Hi,
I see the thread has been dormant for a while but feel inclined to add my take on it.
My wife and I were both retired when we arrived in the Azores in 2014 on our sail boat. The plan was to leave the boat here for the winter and head back to the far north of Scotland the following year. We and the boat are still here.
Winter 2015/16 I went back to the Orkney Islands and sold my house there in order to buy here. Friends asked why? Simple, I had found another island with many of the characteristics of Orkney but 10 degrees C warmer all year round.
Perhaps a lot of the previous comments are overthinking moving to Portugal for retirement. As expats our finances etc. are somewhat different to that of the locals which will make a difference to our experiences and requirements. Accept that many things will be very different to what you are used to.
Come and stay for a few months on a visitor visa, visit different areas, and keep the option of going back to your home country.
If after that you really want to live in Portugal just go ahead and do it.
Very sensible advice, @sean.glassart! If we ever do decide to proceed in this direction, we would probably first rent a place where we can try staying for periods of time before making a firm decision to move or not to move permanently.
Óla! I appreciate the post and thread. My spouse and I are moving to Lisbon, Portugal within 1-2 years - I am 60 now and will be on the D7 retirement visa - we will be selling property here and buying there.
I am in a couple of facebook groups for expats and folks moving to Portugal - the subject of elder care has come up there as well. I have seen some discussion about organizing efforts - perhaps in both groups.
American Expats & Friends - has an involuntary written files as resources and detailed conversation threads. They expect you to search and review files and prior conservations for answers before re-asking questions about issues already answered. Or even just adding to a prior thread - like I am in this thread.
LBGTQ expat group - and not just focused on USA expats
I moved 4 months ago to a relatively small town in Portugal, but with good train and bus connections to one of the larger cities. I had visited and stayed in this area for 4 months last year and visited several times in recent years. I am 81 a widower and live in a condo T3. I have a quintal with orange, lemon, plum, and persimmon trees. I now have the Titulo de Residencia (Residence Permit). I feel that I am in a pretty good situation here. In many ways better than where I was living in the US. However, I have lived in a lot of different places and think I am pretty adaptable. I think it all depends on one’s circumstances. Obviously, being able to read Portuguese (news, signs, instructions), and to speak itat least well enough to function in stores, offices, and restaurants is a major factor. Thanks Practice Portuguese!
Joseph, I am not sure about that tax exemption. my Portuguese accountant told me that my pension would be taxed at 10%. With the NHR scheme I believe most income is taxed at 10%, a steep discount, but not tax free.
@chris.mcnally, my comment was posted in 2019 - at the time, the tax exemption was still in place. This changed after 2020, when the government introduced the 10% tax. So, indeed, the information your accountant gave you is up to date!
If we ever do decide to proceed in this direction, we would probably first rent a place where we can try staying for periods of time before making a firm decision to move or not to move permanently.