Expatriation to Portugal: 2 people tell their stories

November 12, 2018

Last week, you discovered the first part of this article entitled “Living in Portugal: 5 people tell their stories”. In it, you met Alex, Anne-Marie and Nathalie. Today, I invite you to discover the second part of this article and the expatriation to Portugal of Mirana, who has already been living in Lisbon for 7 years, and Johanna, who moved to the Algarve, then left Portugal, before returning to settle there for good at the end of 2017. I won’t tell you any more and leave you to discover their stories about Portugal.

Mirana, teleworking in Lisbon.

Mirana, Parisian living in Lisbon since 2011

How did Mirana arrive in Portugal?

“In 2011, I had just finished my studies and was looking for a job. My partner at the time was Portuguese, so I was looking in France but also a little in Lisbon to eventually join my friend.

After applying to a few companies in Lisbon, I quickly received positive feedback, including one from Cisco, based near Lisbon. At first, I turned them down, thinking the salary was too low. A few days later, the company offered me the chance to work on a new project with a better salary, so I accepted and my adventure in Portugal began.

All my efforts to find my first job in Portugal were made from France. I applied on the Internet and did the interviews via Skype. It was inconceivable for me to leave and live in Portugal without having found a job.

When I arrived in Lisbon in 2011, I didn’t know much about Portugal. I’d only been there twice before living there: once when I was 16 and once when I was 20 for short stays. When I was 16, I went by bus. I can tell you that Paris-Lisbon by bus is quite an experience! (laughs).”

From renting to buying, what is Mirana’s experience of accommodation?

“When I left Paris for Portugal, I left with just one suitcase, leaving everything else behind. When I arrived in Lisbon, I didn’t have the problem of finding an apartment, as I went to live with my partner at the time in theEstrela district. It was only when I separated from my boyfriend that I had the “experience” of looking for accommodation in Lisbon. That was in 2012, and the rental search was very easy. In just a week, by word of mouth, I found a place to live in the beautiful Principe Real district. If it happened to me now, I don’t think I’d find it so easily, and especially not at the same prices!

So I rented in Portugal for 4 years and then, in 2015, I decided to buy my own apartment. I really felt at home in Lisbon and wanted to invest. At the time, before Lisbon’s “real estate boom”, prices were more affordable, and there was a lot of choice. I took my time and after 6 months and a dozen visits, I finally found THE apartment I wanted in the Intendente district. I now have my own cosy nest and I’m delighted.”

From working in a company to telecommuting: Mirana talks about her working life in Portugal.

“After a year at Cisco, the company I had found from France, I wanted to change sector, as the IT (information technology) sector no longer suited me. So I applied for a job with a vacation rental start-up, and it wasn’t long before a new adventure began for me. It was a start-up, and at first there were only about fifteen of us. The company quickly grew and my responsibilities within the company evolved. I was promoted to team manager and was lucky enough to getan “efetivo”(permanent contract),which is quite rare in Portugal! (It’s worth noting that most jobs in Portugal are on fixed-term contracts).

After a few yearswith this company, I was approached by their competitor for an interesting position, and stayed for 1? years before leaving to tour Asia for more than six months. It was an experience that had been in the back of my mind for some time, and one that I really wanted to experience.

When I returned from this Asian road trip, I launched a blog on good addresses with my partner Lisbonplan. For six months I worked exclusively on this blog, then joined an insurance center as a team manager.

A few months ago, by chance, an American company took an interest in my profile and offered me a telecommuting job with a French permanent contract. At a time when telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular, I found this an interesting opportunity. It allows me to work and at the same time continue my blog and travel. And to be honest, having a French CDI gives me job security and a salary that I wouldn’t have been able to get in Portugal.”

Mirana’s favorite photo: a colorful wall, cobblestones, tags and laundry. A photo that represents Lisbon and its authenticity.

What does Mirana think about purchasing power in Portugal?

“In 2011, when I arrived, it was significant! With a salary of 1100 euros net, as I had at the time, we lived very well. Today, with the same salary, it’s harder! Not impossible, but you have to make more concessions, not least because of rising property prices. Just imagine, compared to the Portuguese minimum wage (€676)! To give you an idea, the apartment I rented in Principe Real in 2011, 50m2, 2 bedrooms and a terrace, I paid 550 euros all charges included. Today, the rent for the same apartment is 1,200 euros a month!

In terms of restaurant prices, I don’t see any big increases. You just have to know where to go. There are still plenty of “Tasca”(typical Portuguese restaurants) where the food is delicious and inexpensive.”

Integration: Mirana’s view of social life in Portugal.

“When I arrived in Portugal, I only knew my boyfriend at the time and a Portuguese friend. I quickly met people through my work, but it was mainly other foreigners who had come to Portugal, like me. We discovered the city together. With the Portuguese, integration took a little longer.

The Portuguese are very nice people, but it can take some time before they really consider you as their friend, as someone they can rely on. On the other hand, when the relationship is created, it’s a ‘concrete’ friendship: beautiful and sincere.”

What does Mirana love about Portugal, and what pisses her off?

“My favorite thing about Portugal is the sense of security. I also like the living environment. Lisbon is a capital city, but it’s still on a human scale. The good weather means that you can have your coffee outside almost every day of the year, and you don’t have to look at your wallet to drink a coffee, unlike in Paris!

My fear, on the other hand, is that Lisbon will be overwhelmed by mass tourism and that the city will become a kind of Disneyland, to the detriment of typical things like the little grannies at their windows and the laundry hanging in the streets. To lose Portugal’s authenticity would be sad.”

Mirana, falas português?

“I didn’t speak Portuguese before I came to Portugal. On the other hand, I was bilingual in English. I really started speaking Portuguese after 3 years. When you’re French, you’re always ashamed of speaking a foreign language, so for a year and a half I only spoke English, and then something clicked.

At that point, I said to myself that if I made mistakes, it wasn’t so serious, and the Portuguese are very understanding of the little mistakes you can make. I started to go shopping in the local markets and I forced myself to speak Portuguese with the market gardeners, the butchers, the fishmongers… In the end, I can say that it was by doing my shopping that I really learned to speak Portuguese (laughs).”

What is Mirana’s relationship with France today?

“I don’t regret leaving France, but I must admit that I do miss French charcuterie and cheese, and French pastries. In Portugal, pastries are very generous with lots of cream and eggs. I prefer French pastries! But I really like pasteis de nata, especially those from Belém! Delicious! I go back to France every quarter. It’s really simple – I live in Lisbon, my family is in Paris, and there are regular, inexpensive flights.”

Anne-Sophie’s questions to Mirana.

A little Portuguese habit you’ve picked up? I’m ashamed of it! (laughs) As soon as there’s a bit of noise in the street, I stand at the window, like the grannies here, to watch what’s going on. Otherwise, I’ve also got into the habit, every day, of having a little coffee at the corner kiosk, as many Portuguese people do.

Any preconceived ideas you had about the Portuguese before you moved here? They’re hairy with one eyebrow, but that’s not true at all (laughs).

What’s your favorite Portuguese dish? Bochechas de porco alentejana “, which is pork cheek, a speciality of Alentejo, it’s really good!

Your favorite place in Portugal? Monsaraz, it’s wild, peaceful and the food is good. I go there at least once a year. I just love it!

Any advice for future immigrants? Fit in! A lot of people come and leave after a year because they’re a bit homesick, but it’s important to take an interest in the country’s culture and integrate well!

Johanna, freelance real estate consultant in the Algarve

Johanna, from Toulouse, moved to the Algarve in 2014 and again in 2017.

After a “bluff” in 2014, Johanna really settled in Portugal in 2017.

“I had never lived abroad before moving to Portugal. In France, I was working in the beauty and wellness sector and my husband was an engineer and also a professional poker player. In 2014, we wanted to try the adventure of living abroad, but we didn’t really know where to settle. The only thing we wanted was to be able to continue our respective professional activities.

The Algarve is a tourist region with lots of hotels and spas, so for me it was easy to find a job there. My friend also looked for work in his field and found a job as an engineer. We decided to try our luck in the Algarve, even though neither of us knew much about Portugal. So, in 2014, we arrived in Portugal not out of love, but rather by chance. But after a few weeks, we quickly became attached to this beautiful region. We stayed inAlbufeira for a year and a half. Then my partner received an interesting offer for a job in Vienna, Austria, so we moved there. Adeus Portugal and Hello Austria!

After six months in Vienna, we didn’t like it and decided to leave everything behind. We wanted to get away from Europe for a year, so we decided to go to Costa Rica. We got to travel all over Latin America, and it was a great experience!

At the end of 2017, after 1 year of traveling in Latin America, we returned to “real life”! We returned to France, to Toulouse. We hadn’t planned to return to Portugal at that time. We gave ourselves two months to make a decision about our future. To stay in France or to settle permanently in a foreign country. I’d fallen in love with Portugal so much that I kind of forced us to go back, and we did!

This time, we tried Lisbon. I wanted to open a beauty store in the capital, but the rents on commercial premises were very high and it was complicated. After six months in Lisbon, I didn’t want to stay in the capital. I didn’t like it too much, it was too big a city for me, and the rent on the apartment was quite high. So we decided to go back to the Algarve. We chose to settle in Lagos, the town we fell in love with during our first stay. It’s a town on a human scale, with everything you need: supermarket, market, beach, cinema, lively town center and a town that’s alive even in winter. That’s important when you live here year-round. I wouldn’t have gone back to live in Albufeira like I did the first time, it’s too much like the “Ibiza” of the Algarve.”

Johanna’s point of view on settling in Portugal.

“When it came to settling in Portugal, I found it a bit complicated at first, not least because of the language barrier. The paperwork (tax number, car legalization, social security…) can be done alone, but when you don’t speak the language it can be stressful and time-consuming. For my part, I was accompanied by a professional for several administrative procedures. This allowed me to be more serene and to make sure that the formalities were carried out correctly”

Why did Johanna end up buying rather than renting?

“In 2014, during our first stay in Portugal we were renting in Albufeira. At the end of 2017, when we came back, we took a rental in Lisbon, which was quite expensive.

After 6 months, we wanted to return to the Algarve, so we looked at the available rentals and then shock! We couldn’t find anything. No one was renting long-term accommodation. Faced with this situation, we decided to buy. We kept going back and forth between Lisbon and Lagos until we found our accommodation in Lagos. I spent 3 hours a day looking at properties for sale. One day, I saw an advert on the internet that met all our criteria. We went down to the Algarve the next day to visit the apartment, and we bought it the same day. You have to position yourself very quickly these days, because good deals are gone in a matter of hours.”

From aesthetics to real estate: how did Johanna move from one sector to another in Portugal?

“Initially, I worked in the beauty and well-being sector. During our first experience in Portugal, I applied from Toulouse to the spa departments of various major hotels in the Algarve, and very quickly received a lot of positive feedback. In the Algarve, if you speak English and want to work in the tourism sector, it’s pretty easy to find a job.

When I came back at the end of 2017, I completely changed fields and became a real estate consultant. The difference with a real estate agent is that I don’t work for an agency. I’m freelance so I’m impartial about the properties I present. I got into the real estate business by chance. I saw an advert on a Facebook group in Lisbon and applied. I’m from a family of shopkeepers, so customer contact and sales are part of me (laughs), so in the end it came as no surprise to those around me that I switched sectors for this one.”

How did Johanna create a circle of friends in the Algarve?

“Since I’ve been living in the Algarve, I’ve of course been enjoying the beaches, which are magnificent. I also go out a lot more (restaurants, bars…), going out here is cheaper than in France, even in the Algarve, which is a tourist region. You can easily eat for two for 20 euros and you eat like 10!

Johanna’s favorite photo: a little corner of paradise in the Algarve

When I arrived in Portugal, I didn’t know a soul. As time went by, I built up a network. At first it was mainly English people, because in the Algarve there’s a lot of English and I didn’t speak Portuguese. Now I rub shoulders with people of Portuguese origin who used to live in France and have decided to return to their homeland, and also Portuguese people who speak English(I’m taking private Portuguese lessons, so I hope to be able to speak Portuguese with them soon). To create this circle of friends, I made a lot of use of Facebook groups and took part in events organized in the region. When you go to live abroad, you have to dare to reach out to people to create a social network, because if you don’t do anything, you’re sure not to meet anyone. Taking part in sporting activities can also be a good way of meeting people. I’ve made a lot of friends through the dancing I do here in the Algarve.

Today, I’m happy in Portugal, but what I miss most are my family and friends in France, and I try to go back once every three months. There’s a Faro-Toulouse airline and the prices are very affordable, so it’s great.”

Anne-Sophie’s loose questions to Johanna.

Pain au chocolat or Pastel de nata? We don’t say “pain au chocolat” where I come from, we say “chocolatine”! (laughs) and I prefer chocolatine.

Have youpicked up any Portuguese habits? I don’t use blinkers much, I honk a lot and I force my way through traffic circles. It’s the Mediterranean way of driving!(laughs). I’ve also got into the habit of eating in what in France would be called “bouis bouis”. I say this without any negative connotation, but in Portugal, there are lots of tiny restaurants, not necessarily very beautiful, but where the food is just succulent. I love eating there!

Favorite place? The Douro region, I didn’t think it could be so pretty, I’ve only been there for a weekend so far but I can’t wait to go back.

Any advice for future arrivals? Be well-prepared, read up on the various procedures, find out about real estate market prices… It saves time. You also need to choose the right region to settle in. It’s a small country, but the regions are very different from one another, so depending on what you need, you have to choose some over others.

In conclusion

We’re all different! My experience, Alex’s, Anne-Marie’s, Johanna’s, Mirana’s, Nathalie’s and yours are not and will not be the same. However, I think that before you decide to move abroad, it’s important to get feedback from people who have lived through the situation you’re about to experience. And if you haven’t already done so, I invite you to discover the first part of this article with 3 other testimonials. To access it, click here.

Are you ready to have the same experience and move to Portugal?

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