languages, and we can also dabble in Spanish (wife) and Italian (me). While I believe in doing things the right way, I do not particularly care in depositing a total of 12 months of Minimum salary (705 euros for me) and I believe plus 50% of that for my wife in a Portuguese bank. That's too much money without any return. Also finding a place to live and signing a contract for 12 months with 3 to 6 months of deposit required by property owners for places that could not be up to your standard of living did not settle well with me. To bypass this a lot of people are going to Portugal as a tourist and then register with SEF stating that they would like to stay in the country and then start processing the required paperwork. This process takes a long time and I believe you cannot leave the country until the residency card is approved. There are other things you can do but I should not mention them here. Today, I would not go to live in EU primarily with what is going on there because of the geopolitical situation. Anyone planning to travel to EU countries should do a due diligence and have a plan "B" to get out of there in a hurry. Of course, this is my opinion and not a recommendation. I am not a pessimistic, but I am realistic. I hope I made some sense above with all this mambo jumble. All the best to you. Ate logo.
You pretty much summed up our views on Portugal, we value living in Canada and appreciate what we have here. We are not willing to go through the residency application and deposit €15,000 for the two of us in a Portuguese bank and pay €8.50 a month in bank fees. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, have a great weekend.
My husband is retired and I’ll be retiring to something in 3.5 years. We’re so excited! He’s a Canadian citizen with his permanent residency in the US 🇺🇸 but we will be moving to either Winnipeg or someplace in Southern Ontario. We are very much looking forward to traveling and finding our “Go to” place during the winter months. Just because you two have lauded Portugal, it’s on our list in addition to other places in Europe in addition to Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico as well as Thailand. We should be able to find our snowbird place in one of those locations. Love your videos and you consistently give us great information to consider. Thank you!
Thanks for watching we are glad you are enjoying our videos we are enjoying living in Southern Ontario have a wonderful weekend Cheers 😎🌺🍷
Been retired 12 years now, and have been travelling the world three months at a time .
Which seems to be the maximum visa time allowed without any extra paperwork. in many countries.
we have finally ended up in Thailand where the temperature is excellent cost of living excellent , private medical affordable. ease of getting a yearly retirement Visa would recommend it. We have totally changed our outlook on retirement , given us a new lease of life. Now 66 and loving life.
Thanks for sharing Martin hope you are having a wonderful weekend Cheers 🌺🍷😎
I have Portuguese residency from the days when the UK was part of the EU. However, I did look into the D7 aswell. I did not know about the initial 4 months, but the intention of a D7 is it is a permanent residency visa, not a long holiday visa. There are various issues to the D7. It can only be applied for permanently after a series of shorter residence applications. Importantly, the holder of a D7 temporary residence permit, is expected to be, at least, 16 months in the country during the first 2-year period, and 28 months in each 3-year subsequent period provided no absence exceeds 6 consecutive months. Once it has become permanent, which takes about 5 years... provided no absence exceeds 24 consecutive months...... In other words, you need to be mindful of the risks of disconnecting yourself from your home country's health system etc. The Portuguese health system, is not too good. My experience so far, is that Portugal can be very painful with bureaucracy. It is a nice idea to try living elsewhere, but renting in Portugal between May and the end of September is very very difficult, because landlords can get more in a week in summer, than they can in a month from long term tenants, so anything at the standard you are used to is not easy to find except in winter. I think your 3 month trips are probably a better bet. I have had to abort my Portuguese residence status due to my mothers ill health, but I can return later.... however finding a long term rental is the number 1 problem... and it is a big big one which needs careful research so you can form your own views. I got my NIF from the Repartição de Finanças de Albufeira, and it only took a few minutes with the right paperwork. The same morning I opened a bank account at Caixa Geral de Depositos, which is owned by the Portuguese Government and has a branch opposite Albufeira shopping. (They also have a branch in Toronto). It took about 2 hours with the correct paperwork... if you are in town... All the best.
Thanks for sharing and hope your mother health gets better , have a lovely weekend Cheers 🇬🇧🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
Hello Norm and Tina. Great topic..love travel. Your topic had hubby and I sit down and have a good chat about what we would like to do. We loved Portugal, however, we couldn't live there more than 3 months. For us we are looking more towards the USA 🇺🇸 because we can drive or fly. The wonderful part is we are all different and we are so spoiled for choice and in retirement we have the time. We are so ready to click our shoes together and just 'be there'. You definitely have friends in us❤
We agree Fay 3 months over Winter 🥶 is good for us too , we love visiting Portugal 🇵🇹 but also love driving 🚗to the USA 🇺🇸 more freedom at your own pace etc so again great option for Winter . We are sure you are counting down the days till your 🚢 cruise have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇺🇸🇨🇦😎
What an interesting topic.I live in the Netherlands where I will stay forever, but I do'nt like the cold and dark winters. In January we hope to go to Portugal for 3 months. I book this trip at Primavera Travel, they are specialized in long stay.
Have a good weekend and till the next time.....
Thanks for sharing! we have a lot in common finding somewhere warm for 3 months LOL 😂we will check that travel company out , have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🇳🇱 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦 😎
Throughout life; even approaching or in “retirement” (whatever that is), many of us are never content. You two very content - is that real…
Near the end of this video you talk about making friends with moves etc.
You often refer to having children (& presumably grandchildren).
How do you stay so relaxed; content?
Please consider making a video about this. Contentment, may be the holy grail of life.
Thank you - you make our week!
David & Sue (in Alabama)
Thanks for the suggestion David , we are very happy as a couple if you can learn to accept and be happy with your life you can become very content with all that you do , have a wonderful weekend and thanks for watching Cheers 🌺🇺🇸🍷🇨🇦
I dream to escape our Canadian winter, love Portugal. Can’t do it now but thank you for the information, it’s gold.
I hope our next move is to Spain, Portugal, or Mexico, but we are about 8 yrs from that. Thank you for sharing this information!
Our pleasure Sharon!
Love your UA-cam video and the information you have done on the D7 visa for Portugal I am currently living in Thailand have been here over 5 years now but thinking to be closer to my family in the UK and Portugal is at the top of my list thank you regards Alan
Glad it was helpful! we wish you luck Alan yes as you get older it is important to be near to family have a great week Cheers 🇹🇭 🍺🇨🇦🇵🇹🎄
Great informative video we love watching you two 😊 hope all carries on going well for your move. We are retired brits who have lived in France for the last 61/2 years and are now leaving France to live in Madeira Portugal in the next 21/2 weeks 😃
Sounds great!
Great info. Gorgeous scarf Tina.
Thanks Carol
Hi Tina & Norm another good video and I agree it does sound very tempting and quit straight forward worth some serious thought .
Stay safe. Christopher Barker
Thanks for watching Christopher, we will probably just be doing 3 months at a time it seems a lot easier have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷🇬🇧🇨🇦🇵🇹🌺
Hello T&N very good info but seems at lot for just a 4 month visa, I would like to visit, but for me America is home warts and all .I will be moving to Las Vagas in 2023 that will be my permanent home, the winters are mild but summers are intense .Have a great week see you next week.
The 4 month visa allows to apply for the residency which then gives 8 months a year Barbara have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇺🇸🇨🇦
Thank you very much Sir, for describing in details about D7 visa application.we r planning to come to Puratgal through D7.Please guide us.
I had planned on buying an apartment in Italy in retirement and staying there 3 months out of the year. Now with stocks going down not sure I want to put money into that (as most require some work or upgrades) so we are looking at just staying in different countries for 3 months instead. Mostly Europe as we like traveling around there. We will see!
That’s a great idea Monalisa having 3 months in different places will be exciting have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Great information guys! Tina, lovely scarf 👍
Thanks so much! 💕
I like the idea of living like a local for a few months but would still want my home and home country to come home to.
We agree sounds like a great solution no place like home 🏡 Cheers 🍷🌺😎
You got that right, Portugal is not the be-all and end-all of human existence.
For us elderly folk in the UK retiring to Portugal could be the dream solution to avoiding the grey skies, drizzle and harsh cold winds of winter. However, for the younger generation moving to Portugal I question their choices. It is now apparent sea levels are rising and summer temperatures increasing. It is anticipated by scientists the situation will worsen over the coming years potentially leading to drought and local crop failures. My son has owned property outside Paderne, Algarve for several years and he has already noticed an increase in temperature during the summer months. So, when applying for a D7 visa stock up on the sun screen.
It does seem a lot of folk from UK 🇬🇧, Canada 🇨🇦 and the USA 🇺🇸 are heading to Portugal 🇵🇹 all to escape the bad weather and yes sun screen is a must Cheers Steven 🍷🇵🇹
I love spring, summer and fall in NB Canada. When I was younger I loved the winter too but as I near retirement I see the appeal of spending a few months in a more temperate climate and having a cultural experience. I don't think that I would leave Canada to live elsewhere, but if you choose to I wish you the best.
We agree Shelley we love those three seasons but it’s harder being retired to cope with Winter , we are very happy here and will probably just choose different places for 3 - 4 months during Winter 🥶. Have a great weekend Cheers 🍷😎🌺
Prefer to stay in Canada and travel from here one to three months. World stability, pandemics and health care our are reasons. Stay safe Cheers Norm and Tina!
We agree Paul we are working out that is best for us too , we are very happy in Canada 🇨🇦 and it means we can visit different places as we choose over the Winter 🥶 months Cheers 🍺🍺
I don't have the slightest interest in moving to Portugal. Or I didn't. But I just love watching your informative videos.
Thanks Gil!
Interesting. Thanks for the information. We will definitely be keeping our eyes on this process. Please keep us posted.
Glad you enjoyed the video hopefully it will help anyone applying for their Visa Cheers 😎🍷
Very interesting topic for me, as I also have been researching Portugal as a place in which to retire. I am part of several Facebook groups dedicated to this subject. However, I recently found out that I have path to dual citizenship in Italy, so I am pursuing that. If I can make that happen, I can retire anywhere in the EU and be closer to my daughter in Germany. I'm not able to retire for another 4 or so years, so hopefully I'll better know the path I'll be able to take by then!
We wish you well with your research that will give you a nice retirement Cheers 🍷🌺😎
I planned to retire at 62 and move to Malaysia where the cost of living is very low as I could live comfortably and save a large portion of my pension. Recently Malaysia changed their retirement visa program and now I no longer qualify so I have to find a new spot. I'm considering Portugal but France is likely my first choice. Their visitor long stay (VLS-TS) visa is similar to Portugal, allowing you to stay up to 12 months and renewable for another 4 yrs after that.
Sorry to hear your retirement plans have had a curve ball Linda as we knew you wanted to go to Malaysia 🇲🇾, hope you can find a new solution Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Thanks for that info. Many countries have fairly high minimum income requirements for retirement visas, in Mexico and Thailand it's over $2,000 per month, which is more than many low income retirees get (people have to do 6 month visa runs to a nearby country) . That's why Equador has been so popular. If people can find cheap cost of living, Portugal will become very popular. For myself, I'm lucky to have a very inexpensive place I love here in Canada, so I try to hygge my way thru winter. However, hoping to walk the camino portugal in spring...Cheers
We too are happy here in Canada 🇨🇦 Jane , just looking for a way to be able to escape Winter and go somewhere warm , have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Ecuador is beautiful, and it’s a wonderfully diverse country. It’s also extremely dangerous. I lived there in 2011, and I honed survival instincts there that I hadn’t needed in most places in the US.
Thanks for sharing Caroline have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Good idea. Bravo. The Camino de Santiago is a wonderful experience. Spring or autumn is great. Go slow.
Sun and beach. Heck yeah! Snow falling this morning in Kansas. About a year or two from retirement. Think we will check out the Algarve
Oh no not snow ⛄️ John glad we are here having fun in Alabama Cheers 🇨🇦☕️🇺🇸
We already moved from Brazil to Canada16 years ago. Now, we are thinking to go to Portugal for retirement, let's see. Great video, thanks!
@@JimBob-ih1ns why do you think it is not a good idea?
A very interesting video! Thank you explaining all the pros and cons. As we have just got our residency in Canada it wont be for us! Also we are in our mid 70's. We like the weather here in the Winter months Cold but dry. Quite different from the UK weather (damp and cold) We look forward to your Saturday videos.
Our pleasure! thanks for watching Christine glad you just got residency we are just looking for somewhere to go to for the 3 coldest months Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Not so fast, 1.2 million Portuguese residents are without a family doctor out of a population of 10 million.
New arrivals have to have 12 months of private healthcare insurance. They use the private hospitals and medical centres. Plenty of pay as you go doctors offices
Thank you for your service and yes I will move.
Thanks for watching have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
In your video, you speak about a book that details typical regrets of the elderly. I just finished a wonderful book by New York Times bestselling author, Neil Pasricha, entitled The Happiness Equation. In one part of the book, the author describes an Australian palliative nurse who worked for years taking care of dying patients. In speaking with her patients, she had a practice of asking whether they have any regrets or if there is anything they would do differently. She began to notice similarities in their responses. The top 5 regrets listed in the book are: 1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. 2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard. 3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings. 4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. 5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Like the examples in the book you referenced in your video, people's regrets do not pertain to money or status or property. There is probably a great deal we can all learn from this list of top regrets. Thanks for another great video. For anyone interested in practical ways to increase one's life happiness, I would recommend Mr. Pasricha's excellent book.
Thanks for sharing George.
I live in Australia and have considered retiring to Portugal but health insurance concerns me, both getting private health insurance with pre-existing conditions and loosing access to universal healthcare here in Australia. Taxes are another thing to consider.
That’s the same reason we are not going Rebecca we have universal healthcare in Canada and would have to pay a lot for private healthcare in Portugal 🇵🇹. Have a wonderful week Cheers 🍷🇦🇺🇨🇦😎
When we moved to France from Australia the biggest problem was swapping our driving license. Despite there being a bilateral agreement they insisted on proof of the original date of issue of the license (not the last renewal or expiry date) and proof that we were living in Australia at the time (despite us being Australian citizens). That was very difficult because forty year old documents are long gone and it took months and lots of stress to convince them. In the meantime we had to surrender our Australian license and they gave us a piece of paper that a car rental company would have been unlikely to recognise. Apparently the French test is very difficult and a lot of French backpackers had been getting their license in Australia and swapping it when they got back home - but we got caught in the crackdown.
Be careful to read the small print for example I just googled Portugal and noticed:
"Despite introducing new rules on the recognition of foreign driving licences, the Portuguese authorities have emphasised that certain exceptions apply.
According to Portugal’s Institute of Mobility and Transport, the holder of the foreign driving licence must not be over 60 in order to be able to drive with the original document in Portugal.
In addition, the same explains that the new rules apply only if the driver received or renewed the foreign driving licence more than 15 years ago. This means that new drivers, as well as those with less than 15-year driving experience, will not be able to use their documents while in Portugal"
schengenvisainfo.com/news/portugal-now-recognises-several-foreign-issued-driving-licenses/
Thanks for sharing Glenn Cheers 😎🌺🍷
Thank you guys! You're AWESOME.🎁Thanks for applying on behalf of us viewers.🎀♥♥♥
Our pleasure! at least we know it works so it can help others have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🌺😎
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Thanks Tina! Thanks to Norm too.
I think the passive income/non-lucrative visas for Spain and Portugal are tremendous options for people residing outside of the EU. They are affordable and fairly easy to navigate. Not having to tie up $250,000+ of money in real estate by going the “golden visa” route is a major plus. This would also allow more flexibility and adventure in your golden years, especially if the world were to change drastically due to another pandemic or war. One could spend 2 years in Portugal, hop over to S.E. Asia for 2 years, then come back and do 2 years in Spain.
One small hurdle is finding a suitable rental apartment willing to write you a contract for the required 12 months if you want to live in a tourist hotspot like the Algarve or Costa Del Sol. Many of the prime destinations and properties are perfectly fine renting to you from Oct-March, but then prefer to switch to the more lucrative vacation rental market for the summer season. It's much easier if you prefer destinations like Porto or Lisbon.
Great comment the thing about Porto and Lisbon is they are a lot cooler and wetter over Winter 🥶 that’s why we like the Algarve Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦🌺
@@ThisIsOurRetirement I agree. Sun. sea. and warmth is more our speed as well. Plus, we really just like the feeling and lifestyle of the Algarve and Costa Del Sol. We have been looking into this option for some time. We currently own a second home in Sarawak, Malaysia but would like to have the ability to live/stay in the EU for more than 90 days but less than a year.
The problem is we still want to live in Malaysia part time. Since the visa seems to require a 12-month rental contract and minimum stay of 6 consecutive months (or 8 non-consecutive), that means our rental property would not be occupied for roughly half the year. I have heard of various ways to get around this and all seem to involve a lot of paperwork (tourist visa extensions) or somewhat dubious behavior (12-month rental contract, but the owner still Airbnb’s the apartment when you are not there). The other option would seem to be renting a very affordable place that has a smaller size and less ideal location than we would normally choose.
Dear friends, do you have any information on the health insurance in Portugal or /and in Schengen zone? Can you cover this topic in one of your videos?
By the way, watching how creative and diligent you are with your videos, how simply and yet informative you lay out the information, I thought your former employers must have been devastated loosing you!
Private health insurance in Portugal is quite expensive to get. The older you are and the most expensive it gets ! Multi care. Allianz.
Thanks for the suggestion and watching 🌺
I’ve always said if I spoke a third language it would be Portuguese. Love Portugal but France would be my go to for extended European stays based on my current language abilities.
Thanks Murray for sharing have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Thanks for the info- great as always
Glad you enjoyed it have a great weekend Dan Cheers 🍷🌺😎🍺
costs is Portugal are skyrocketing now, perhaps a victim of it's own success...places like Lisbon are becoming so overrun with expats overbidding on rentals and properties that the locals are priced out of their own cities which is pretty unfortunate.
That is only in Lisbon and Porto, The Algarve is designed for tourists and is very economical.
That's what we are afraid of. We're 43 and by the time we retire we will be priced out of moving out of the USA. It's sad for the locals like you said too. In all fairness my heritage came from Portugal on the Garcia side of my family so I'd just be relocating back to ancestry land lol.
I hope it will still be an option in some places there when we retire. We most definitely don't want to stay in Texas usa, or the south period. We'd like to move north usa in cooler weather but every decent city is so expensive. The Great Lakes is an area expected to fair better in climate change so that's the plan so far, but Portugal is an option. My husband loves cooler weather due to health issues he gets very hot easily in this heat and humidity in TX. I like hot weather so we are different in that regards. But later in life I may enjoy cooler weather. Just not freezing snow half the year.
Sad to hear
@@micart79 I am also in Texas and have lived here since 1985. The heat is just getting so bad here, especially when there isn’t enough rain (like this year in North Texas), so I don’t know how much longer I can survive in this oven. Add to that the radicalization of the government and it’s almost to the point that I have no option but to leave. But then, I’m not yet retired and I do have a spouse (at the moment), so if and where will be two conversations that are likely to find us far apart. But with the rate of inflation here in north Texas (and market analysts who have been promising a deep recession for months, making for skittish investors and falling markets), staying here may not be possible. IOW, I could be screwed by time I am finally able to do something!
@@texaszag8748 I hope you will fair well. I totally understand the politics of TX is pushing us also to want to leave. We are deciding if it would be smart to go on and purchase a house around the Great Lakes just to get on the property ladder and have it gain value to sell or move into in 15 years. We could rent it out in the meantime. When mass migration starts to happen due to climate change we may be happy we got a place in time before values sky rocket.. just don't know if we should put that money in the market or put it in the investment property. Because we'd like having a 2nd home in a good market area in case this house is not desirable to sell if Houston is too hot to live anymore. It's a matter of time it will get worse, when is the question.
Great video. Don't forget the taxation in Portugal is quite high and they do tax on pension
There are tax treaties with different countries Samantha have a great weekend Cheers 🌺🍷😎
I love the 4 seasons 🇨🇦
We like Three LOL 😂Elizabeth like to be in a warmer place over Winter Cheers 🍷🌺🇨🇦
I think you missed some of the other requirements needed to get the D7 viasa. As to moving its a much safer place and very inexpensive to live. Plus in the US living outside of the country you can wave taxes to a certain point and the medical is vastly less.
We don't think so
Great video Tina and Norm. Just wondering if you'd been to Tavira, and if so, did you like it?
We did go to Tavira for the day it was a lovely place , if we go this Winter we might stay for a month there and two other places Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦😎
@@ThisIsOurRetirement What are the other places you have in mind?
I had to do a criminal check for a job and there are online services. Backcheck was the one I used. It cost about $65 back then not sure what it is today. The check can be shared for free as far as I know
We have heard that your local police station does it on line Sandray Cheers 🇵🇹🍷🇨🇦
Hi Tina and Norm! I enjoy your videos! We plan to be in the Algarve January 2024. Will it be warm at this time so we are able to wear shorts? Did you take a winter coat along or just a spring coat that you are able to layer?
There will be warm days and some cooler ones, so sweaters and a light coat, we wear shorts! Also there can be a few rain days.
I have som friends living in Nova Scotia, their Winter temperatures last for about seven months. Next month their average temp is 13C and falling. I would be on the next plane to Sydney, before you could say here comes Polar Bear.
We just need somewhere for the main 3-4 Winter months to escape Winter Jim , have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷😎🌺
As always, really informative video. Fort those of your Canadian subs, would you clarify that it is an RCMP criminal clearance that is required?
We don't know, we had read on the consulate site a local police check from your Canadian community?
It sounds wonderful but from what I understand here in the US Medicare doesn't cover services outside of the US.
No Julie Medicare doesn't cover it but thats why we buy travel insurance. If you lived in Portugal private healthcare insurance for a 65 year old couple is about $650 per year!
Oh, I see. Well that might be doable. Thanks.
I heard all those abbreviations sail by and thought: Gosh I am glad I live in Europe 😂😂😂😂! I have a cousin who rents an apartment for 2 months each year...so well known now the owner generally reserves the same one for them- counting on their return ( which they do😎). I'm happy to just flit hither and Yon is the mood so takes me. Not really upset by the winter months.I am extremely fortunate this year to experience two Spring time seasons with summer slap bang in the middle. I'll go tanned into winter 😎! Have a great week you two. Trailer park closing soon? Baby calling: Oa is on duty! 😂 🇳🇱 🙋♀ 🇳🇿 🍷
Sounds like lovely family time Anita enjoy it while you can , yes the trailer park closes in another couple of week but we will be off visiting the USA 🇺🇸 soon . Hope you have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷🇳🇿🇨🇦🌺
I have been glued to your videos I love all of them, very informative,
have been very overwhelmed and cant seem to start my d7 visa process. I am looking into start the process on my own or with a portuguese law firm, but I have send many emails to many different law firms and havent received a reply yet,,, very frustrating. is there a law firm you could suggest thanks
We are sorry Anna Marie we don’t as we have never used one, perhaps another viewer might be able to help, we wish you well with your visa process have a wonderful weekend Cheers🍷 🇵🇹 🌺😎🇨🇦
I speak Portuguese fairly well, but with a Brazilian accent, so Brazil would be my ideal country to retire if I didn't love West Virginia so much. I've never been able to get that weird way they speak in Portugal down, sorry. Boa sorte e muito obrigado!🙂😄
We thought it would help those who are applying for a D 7 visa Richard , we are like you happy here in Canada 🇨🇦 and just going for possibly 3 months over Winter . We would also like to spend more time in the USA over Winter too . Have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🇺🇸🍷🇨🇦
useful stuff to know my friends
*left a like👍Au👀full view everytime*
Thanks for the visit Billy hope you are having a wonderful weekend Cheers 🍷 🇦🇺 🇨🇦😎
Hello, we are interested to learn of the towns you have previously based yourselves in for winter stays in Portugal? What are the pros and cons of the locations? Where is your favourite location? What sort of price would we be looking at for an apartment for 2 months? Any other details you think would be of interest would be appreciated by us and a larger audience. If you have already done a video on this, please direct us to it? Thanks. Jason and Joanne, Calgary.
We do have a number of videos dealing with winter stays in Portugal, maybe this video might answer some of your questions. ua-cam.com/video/ZEA33jkxJlg/v-deo.html
Thanks for the video link. Which town is your favorite so far for a long stay?
That process seems like a lot of work for an extra month. Unless I misunderstood you said a regular tourist visa was for 90 days and the D7 was 4 months. Why would I want a 12 month lease if I could only stay for 4 of them. What am I missing?
The four months that you are there allows you to apply for residency, if you get it you can be there 8 months a year have a great weekend David Cheers 🍷🇨🇦🇵🇹
Adding a question: why would getting a 4 month visa (D7) be any better than applying for a full time residency remotely. If your application failed than you could be out in 4 months and tied to a 12 month rental. agreement.
You can’t apply for residency remotely you have to apply in person in Portugal hence the 4 month visa to allow sufficient time to have your residency interview.
Hi from PEI! While this video isn't relevant for me at all, I enjoyed your explanation that I'm certain will inform others who can use this information. Are you headed out of Canada soon?
Awesome, thank you! yes we will be heading to the USA 🇺🇸 very soon hope you are having a great summer Cheers 🍷🌺😎
Great information thank you. Was wondering how the system works even if I don't plan on moving to Portugal.
One of my concerns is potential for fraud when using a third party. How do you know who to trust with your sensitive information?
They have trusted review ratings and we used them! No problems a lot of Portuguese expat sites recommend them.
Hello. I really enjoy your weekly videos. Thanks to you, we're going to Algarve this winter. I watched for a second time your Portugal videos but I couldn't find your contact for the car rental. Could you please share that info? Thank you.
Hello Maurice, We do not recommend any car rental companies.
Is this D7 process just an exercise you are going through or are you planning to apply for and take up residency in Portugal? We have our Mexico permanent residency visas which has different but, in some ways, similar requirements though we still only winter there. Do you have similar plans for Portugal or are you looking for a more long-term move?
At the moment we were curious to how easy it would be to start the process with number one being the NIF number , we want to be somewhere for the Winter months and are just weighing up options to be able to be somewhere more than a couple of months . Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
Excellent information as usual.
Glad it was helpful! have a wonderful week Cheers 🇵🇹🍷🇨🇦
Hi, I am a subscriber. I will be going from Halifax Ca. To the Algarve for the month of February. Where do you recommend I rent a car for a month? Thanks.
Faro airport
Fellow Canadian's planning on visiting Portugal this winter (2023) and would like to know what bank machines you found "Canadian" friendly? We were in Portugal last September and found most bank machines would not take our Simplii Financial bank cards when trying to withdraw cash.
we used Millennium Bank, we look for Interact or Cirrus on the cash machine, does Simplii have any of these on your bank card?
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Thanks for the help! Our Simplii bank card does have both Cirrus & Interact symbols on the card, but for some reason it only worked at one machine in Lisbon - Bancoctt
Interesting, that is the Portuguese Post Office bank, we had no trouble at Millennium with a BMO interact card.
Great information. I don't think it matters what country you want to Snowbird too, they all have there hoops and limitations to get more of your money! We are 5 years from retirement and have a house in Costa Rica. It seems like every other year they add or change a tax or you need this now or that. It keeps the money coming in and people employed.
Question for Norm. What is your Rock T-shirt? What is your top 3 Groups?
Mine are Rush, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.
Have a Great week, you 2
We hear you Doug rules seem to be changing all the time hard to keep track ! Norms are ACDC, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd have an awesome weekend Cheers 🍷🌺😎🍺
Great info can you not leave the country after 90days then return for another 90days on a regular tourist visa? Known as a "visa run"
No you must leave for a 180 days and that includes 26 other European countries in the Schengen visa.
We are planning to go somewhere warm the week of Dec 24-Jan 1. We are 10 adults and 9 children. We are looking at the Algarve region. Can you please give us an advice on the best area in Algarve to stay that is kids friendly. A region in the Algarve that is the easiest to reach from the airport. Thanks.
Albufeira would be a good choice, find a resort with indoor pools. The water parks are closed in winter.
Hi Tina and Norm, do you actually already know where you will be staying in the Algarve? Just curious as I'm looking for a nice place. I usually go to the Lisbon area. Haven't been in the South since 2009. I remember the Carvoeiro area as being nice but I'm looking for somewhere where I can take walks alongside the sea, like a long boulevard. Would be great to get some suggestions from you or anyone else!
We are juggling Lotte between The Algarve and Florida for this winter , but you might like Alvor lovely boardwalk , Quarteria and Armacao de Pera both have lovely long promenades and flat good luck Cheers 🇵🇹🍷🇨🇦😎
@@ThisIsOurRetirement thanks so much for the suggestions 🙂. Because of the Ukranian war, shortages, prices hitting the roof etc, you might not want to visit Europe for the time being and Florida would certainly be a better choice.
Retiring in 2-5 years. Currently weighing up Spain vs Portugal.
One thing’s for sure - staying on this damp miserable little island isn’t an option!
Make sure you spend at least 2 months in a location first to get over the honeymoon phase.
As an American, I would love to live in European countries a few months at a time to visit everything I'd like to see. Is it possible to stay for 2-3 months in Spain, Italy and France? I'd also love to stay in the UK for a while to see more of England and Scotland. Do you need visas to stay longer than 90 days? Thank you both for doing these videos - I'm a little bit away from full retirement and I can't wait!
Yes you can stay for up to 90 days in Spain 🇪🇸,Italy 🇮🇹 ,and France 🇫🇷 you can also visit The UK 🇬🇧 and Scotland 🏴 glad you are enjoying our videos Cheers 🌺😎🍷
@@ThisIsOurRetirement thank you so much! Cheers 😄
How about the Azores? Same process or is it more complicated? My family is from the Azores, could I prove my ancestry and get a dual citizenship?
It would still be Portugal rules
As new subscriber, i am not quite following.. do you live inPortugal now? or are you moving there? you obs have some link but i thought you moved from UK to Canada on retiring? gillian
We came to Canada thirty years ago, we live in Canada and spend winters in Portugal.
We're contemplating going to the Algarve this coming winter. Is Albufeira a good place to have as a home base?
We have used Albufeira for three years as a home base, as it is virtually in the centre of The Algarve and good for travelling east and west, towns either side would be cheaper rents however.
That's a lot of work and hoops to jump thru...here the people entering the country just have to get past the border fence to circumvent all that messy red tape. Many even get free transportation to an interior city, food, housing, medical care, phone, ID card, driver's license, education for any kids they bring along, and can even vote in elections.
Thanks for sharing Theo have a great weekend Cheers 🌺😎🇨🇦🇵🇹
Theo, that is not true. The conditions American South border are atrocious.
@@pj3998 it's true here
We live in Point Roberts where we experienced border shutdown for 2 years during COVID and wonder what happens if we're in Portugal on the 4 month D7 and it happens again.
The D7 is only available for applying for residency, it’s not a tourist visa. People abroad during the Canadian border closures had to stay in that country.
I always wanted to leave for couple of month or maybe retire in one of the EU countries. I am 1 year away from retirement and my DH is two. We can retire now at 62, but the delay of 1 and 2 years will add additional 20k to our yearly company pension. We were not able to save a lot, and will depend mostly on our pension and social security benefits. It is basically 70k vs 90k if delayed. But two years is a lot, and I still doubt if the delay worth the money. I wonder how do you guys handle aging. You started traveling relatively young and full of energy. How is it to travel now after 7 years of retirement? Hope your example will help us make a choice.
As always, with admiration and gratitude,
We are still fit and eager to travel even after 7 years, check on your government pensions to see what you would get, our government pensions pay for our day to expenses. Travel is obviously expensive but worth it and you can always find bargains online. Good luck, we value time over anything else.
Thank you, I was hoping for the last comment😃. Is it too much to ask what are your average monthly expense aside from rent? Is it less than your monthly expenses while you were working?
We have reduced expenses in retirement, one car no cellphones etc.
🙏Looking forward to your next video.
Norm and Tina, where do you like to go in florida?
We like St Augustine, Cocoa Beach and The Villages
What do you do for the appointment at the Portuguese consulate if you live in a city without a consulate?
Great information, however, I have no interest in moving overseas. We plan to spend the month of April 2023! Is there anything we need to know about spending 30 days there?
No just do research as to what you want to see and do.
@@ThisIsOurRetirement Thank you! I've been before and love it. Looking forward to the food and sunshine!
Beautiful scarf
Thanks Liz have a great week Cheers 🌺😎
We are heading to Portugal in January for 6 weeks. I've been told to only get a card with data and not bother with voice. I have identified that it is not possible to forward my phone number in Canada to a number in Europe. Do you recommend any specific provider for a SIM card?
We don’t recommend any but you can use Magic Jack or We chat as Wifi calling , we called Canada 🇨🇦 regularly on Majic Jack , you can get SIM cards in the shopping malls have a great trip Drew Cheers 🇨🇦☕️🇵🇹
Very strict applications in Portugal , unlike the US open border policy and visa expirations - about 15 million people living in US illegally
That's true!
…and we still have a worker shortage, which puts pressure on wages. Then people moan about inflation. Here’s another fun fact: most of undocumented migrants pay taxes and have social security and medicare taken from their wages, but cannot file tax returns and receive a refund and will never be able to collect a dime in social security or medicare benefits. In other words, in addition to working for low wages, they are also subsidizing our social services.
Who in their right mind would every want to move from Canada to Portugal?
Weather
Just to enjoy the warmer weatherJacob over Winter 🥶 Cheers 😎🌺
When it comes to money would there ever be "enough"??? Likely not!!! CHEERS from Here!
Interesting point Darryl 🤔have a great weekend Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
We are planning to stay for 112 days from Dec to Apr. would you know what we need to do to extend our time beyond the initial 90 days?
Apply to the SEF while in the Portugal, there is a cost involved as well as a meeting.
If I have 60,000 euros in savings account, can we apply d7 visa for a family of 4 people
You would have to check on the Portugal 🇵🇹 main site Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦🌺
Portugal registers the greatest worsening of poverty in 2021 and becomes 8th worst in the EU. I think I will stay in the USA,
Minimum wage is €8.5K
Why not? You only live once!
Thanks for watching Kathy we are probably just going with 3 months there over Winter to get a break from the snow have a wonderful weekend Cheers 🌺😎
Any comment on processing time for approval? Since 4 months clock is ticking.
Not really as we haven’t done it Cheers 🍷🇵🇹🇨🇦
So much work to stay one extra month. Am I missing something?
The D7 visa is a tool to allow you to stay longer to get an immigration interview for residency.
Why should I book a round trip ticket
anyone who says they didn't have regrets ...IS LYING
There is always something