Guide for expatriates: preparing your move to Portugal

September 18, 2017

On the Facebook group, I’m receiving more and more messages asking me for advice on preparing to leave for Portugal. I had planned to do an article on the subject, then I put it off again and again, but this morning I finally decided to do the article some of you have been waiting for!

Are you thinking of moving to Portugal? Don’t know where to start? Here’s an article to help you prepare for your move to Portugal! It will be divided into two articles:

Guide for expatriates: preparing your move to Portugal (this article), with the steps to take before your departure
Guide for expatriates: steps to take in Portugal, including steps to take once you’ve arrived in Portugal

Today, I’m going to let you discover the first part dedicated to preparing your departure to Portugal, as this is not something to be done lightly and you’ll need to organize yourself at various levels and also notify certain French administrations of your departure abroad. Here are the most important things to do before you leave.

1. Tax office

It is important that you notify your tax office to determine your future status and inform them of your change of address. Answers to most of your questions can be found at www.impots.gouv.fr.

2. Caisse Primaire Assurance Maladie

You are considered an “expatriate” when you are no longer covered by the French social security system, but by the Portuguese social protection system.

However, you can choose to continue to be covered by the French health insurance scheme by joining the Caisse des Français de l’étranger (CFE). This way, if you decide to return to France, you avoid waiting periods or lost quarters for your pension. Depending on your situation, it may be preferable to take out CFE or private insurance in Portugal.

I strongly advise you to contact your CPAM and mutuelle to check your coverage. What’s more, if you have a particular medical treatment, it’s essential to check with your doctor whether you’ll be able to continue it in Portugal.

For more details on the healthcare system in Portugal, I invite you to read these two articles:

3. Banker

It’s a good idea to establish your financial situation and assets, and check which accounts you should keep or close.

You can also call on the services of a Franco-Portuguese tax lawyer to advise you on your assets. Villa Feria offers advantageous conditions thanks to its partnership with the BCP bank. The reason we recommend this offer in particular is that BCP offers you the possibility of opening your accounts in Portugal from a branch in France, and guarantees you a French-speaking contact person in Portugal. Contact us for more information.

4. Pôle Emploi

You are unemployed

Depending on your acquired rights, you can continue to receive benefits in a European country for up to 3 months. Before your departure, you must obtain the U2 form from your Pôle emploi, which you will hand over to the unemployment institution in Portugal.

You have 7 days from the date you cease to be registered in France to register as a jobseeker with the Portuguese employment services. This is a short period, so make it a priority. Pôle emploi will maintain your benefit for a maximum of 3 months, subject to your remaining rights.

Following your spouse

If, before following your spouse, you already had rights in France, you can be compensated for a maximum of 3 months. To do this, before you leave, you must register as a jobseeker and provide your Pôle emploi with proof of your status as a spouse and the professional reason for the transfer of residence to Portugal.

5. Consulate

Registering with the consulate is optional, but strongly recommended. Why register?

To facilitate the completion of numerous administrative formalities and obtain administrative documents(passport, national identity card, notarial deeds, etc.), as well as registration on consular electoral lists,
To access certain procedures or benefits linked to living abroad, such as school grants or social assistance,
To receive regular information on major events and deadlines concerning French citizens,
To be more easily located in the event of a crisis (epidemic, natural disaster, etc.).

Registration on the Register of French nationals established outside France can be completed rapidly online, with no need to travel.

6. Driving license / Vehicle registration

As far as driving licenses are concerned, all European nationals can travel freely in Portugal with their original driving license, but if you live in Portugal, you’ll need to exchange your French driving license for a Portuguese one. Everything is explained in detail in the article: “Changing your driving license in Portugal”.

There are two situations for registering your vehicle

You still reside in France (or a European Union country)

Your vehicle must be registered if it remains in Portugal for more than 6 months, including vehicles you leave behind. After 6 months, you need to register your vehicle. Please note that you cannot lend or rent your car to a resident of Portugal. They can drive it, but they must be accompanied by the car’s owner. However, you can lend your car to friends or family who are not residents of Portugal.

You live in Portugal, so you’re a Portuguese resident (more than 183 days a year)

You must register your car in Portugal. You have 6 months to complete the formalities, and you can benefit from an exemption from ISV (Vehicle Tax) under certain conditions.

The formalities involved in registering your vehicle are long, numerous and tedious. It is strongly recommended that you seek the assistance of a professional vehicle importer or lawyer. The lawyer will have the advantage of being able to take care of the ISV exemption at the same time. For more details on registering a vehicle in Portugal, please read the article“Registering a car in Portugal“.

7. Moving

Moving costs will vary according to the volume to be moved and the service provided (packing, unpacking boxes, dismantling and reassembling furniture…). The first question to ask yourself before moving is: What do you want to take with you to Portugal?

Some people want to renew their entire interior and take only their personal belongings with them. In this case, depending on where you live in France, it’s possible(and financially preferable) to make a trip by car/van, even if it takes 2 days.

Others want to take all their belongings with them, and use a French or Portuguese removal company. There are many such companies.

8. Preparing to settle in Portugal

Moving to Portugal obviously means arriving in a new country whose language you may not know. The^1st step in integration is learning the language, so before moving to Portugal, it’s a good idea to improve your Portuguese as much as possible. Having some notions of Portuguese will be very useful and will make you feel more at ease during your first few days. But let me reassure you: the Portuguese speak English and even French very well, and it’s a Latin language that can be learned relatively quickly. The blog article: 10 tips for learning Portuguese quickly may help.

And integrating into the country takes a bit of getting used to, so it’s also important not to feel too isolated if you want to enjoy your expatriation. You can get in touch with French associations or organizations in Portugal. There are many of them. Lepetitjournal.com has written an article on the subject, which I invite you to read.

In conclusion

So there you have it, now you know (almost) everything you need to do before leaving for Portugal! Knowing what you need to do will help you prepare financially, psychologically and administratively. In the next article, I’ll talk about settling in Portugal and the steps to take once you’re there.