# How can I move to Portugal?



## ninaexotica (Jun 9, 2013)

Okay for starters, my name is Margarida, my entire family Is from Portugal, my 2 sisters and first cousins are the first generation in my family that wasn't born thee. We were all born in the USA (currently live there). I speak/read/write at a B1 level of Portuguese. I go/been every summer of my life (I'm 16). After high school I want to move to Portugal, and study there for my bachelors. I know to move there I will have to get citizenship which I can easily claim, since my parents were born there and all my ancestors. I will do that once I turn 18 in my senior year of High school. does anyone know where I go and who I call to start the process? I want to study all four years, I'm looking to become an English teacher there, does anyone know what courses I would take in University to be qualified to be an English teacher there? I was thinking of getting a BA in English, is that enough? I tried surfing the web but results were fruitless.  I will save up as much money as possible (I have a job) college there is cheap compared to America so paying will do the best I can and I will also have support from my parents. If I have a Portuguese passport and have citizenship I do not need a student visa, correct? Do they allow you to work during college or is it just a certain amount of hours? How much do you need on average a month to live comfortably? I was thinking about 2000 euros (It would just be me) Do they prefer native speaking English teachers? I've seen somewhere that they do! I think it would be a great career choice for me. Something I really want to do. I think about how much I want to live there every single day. I search possibilities everyday, and seeing people say its almost impossible breaks my heart. I really do feel like I belong here and I feel more useful there. I've been brought to this site via my searches and seen people who have experienced what my dream is and I just want to get a perspective, I would be more than happy If someone responded with answers and advice for me. Thank you so much!


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Well you have two options your Portuguese ancestry especially being 1st generation makes it easy for you to gain Portuguese Citizenship and is well documented on here.
If that is your intention you need to get your parents paperwork together and use your visits to Portugal to fill or replace missing documents
Or
Providing you could secure a place at a Portuguese University then you could study on a Student Visa

It's deciding what's the best way for you and which might be better financially so you need to do some research with the Universities on possibility of Exchange, scholarships etc because as odd as it sounds having Portuguese Citizenship could be detrimental.

Work well currently I wouldn't hold out much hope in 6-7 years time then hopefully Portugal will have weathered the storm and be back on her feet or at the least off her knees.

2000€ a month families are surviving here on a quarter of that!


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## ninaexotica (Jun 9, 2013)

canoeman said:


> Well you have two options your Portuguese ancestry especially being 1st generation makes it easy for you to gain Portuguese Citizenship and is well documented on here.
> If that is your intention you need to get your parents paperwork together and use your visits to Portugal to fill or replace missing documents
> Or
> Providing you could secure a place at a Portuguese University then you could study on a Student Visa
> ...


So you think I should apply for a student visa before claiming citizenship? And wow! So people live off of 500€ thats unbelievable! I know the minimum wage there is about 550€ a month so that sounds pretty good! Im going to try to find a college that allows me to work while Im studying, its a tough balence but I cant get all the tuiton expenses before acctually leaving to go to school there. 
Thank you


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

No I'm saying it *might be more advantageous* to you, as a foreign student *you might be entitled* to scholarships etc that a citizen would not be.


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## ninaexotica (Jun 9, 2013)

canoeman said:


> No I'm saying it *might be more advantageous* to you, as a foreign student *you might be entitled* to scholarships etc that a citizen would not be.


Yeah thats so true, itll probably be more interesting, but they have scholarships for interntional students? I didnt know that! I was looking for that but it said they only have them for "natives" of if you go on an acctual exchange program while attending school in your native country. But that i dont wanna do. School in America doesnt suit me, with all the partying and such and its so much more expensive for education that doesnt have as much quality as education in EU


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

You need to search again there are scholarships for international students


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## ninaexotica (Jun 9, 2013)

canoeman said:


> You need to search again there are scholarships for international students


Im deffenitly going to do more research on scholarhips and such, Im probably going to attain citizenship dureing or after college. It really makes me happy hearing that being able to move out of this country is possible instead of hearing Im syuck here forever.


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