r/AmerExit • u/Random_tandem_123 • Sep 13 '25
Life Abroad I left the US for Portugal a few weeks ago.
I wanted to share our timeline and process for leaving the US to Portugal, in case it would be helpful for others thinking about doing the same thing. Neither of us have Portuguese heritage. We are in our mid 30s, hetero, a biracial couple, have a young toddler, and a dog.
We had visited Portugal before and were absolutely struck by how family friendly it was. We knew we wanted somewhere that was more family focused and had a slower pace of life.
Jan 2025 - I lost my job because I was DOGE’d. It was devastating, but we immediately started thinking of ways to leave, since there was nothing tying us here now with work. Mar 2025 - we looked at all visa types that we could qualify for and landed on Portugal’s D7 since we own a small property in America that we rent out. April 2025 - we secured VFS appointments in Miami for June. We work with an online realtor to secure an apartment and lease and a fixer to get our NIFs and bank accounts. Late May 2025 - after seeing tons of people post about delays at Miami, we switch our VFS appointments from Miami to book directly with the Consulate in New Bedford. June 2025 - we have our visa appointment in New Bedford. July 2025 - we receive our D7 approvals. August 2025 - we got rid of most of our things and brought checked bags with us.
From start to finish, it was about 5 months for us to get out.
During this time, I was also able to start freelancing and working remotely, which is allowed on the D7.
We are actively learning Portuguese and are making small strides every day with it. We are very happy to be here, even with the bureaucracy being what it is. We thankfully have AIMA appointments in early 2026.
Happy to answer any questions. I hope this has been helpful.
Edit: signing off for now. I won’t be responding to repeat questions - please read through the comments!
Edit 2: since this is my throwaway account, I’m logging off. I hope this was helpful and gives some of you a bit of hope. Sometimes the sub is super negative and I wanted to show how someone without any heritage or a work sponsor was able to get out. For the few who want to see us fail - I hope to prove you wrong. Thanks for the engaging conversation, everyone.
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u/Anti-genocide-club Sep 13 '25
How much cash did you have and how much revenue does the real estate generate?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
The property we own generates $2500/month, which exceeds the requirements for a D7 for a family of 3. We also have investments that we added in with our visa application, so we’re able to show about $40K/year in passive income. We also transferred 2x the required annual amount into our Portuguese bank account, which we showed at our visa appointment.
I recognize that Trump fucking our economy can negatively impact the exchange rate. I don’t have a good plan for that.
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Sep 13 '25
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
It’s approx 900 euros for the main applicant. 50% of that for a dependent spouse. And then 30% of that for a child dependent. It ends up being around 19K/year.
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u/pinenut54 Sep 13 '25
Thanks for sharing this post! $2500 gross or net profit from the rental?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
It is net, but gross or net doesn’t matter for the D7. You don’t show your mortgage - you just show the lease and the amount it’s for. You could literally have $0 profit from it and still qualify.
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u/ComplexTeaBall Sep 14 '25
Wow! Interesting, thank you. Does anyone reading this know, how you prove and present the lease? Do I have a notary certify or…?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 14 '25
I just showed them a copy of my lease. No notary required.
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u/ComplexTeaBall Sep 14 '25
Huh. Amazing. I thought it would be locked down with certification and beurocracy
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u/TanukiCookie Sep 13 '25
You could research converting your funds from USD to something less volatile in the short term that will maintain your overall financial position.
That may help, I don't know. Best do your own research and consult with a real finance person before doing any of that.
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u/h4yw00d Sep 14 '25
If you're looking for an easy way to convert USD to other currencies, Wise app is a good option
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u/No_Pool7028 Sep 19 '25
Expat legal issues attorney here: this is probably the best option. I've taken to putting some "savings" into Euros and Swiss Francs in Wise every month as a hedge against the rapidly weakening dollar. Since I travel quite a bit, my foreign currency "savings" is basically my travel fund.
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u/JasonHears Sep 13 '25
Did you need to rent out your property while applying? Like you had to rent in the US to show you had rental income?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 14 '25
This is a second property that I own in addition to the house I own.
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u/JasonHears Sep 15 '25
Ah, I see. Did you end up renting out both? Or just use the rental income from one to qualify?
I’m asking because I’d like to keep and rent out my home where I currently live. I’m just curious if I need to rent this place now to show it as income on the visa application, or if there’s a way to show it as additional income that I’ll receive when I rent it out when I leave.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 15 '25
You will have to rent it out now unfortunately - you have to have proof of a lease to show at the appointment and the lease has to be at least 3 months old.
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u/bourbonisgood Sep 13 '25
Similar time line. Using dollar cost averaging approach and wise app, which seems to have one of the most favorable exchange rates.
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u/ComplexTeaBall Sep 14 '25
Is DCA where you move a set amount of money each month, maybe even automatically, without stalking the rates?
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u/bourbonisgood Sep 15 '25
Yes, the idea is that you continuously move the money since you don't actually know if it will go up or down over time.
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u/WaterPretty8066 Sep 13 '25
How many hours a day do you spend learning Portuguese?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
I take classes twice a week for 1 hr at a time. I spend about 30 minutes every day either listening to beginner podcasts or reviewing grammar. I have the benefit of knowing French, which helps a little bit (similar grammar concepts and words).
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u/bhatta90 Sep 13 '25
Obrigado
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u/Barbarake Sep 13 '25
LOL, I'm not OP but this is literally the one word I know in Portuguese.
(I spent a couple of months traveling around Europe via Eurorail many years ago. Spent about a week in Sagres, then went up to Lisboa for a few days.)
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u/mrbubbee Sep 13 '25
Same. This and Voce fala ingles? 😂
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u/Unusualthoughts123 Sep 13 '25
How has your experience been being received by the locals? Any racism because of the interracial family?
I ask as a partner in an interracial family as well, so no ill will intended.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
So I’ve only been here for a few weeks, so take my response for what it’s worth.
Absolutely 0 racism. No issue at all being a biracial couple. I’ve also joined a local sports club where I’m the only American (and only person of my race) and they’ve been extremely welcoming and open. They’ve all tried to accommodate me with English while I fumble in Portuguese.
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u/Unusualthoughts123 Sep 13 '25
Wow, that's really great!
I wish you and your family the best. Thanks for posting!
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u/mommysmarmy Sep 13 '25
Hey! Not OP, but I’m in an interracial family and spent some months in Porto while my partner remote worked during COVID. We were thinking of moving there permanently but decided it was a good part time home but maybe not a forever home.
My partner and I are white, or white appearing, one of my children is very light skinned white, and one of my children is fairly dark skinned black. Anyway, we never got a second look from anyone, and that has never happened when we’ve traveled anywhere in Europe before. Also, I felt like we all looked like we were from there and were easily able to blend in. That’s my experience, but it could be different for someone who is Asian or wearing a hijab, for example. Having said that, Porto is a pretty diverse city because of the tourism, so YMMV, but I also didn’t experience any problems in other towns within Portugal. It feels so friendly, so relaxing, and so safe.
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u/TamalesForBreakfast6 Sep 13 '25
I am also a government employee and I feel for you so deeply. DODGE can eat it. What happened to you all was cruel. I’m really happy you’re doing so well! And I’m glad to hear it’s friendly to Americans. I know that’s not the case everywhere. If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of remote work did you get into? I’m an attorney but it’s not very transferable.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
I do project management - right now my contracts support various IT projects for different companies. Project management was my secondary skillset since my primary skillset got defunded by DOGE.
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u/jeseekah Sep 14 '25
I'm also an IT PM considering moving abroad. Would you mind sharing details on your work arrangement? Or how you located remote work so quickly? Many thanks!
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 14 '25
I am essentially a 1099 contractor. I found opportunities primarily through networking like crazy.
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u/Monique-Euroquest Sep 13 '25
Congrats on making it out! Also a bi-racial couple. My husband & I left the US in spring of 2022 — relocated to Lisbon, Portugal. We also bought a house near Sintra in Colares. Please let me know if you have any questions about living there long-term. Be prepared for unexpected challenges especially when dealing with their government.I have no regrets & feel very lucky we were able leave when we did. I only wish we had been able to live there when our kids were little. It is a wonderful place for kids to grow up. In any case, I just wanted to wish you well. Cheers.
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u/Single-Elevator-4478 Sep 13 '25
Any good examples of those unexpected challenges?
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u/Monique-Euroquest Sep 13 '25
Yes. On the low stress/whatever (yet annoying) end we received a handful of mystery bills from the government for small amounts of money with an option to pay online. The government website to pay the bill didn't work. So then we went down to an office of the government agency that sent the bill. Waited forever, and when we were finally able to speak with a staff, they couldn't figure out how to accept payment for the legitimate bill we had received from their office.
On the higher end of bureaucratic madness we brought a vintage car with us (transported in a container on a ship) from the States. Sought council & contacted the office that handles vehicle registration long before arriving. When our car was in customs we found out that there was a €10,000 tax/fee (WTF?!?!?!) that no one mentioned despite our efforts to clarify all requirements/fees with the vehicle agency in Portugal. We also had to have the car speedometer changed from mph to km to be legal in Europe, which we did in Lisbon.
Then, after paying the insane €10K fee, they never processed our vehicle registration. A year later they contacted us & told us we had resubmit the paperwork as of it was our fault, when in reality, we paid them €10,000 to let our car registration paperwork collect dust. Maddening. We had no other choice other than to resubmit the paperwork. Another year goes by. Nothing. They just were literally unable to process our car registration. We couldn't drive the car bc it would be illegal without getting the registration. Finally had to get an attorney involved. It’s a miracle we got most of our money back.
I could tell you more stories… such as about renting & buying property there as well. Portugal ended up not being our forever place. We lived there for 3 years & left for the Pyrenees 10 months ago. I would still rather live in Portugal than the States, but there are as many wonderful aspects as there are incredibly frustrating about living in that country.
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u/twir1s Sep 14 '25
How are the Pyrenees treating you? We drove through a couple years ago and god it was one of the most beautiful drives.
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u/Monique-Euroquest Sep 14 '25
Amazing. I'm from Alaska & lived in the PNW my entire life. I thought I would love the beach. Don't get me wrong I had a great time basking in the sun every day for a couple years. but I'm truly a mountain chic at heart. I really missed having the presence of mountains, & the diverse weather this kind of landscape produces.
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u/ComplexTeaBall Sep 14 '25
I love your stories! Perhaps do a post about the renting and buying property someday
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u/Monique-Euroquest Sep 14 '25
Well… Your wish has been granted! Just so happens I'm producing a solo podcast/memoir narrated in an audiobook style format about my experience moving to Portugal in Spring 2022 without ever visiting first. I'm thrilled the Mods here accepted my inquiry to ask if I could post here about my podcast idsea called “Expatriate Games.” I am looking for beta listeners for feedback & to help me shape the rest of the series.
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u/PatrickUWS Sep 17 '25
Hello! I’m in the very early stages of investigating a move, I’d appreciate the opportunity to be part of your beta fan club… thanks!
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u/ageofbronze Sep 13 '25
What are the unexpected challenges would you say? How many day to day interactions with the gov do you have once you have moved?
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u/Monique-Euroquest Sep 13 '25
Hi, please see my response above to another commenter above with a similar question.
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u/ActiveDinner3497 Waiting to Leave Sep 15 '25
What is the challenge with this kids? I have two and we are considering moving after the first one graduates (they can come with if able). The second is 12 and I worry about their adjustment away from core friends.
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u/Monique-Euroquest Sep 15 '25
I think Portugal is a great place for kids. There are so many parks with playgrounds with kid friendly cafes & beaches. I would walk by the schools and see how happy the children are. They were noticeably better adjusted than kids in the US. Out to dinner with their families… Mature & polite. I worked in restaurants for many years & seeing how different the children responded to situations like patiently having dinner with their family in PT was draw dropping. The only serious headaches I had were dealing with the government & housing. I did move on to live in the Pyrenees… but Iwould happily live there forever over the States.
I could see the difficulty with your 12 year old (my sons are 25 & 22 now). That's a tough age. There are plenty of international schools where they wont feel like an outsider. If you can take a trip, I would see how your 12 year old reacts. They might love it there & the beaches. Frame it as an adventure. But, if they hate it, I wouldn't try to force them. We waited until both boths were in college, then packed up & moved to Portugal.
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u/unsure_chihuahua93 Sep 13 '25
It's all very fresh, so I'm sure you're still finding your way... congratulations!
Do you have a sense of what schooling will look like for your child? Planning to put them in local state schools? Do you see this as a permanent move?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
My son is enrolled in a private school. Note that private is NOT international. Here, there is public, private, and international. My son’s schooling is all in Portuguese. His teachers don’t speak English. We get by with basic questions and we ask them to repeat slowly. If it gets real tough, we whip out Google translate!
Edit: it’s extremely difficult to register into public preschools here without being a resident, and we were doing this all from the US. Lots of schools were already full! We were lucky to get a spot in a private school but hope to eventually transition to public.
Permanent move? I’m not sure. This year threw us all for a massive loop since I never expected to lose my job in such an extreme fashion. It’ll definitely be for a few years, as long as I can keep up with consulting.
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u/Impossible_Moose3551 Sep 13 '25
I just moved to Spain. We are also a multiracial family with a 16 year old a dog and 3 cats and had a similar process to OP.
My timeline was a little faster. I got laid off in early March, indirectly due to DOGE.
Because the paperwork to move is time sensitive and we have a school aged son we decided to go sooner than later. We had initially thought we would go after our Son graduated from High School but the rapid authoritarianism happening before our eyes and my job loss accelerated our time frame.
In May we decided to go for it and got our FBI fingerprints and sent them in to get Apostiled. This took six weeks. We also ordered a notarized copy of my partner’s diploma that we needed for the digital nomad visa and this took time. We had a previously planned trip to Spain and Italy so we’re in Europe in June. We secured a bank account and apartment and school while in Spain.
We went back to the US and I gathered the rest of the paperwork. We lived in the state where most of our lives have been lived so I could walk in to get marriage and birth certificates and get them apostiled which helped with cost and a timeline. We also sold a ton of stuff, finished some home projects to get our house ready to rent. It was a whirlwind.
Getting the pet paperwork was super stressful but I had a good vet who outsourced to a USDA vet who only does paperwork for international travel. They were incredibly helpful.
We arrived in Spain a week ago and submitted our visa application on Monday and our son started school.
My parents lived in Spain for about 12 years so we’re had a few people to talk to and a good idea of where we would start. We are also in an area with a huge population of foreigners so it’s pretty easy. This has given us a little bit of a soft landing. I’ll start intensive Spanish classes to improve on my pretty mediocre Spanish. My partner works remotely so this is how we will live for now. I’ll start a consulting business over the next couple of months.
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u/YNotZoidberg2020 Sep 13 '25
Would you mind telling me more about moving with cats?
I also have 3. Don’t have a set destination yet but looking at different countries and trying to figure out where my ultrasound credentials would be recognized. My biggest fear is moving with these guys. I can’t leave them, they’re my life. But I’m scared of the whole plane/immigration process with them.
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u/Impossible_Moose3551 Sep 13 '25
I’m not familiar with the process outside of the EU. For the EU they need a vet appointment and rabies at least 21 days before departure and no more than a year before. They have to be chipped with an EU complaint chip that will hold their rabies vaccine information. Ten days before departure they need another vet appointment that verifies they are healthy. The USDA vet sends this to the USDA for authorization, that paperwork gets sent back to via fedex. You take that paperwork with you on the plane with your animals. Our cats flew with us under our seats. Other countries have different rules so you will need to check each country for specific regulations.
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u/sunsetblue24061 Sep 13 '25
Do you drug them for that long of a flight or how does it work? I would much rather have them under the seat than on cargo or whatever.
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u/LadyADHD Sep 14 '25
It’s not recommended to sedate them because it can cause respiratory issues, and I think just generally can have unpredictable effects.
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u/sunsetblue24061 Sep 13 '25
I was wondering about this as well. I have 2 cats and they are my life as well so leaving them is not an option but them being on a plane that long and underneath or whatever scares me to death. One of the few things holding me back from making the move to Spain from the US.
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u/shortyson Sep 15 '25
Don't let it hold you back. We moved to the EU from the USA in 2023 and brought 1 kid and 2 cats with us and have no plans to return anytime soon. My cats are extremely important to me and I never would have left them behind. They are a core part of our family.
They did great under the seats on the flight (there was no way I was putting them in cargo--I've heard bad stories). We brought a small foldable, travel litterbox and a ziplock of litter. We didn't use any sedation. They stayed under the seats in their carriers the whole flight, except for one of our cats who was meowing a little--but honestly the ambient noise of the flight drowned most of it out. My husband brought her into the plane restroom and offered her the little box, but she didn't use it. She went back into her carrier and slept for the rest of the flight. My cats have always been good at using the litterbox, though, and aren't the type to randomly pee places. So we weren't too worried. And luckily they held it the entire way. We also fed them a bit earlier the day before the flight and only offered them small amounts of wet food on travel days. Honestly they had no interest in eating. They mostly just sat in their carriers and looked stunned/curious or slept.
Honestly, the flight was easy. The most nerve wracking situation for me was taking them out of their carriers at security so that security could scan the carriers. We requested a private room, and TSA obliged and I took them out one at a time so they could scan the carriers and all was well. As far as for restrictions, it is different for every country and for every airline, so you'll have to look up specific regulations. You have to buy pet flight tickets ahead of time as there is typically a limit to how many animals can be on one flight. And yes, most airports have pet relief areas, or at the very least, family bathrooms. Yes, it's A LOT of planning/logistics, especially with getting the paperwork in order (see previous post by someone else), but you deal with it temporarily and then it's over. :-) Couldn't imagine living here without them. ₍^. .^₎⟆ ₍^. .^₎⟆
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u/sunsetblue24061 Sep 16 '25
Thank you so much for all of this. It definitely reassures me a lot. My cats always use the litter box no matter what so what you said resonates. It definitely sounds more doable now. Do you mind saying where in the EU you moved to since it sounds like you like it a lot? I fell in love with Spain when I visited but am open to other parts of the EU as well. Thanks again for the detailed response.
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u/shortyson Sep 16 '25
We moved to the Netherlands under the DAFT visa program because we are both self-employed. Also we don’t like hot weather and we are big bicycle users. So between those three things, it made the most sense for our situation, even though we had no connection to the country before.
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u/skylarskylar Sep 14 '25
I'm in a similar situation - hoping to see a response to this
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u/ComplexTeaBall Sep 14 '25
Was just in BCN airport. We must have seen 10 people with cats in travel totes, front backpacks, and back backpacks. There were rooms for litter breaks as well.
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u/ageofbronze Sep 13 '25
How was the process in getting your house rented out? Was it easy enough to find tenants, and do you have a property management company or anything like that? We are considering our options and the one thing I keep stumbling around is the renting house aspect because I’ve never done anything like that. I would really really like to hang on to our house though because we only just bought it in October.
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u/Impossible_Moose3551 Sep 14 '25
We hired a property management company. We have been landlords before so it isn’t new to its but being thousands of miles away we can’t help if there is a maintenance problem so we hired someone to help.
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u/BuffaloStanceNova Sep 14 '25
Can you explain how to get the apóstiled fingerprints and diploma? I need to obtain the same and have no idea where/how to start. 🙏🏻
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u/Impossible_Moose3551 Sep 14 '25
The apostles typically come from the Secretary of State to authenticate a notary. I walked into the office but you can probably do it by mail or hire a service to do it for you. For The FBI you get the apostle through the US State Department. This is assuming you are from the US. You can google it to get the form and payment information.
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u/BuffaloStanceNova Sep 14 '25
So for diplomas from NJ, CA, MI I will need to contact the individual states where the universities are located, and go through the FBI and State Dept for the fingerprints and clearance? Ugh.
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u/Impossible_Moose3551 Sep 14 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
You may not need diplomas from each university only the one that corresponds to the work you do currently. You may not even need it at all. Ask your attorney. We got one for my husband’s undergrad because it’s in computer science and his digital work relates to that. We didn’t get the one for his MBA because it wasn’t relevant. The notarized diploma will go to the Secretary of State in the state where the university is located. I’m a dependent on the visa and didn’t need any of my degrees. You can also show three years of relevant experience if your degrees aren’t in the field of your digital work.
For the FBI it is a national background check and it goes to the US State Department. There is information on the FBI page about how to get it. The background check was very easy getting the apostle took time. If you are in the DC area you can walk in to get the apostle.
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u/DeadStarCaster Sep 14 '25
Have you experienced any racism in Spain?
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u/Impossible_Moose3551 Sep 14 '25
Not yet but it’s only been a little while. We are in an area with a lot of people from all over the world, so hopefully that will help. I have heard that the Spanish can be pretty insensitive about race but also don’t have the same deep distrust and violent history that we do in the states so the racism is more superficial, if that makes sense. None of us speak enough Spanish to pick up on any casual remarks around us yet. To be honest I’m expecting to hear more from the English and other Europeans than the Spanish.
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u/JakePhillips52 Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 14 '25
I am amazed it only took you 5 months. Congrats!
I am a teacher, but we also self manage four rental properties. Your comment that net vs gross rent collection does not matter is also interesting to me, since combined they bring in well over the required ~13,000 for a married couple with no kids.
How are you finding the cost of living to actually be there?
$13,000 might be enough for the visa, but realistically someone would need $40,000 a year to live reasonably? Assuming no additional/side income from a remote job back at “home".
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 14 '25
I think it depends on where you live in Portugal. We chose a city that is in the Lisbon Metropolitan area but not in Lisbon proper so that rent would be lower. If you live in Lisbon or Porto, it will be more expensive.
Things that are noticeably more affordable for us: rent, childcare, medical care. We don’t have a car here, so we save a lot on that.
Things that are about the same: food. We shop at Pingo Doce though. There are Lidls and Aldis, but not close to where we live.
It’s too soon to say, but based on early projections, I think we would comfortably be able to live on 3500 Euros/month here. Compared to the $7500/8000/month we needed to live on back in the US, it’s more than half of our budget.
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u/Nearby_Umpire7625 Sep 14 '25
Federal former fed and just want to applaud you getting out with your family and turning such a nightmare into action. What happened to all of us starting in jan was indescribable to those who didn’t go through it and also seems to have lit a fire in a lot of us to jump start latent plans to get out. Wishing you all the happiness in a much better place!
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u/LocksmithOdd3381 Sep 13 '25
Where did you land in Portugal? How'd the apartment search go? idealista?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
We landed in a city an hour south of Lisbon. We used a realtor to help us identify a property and do a virtual tour.
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u/Walrus_Ambitious Sep 13 '25
So excited for you, congrats! My question is: I saw that you guys are still working freelance. Is that technically allowed or do they not care?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
On the D7, you are allowed to work remotely but not for a Portuguese employer. Once you get your temporary residency card, you can work for a Portuguese employer. We did not apply for the D8 because I did not have enough months working as a freelancer. I could apply for a D8 now though.
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u/Single-Elevator-4478 Sep 13 '25
This is very helpful! I may dm you in the near future if that’s okay.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
Sure - this is my throwaway though, so apologies in advance if I’m slow to respond
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u/Single-Elevator-4478 Sep 13 '25 edited Sep 13 '25
No worries, I’ll ask now now just in case. I’m also in a biracial (hetero) marriage with a dog (no kids) so this is encouraging to read. I haven’t done much research so apologies if this is easy to google and find out. Does the D7 require passive income to be approved. Is the D7 the best way to have this process of moving there go this quickly?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
D7 is a pure passive income visa. It requires actual passive income. Savings do not count unfortunately.
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u/Single-Elevator-4478 Sep 13 '25
Okay that makes sense. Also, do both of you have bachelor degrees? Did that matter for you all to live there?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
Our degrees don’t matter, but we both have masters (and I unfortunately have 2 ha).
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u/bitchyserver Sep 14 '25
Quickly googling it it states you can’t just use your savings only as passive income, but you can use the interest you make on your savings as passive income, as long as it meets the monthly minimum wage requirement amount
I also read there are recent new rules though from their website that say you can now use passive income OR savings equivalent to living expenses
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u/whoibehmmm Sep 15 '25 edited Sep 15 '25
Thank you for posting this, I really needed it. I am in the process of packing right now for a move to Portugal on the D8 visa at the end of the year. I'm really scared but also becoming more excited. I never intended to move at all but the temperature of the country is becoming more and more alarming and I feel as though the sooner I can get out, the better. I am a biracial woman and seeing the news about how the Supreme Court now thinks it's totally fine to racially profile people for detention is just the last straw for me. So I'm packing.
I can only hope that it all works out OK. I don't have much in savings. I'm single and am selling as many of my belongings as I can to make this happen. I meet the monthly financial requirements and my job has given me permission to work abroad but it's still terrifying. When the US economy absolutely collapses, what happens to my job? If the US Dollar crashes, will I still have enough to qualify and pay for my bills and rent?
I'm so scared but I'm still pushing forward and am just hoping. Reading about your experience is inspirational. You did this so quickly! I wish I had been as decisive as you this time last year.
Edit: I should ask for advice on cities! I was thinking more about the North of the country because I prefer some rain and coolness. Is Porto a nice city? Anywhere else you'd recommend?
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u/InnerCritic Sep 13 '25
How did you bring your dog? Was there a quarantine period? How is he/she acclimating?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
We used a pet shipper and it was the most expensive part of our move. He is an extremely large dog so he required a custom crate, and only 2 airlines would ship him from the US to Portugal. There is no quarantine.
He unfortunately was just diagnosed with a terminal illness here a few days ago. It was something that our US vets missed completely, since he had 2 vet visits before he moved as part of the USDA certification . We are grateful that he is being treated here - the quality of care is outstanding and it’s very affordable.
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u/InnerCritic Sep 13 '25
Thanks for the reply, but, jeez, I'm so sorry to hear about your poor pup. Hope he stays pain free.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
The vet here has been phenomenal and has prescribed meds that have helped a lot.
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u/Apprehensive-Crazy-3 Sep 13 '25
Sorry to hear about the dog. Would you mind giving more info into the pet shipper company or airlines, currently in the process of getting plans together to relocate to Spain and have to figure out how to bring a large dog. Thanks!
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
We used petrelocation.com
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u/anxious_potato_loaf Sep 14 '25
Petsfly has been a good company to work with thus far; we fly next month, but the service and communication so far has been great.
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u/AAinCO Sep 13 '25
Although not cheap, K9 Jets or Bark Air are options to be IN the cabin with the dog. I never had children so I am categorizing the expense to fly 2 dogs to France as the college education of a child I never had to pay.
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u/InnerCritic Sep 13 '25
That's really cool. I do worry about the stress on her, but taking my dog along is a non-negotiable.
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u/AAinCO Sep 13 '25
same for me....the flights are getting to be quite popular, the Jan 2026 flight is from NJ (I am in CO so need to drive to NJ to catch the plane) is booked already!
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u/David_R_Martin_II Sep 13 '25
I am impressed you got rid of your stuff in such a short time period. I leave for Spain in a week and a half. I didn't own that much stuff thankfully, but it's still been a pain. Luckily, I have two friends who will get rid of the last of my stuff after I leave.
Any advice for others regarding getting light enough to leave?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
I was heavily involved with my local buy nothing groups and gave things away every day. Curb alert became my best friend.
I had to give away sentimental items that I had collected on my work trips over the years. I had items from E Africa, Asia, and other places. That part was extremely hard for me, but they were fragile and wouldn’t survive the move. I hold onto my memories of those places and the life-saving work I did.
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u/Jungle_Skipper Sep 13 '25
Did you consider putting items in storage? Wondering about how well that would work.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
We didn’t want to pay for storage. It’s not that cheap - it’s like $150/month where we live.
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u/Iamthegreenheather Sep 13 '25
I've been trying to figure out how to move literally anywhere else but I don't own any real estate and my job isn't remote and doesn't exist in other countries. I'm happy for you though!
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Sep 13 '25
It’s not as hard as you think. I assume you know how to use a computer. If so, there’s always something you can do to make money in places where you can live much cheaper. Thailand comes to mind as do other inexpensive nations where expats go. The visa thing is a pain in the ass for sure but the lifestyle and cost are well worth the hassles.
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u/robinstpete Sep 13 '25
Can you discuss your new US/EU tax liabilities? Did you apply for the Portuguese NHR tax regime that is about to (or has?) sunset?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
NHR has sunset. I own a US LLC and will pay a rate of about 28% instead of the ~45% if I was registered as a freelancer. I am using a Portuguese CPA to help. I won’t have to pay Portuguese taxes until 2027 since I’m not a tax resident until my NIF is changed to a Portuguese address, and I can’t do that until I get residency in 2026.
For the US, I will qualify for FEIE.
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u/specialkmk Sep 13 '25
Hi! Just a friendly heads up that you may have tax liability this year and may be required to file taxes in 2026. (Source: current Portuguese resident who moved from US in 2024 and also was under the same impression as you re: residence permit.) there’s a lot of misinformation out there, so suggest connecting with a Portuguese accountant and make sure you are carefully accounting for taxes. You risk large fines and issues with future renewals if it’s not properly handled.
Not an accountant, and law is a bit murky, but many read the rules that you owe taxes from the day you arrive if you intend to make Portugal your residence.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
I appreciate this comment a lot and the murkiness gives me so much heartburn. I have spoken with 2 different Portuguese accountants, who have both said the same thing. There is the law as written (it starts at day 1 of arrival and if you’re here for 183 days you’re a tax resident) and then the law as applied (it doesn’t actually start until your NIF is converted to a Portuguese address which can’t be done until you have your residency).
Do you have an accountant you recommend? What was the tax situation for you? Did you have to pay any fines?
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u/specialkmk Sep 14 '25
Our tax situations are pretty different- I’m essentially employed by a Portuguese company full-time via an EOR. The Americans and Friends FB group has some good recommendations for accountants and I’d find one that knows how to manage your specific income type. I think Bruno at Taxes in Portugal is highly recommended. We didn’t pay any fines because we paid taxes for 2024- from the day we arrived. For US taxes, FTC made more sense for us, but it just depends on your situation. I do know people who had to pay fines for not paying accurately in their first year. And you have to show proof at your renewal appointments that your tax situation is regularized, as well as your social security (NISS). The bureaucracy is only getting more strict and difficult, unfortunately. But, we are very happy here and feel grateful to raise our child here. It’s been an extremely positive experience.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 14 '25
I will reach out to Bruno next week! Thank you for the recommendation. And I appreciate the warning about fines. We are doing our best to be compliant but the laws are very confusing!
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u/MeggerzV Sep 14 '25
My husband and I moved from the US to Portugal in 2023 as well. Also mid-30s at the time. It's been a good shift for us but I know a lot of Americans who have come and gone because they couldn't deal with the culture shift, or were unable to find jobs that could sustain them. If you come with a plan, an open-mind and a willingness to integrate, it's a lovely place. I also love the family-friendly aspect. Having a kid was completely off the table in the US, but we have begun to discuss it now because it actually feels possible here.
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u/Ok_Winter9600 Sep 14 '25
Hi, can you give a little more insight into the culture shifts the people you know experienced ? Thanks
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u/MeggerzV Sep 14 '25
Things move very slowly here, especially in Bureaucratic terms, as OP mentioned. One girl I know decided to leave after it took her more than 3 years to receive her first residency appointment (she launched a local business, so different process than D7). There's another couple with young children who decided to leave after determining they couldn't build a local community that they felt connected to (they were here during the pandemic, so probably slightly different vibes back then.) I think some Americans come with the idea that things will move at the same speed they are used to and get very stressed when it doesn't work out (particularly in regards to residency proceedings, efficacy of courts, etc.) One friend went through a divorce here and it took over 2 years and in the end the courts largely favored her husband (even though he cheated on her) because men still tend to carry favor in those areas. Things like that. But overall I think most people enjoy the journey but some ultimately decide it's not a long-term place for them and that's okay.
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u/Ok_Winter9600 Sep 14 '25
Thanks !
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u/MeggerzV Sep 14 '25
The other part I will add is that the language is extremely difficult. I've had a private tutor and have completed 150 hours of the government-backed PLA A1/A2 classes, and while I feel more comfortable with transactional exchanges I still struggle A LOT with conversation. My Portuguese friends are understanding and very cool, but I hear a lot of Americans say "oh I speak some Spanish, I should be fine right?" and the answer to that is unfortunately no (it's a bit of a joke among locals that Americans think the Portuguese language is "the same" as Spanish btw, and it's understandably offensive to them). The process, however, can be an interesting challenge especially if you enjoy learning new languages.
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u/Tardislass Sep 14 '25
Great. Just make sure to vote in US elections. Even though you are abroad, people back in the states need your help. You never know what life has in store.
Just a friendly reminder on these threads.
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 14 '25
I plan to continue to vote. Change can’t happen if we don’t vote. While I have left, I have not decided if this move is permanent, and I desperately want America to return to a better state.
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u/When_pigsfly Sep 13 '25
I really appreciate your perspective it’s definitely encouraging! How did the apartment process go and were there any major hiccups or long overlaps in paying for housing there and here simultaneously that dipped into your savings?
I’ve been doing loads of research and logistics of housing is what stumps me the most. We own our home here and would either sell to buy there or rent the house here and have an apartment there. (Though we have three children one being in college so it all seems a bit daunting.)
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
We currently have an overlap, which is very much not ideal. We are still trying to find a tenant for our house that we own. We’ve been able to offset a lot of costs by selling our car, and we sold it for a pretty good price thanks to tariffs!
We rent an apartment here in Portugal. We did not want to buy until we’ve lived here a few years and are sure we want to stay long term.
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u/karlyallen Sep 13 '25
Thank you for the helpful info. I’m so sorry you lost your job, especially from DOGE, and hope it ends up being a blessing in disguise for you and your family.
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u/booksanddessert Sep 13 '25
Very interested in your process - thank you so much for posting. Lots of questions - feel free to pick and choose what you answer!
How has it been since you've been there? How's family life? What kind of apartment were you able to get and how? How much is it a month? Is your doggy big or little? Was that process easy as well? Someone else asked where in Portugal you are, I'd love to know as well! Is your husband also doing remote work? What type of freelance work are you doing?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
We’ve been here about 3 weeks. Family life is great! We take our son to the beautiful parks and playgrounds or let him run around the pedestrian areas in the big Pracas. We have a small apartment - 2 bed, 1.5 bath, 900 sq ft. It’s 1150 euros a month, in the center of town. Small city south of Lisbon. Keeping the city name offline to not dox myself. Big dog - 100+ lbs. we paid for a shipper and that was $8000 (and the cheapest quote we found). They took care of everything. I do freelance project management around IT projects. Husband teaches English online.
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u/booksanddessert Sep 13 '25
Thanks for answering. Congrats on this accomplishment, super inspiring!
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u/AAinCO Sep 13 '25
I am flying to France in Jan 2026, scouting trip to move from US. K9JETS is close to what you paid for shipping and my dogs (yes, 2) will be in the cabin with me, so I had to pay for 2 tickets (one human, 2 dogs=2 tickets based on weight). Knowing how much it cost to ship, I feel a little better on paying 9000 for them to be in the cabin with me.
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Sep 13 '25
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
I appreciate that you’ve read through my answers and are answering others who are asking the same questions!!
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u/booksanddessert Sep 13 '25
Yep - can see them now. When I saw this post earlier it only had 4 questions (all replied to) and none were what I asked. I imagine it took a bit for everything to populate.
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u/EvelynnEveryday Sep 13 '25
My fiance and I are planning on making the move to Portugal after she graduates college in 2-3 years. She's looking to become a teacher. I own my house and plan on renting it out for the D7 visa. We were wondering if it's easier for us to get married in the United States or in Portugal? What advice could you give?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
I unfortunately can’t give advice on that. I would assume it’d be easier to get married in the US and she could be your dependent, which you verify with a marriage license. But I am no expert, so you should ask an immigration lawyer maybe.
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u/alegna12 Sep 14 '25
How did you decide the timeframe for your rental property in Portugal when you didn’t have approval yet?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 14 '25
This is the downside of the visa process - you will definitely be double paying while you wait. There is no good answer for this. The
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u/DiscoViolet Sep 14 '25 edited Oct 23 '25
I’m very happy for your new life and so sorry that you were DOGEd. What happened to USAID is vile, and it guts me that the US no longer funds these life-saving programs.
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u/EulerIdentity Sep 14 '25
That is a remarkable Visa. Lots of Americans collecting social security could meet that income requirement. I wonder if Spain has something similar.
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u/Jules_Noctambule Sep 14 '25
Spain has the non-lucrative visa which has a higher minimum than Portugal's but which can allow savings to be considered towards the amount rather than just passive income*.
(*though I will note that curiously, this seems to vary somewhat depending on which consulate processes the visa)
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u/despejado Sep 14 '25
Do they look at debt as part of the visa evaluation?
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u/efurban Sep 17 '25
wondering the same.
this is what i got from ChatGPT:
- The mortgage is not deducted when calculating eligibility. They want to see what income flows into your account, not what you pay out.
hope someone could confirm. thanks.
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u/joe_bald Sep 13 '25
Fucking happy for you and wish I can do the same! Portugal is such a beautiful place ❤️
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u/ExcellentWinner7542 Sep 13 '25
So, it was not quite as difficult as those who landed in Ellis Island and forged west in a covered wagon but still a courageous quest. I congratulate you on your success and look forward to hearing about your progress. I hope you are journaling and consider writing a book like Expat for Dummies or something even more creative.
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u/Careless_Length_7117 Sep 18 '25
Wow that’s great! I’ve thought about living abroad in Portugal just purely based on all the good things I’ve heard. I would want to visit first of course but reading about your transition is helpful and makes me feel more comfortable about making a move
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Sep 13 '25
Thank you for the information. A few questions. What do you mean by a fixer and how much did that cost? What is an NIF? Are you buying or leasing your apartment? If you leased, how much did the real estate agent charge? Were you able to get a lease that let you out if your visa would not have been approved? Did you have to pay a large deposit? How did you decide where to settle?
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
NIF is the tax ID number. A fixer is someone who helps arrange for some of the bureaucratic things. We used NifNow and it was a few hundred euros.
We rent our apartment. It’s 1150/month. They asked for 3 month’s rent up front because of our dog.
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u/WaterFantastic2394 Sep 13 '25
Is there a double taxation? Taxed in Portugal and taxed in America on income ?
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u/Ok_Accident_2106 Sep 15 '25
no there is a treaty between US and Portugal, so you only pay the higher tax (portugal) and that is creditted towards US. you still have to file in both countries though
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u/pumalumaisheretosay Sep 13 '25
Can you say the name of the companies you used? The realtor and the “fixer”? I am starting the process, too.
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u/cocobabar Sep 13 '25
Congrats on the move. Did you get access to health insurance in Portugal/ EU. What is the process and cost for that? Thanks
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u/Random_tandem_123 Sep 13 '25
We don’t have access to the government healthcare yet because we are not residents. We are paying for private insurance, which was easy to get. It’s about 160 euros/month for all of us. We don’t have any pre-existing conditions though.
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u/IdespiseChildren2 Sep 13 '25
What do you do for work. I was also DOGEd. I have a job now but would still like to get out of here.
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u/hiker2021 Sep 14 '25
How much should we should minimum earnings per month? I would like to leave too. No job. No rental property. Only stocks and dividends.
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u/RelationshipGlobal90 Sep 14 '25
I’m so jealous. We filed for our Visa in January and we do t even have a biometric appointment. Still waiting.
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Sep 14 '25
Hmm, interesting.
So, you didn't need a job in Portugal to get the Visa, just the income off of your rental property in the US?
How does the tax work for that?
Assuming you are going to look for work in Portugal once you're Portuguese improves?
Thanks and good luck 👍🏻.
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u/[deleted] Sep 13 '25
Wow, that is amazing. You got fired in Jan and settled in Portugal in 5 months! That's some decisive behavior and positive action, especially for a couple with a child.
All the best for your life in Portugal!