# Getting a work permit



## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

I am not having much luck on this forum unfortunately.

I am moving to Portugal on the golden visa.
My son (21) will be on the golden visa as well.
He has a girlfriend (23) that also wants to go to Portugal.
I need to get her a working visa. 

I was thinking that I create a company in Portugal and then offer her employment. She can then apply for a working Visa.

Does anyone know if this will be possible? I know it's difficult to get a working visa because of the high unemployment in Portugal, but I need to get her there. 

Any ideas?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

The obvious solution is to offer her the job on the grounds of her connections to SA, understanding of the SA culture(s) and (hopefully) ability to speak Afrikaans and perhaps a native language such as Zulu etc. 

You might also be able to make her a director of the PT company. 

Feels good to actually be able to give you positive advice for a change! LOL


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## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

Thanks 

I was thinking along the same lines.

Where are you located in Portugal?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

We're just a few Kms from the Town of Figueiro Dos Vinhos in the central zone which is more or less equidistant between Porto & Lisbon (2 hours either way or so) and about 45 minutes from the coast. 

If you click on the link below my post you'll find maps etc and if you click the 'About Central Portugal' icon and then the fly offs, you'll find out what the general area is like.


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## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

What made you decide to live there? 

I am looking at Cascais or Lagos or Armacao de Pera. Do you think those are nice towns?

I will be in Lisbon, then drive to Porto and stop in towns along the way, then drive south to Armacao de Pera and visit all the towns on the south coast.

I am arriving on 8 April - 14 April for a quick visit to have a look.

I am looking for something authentic, not so much commercialized
Shops, cafe's, restaurants, sea (or beach), history.
The typical idea of European living that we don't have in South Africa.

Any ideas of places that I should see?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

'Fraid I don't know the coastal towns well enough to comment but I understand many of them are very seasonal. 

We chose this area rather by accident. We first needed a base to house hunt from and so stuck a pin in the map and it landed a few miles away...... then we spent 6 months looking at houses literally all over Portugal and decided we liked this area best. 

However, we didn't want too many people around us, didn't want bucket loads of tourists and because I have a much loved classic car, didn't want anywhere where a salty environment might cause excessive rust on my baby.

Wherever you go in Portugal, you'll find a lot of really good coffee and cake shops so that'll be a challenge for you to beat them.


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## Pablo91 (Jan 30, 2013)

Personally I like the inside than the coast, live relatively close to the traveling-man in Cernache do Bonjardim and could not be happier, this region has a good quality of life, close to Lisbon and Porto only 2 hours and less 1 hour of Coimbra is a beautiful city with a good hospital (they say the best in the country).

These inland regions as are most unexplored also have some interesting opportunities, better housing at a lower price than on the coast.

The cities that spoke perhaps you enjoy most is Cascais, the others are very focused on tourists, a lot of confusion in the summer, seasonality is not for me.

Here has the same flow of people throughout the year we have a large lake at the foot, welcomed some expats in recent years, but not too many. It has also history and a great cloak of pines, the biggest in Europe. If you ask me I would advise this area Cernache do Bonjardim no doubt.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I quite like CdbJ but it's a bit of a schlep to anything like a decent supermarket etc. 

However, I've gotta say I wouldn't recommend it as somewhere to open a business because of it's low population. 

It's rather like towns such as Castanhera da Pera, Figueiro Dos Vinhos & Pedrogao Grande...... all are lovely little towns but all have populations around 4/6/6k or so whereas Pombal has about 60k and Coimbra even more and of course more population equals more business opportunity.


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## Pablo91 (Jan 30, 2013)

In Cernache there are 2 reasonable supermarkets, has 3 banks, pharmacy, fire department, post office, doctors, lawyers etc.

I believe much of the business sector, for example tourism is booming in this area, Jason Vale has invested more than EUR 3 million and my Portuguese friends say the "Seminar of the Missions" was now a National Monument and is considered the birthplace of Nuno Alvares Pereira also considered holy by the Catholic Church and it is expected that this classification bring a large influx of tourists, it is important to create conditions for the hotel mainly granted to accept the offer is low for the influx than expected.

Also businesses linked to the river and agriculture have some potential, the great advantage is the price when compared with other regions can buy better, cheaper. And as I said ends up tar near Lisbon and Porto and less than 1 hour from Coimbra.

Regards


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I agree it's a lovely place but it has a population of something in the region of 3000 Cernache do Bonjardim - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and therefore probably not the best place to open any kind of a catering/coffee etc establishment compared to somewhere like Pombal that has a population not far short of 20 times greater. Pombal (Portugal) – Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre 

I don't mean to criticise CdbJ but I think it only fair not to mislead someone who is considering such a momentous decision.


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## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

I'm going to be in Cascais for 3 days and then drive to Porto on Saturday 11 April. Drive down to Armacao de Pera on 12 April and stay there for 3 days. 

Any chance to meet up for a cup of coffee? Would love to meet and have a brief chat?

My email address: [email protected]

Thanks

Marthinus


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Sound good..... I'll shoot you an email.


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## BodgieMcBodge (Mar 8, 2013)

Shirley that is the worst example of a busy tourism area as Vale is specifically building RETREAT so it is designed to be remote and unencumbered by the commercialism of modern development hence locating it near Carnache de B


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## Pablo91 (Jan 30, 2013)

BodgieMcBodge said:


> Shirley that is the worst example of a busy tourism area as Vale is specifically building RETREAT so it is designed to be remote and unencumbered by the commercialism of modern development hence locating it near Carnache de B


Wrong, chose this region for peace is right, but also by the location in the center of Portugal, as it is situated near one of the largest lakes in the country, being equidistant between Lisbon and Porto, of course the hotels public target and rural tourisms should be more for foreigners and not local as obvious.

This region is also good for agriculture has heritage is a 30-minute Tomar Templar city that is heritage of UNESCO, as well as Coimbra also heritage of UNESCO. In fact the landscapes speak for themselves.

Do you know the area? There are some other projects in this area successfully if you want to see: Albergue do Bonjardim Nesperal Portugal | Home

Regards


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I know the area well and it's delightful but that doesn't mean it's a good place to develop a business such as discussed in previous related threads. With a population of something around just 3k, it's about a twentieth of cities such as Pombal and if you need customers to sell your product to, it's obvious to anyone who has ever run a business that the latter is going to be a better choice than the former. 

That largest lake is fabulous but CdbJ is just one of many towns along it's edge.


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## Pablo91 (Jan 30, 2013)

I was not referring to you dear friend. I know who knows the area. Of course it is, what I am saying is that in the tourism sector mainly hotels and rural tourism, where guests come from outside to stay here there is potential. I stress that this is the one with the largest share of the lake. If I want a eg computer sales business will not be here that will open as is obvious, but others are profitable and the hotel is a good hypothesis.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Well if you're talking about tourism potential, you can address the same comments to the whole of the central zone.

There's barely a part of it that doesn't have immense tourism potential that isn't being exploited. 

My point is that whilst CdbJ is a lovely place, it's not anywhere near the best place to open a business and expect it to flourish.


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## BodgieMcBodge (Mar 8, 2013)

Pablo91 said:


> Wrong, chose this region for peace is right, but also by the location in the center of Portugal, as it is situated near one of the largest lakes in the country, being equidistant between Lisbon and Porto, of course the hotels public target and rural tourisms should be more for foreigners and not local as obvious.
> 
> This region is also good for agriculture has heritage is a 30-minute Tomar Templar city that is heritage of UNESCO, as well as Coimbra also heritage of UNESCO. In fact the landscapes speak for themselves.
> 
> ...


The area equidistant Porto-Lisbon has many delightful small towns but there are few tourists visiting these areas either Portuguese or non Portuguese. Your big local draw is Tomar which for months has so few tourists for a significant part of the year that places go onto "winter time" and don't bother to open. Fatima is obviously a completely different place with no rooms available on some days then 10,000 empty rooms the day after. The new east-west road paid for partly by EU grants to encourage development has yet to attract any significant traffic except for those living in CP going east to the beach for the day/weekend. No significant agriculture takes place in the area and even the last wood pulp factory I know of has closed. If you want to run a business then you need access to a critical mass of customers or you fail before you begin.


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## Pablo91 (Jan 30, 2013)

I agree, but the tourist level we must see that the highest value that this region has the largest value that is the river and this is Cernache that has the largest share, with pleasant depths and far enough away from the dam itself.

Moreover the fact that the level of assets no land nearby, or Figueiró or Pedrogão or Serta or Ferreira do Zêzere, has assets that Cernache with the Seminary of the Missions, here was born a saint to the Catholic Church and religious tourism is an important point, has a good climate for wine production with 4 trademarks, something that none of the above has.

I know Cernache, is not Lisbon, but I believe that the region is the best place to develop tourist activity, mainly hotel. I agree however that it is not better to open a trade, but it also unfortunately none of the villages of this region is due to the low population.

Regards


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## Pablo91 (Jan 30, 2013)

Interesting discussion arranged here.
I agree but I noted some advantages, as I say trade may not be the ideal business, but area retreats, rural tourism, etc. has a vast potential here, you may need to be more oriented to a foreign population. But there are viable projects and the proof is that there are some success stories, even retreats as points. Business for niches can be successful, pasta is better focus activity in Lisbon, in Portugal little more.

Regards


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

This thread is an interesting example of how many people are so loyal and enthusiastic about the individual area they chose to settle in and that their spot is absolutely the best spot for anyone to live.

The truth us that there are numerous areas that have beauty and no end of easy access to at least one of the 'big lakes/rivers and castles/convents etc and on top of that, there's barely a square inch of the central zone that hasn't been previously trod by either the Templars or their associates and/or one side or the other in the Peninsular Wars. 

Then we have all the different local wines and cuisines that are also generally pretty good so there's lots to choose from for any visitor to the region. 

But none of those things mean that a town with a population of just 3000 or so is going to be a good place to open a business.

For a business to thrive, it needs customers in good numbers or it needs fewer customers who have and are willing to spend bigger bucks for something that isn't available anywhere else and CdbJ just ain't got any of those things. 

Then we have the issue of suppliers: If you're going to import then you're a long way from the ports and that means more expenses and if you're going to source your supply locally then everyone else has the same or similar product. 

Putting it another way, CdbJ is a lovely place but so is Pombal, Tomar, Coimbra (in their own ways) and other similar places and all have a much, much larger and to some degree richer, client base/source.


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## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

This has been interesting.

Maybe I need to clarify my requirements more.

1. I will either open a branch of an existing SA business in Portugal. This is an online business and can operate from almost anywhere. I need good broadband internet and phones. The size of the town or local customers are not important as my customer base is in SA. Or I will buy an existing business that is already profitable and successful.

2. I want to stay in a town that is not too big but also not too small. It must be authentic - not commercialized. I don't like high-rise office parks or commercial holiday flats. 

3. I want to stay within walking distance of shops, cafe's and food markets. The real European lifestyle appeals to me. If you know South Africa you will know what I mean. In SA you have to drive 10km to get to the closest grocery store. I want to walk and be able to visit a cafe and do my shopping. 
4. I want a town that has history. Old buildings, cobbled streets etc.
5. I want to be in walking distance to a beach or sea. Beach would be good.
6. I don't speak Portuguese yet so need to be in a place where language isn't going to be a problem.
7. Don't want to stay in a place that's flooded with large crowds of bad behaving tourists. I actually like the tourist vibe but then in a more upmarket area.

Perhaps my requirements are impossible to meet, but I'll take anything as close to this as possible.

Ideas?


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I'd say that point 5 & and to some extent 6 mean you probably need to be looking towards the Porto or close to Porto region as your best bet. 

I fully understand your point about SA and you should have no problem in finding somewhere that meets your requirements....... the other good thing about Portugal compared to SA is no burger shoots at you here! LOL


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## BodgieMcBodge (Mar 8, 2013)

A couple of things which will be difficult to find together are.

a town that has history. Old buildings, cobbled streets........walking distance to a beach or sea. 

Easy beach access usually equated to "tourist area" as that's what they come here for, if you change it to 15 minute drive then you have quite a choice. Inland there are also river beaches. It's not like the 500Km to the beach from Wits.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Bodgie has a good point, especially in the Algarve region but I'd have thought that some of the areas around Porto or more that way will probably give you a better chance of finding what you need.


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## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

I am planning on driving from Lisbon to Porto and then staying in Porto for 1 night and then driving down to the Algarve and there for 3 nights. Do you think 1 day in Porto is enough? The purpose of the trip is to identify the town/region I want to live in.


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## BodgieMcBodge (Mar 8, 2013)

Porto, plus the area round it, are too big understand in one day as it's a working city with ports, a big river frontage, fishing, industrial areas, shopping areas, gardens , parks, old buildings, fishing, new estates, FC Porto, the area Administration and fishing etc. and all built on hills and the flatlands down to the river and sea. One day will give you an idea if it's a place you do NOT want to live. It also changes at different times of the year. From the main train station there are beaches a south of Porto towards Granja and Espinho where locals go as their stations are almost on the beach but this time of year there's no one at at the beach whereas summer bank holiday it's packed, but I'm sure you know this. This is the Atlantic coast so the sea can often be rough and the areas for swimming get busy. And onto your requirement 8. Fishing


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## BodgieMcBodge (Mar 8, 2013)

If you do have a moment try Tomar, it is small enough to get the hang of in a day, the old part is divided from the new by the river (full of fish), it has a mainline train station so it's possible to get to Lisbon or Coimbra, shops, bigger shops on the outskirts, it's a market town, motorbike shops and a new road so maybe 4o minutes to the beach or the other direction the dammed River Zêzere formed lakes for swimming and fishing. It'll also give you an idea what is available in the bigger towns which you can't see in one day.


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## oronero (Aug 24, 2012)

Marthinus said:


> This has been interesting.
> 
> Maybe I need to clarify my requirements more.
> 
> ...


...sounds like Cascais. For 'olde worlde' old and historic Sintra is not too far away....very good connections to Lisbon.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

I too think you should have a look at Cascais. I has most of the requirements you have noted.


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## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

It seems that Cascais is a good option looking at the comment. I have increased my stay in Lisbon to 3 nights and will be staying at the Hotel Cascais Miragem Health & Spa! Is that a good hotel? I think I will then be able to explore the area more thoroughly. You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the help.

Anyone for coffee in Cascais?


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Have stayed at Miragem several times. it's a great hotel another hotel is the Grand Vila Italia. When are you due in Cascais??


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## anapedrosa (Mar 21, 2011)

Something to consider is the 20+ year olds, as a 20 year old I loved Cascais and being in the Lisbon area. Still love going there.


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## oronero (Aug 24, 2012)

*Marthinus* if you get a chance spend at least a morning or an afternoon in Sintra, the historic part. There are palaces/villas that you can go on tours around, botanical garden and the old historic area itself, there are excellent specialist cake and coffee houses.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Gotta say Sintra is a beautiful place....... too many summer tourists for my particular tastes but it is a fabulous place to visit and I'd guess has a helluva lot going for it as far as the younger generation is concerned.


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## oronero (Aug 24, 2012)

travelling-man said:


> Gotta say Sintra is a beautiful place....... too many summer tourists for my particular tastes but it is a fabulous place to visit and I'd guess has a helluva lot going for it as far as the younger generation is concerned.


I have some family that live on the coast about 10 minutes drive from old Sintra and other members of the family who live within a stone throws distance from the old part...it has always been a tourist destination but I must admit that I was shocked by the amount of tourist buses dropping people of next to the 'National Palace' last year. Get a horse carriage ride to the 'Pena Palace' from the 'National Palace' if you can, I did that about twenty something years ago....brilliant.

On a note at least they looked like civilised and cultured tourists, they certainly weren't the beer-fuelled scum that you see in other resorts around the world!

For the younger generation Cascais nightlife is better than Sintra's, though remember Lisbon is not far away for even more nightlife choice.


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## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

Martinus, I thought you might like to read this before your trip. Cascais – A Refuge for Kings and Spies | Julianne Mooney


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## Marthinus (Feb 22, 2015)

siobhanwf said:


> Have stayed at Miragem several times. it's a great hotel another hotel is the Grand Vila Italia. When are you due in Cascais??


Will be in Cascais from 8 April - 11 April.


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