# newbie question - please help



## jsaffy (Apr 10, 2012)

i just found this forum and am not very computer literate so please bear with me. i would like to relocate to madeira or the azores. my reading tells me that getting a temporary residency is the best way to go. the one thing i cannot find is the financial requirements to extend my stay past the 3 month tourist visa. does anyone know the savings or income level portugal requires?


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Just answered in your other post, for mainland Portugal it's around 485€ per month, plus you have to have Health Insurance


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## jsaffy (Apr 10, 2012)

canoeman said:


> Just answered in your other post, for mainland Portugal it's around 485€ per month, plus you have to have Health Insurance


do you have any general opinions/comments on locating to maderia vs the canaries? cost of living, portugese vs spanish culture, the hoops an expat has to jump thru, safety, etc.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Personally I'd head for the Portuguese mainland in preference to either Madeira or Canaries and Portugal in preference to Spain, find Portugal a far friendlier and easier place to live than Spain, even with the hoops you sometimes need to jump through

Lived on an island before and yes Madeira and Canaries have their merits, but I found Island living too restrictive.


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## jsaffy (Apr 10, 2012)

canoeman said:


> Personally I'd head for the Portuguese mainland in preference to either Madeira or Canaries and Portugal in preference to Spain, find Portugal a far friendlier and easier place to live than Spain, even with the hoops you sometimes need to jump through
> 
> Lived on an island before and yes Madeira and Canaries have their merits, but I found Island living too restrictive.


you are so helpful. thank you. i'm pretty beat up right now and hope an island will be easier to handle initially. madeira worries me a bit as it sounds pretty touristy (and therefore expensive). have looked a little at the azores but would like a warmer climate. am looking into ships to get me there in the next month or two. should probably see if i can arrange something to stop at azores on way to madeira...


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

Ships to the Islands, believe it's only inter island services no longer any ferry services from mainland.

The Portimao service closed Jan 2012, there are cargo and cruise ships that will take passengers but pricey, the only realistic service is air.


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