Portugal Now, in a Post-Golden Visa World: What to Know for Residency, Real Estate, Lifestyle

Online Seminar ✤ March 15, 2023

In “Europe’s Answer to California,” You Can Enjoy a Wealthy Lifestyle on $2,800 a Month (or Less)

Dear Reader,

On March 15, we’re gathering all our best Portugal contacts in one place at one time for an Online Seminar unlike any event we’ve put on before. We’re calling it:

Portugal Now, in a Post-Golden Visa World: What to Know for Residency, Real Estate, Lifestyle

I hope you’ll be there. I’ve invited our best, most well-connected experts to speak, and we’ll be focused on what you need to do now—step-by-step—to make Portugal your getaway.

We’ll talk about

• visas, passports, and residency
• what life is really like there day-to-day
• what you need to know about real estate—the buying process as well as the markets to watch if you’re considering an investment
• different ways you can use Portugal as a base—for lifestyle, investment, tax-reduction, and more...

Portugal really does have a lot to offer.

It’s no accident that Portugal takes the number 1 spot as the world’s best place to retire on IL’s 2023 Global Retirement Index.

You’ll find there a low cost, high quality of life... great climate... trusted healthcare system... it’s safe and stable... and English is widely spoken.

But that’s just for starters...

“What’s life like, really? It’s easier…by magnitudes,” says expat Jen Wittman, who moved from California to Lisbon, Portugal. “People are nicer. The pace is slower. Everyone is quick to help and make you feel welcome. The stress of the daily grind has melted away.

“...the slower pace and lack of pressure here makes all the difference in how our lives are experienced. Plus, we now have the added bonus of quick and affordable travel around Europe, and even parts of Africa, just a two- to three-hour flight away.

“What you’ll find in Portugal can be pure magic—great weather, stunning beaches, charming architecture, scrumptious food, a phenomenally friendly expat community, a vibrant multi-national culture, welcoming locals, and a focus on living life and spending time with friends and family.”

It makes sense we call Portugal “Europe’s answer to California.”

As Jeff Opdyke, editor of Global Intelligence and a regular contributor to International Living puts it, “This place really does feel like a misplaced piece of California from decades past. Similar weather. Similar ocean. An arid landscape that very much recalls southern Orange County and, when you’re traveling back roads, the eastern canyons of Orange County.”

Only it doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as California does. I’ll share some details about the good values to be had in Portugal in just a minute (it’s one reason Jeff is moving there from Prague)...

But first, a little context so you understand why I think it’s worth your while to give Portugal a good look right now...

If you feel like life in the U.S. today seems unsustainable... you are hardly alone.

We’re flirting with a recession. The political gridlock is shaping up to be epic as we lumber into another election year. You have to wonder how we’ll ever come together on social issues like women’s rights, racial equality, education policy, or gun laws. They all seem to divide us more than ever.
And I don’t know about you, but I start to panic a little about the future every time a see a headline like this one I spotted recently: “Jan 6, 2025: The Day Democracy Dies?”

You can’t be blamed if you find yourself worried about the chaos your kids and their kids could face in the future.

It might all be just fine—let’s hope so. But if the idea of having a practical Plan B—just in case—sounds reasonable to you, I’d say you’re simply being prudent.

I’d say, too, that Portugal deserves your attention. And here’s why... 

Want a Plan B? Portugal Deserves a Long Look

Because it’s a place where you can safeguard your retirement, position yourself for gains, and (if you feel like it—or you find you need to) make a getaway to a sun-soaked spot where your dollars go further and you could live downright luxuriously for less than it would cost you to stay home.  

Portugal is an EASY place to put yourself in line for European residence—which you could have in your hand in around 60 days.

That would allow you to travel all over the continent and stay as long in Schengen-zone countries as you like. No more of the 90-day travel limit you face when you arrive as a tourist. 

And, too, you could get an EU passport in Portugal—in fact, it’s arguably the most accessible country to do that in. And, with that passport in hand, you’d gain a measure of freedom and flexibility I’m willing to guess you’d appreciate.

When Portugal ended its Golden Visa program just weeks ago, it closed one door to entry. But you still have other good options.

For now...

... which, ultimately, is why I’m writing to you today to focus your attention on this worthwhile expat haven and not six months from now.

There’s no question: The European Union is tightening the screws when it comes to residence and citizenship across its member states.

So, if you’re interested in putting a Plan B in place... or if you simply like the idea of living full- or part-time in Portugal... or you’d like to have a property you could visit on occasion, which could more than pay for itself when you’re not there... then NOW is the time to get your Portugal “ducks in a row.”

Right now... you still can. And there are lots of reasons you should. A year or two or five from now, who knows if I’ll be able to say that...

You’re Invited
Please Join the Portugal Experts LIVE March 15

Which is why we’ve decided to host this special one-day event, unlike any we’ve ever put on before:

Portugal really does have a lot to offer. And if you’re already convinced, you can reserve your seat for this event at the bottom of this page. (And please be aware, if you’re unavailable on March 15—no matter—this special offer includes the recordings, so you can register today and watch the replay at your convenience.)

Beach Life... at a Fraction What
You’d Pay in California

This country is an ocean lover’s paradise, where golden sand beaches dot 1,100 miles of coastline.

Along the southern Algarve coast, for instance, in the country’s south, you’ll find the town of Lagos. A base for many English-speaking expats, this city of 22,000 with its shops, cafes, bakeries, and restaurants provides a lively and sociable lifestyle.

The beach here is among the nicest in the country, and you can kayak, paddle board, surf, and more. Plus there’s lots of golf nearby and the hiking and horseback riding is excellent.

This is the sort of place you’ll feel like you’re living on permanent vacation—only you can enjoy that jet-set life for just $2,080 a month (housing included).

In large part, it’s because that housing can be so affordable. You can rent a small, beautifully renovated apartment in the city center for less than $1,100 a month , or a spacious place an easy walk to the beach from less than $875 a month .

One local expat  says, “The quality of life here is amazing... so much better [than back home]... my main activity is trying to figure out how I’m going to fit all my activities into the day. Since I’ve moved here, I feel like I’m at adult summer camp—I play tennis, I go swimming, we go out to eat. But even doing the day-to-day chores like shopping, when you’re in a place that is so beautiful, it is inspiring.”

All along this sunny coast you’ll find real bang for your buck when you know where to go (and we’ll give you some pointers on March 15). Rick, another expat living in the Algarve, proves this point, saying, “We currently rent a house with roof terrace and ocean view in Ferragudo for €500 ($532) a month. Only a 10-minute walk from our doorstep, there are five different beaches to choose from. In the States, a property like that would be quadruple the price at least.”

A Land of Knights and Castles

Away from the shore, you’ll find interesting, historic towns where the values are great. 

Go an hour inland to a place like Tomar, for instance—the seat of the Order of the Knights Templar—and you’ll find the buildings white and gleaming, streets wide and leafy. There’s a large indoor market and a manicured park with weeping willows and an old wooden waterwheel right on the Nabão River.

It’s a tranquil set for a leisurely life a couple could enjoy on around $2,800 a month—or less.

To put that in perspective, it’s just a little more than it would cost to retire in Mississippi... only it comes with outsized rewards in terms of your surroundings and your quality of life.

Historic homes within Tomar’s medieval center are reasonably priced. A renovated two-bed, two-bath apartment right in the heart of town lists for €200,000 (about $213,000). Fifteen minutes from the city—in a village with cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets—you’ll find a move-in-ready, 4-bedroom villa with a lovely garden and a view of the nearby river on offer for €240,000 (about $256,000).

Cosmopolitan, Big-City Life

Portugal’s biggest cities, too, offer cosmopolitan living for much less than you’d pay in the States.

Cindy Sheahan,  an expat who moved from Colorado to Porto last year reports, “My total cost of living here is just 50% of what I was paying in Denver. It’s wonderful!” (She’ll be one of our guests and share with you her story.)

Chris, an attorney from South Carolina who has been living part-time in Lisbon with his partner since 2015, says, "For me, and for a lot of Americans, there’s the perception that Europe is expensive. Because the first places that come to mind are Milan, London, and Paris. Those cities are expensive. But then you find a place like Lisbon, and the cost of living is not back-breaking."

According to Chris, it’s all about where you spend your money. When it comes to dining, for instance, you can eat at a trendy restaurant with a celebrity chef and pay "international prices" or eat at a family-run tascas, which serves local food, and where you’ll rarely see anything on the menu for more than $10.

Jonathan, another happy transplant to Lisbon, speaks to the lifestyle parallels he sees with the American west coast when he says, “We sort of see this as the California of Europe... The surfing, the coast… We both have great wine. We both have a love of seafood and healthy cuisine. We both can be a little laid back.”

Yet despite the good living in Lisbon, prices (though they’ve gone up—and that’s part of the reason the government killed the Golden Visa program) aren’t anywhere near what you’d see in California. And that’s a big part of the appeal. 

You can rent a renovated, furnished 2-bedroom in Lisbon for as little as €1,500 (about $1,600) a month. Across the bridge in Almada on the outskirts of the city, you’ll save more. A two-bedroom apartment might rent for as little as €575 (about $612).

Healthcare—High Quality, Low Cost

Another way expats in Portugal say they save buckets is on healthcare costs. As one American transplant  who lives in the Algarve explains, “...in the U.S., we’d pay $400 per month, per person. Here, we’ve found great healthcare insurance for both of us for €150 ($173) monthly.”

Expats on the ground report that care is consistently good. Terry Coles, our longtime IL correspondent there, tells this story: “Several years ago, I fell while participating in an outdoor bootcamp by the beach on the Silver Coast. My left arm took the brunt of the fall and when my fingers went numb a while later, I knew something was wrong.

“My husband, Clyde, took me to the nearest public hospital where I was seen by an orthopedic surgeon, x-rays were taken, and I was discharged in about an hour. Thankfully, my arm only had a small fracture, so I was sent home with an order to buy a sling and rest it. The cost of the ER visit was just $22.”

Portugal’s healthcare system is well-respected. And as a resident, you can access the public system, and that means that you might pay as little as $7 for a doctor’s visit. But the public hospitals will have shared wards and bathrooms.

The private hospitals, by contrast, will have private rooms and typically provide faster service. So most upper- and middle-class Portuguese have private health insurance. But that’s much more affordable in Portugal than in the States.

On March 15, You’ll Hear from These Experts

As I said before, whether you’re interested in retiring full-time... owning a place you could visit when you want to and rent out a profit when you’re not there... a way to gain residence in Europe... a path to citizenship and a European passport... or some combination of all those things...

We can help.  

On March 15, at our LIVE online seminar: Portugal Now, in a Post-Golden Visa World: What to Know for Residency, Real Estate, Lifestyle you’ll hear from all these folks and have an opportunity to ask them questions—

• Ted Bauman, IL’s Global Diversification Expert, will provide some context for the opportunities on offer in Portugal today. What’s Portugal good for? He’ll explain... when having a foothold there makes sense and when it does not.
• Rita Jardim, Attorney, Mayer-Jardim will give you the low-down on visas, residence, second passports and more. She’ll talk about what the demise of the Golden Visa means for you and home in on the different paths that might make sense for you in Portugal, depending on your priorities. And she’ll fill you in on timelines, costs, and more.
• Chris White, Founder, Ideal Homes Portugal, will home in on the real estate markets worth your attention in Portugal today and shed light on the buying process, what you can expect to pay for different types of properties, and more.
• Ronan McMahon of Real Estate Trend Alert will talk about why he’s had his eye on Portugal as a market where there’s potential investment income to be made, why he owns on Portugal’s Silver Coast, and more.
• Jeff Opdyke, Editor Global Intelligence is moving from Prague to Portugal in the next few months, and he’ll talk about why—and what he views as the benefits and drawbacks of Portugal today if you’re still earning an income. He’ll shed some light on how, with Portugal as your base, you could exclude the first $112,000 you earn from US income tax, and more.
• Jen Wittman, expat in Lisbon, moved there from California and started a Facebook Group called Californians Moving To/Living in Portugal,and the online relocation and lifestyle resource, Everyday Portugal. She’ll talk about what life is like for her and her family today and share her insights about what makes Portugal worth your attention.
• Cindy Sheahan, expat in Porto, moved there from Colorado and says she spends half what she did in Denver. She’ll share her story, talk about why she chose Porto, and give you a sense for what life is like there today.
• Glenda Cole, expat in Lagos on the Algarve, traded a high-stress job as a marketing executive for a laid-back retirement in a villa on Portugal’s southern coast. She’ll explain why she and her partner chose Portugal, share what their day-to-day life looks like, and more.
• And me, Jennifer Stevens, IL’s Executive Editor—I’ll be your host and open up the floor for your questions during this program so you can be sure you come away with the insights and answers you’re looking for so you see—very clearly—how you might plot your own escape to the “California of Europe.”

Jump-Start Your Portugal Plan
So You Can Go with Ease and Confidence

Portugal Now, in a Post-Golden Visa World: What to Know for Residency, Real Estate, Lifestyle is our ONLY Portugal-focused event of the year.

We’re hosting it online March 15 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm EST because we wanted to be sure to connect you sooner rather than later with the important—and timely—information and guidance you need to put your overseas-in-Portugal plan in place quickly and efficiently.

We’ll have a LIVE Question-and-Answer session with the chat open and our experts on hand so you’ll be able to connect with them and get your questions answered.

And we’ll record the whole event, too—and give you the recordings at no charge—so you can go back and watch sessions again and review the details.

That way, if you’re not available to tune in live during the day on March 15—you can access the playback and watch at your leisure.

Our aim is to connect you with our experts and on-the-ground contacts and resources so that you can find your path to Portugal with ease and with confidence.

Please understand, however, that we’re limiting attendance so that we can make sure everybody gets their questions answered. So I encourage you to reserve your seat quickly,  while I can still guarantee you a spot.

Portugal has been an incredibly “hot topic” for our members this year—which makes sense, it has lots to recommend it. But, as a result, we do expect a sell-out crowd, and I’d hate for you to miss out.

You Save 50% When You Register Today

Given the caliber of our speakers and the collection of experts we’re bringing together, we could quite reasonably justify a price tag of $499 or more to attend this LIVE, expert-driven event. It would cost you at least that in time, effort, and funds to track down and meet with just a few of these guys on your own.

Yet we’re putting them all together in one place at one time for you so you can benefit from their insights and recommendations over one efficient, three-hour period online, from the comfort of your own home.

Only we won’t charge anywhere near $499. Because we know there’s an enthusiastic appetite for Portugal guidance right now among our IL membership—and we want to make sure this is accessible to as many people as possible—we’re pricing this program at just $399.

But when you register right now—you can do so at half off and pay just $399 $199.

What’s more, we’re adding a few extras when you put your name on the attendee list today...

Register Now, and We’ll Include These 3 Extras

Click below NOW to register—and lock in your seat at 50% off today!

Jennifer Stevens
Executive Editor, International Living

Here’s What to Do Now

To access all the benefits that come with this live program, here’s what you do:

1. Scroll down to review everything you’ll receive when you accept this special invitation.
2. Complete the SECURE ORDER FORM on this page.
3. Click on the “continue” button under the form to reserve a guaranteed seat.

It’s that simple.

Then make sure to check your email inbox. As soon as your order has processed, we’ll send you a confirmation letter that contains the link to attend and all the details you need.

With your registration today, you’ll receive –

• A guaranteed seat (for 50% off) at our LIVE Online Seminar: Portugal Now, in a Post-Golden Visa World: What to Know for Residency, Real Estate, Lifestyle, taking place March 15, 2023 11:00 am – 2:00 pm EST

• LIVE Question-and-Answer Session with the Experts—we’ll have the chat open during the Q&A so you can ask questions and dive into the subjects of most interest to you.

• Seminar Recordings, so you can watch when it’s most convenient for you and go back and review any presentations you want to revisit.

• EXTRA # 1: Portugal’s Hidden Gems: 6 of the Best Retirement Spots for Expats

• EXTRA # 2: IL’s Portugal Expert Rolodex—contact information for all our speakers so you can follow up with them when you want to.

• EXTRA # 3: White Paper: Portugal Visas—Your Best Options Today

This is the ONLY Portugal-focused event we plan to hold this year. Seats are limited, and this is one of the most popular countries among our members today, which means the sell-out risk is HIGH.

I encourage you to register now to reserve your seat while I can still guarantee you a spot. Simply scroll down below to the Secure Order Form put your name on the attendee list today with this special offer at 50% off.

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