After a crazy summer of back-and-forth potentially moving to Europe or not, we finally got approval to go and pulled the trigger on Portugal.
I won’t go into details but we were initially planning a move to Prague, where Johnny would be managing an engineering team. After many twists and turns, we’ve landed on a six-month “move” to Portugal next year.
It’s definitely a fun and different little life update, and people have understandably had some questions. (I’ve also had a surprising amount of people tell me they want to do the same.)
Here’s a few things I’ve been asked:
Why Portugal?
Like many people, we’d heard awesome things about Portugal, so we added it to the agenda for our trip (Johnny’s pat leave) last year. We loved it from the moment the plane landed. It’s not an exaggeration to say it has California vibes. It’s coastal, with several bustling cities and miles of gorgeous coastline. We particularly loved Lisbon – it’s literally packed with historical charm (and its fair share of grunge), scattered across a bunch of hills with sparkling views of the ocean. Thanks to the tourist boom of recent years, there are so many cute shops, restaurants and activities that appeal to any millennial’s heart. What’s more, everyone was so kind and children were welcome everywhere. Moving to Portugal is becoming a cliche, but there’s a reason it’s happening: it’s a fucking awesome country and I’m glad it’s getting its time in the limelight.
When are you going?
We’ll be leaving in February and coming back in August – if we completely fall in love, we might plan to go back for an extended move in the future.
Why not stay longer?
The length of the move was related to dynamics with Johnny’s job. (I’m still freelancing and can do that from wherever).
Admittedly, we wanted to go longer. When we knew the time frame, I grappled with
whether this was worth it. The visa is NO small amount of work (see below). And then there’s literally everything else – getting our place ready to rent, finding a kindergarten and applying before we go, housing Riddle, getting prescriptions and healthcare in advance, etc.
But, when it comes down to it, I know 1000% it will be worth it.
And, at the end of the day, both of us suspect six months will be a good tenure. While “moving to Europe'' permanently is a romantic idea we’ve often thought about, the realities are full of complexity. As someone with chronic health issues, I have a network of doctors I trust here. Different medications are approved (or totally unavailable) in different regions. In terms of school, international schools are private and not particularly cheap. (And we’re quite excited to be entering into public school years ahead.)
And of course, there’s language and cultural barriers that will take getting used to. Our actual enjoyment of those over time may vary. I’ve heard Portugal is very laidback and things move slow. I am not laid back and I do not move slow. :)
Where will the girls go to school?
Inara starts kindergarten in August, so our plan is to return for that. We’re planning to hire a nanny for the girls while we’re there – getting into school for half a year wasn’t worth the complication. I definitely worry Inara will miss her friends, so we’ll have to be really purposeful about meet-ups with other expat families.
What will you do with your house?
The current plan is to rent it through Furnished Finders – I’m listing it soon, so we’ll see. While we’ve outgrown it, we’re not ready to sell given our bottom-floor pandemic interest rate, so renting it makes a lot of sense right now.
Do you need a visa?
You can only stay in Europe for 90 days without a visa, so yes, we will.
Luckily, in 2022, the Portuguese government introduced a Digital Nomad visa. There are two forms: a short-stay for up to one year or a longer-stay that can eventually be converted into a residency. There is an income threshold you must meet.
The great thing about the digital nomad visa is that we retain tax residency in our country, so there’s no fiddling about with double taxation and all that.
We will be seeking the “up to 1 year” temporary stay visa.
I’m going to write a whole post about this (geared more towards others who are trying to get a visa) as our process progresses. Process is definitely the right word so far.
Alright, keeping this short and sweet. More to come on this fun little family adventure.