Posts by: Claire Lawrence

Retiring in Portugal in 2026: Visas, Costs and the Honest Reality

Retiring in Portugal in 2026: Visas, Costs and the Honest Reality

What retiring in Portugal really involves in 2026: the D7 visa, healthcare, cost of living, the new citizenship timeline, and the parts most guides leave out.

Read More
Moving to Portugal from the USA: A 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

Moving to Portugal from the USA: A 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

The honest step-by-step guide to moving to Portugal from the United States in 2026: which visa, what it costs, the documents that take longest, and the order that works.

Read More
ETIAS for Portugal in 2026: What Travellers and Future Residents Need to Know

ETIAS for Portugal in 2026: What Travellers and Future Residents Need to Know

ETIAS arrives in late 2026. What it is, who needs it, and why it matters for your scouting trips but not for living in Portugal.

Read More
NHR Is Gone: What IFICI and Portugal's 2026 Tax Rules Actually Mean

NHR Is Gone: What IFICI and Portugal’s 2026 Tax Rules Actually Mean

Portugal’s NHR tax regime closed to new applicants in 2025. Here is what IFICI and the 2026 rules really mean, and why most movers should budget for normal tax.

Read More
Cost of Living in Portugal in 2026: A Real Monthly Budget

Cost of Living in Portugal in 2026: A Real Monthly Budget

A realistic 2026 monthly budget for Portugal, by region, including the hidden costs the brochures leave out.

Read More
Portugal Citizenship Law 2026: What the 5-to-10-Year Change Means for You

Portugal Citizenship Law 2026: What the 5-to-10-Year Change Means for You

Portugal has signed a law doubling the residency requirement for citizenship from five to ten years. What changed, who is protected, and what it means for your move.

Read More
Pros and Cons of Moving to Portugal: An Honest Read for Women 50+

Pros and Cons of Moving to Portugal: An Honest Read for Women 50+

An honest pros and cons of moving to Portugal at 50+, written by someone still here. Numbers, sources, and the 18-month cliff nobody warns you about.

Read More
AIMA Appointments: How to Get One in 2026

AIMA Appointments: How to Get One in 2026

Two million people are waiting for AIMA. The legal rule that gets you seen, the online portal that works, and the escalation routes that exist.

Read More
Healthcare System Explained

Healthcare System Explained

Portugal has two healthcare systems running side by side: the public SNS and a well-developed private sector. Most residents end up using both, and knowing how each one works, and where it lets you down, matters more at fifty-five than it did at thirty-five. The public system: SNS The Serviço Nacional de Saúde is open

Read More
Finding Your Dream Home

Finding Your Dream Home

The biggest housing mistake people make is buying before they have lived anywhere. The second is wiring a deposit for a flat they have only seen in photos. Both are avoidable, and both are common. Rent before you buy Even if you intend to buy, rent first, ideally for a year, through a full winter.

Read More
My Portugal Move

Get Your Free Portugal Guides

Answer six quick questions and we will email you the guides matched to your situation.
Last step
Where should we send your guides?
Please add your name and a valid email.
We will email you your matched guides and the occasional straight note about moving to Portugal. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Matching you to your guides...
Your match, on its way

Your guide

Check your inbox at for your guides (they are attached as PDFs). If it is not there in a few minutes, look in spam or promotions.

Ready for the next step? The Portugal Move Pack turns your guides into a full toolkit, and the Personalised Plan builds the whole move around you.

See the plans