Moving to Portugal

Portugal has spent the last decade near the top of almost every shortlist for people leaving the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Northern Europe. The appeal is easy to understand: a mild Atlantic climate, a low rate of violent crime, English spoken widely in Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, and a cost of living that still runs well below most high income countries once you step outside the smartest central neighbourhoods.

It suits retirees living on a pension or investments, remote workers earning in stronger currencies, and families who want a slower pace without leaving the European Union. It suits you less well if you need a high local salary, because Portuguese wages are modest, or if you want instant bureaucracy, because the residency and registration system is famously patient. The reward for that patience is real: secure residence in the EU, a path to permanent status and citizenship after five years, and a genuinely warm welcome in most of the country.

Be honest with yourself about location. Lisbon and the Algarve have absorbed a lot of new arrivals and rents have risen sharply, so the bargain Portugal of a few years ago now lives mostly in the centre and north. Porto, Coimbra, Braga and the interior still offer the older maths.

Portugal applies the standard European Union transfer of residence relief. If you are moving your normal home to Portugal from outside the EU, your used household goods can usually enter free of import duty and VAT, provided you have owned and used them for at least six months, you were resident outside the EU for at least twelve months, and you import them within twelve months of establishing residence. Goods arriving from another EU country move freely with no customs formality at all.

The paperwork is handled with the Portuguese customs authority, the Alfandega, part of the tax authority. The document that trips people up is the certificate of change of residence, often called the certificado de bagagem, which you obtain from the Portuguese consulate covering your former home before you ship. You will also need a detailed inventory, ideally in Portuguese, valued and signed, and your NIF.

Most sea freight arrives through the ports of Lisbon, Leixoes near Porto, or Setubal. Restricted and watched items include alcohol and tobacco above personal limits, weapons, and certain plant and food products. Vehicles can be imported but the tax treatment is complex and often makes selling at origin the cheaper choice. Pets travel under EU animal health rules with a microchip, rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport or third country health certificate.

Because we never name or rank moving companies, here is how to judge them yourself. Start with membership of a recognised international body such as FIDI or IAM, which signals audited financial and operational standards. Then look for genuine experience on your specific route into Portugal, not just international moves in general, because a mover who regularly clears goods through Lisbon or Leixoes will handle the certificate of change of residence and the inventory without drama.

Insist on a binding pre move survey, ideally a video survey, so the volume in your quote is real and the quotes are comparable. Read the insurance terms closely: what is the basis of cover, what is excluded, and how are claims handled. Check independent reviews for the claims experience, not just the sales experience. When you request quotes through the form on this page, ask each mover the same questions so you compare like for like.