# Retiring in Portugal



## capamando

Hello folks,

In a couple of years I will be able to retire and receive my Social Security pension which I believe am able to receive as long as I come back to the US every six months...am I right? In Portugal is it realistic to live a simple life with around $1500 per month? if so is there a town or city that is the most affordable in Portugal. I do not speak Portuguese but I do speak Spanish so the transition should not be very difficult. Thanks in advance for your feedback


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## roni

capamando said:


> Hello folks,
> 
> In a couple of years I will be able to retire and receive my Social Security pension which I believe am able to receive as long as I come back to the US every six months...am I right? In Portugal is it realistic to live a simple life with around $1500 per month? if so is there a town or city that is the most affordable in Portugal. I do not speak Portuguese but I do speak Spanish so the transition should not be very difficult. Thanks in advance for your feedback


You do not need to return to the States to continue receiving your SS


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## canoeman

appox 1100€ as average wage is around 5-600€ then reasonable well, but you need to factor in health insurance, do you have the capital to maybe buy property and car, the dearer spots will always be Algarve, Lisbon & Porto but with your Spanish you might like to consider the North from Viana do Castelo up the coast and around to Moncao where Portuguese Spanish links are very close with the Portuguese being more ambivalent to Spanish as a language and Spain less so to Portuguese


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## Maggy Crawford

Beware of thinking that the transition from Spanish to Portuguese is easy. It isn't. I speak fluent Spanish and struggle as Portuguese sounds nothing like a Latin language. Reading will be fairly straightforward as much of the vocabulary and grammar are similar but speaking is another matter. An acquaintance who speaks fluent French, Spanish and Italian travelled the length of Portugal on a train and could not understand ONE WORD of what was being said around him. Many people think Portuguese are speaking Russian.


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## travelling-man

I find it a really tough language to learn..... I can speak four languages but Portuguese is harder and more confusing than all of them put together! 

That said, I mostly manage to get by with English simply because the Portuguese (bless 'em) are so accommodating and helpful.


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## anapedrosa

Maggy Crawford said:


> ... Portuguese sounds nothing like a Latin language.


It depends which Latin language you are familiar with. You will find that Portuguese and Romanian are similar. 

It is easier for Portuguese speaker to understand Spanish than vice versa. I believe that Spanish speech is most phonetically similar to writing and has a reputation as being the easiest Latin language to learn.

One advantage of knowing Spanish is that you will have an understanding of the concept of conjugating vowels. Not all English speakers do.


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## capamando

Thanks for the advice..... so if I understood Canoeman correctly, $1500 per month will be enough to live a simple life in Portugal.... at first, we would probably rent until we are more familiar with an area that we want to settle.... on the Social Security Pension from the USA, will the USA government sent my retirement to a bank in Portugal? By the way, we are considering coming to Portugal around January or February...where would be a centralized spot to stay for a couple of weeks? What kind of weather should we expect in different regions besides the south being warmer?


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## travelling-man

You can keep your US account & have your pension paid into that & then transfer online to your Portuguese account and/or pay with a US card (in most places) as you need to.

January & February in the central zone will probably bring you a fair bit of rain & lows of around freezing 0C with highs in the region of 15C.

This might help: IPMA - Previsão para 10 dias 

We're close to Figueiro Dos Vinhos which Google Maps will show you is pretty central & might be a fairly good location for you to be based to start your search.

We came to Portugal about 2 years ago & were in a similar position to the one you're in now so know what you'll be facing. It's tough at first but well worth it. 

I see you're American & you will have to do something about getting residency here & that's another challenge for you but it's not impossible.


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## bom dia lisbon

Hi Capamando, here is info directly from the U.S. Social Security Administration:

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10137.pdf

As to whether $1,500 US is enough, I suppose that depends on your lifestyle, and also the exchange rate at the time of your retirement (anyone's guess at this point). You will also have to convince Portugal that you have enough savings and/or income to be self sufficient, in order that they will issue you a Residency Visa and ultimately a Residency Permit. 

Best of luck with your exploratory trip!


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## capamando

Thanks guys!

Travelling-man....do you think one can find reasonable rentals for a couple of weeks in your area? 
Bom Dia Lisbon.... Is it difficult to obtain a Residency Visa or just a hassle to deal with the bureaucracy? 

Yes, I am a US citizen but originally from Cuba


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## bom dia lisbon

Capa, it's difficult to say. I was fortunate, but the criteria for approval/rejection remains a mystery. As for the bureaucracy end of it, I found it straightforward and painless. You just have to send them the required documentation and then wait.


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## travelling-man

Capa,

No problem at all to find rentals in this area. I know of several in this area that'll be available for something in the region of €250-350 per month at that time of year.

We can't post links for that type of thing here but if you send me a PM, I'll be happy to give you relevant details.

FWIW, we're currently renovating a barn that once finished we'll move into & then have a 2 bedroomed guest apartment that was newly renovated a year ago & has central heating & air con.

We're 5 minutes from the IC8, 10 minutes from Figueiro Dos Vinhos, 2 hours from Lisbon & our nearest neighbour is about 300 yards away.

the bad news is we haven't decided if we'll rent it occasionally or just keep it for family & friends & the barn renovation won't be finished until the new year at the very earliest. LOL..... but that'll give you an idea of what you'll get for your money.


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## canoeman

Residency Visa is all about preparation it's not difficult it's gathering the correct information and having it all to hand, you should try and get on good terms with the Portuguese Consulate for your area in the States as they will be your primary link.

Rather than rent for a couple of weeks suggest Residencia, Pensoes rates reasonable and it gives you much more flexibility to view the country as you can move around.

My reference to the North and Spanish is because the Portuguese in that area are very used to Spanish as a second language not that it would make Portuguese any easier


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