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Portugal remains one of the most sought-after destinations for those who decide to live abroad. For English speakers the administrative and cultural learning curve is real, but the country has changed significantly between 2023 and 2026, particularly regarding immigration bureaucracy and tax rules. This guide covers what changes in daily life, how Portuguese institutions work today, and what to expect from the adaptation process for immigrants in general.
Defining traits of Portuguese culture
The way people interact is often the first surprise for newcomers. Formality in initial conversations is the norm, and the use of formal or informal address follows social protocols that require reading context. Shop assistants and service staff rarely initiate small talk. Closeness comes gradually, in layers, and once established tends to last.
The relationship with food is another pillar. Lisbon, Porto, Évora, Aveiro and the Alentejo region each cultivate their own culinary traditions, and Portuguese wine covers far more than Port wine: tinta-roriz, alvarinho, baga and the vinho verde wines of the Minho make up a dense regional map. Bacalhau (salt cod) appears in hundreds of recipes, and the pastel de nata has become a global calling card, but it is in the neighbourhood tascas that everyday cooking truly shows itself.
The June popular saints festivals, with Santo António in Lisbon and São João in Porto, concentrate most of the urban celebrations. Grilled sardines, basil pots, marchas populares and street parties turn the cities into open stages. Alongside these, medieval fairs, religious pilgrimages and regional celebrations such as the Festa dos Tabuleiros in Tomar keep centuries-old traditions alive.
What changes in practical life
Rhythm and schedules
Commerce closes early: many shops end the working day between 7 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday is a quiet day in most regions. Restaurants follow a traditional lunch window between 12:30 and 2:30 pm and dinner from 7:30 pm onwards. Banks operate on reduced hours and require appointments for most in-person transactions.
Healthcare system
The Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS) guarantees universal coverage to legally registered residents. Access is practically free, with nominal copayments of a few euros for consultations and exams; CPLP beneficiaries, pregnant women, children and people in vulnerable situations are exempt. Registering at a health centre of the local Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde (ACES) is the first practical step after arrival. Immigrants waiting for a family doctor are often served in the private sector, which operates at accessible monthly rates compared with private plans in other countries.
Cost of living and housing
Lisbon and Porto have faced rental price pressure since 2022 and, in some central areas, values approach those of major European capitals. Mid-size cities such as Coimbra, Braga, Setúbal, Aveiro and Faro offer significantly lower costs with comparable service quality. The standard rental contract requires a deposit equivalent to two or three months, a guarantor with ties in Portugal and proof of income — requirements that typically make the first rental harder for newcomers.
Documentation after arrival
The NIF (número de identificação fiscal — tax identification number) is the most urgent document: without it there is no rental contract, bank account, telecommunications contract or registered medical prescription. The NIF is issued at Lojas de Cidadão or any Repartição de Finanças tax office. Next comes opening a bank account and obtaining the NIB (número de identificação bancária — bank identification number), which is required for direct debits, contracts and payments. Registering with Segurança Social (Social Security) completes the initial trio and is essential for anyone taking up formal employment.
AIMA and the new shape of Portuguese immigration
The most significant recent institutional change was the abolition of the SEF on 29 October 2023. Immigration responsibilities were transferred to the newly created AIMA, Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum), under Decree-Law 41/2023. AIMA centralises the issuance of residence authorisations, renewals and migrant support, while police functions were assigned to PSP, GNR and the Judiciary Police. The transition generated a backlog that the Portuguese government has been clearing, and the practical recommendation is to follow the agency’s official portal for appointment dates and deadlines.
The most widely used residency pathways for different immigrant groups remain the D7 visa (passive income, popular among retirees and rentiers), the D8 visa (digital nomads with a salary or remote contract), work visas (D1, D3) and the student visa. The CPLP Mobility Agreement, signed in 2021 and in force since 2022, created a simplified residence title for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries such as Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe and Timor-Leste, reducing timescales and documentation. Significant non-Lusophone communities, including Ukrainians, Indians, Nepalis, British and Bangladeshis, follow regular visa and residence channels.
The Golden Visa, amended by the Lei Mais Habitação (Law 56/2023, in force from 7 October 2023), no longer accepts real estate investments or real estate funds. The valid routes that remain include company capitalisation, job creation, venture capital funds with a productive component and investment in scientific research.
Tax regime: the end of the NHR and the IFICI
The Residente Não Habitual (NHR) regime, which for years was the main tax attraction for qualified foreign professionals, was closed to new applications from 1 January 2024. Those who already held the status before that date retain the benefits for the ten-year period provided. In its place, Law 82/2023 introduced the IFICI, Incentivo Fiscal à Investigação Científica e Inovação (Tax Incentive for Scientific Research and Innovation), with a much narrower scope targeting university lecturers, researchers at recognised centres, professionals at IAPMEI-certified entities and employees at companies with contractual investment benefits. The special 20% rate on employment income remains available, but only for these profiles.
The practical difference for the middle-class immigrant who intended to relocate with retirement income, dividends or remote work is considerable: tax planning must be rethought, and general Portuguese taxation (progressive IRS up to 48% plus surtax) again becomes the rule for the majority of new residents.
Day-to-day adaptation
For those coming from other Portuguese-speaking countries, learning local expressions accelerates integration. Terms such as fixe (cool), giro (nice), se calhar (maybe), casa de banho (bathroom), autocarro (bus), comboio (train) and pequeno-almoço (breakfast) come up every day. Portuguese films, TV series and YouTube channels help train the ear to the European accent, which has a very different phonology from other variants. For native speakers of other languages, there is an extensive network of Portuguese courses from A1 to B2 offered by public schools (Português Língua de Acolhimento) and private institutions.
Mobility within the country is good: CP, Comboios de Portugal, connects the main cities, and the Alfa Pendular links Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto and Braga in a few hours. Sintra, Cascais, Setúbal and Mafra are accessible by urban trains and reveal a country that extends far beyond its two main cities.
Finally, it is worth noting that immigrants in Portugal tend to go through three phases: an initial honeymoon with the beauty and pace of life, a shock with the bureaucracy and formality, and then integration as local habits start to make sense. Accepting that curve, keeping realistic expectations about waiting times and building a social network with both Portuguese people and established immigrant communities accelerates the transition.
Victoria Harper
Editor-in-Chief
Leading journalism and editorial content at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps make immigration topics clear, trustworthy, and easy to understand. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.
