How to adapt to the expat challenges of everyday life in Portugal

Cheryl Moderator

Member since 15 October 2018

CherylModerator19 February 2025 04:39:51

13240

Hello everyone,

Adapting to everyday life as an expat in Portugal can be both exciting and overwhelming: different habits, systems, and sometimes even unexpected surprises! Simple things like paying bills, using public transport, or even greeting neighbors might work differently than what you're used to.

We would like to invite you to share the biggest challenges you face in your daily routine. Here are a few questions to start with:

What aspects of daily life were the most challenging for you at first?

How did you overcome these difficulties?

Did you find any local habits or customs particularly surprising?

What has helped you in feeling more at ease in your new environment?

Any funny or unexpected experiences you would like to share?

Share your experiences, anecdotes and tips to help fellow expats.

Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
九色视频 Team

Santi2 Portugal Advisor

Member since 08 January 2018

Santi2Portugal Advisor07 March 2025 22:38:03

171

Hi Cheryl, we've adapted quite easily, and have gathered some facts, stories and tips to help fellow expats in our blog

I must add that Tomar is very expat-friendly and expat communities in this relatively small town have been and are incredibly supportive.聽 That makes it easier for all of us to feel at home.

TGCampo Serial expat

Member since 30 August 2023

TGCampoSerial expat10 March 2025 09:08:20

244

I guess for EU citizens like us it was always easier to adapt to life in Portugal, because the formalities are much easier. On top of it all we had a relocation agent helping us with everything including finding a nice apartment. We moves with a very good international moving contractor, who took care of importing our container (from outside the EU).

We were surprised by the low standard of the apartments on the market while we were looking, but we ultimately found one for rent and later one to buy with everything we wanted.

The Portuguese language is still a bit of a struggle, but fortunately (or unfortunately?) almost everybody we know speaks English, French or even German. For the day to day activities, our Portuguese is good enough, but for socializing it is insufficient.

We were surprised how polite the Portuguese are. And also how family orientated and private they are (compared to other nationalities we met over the past over 30 years). It doesn't seem to be easy making friends in Portugal (but, where is it?).

While one always hears about the low income of people, we were surprised how full the cafes and restaurants are and how many people are smoking/vaping. The Portuguese seem to know how to live a good life. We also noticed that many people seem to drink and drive (especially on the weekend).

After 10 years we still think that Portugal was a great choice in 2015. We like the climate near (but not right on) the Atlantic and the lifestyle suits us as well.

I would recommend to everybody planning to come to Portugal to get well informed in advance, not only through YouTube. It is always good to know the alternatives, evaluate them and then select.