Useful things to know about life in Portugal

These iconic yellow and white tram cars are a useful way to get around in Lisbon. They are very popular with tourists!

When I first spent an extended time in Portugal I noticed a lot of little differences about the way people do daily life compared to what is commonly done in the US. Now that I have been living in Portugal for more than three years, I just take all these differences for granted. But my current trip back to the states makes me realize how much I have accommodated to my new life in Europe. I also appreciate how many of the customs in Portugal reduce water, plastic and paper waste that is harmful to the environment.

Eco-friendly shopping

In Portugal the supermarkets and small grocery stores do not bag your groceries. You must bring your own shopping bags or buy one at the checkout. The bags you can buy are sturdy and generous sized so you can fit a lot into one bag. You yourself must stuff all the items you have bought into the bag at the checkout. This saves a mountain of plastic bags from ending up in landfills. I was saddened to see that in Albuquerque, where I used to live, the city council reversed a decision to ban those plastic bags.

Another practical innovation is the way you use shopping carts. They are typically linked together and you must insert a coin or a plastic token to release the cart to take it into the store. After you’ve unloaded your shopping, you return the cart, reconnect it and you get the coin or token back.

This is a simple way to ensure that carts are returned. In Albuquerque I was used to seeing shopping carts abandoned all over the place. On a windy day a rogue cart could damage your car. It was also probably a big expense for the supermarkets to lose them.

Bathroom etiquette

In a lot of private homes, restaurants and even small hotels in Portugal, it is common to see a sign asking you not to put any paper or other products into the toilet. In private homes it’s because they have a septic system that can’t handle large volumes of toilet paper. I’m assuming the restaurants etc have some similar problem. Anyway, you have to re-train yourself to put the TP into the small container next to the toilet. It took me a while to be consistent about this.

I have even found some bathrooms, such as at a train station or a shopping mall, where you have to grab a length of TP from a huge roll hanging on the wall by the sinks, BEFORE you go into the stall.

Of course men rarely have either of these problems.

A couple of other points about bathrooms. Most toilets in Portugal have dual flush options which save water. Bathrooms typically have hot air blow dryers instead of paper or cloth towels to dry your hands.

Time and temperature confusion

After more than three years of living in Portugal, I have become figuratively bi-lingual in matters of time and temperature. I am no longer flummoxed when trying to decide whether to take the train at 17:00 or 19:00, hint 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. Now, having to say a.m. and p.m. seems so inefficient. You also know immediately whether you’re talking about 12 noon (12:00) or midnight (24:00) .

I’ve also adjusted to using Celcius versus Fahrenheit when referring to the weather. I’ve become used to thinking that 20 degrees C (68F) feels pretty comfortable and 40 degrees C (104F) is nigh-on unbearably hot. Coming back to the US and reading that it’s 21 degrees I have to do mental gymnastics to remember that is really cold! Or, I could just stick my nose outside!

How far is that?

I must confess, I have not adapted so well to using kilometers versus miles, or kilograms instead of pounds. I used to be a very enthusiastic cyclist in New Mexico. There are mountains in NM but there are a lot of opportunities to ride on flat ground too. A 30 mile flat ride was considered pretty easy. I live in a hilly area in central Portugal and it is hard to find flat routes. Hence, a 30 km (18.6m) ride in my area is pretty tough!

I have to use grams and milliliters for European cooking recipes but I keep my bathroom scales on pounds so I still can’t tell you what I weigh in kilos. (I probably wouldn’t anyway!)

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Riding in the area around Figueiro dos Vinhos in central Portugal involves climbing a lot of steep hills but it’s beautiful.

Why it’s useful to speak Portuguese, and how to learn

Rayburn/Lisbon skylie — The red tiled roofs of Lisbon’s Alfama district look out over the Tejo river.

Being able to speak Portuguese, even a few words, is a huge advantage for anyone planning to move to this lovely country. Yes, many Portuguese people, especially those under 40, speak very good English. They are ready to help you even if you start off speaking to them in their own language. But they are usually delighted when you show that you’ve made the effort to learn and they will often compliment you on your halting sentences.

Portugal is becoming a popular potential retirement destination for an increasing number of people from the US. If you are one of those considering a move, it is worth making a scouting trip to explore different parts of the country and get a feel for life here. It is also very valuable to familiarize yourself with the language before you come.

That said, if your pronunciation is off you may get blank stares even though you think you have said the word correctly. It’s worth mentioning that there is a big distinction between the Portuguese spoken in Portugal and that spoken in Brazil. Think about the variations between the English spoken in the UK, the United States and Australia. Or the Spanish spoken in Spain versus that used in Cuba, Mexico or Argentina.

Online language learning options

There are several online options to learn Portuguese. I followed an online course offered by Babbel.com. It was simple, practical and fun. The monthly subscription is currently $11.15 if you sign up for six months, less for longer subscriptions. Duolingo as an app you can use on your mobile phone with a free option. It gradually builds your vocabulary and grammatical skills. It also nags you daily to keep going. Babbel and Duolingo only offer the Brazilian version, but I still found them useful. After all, Portugal still has close ties with its former colony Brazil. There are hundreds of thousands of Brazilians now living in Portugal.

There are options for learning European Portuguese too. You can try the app Memrise, which does have a limited free version. There is also PracticePortuguese where you can listen to short conversations. If you subscribe, you can follow along with the text. The idea was developed by a Portuguese guy and his Canadian partner. It has useful information on the nitty gritty stuff like verbs as well. PortuguesewithLeo is a fun alternative available on YouTube.

Lost in translation?

There are of course a lot of Portuguese people who do not speak English. Some people use Google Translate to help them communicate in those situations. However, it’s not always foolproof. I know one woman who somehow managed to ask a very formal Portuguese man she met at a grand country hotel if he would marry her! Luckily he had a sense of humor. I have found the app Deepl to be very helpful when I need to translate a sentence quickly.

A couple of words and phrases that will stand you in good stead. “Casa de Banho” pronounced “cah-zah de bahnyo” means bathroom. A conta “ah cawn-tah” means the bill at a restaurant. Cerveja “ser-vay-zhya” means beer. Thank you is “Obrigado” for a man, “Obrigada” for a woman. “Bom dia” is good morning, “boa tarde” is good afternoon. So, good luck, or boa sorte, with learning Portuguese.

Follow my blog to learn about daily life in Portugal and check out my novel “The Power of Rain” on Amazon.

Rayburn.Skyline of Porto — Porto, Portugal’s second largest city is a gem to visit.

Portugal’s pall of precipitation

Fed by weeks of heavy rain, the Rio Nabão gushes over this weir in Tomar, central Portugal.

Back in early October everyone in Portugal was praying for rain. We’d had an unusually warm dry spring and a long hot summer that continued well into what is normally autumn. According to Portugal’s Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), 2022 was the second driest year since records began in 1931.

Then it began to rain, and rain and rain. As I write I can still hear the rain drumming outside my house.

Winters in Portugal are mild compared to other countries in Europe with average temperatures in the day time reaching around 14-15 degrees Celcius (57-59 F.) November and December are typically the wettest months with most rain falling in the central and northern parts of the country.

This year we have had a “bumper crop” of rain and it has cast a pall on everyone I talk to. It’s not just the daily showers and drizzle. While not quite on the California level, we’ve had periods of torrential downpours which have caused serious damage. During two days in December, the capital city of Lisbon received 15 percent of normal total annual rainfall. Neighborhoods like Alges and Alcantara had dangerous flooding. Pictures on the evening news showed water pouring into metro stations. Dozens of homes had to be evacuated and one woman died when she was caught in a flooded basement.

Porto’s turn to swim

In January it was the turn of Porto, the country’s second largest city. It is located on the coast about four-hours north of Lisbon by train, at the mouth of the Rio Douro. A twenty-minute cloudburst on January 8 transformed streets in the center of the city into raging rivers. The downtown São Bento train station was flooded. News coverage showed a man being borne along by a torrent of water and mud.

The other aspect of this endless rain is the dampness inside the home. Typical Portuguese houses are not well-designed or constructed to ward off the effects of high humidity. Everyone I talk to has a constant battle against mold, mildew and condensation. The best advice I could give anyone who plans to buy a house, or who has recently moved into a Portuguese house, is buy a dehumidifier! Buy the biggest one you can find. You will need it!

Water was released at the Barragem do Castelo de Bode near Tomar in mid-January because the lake behind it was becoming overfull. The dam was built in the mid-20th Century to contain waters of the Zezere river, a tributary of the Tagus which flows past Lisbon. The release of water was used to generate electricity. I’ve been told that the 60 km-long artificial lake created by the dam holds sufficient water for the region for two years of use.

Sunny Days Ahead – I hope

Thankfully, my trusty iPhone is showing that next week, we will have a few days of sunshine!! Hooray!!

Follow my blog to get updates on life in Portugal. Check out my book “The Power of Rain” available in digital or print format from Amazon.

Fireworks, sunshine herald new year in Portugal

Fireworks launched from boats herald the start of 2023 at the beachside town of São Martinho do Porto.

Fireworks are a tradition on New Year’s Eve in Portugal. Although villages and towns all over the country create their own displays, firework shows in coastal cities like São Martinho do Porto and Nazaré draw huge crowds. A big part of the attraction is the way they are launched from boats moored a short distance offshore. Rockets soar skyward flashing light into the night air all around them and blazing reflections from the water below.

I was lucky enough to be invited to join a group of friends driving from my area in central Portugal to see the display at São Martinho. First we made a stop at the town of Caldas de Rainha which is popular with British and US expats. Located just a few miles from the Atlantic beaches, Caldas is in part of the area known as the Silver Coast. Our destination there was a large exhibition hall where the New Year’s Eve festivities were just getting underway at around 9:30.

A band was belting out one of the typical Portuguese songs that remind me of what a Latina friend of mine in Albuquerque called “Mexican Polka Music.” The entertainment included a couple of girls dressed in short glittery dresses enthusiastically dancing cha cha steps from one side of the stage to the other. The hall gradually filled and the dance floor became crowded. Food trucks did a brisk trade in “bifanas”, the Portuguese sandwiches consisting of a bread roll filled with slices of grilled pork. Bar stands sold beer (cerveja) or wine (vinho tinto) in plastic glasses for around one Euro.

Festive Foods

New Year’s eve traditions in Portugal include eating “passos”, raisins as the hour strikes midnight. If you eat one for each bell it’s supposed to bring you good luck. Another tradition is to eat “Leitão”, suckling pig. I went to a party my first New Year’s eve in Portugal where they had the treat displayed on a large skewer on the sideboard along with the other foods. I didn’t try it, but it is supposed to be tender and delicious.

Here Comes the Sun

A really welcome gift to us all in the first few days of January has been the return of the sun. Since the middle of October we’ve had days and days of rain. On Christmas Day it poured in torrents! Portuguese houses are notorious for dampness. Many people I know have been complaining about mold, mildew and condensation. I’ve been running the dehumidifier I bought a couple of years ago regularly in each of the bedrooms in my house and gathered A LOT of water.

Oh well, now the sun is out we can enjoy ourselves for a few days.

Bom Ano! Don’t forget to subscribe to follow my blog, and get a copy of my novel “The Power of Rain”

Fireworks turn the sky red on New Year’s Eve in São Martinho do Porto.

Of rain and Spain and the train!

The Puente de Palmas, the Bridge of Palms over the Guadiana river in Badajoz, was originally built in 1596.

A trip to Spain is easy by train from central Portugal. I recently discovered that there are two trains daily to the Spanish city of Badajoz from Entroncamento, an important rail hub about 35 minutes south of where I live. The trip takes about 2 hours 45 minutes, stopping at multiple towns along the route, including Abrantes, Portalegre and Elvas. The cost is 12.45 Euros, or about $13.20, each way.

My friend and I decided to take the early train, which departs from Entroncamento at about 9:30 in the morning, reaching its destination at about 1:15 p.m. Spain is in the European time zone an hour ahead of Portugal so this “adds” an hour to the outward trip and visa versa. When we found our way to the appropriate platform we did a double-take. The train for this international journey consists of exactly one carriage. Most of the trains in Portugal are electric, but this one sounded as though it ran on diesel.

One carriage diesel train that runs from Entroncamento to Badajoz. — The single carriage train travels twice daily from Entroncamento, Portugal to Badajoz, Spain.

Why travel to Spain when there is so much to see in Portugal? Well, it’s an easy trip and I love a sense of adventure.

Badajoz is in the Spanish province of Estremadura. It has a rich and varied history as we discovered. After checking into our hotel, we crossed the Puente de Palmas over the Guadiana river and found ourselves at the Puerta de Palmas. This was the huge door of an old wall that formerly surrounded the city of Badajoz. From that point, streets to the left lead into a more historic area while heading to the right will take you toward the more modern shopping district.

When we visited Badajoz, the Puerta de Palmas was surrounded by roadworks and Christmas decorations.

We wandered through the historic district and found the Museo de Bellas Artes (MUBA) which offered free entry. Of much more interest to me was the Museo de la ciudad “Luis de Morales”. From the exhibits in this museum you get a real sense of the city’s past under the Romans, the Moors and the decades during the 17th century when Portuguese and Spanish forces fought over possession of the city. British visitors may also be interested in the city’s role during the Napoleonic Wars when an Anglo-Portuguese army under the then-Earl of Wellington laid seige to Badajoz in the spring of 1812 and forced the surrender of the French garrison. According to several sources, it was one of the bloodiest battles of the Peninsular War.

We were fortunate enough to only have half a day of rain while we were in Badajoz. After a long dry spring and summer, the rains hit Portugal in mid-October and have barely stopped since. We returned from Badajoz on 7 December and it seems as though the rain has fallen non-stop since then. Tropical-type downpours have filled the depleted reservoirs but also caused widespread flooding and misery. In the Lisbon area many neighborhoods were flooded and one woman died. We all knew we needed the rain, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing!

Follow my blog to learn more about life in Portugal, and check out my novel “The Power of Rain” available in paperback or Kindle format on Amazon.

Enjoying the writing life in Portugal

Livraria Lello & Irmão in Porto is frequently called the “most beautiful bookstore in the world.” Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling lived and taught English in Porto in the early 1990s and was a customer of the bookstore. It is rumored that Lello was the inspiration for Flourish and Blott’s bookstore in the Harry Potter series.

Portugal is a book lovers paradise. Everywhere you go, you see independent books stores. There are books for sale in the post offices, books for sale at one of the main train stations in Lisbon. I’ve even seen a library on the beach!

So, what is it like to be a writer in Portugal? Well, I retired and moved to Portugal in 2019 shortly after I finished writing “The Power of Rain” my first novel. I had spent the last twenty years in the USA as a journalist and since I moved to this country I have continued writing. In addition to this blog, I mostly write freelance articles for Portugal Living, an online lifestyle magazine.

That is the fun part. The hard work has been getting my book published and trying to market it. It’s a mystery set in New Mexico where I used to live. So the target market is in the US, but I am in Portugal. Add to that, I am new at this and finding your way around the publishing industry is a steep learning curve.

The good news is that I have met wonderful people who are helping me on this journey. In Albuquerque, I was part of a writing group for a couple of years. The group was what motivated me to keep writing and to finish the book. We met twice a month and shared what we had written and gave each other critiques and suggestions. Having other people read your work is invaluable. They can see what works and what doesn’t work, what is confusing and what could be improved.

Friends who read the manuscript of “The Power of Rain” said they wanted to know what happened to the main characters: intrepid reporter Digger Doyle and her girlfriend, the artist and activist, Maria Ortiz. I wanted to know what happened to them as well. So, I started working on my next novel. It’s called “Sunshine Dreams.” I won’t reveal anything about the plot here, but I will say that I am about two-thirds into the writing.

Writing group support

Mindful of my experience in the US, I decided I would put feelers out to start a writing group where I now live. I was hoping that it would provide the same kind of support and valuable feedback. Thank goodness for Facebook groups. I put a post on the local FB group, I Love Tomar asking if anyone would be interested in forming a writing group. I had a great response! Beginning in July, four of us have met fairly regularly in the lovely atmospheric Cafe Paraiso, in Tomar, to talk about our work and give each other moral support.

It’s an interesting mix of writers. Englishman Bob, writes “urban fantasy” and has self-published several books in that genre. Alex is a novice writer working on a historical fantasy, Ana is a highly successful romance writer who has had around twenty books published and has a couple more releases in the next few weeks! She has been a fount of knowledge on all aspects of marketing.

Now, I am working with a couple of local cafes in Tomar to hold a book signing event. One of the hurdles however, is getting copies of my book. I self-published through IngramSpark which makes my book available in paperback and Kindle format to retail stores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. As the author, I can order books at a much lower price than retail. However, IngramSpark’s European distributor is in the UK. Since Brexit, items sent from the UK into Portugal are subject to customs duties which can add up to 50 percent to the original cost! As I said, it’s all a steep learning curve! All I really want to do is to keep writing and have people enjoy reading my books.

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My novel, a mystery set in New Mexico, USA

Retiring in Portugal: myths and reality

A rainbow lands on a home in rural central Portugal. Sometimes moving to a different country is like chasing a rainbow.

Portugal has gained a lot of attention in recent years as a desirable spot to retire. It’s popular image is of a sunny land with lots of beaches, a laid-back lifestyle, low cost of living and friendly people. Portugal is all of those things. One popular misconception though, is that it is a Mediterranean country. Sorry to disappoint, but a look at a world map will quickly show you that Portugal’s western and southern coastlines are all on the Atlantic Ocean. The Mediterranean Sea essentially ends at the Straits of Gibraltar.

If you’re planning to retire in Portugal, it’s important to know that it can be chilly and damp in the winter. It’s not as cold as the UK or many parts of the US, but the dampness can sure leave you shivering. I’ve lived in central Portugal since July 2019 and each year the seasons have been slightly different. My first autumn and winter it rained almost every day from the beginning of November until just before Christmas, and most of the early spring. This year was quite the opposite. We had a relatively dry fall and no rain at all in January and February. The summer was hotter than the previous three summers. By August the country was in a severe drought situation and wildfires were breaking out everywhere.

A wildfire erupts in mid-August near the town of Tomar, central Portugal. There were numerous fires all over the country in July and August 2022 because of exceptionally dry weather.

Home prices

Along with Portugal’s rising popularity, some parts of the country have seen a steep increase in home prices. The Portugal News, an English language paper in Portugal, recently reported that Lisbon is the second most expensive city in southern Europe in which to buy a home. The article said Lisbon prices had overtaken those in Milan, Madrid and Barcelona.

However, housing prices in most of the country are substantially lower than the US and other western European countries as well as the UK and Ireland. A word of caution here; many homes in rural areas are in poor condition and need substantial investment to make them comfortable. Also, you need to be very careful when you buy that there are no additions to the home or outbuildings constructed without the proper planning permission. Illegal additions or outbuildings can cause costly paperwork headaches and delays when you sell the property.

Heating

Many houses in Portugal are built of stone, are poorly insulated and have no central heating system. A lot of people use a “Salamandra” for heating. This refers to a steel or iron wood burning stove, rather than a small reptile. Pellet burning stoves are also popular. In my experience, iron stoves are more expensive to buy, but provide much better warmth. Pellet burners are easier to use – no carrying logs, gathering kindling or messy cleanup. But the price of pellets has more than DOUBLED in recent months, from about 3.50 euros to about 8 euros for a 15 kg. bag (33 lb.)

Electric heaters are widely available, but electricity is relatively expensive in Portugal. Many people use heaters powered by butane which can be rolled from room to room. They are a quick source of heat but should not be left on overnight.

Dampness can mean mould and mildew. It’s important to ensure a flow of air. If it becomes too chilly to leave a window open, buy a dehumidifier. Your clothing will thank you. Putting on a shirt that smells of mildew is awful!

After all these comments, I have to say, I love living in Portugal. It is sunny, the cost of living is low and the people are SO nice!

Follow my blog to learn more about daily life in Portugal. And check out my novel, “The Power of Rain”, available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon.

The yellow and red lines follow Portugal’s coastline, all of it on the Atlantic Ocean, not the Mediterranean Sea.

Finding your future in Portugal

The red roofs in the center of Lisbon with the Castelo São Jorge on the hilltop above the city.

Portugal is getting a lot of attention as a desirable place to live, mostly for retirees but also a lot of people who can work remotely.

The headline of a Wall Street Journal article that ran in April this year claimed Americans were moving to Portugal “in droves.” According to the story, “Retirees are drawn by a low cost of living, healthcare, a sunny climate and tax incentives,”

The same month a New York Times travel story drew readers in with the headline “A Portugal of Pristine Beaches, Tiny Villages and Little Else.” The article sang the praises of beaches like Comporta in the Alentejo region a short distance south of Lisbon.

Early this year, Momondo‘s Work While Traveling Index ranked Portugal a top place for remote working, based on its climate, social life, relatively affordable cost of living and availability of visas for digital nomads, according to The Portugal News, an English language news source in Portugal. Momondo is a global travel search site that compares flights, hotels and car rental deals.

So, are lots of Americans really moving to Portugal. The answer is yes and no. According to SEF, the Portuguese Immigration and Border Service, the number of Americans who moved to Portugal in 2021 was up 45 percent over the previous year. But they are still a small percentage of the overall population of foreigners living in the country– at the end of 2021 there were about 7,000 Americans living in Portugal, according to a CNBC story about “Burned out millennials flocking to Portugal.” By comparison, SEF figures from June this year show there are nearly 700,000 Brazilians and nearly 42,000 British people living in Portugal, according to the blog site Portugal Resident.

Anecdotally, I am meeting a lot more Americans who have chosen to live in or around my nearby town of Tomar. It’s a charming small city of about 22,000 in the center of the country about 90 minutes by car from Lisbon. People I interviewed for an article in the online lifestyle magazine Portugal Living say they chose Tomar because of its size, its history – the town was a center for the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages – and the location relatively close to the coast, the university city of Coimbra and a direct rail link to Lisbon.

Me, I’ve been living here for a little more than three years and I moved here for all the above reasons, except to work remotely. I am just enjoying retirement and writing this blog!

Tomar castle and the associated Convento de Cristo, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Follow my blog to read more about daily life in Portugal. And don’t forget to order a copy of my book, “The Power of Rain”, available in Kindle or paperback from Amazon.

Want to move to Portugal, but don’t know where to go?

Colorful buildings line the Douro river in Porto and visitors can see the boats that traditionally carried port wine.

A lot of people are interested in moving to Portugal. At least that’s the way it looks when I scan the multiple Facebook groups I’ve joined because they are aimed at expats who are living in, or interested in, Portugal. There are more than a hundred such groups; catering to every possible taste. The question I see over and over, is “I’m planning to move to Portugal in XX many years, what’s the best place to go?”

This is the kind of question that drives those of us who have made the move, absolutely crazy. How can anyone else know where that person would like to live? It depends on so many things.

I have usually responded by advising the person that posted the question to look at their own lifestyle and ask themselves the following:

Are you used to living in a city or the country? Which do you prefer?
How much do you like to shop? Do you want to have a big choice of stores nearby or are you okay with small local stores and visiting shopping centers only now and again?
Do you eat out a lot? How important is it for you to have restaurants nearby?
Do you want to have a car? Or are you comfortable with using public transportation?
How often do you want to travel? Is it important for you to be near an airport?

These are just a few of the questions people who are “thinking” about moving to Portugal should ask themselves. Facebook groups such as Pure Portugal – Living the Good Life, Moving to Portugal, Expats in Portugal Q&A and many, many more, can provide much valuable information. People can pose questions and get answers from those who have already made the move and settled here. Internet research is invaluable, but a trip to the country is the best way to get a real feel for the place. You get to meet the people face-to-face, taste the food, see the landscape and the architecture.

Portugal is still quite a poor country by comparison with others in western European. Outside the bigger cities, the countryside is depopulated and many villages have a lot of houses that have been sitting empty for years. You can buy them cheaply, but they also take a lot of time and effort to renovate. Still, life in a Portuguese village can be very fulfilling. People are welcoming and willing to help you. Lunch in a small family-run restaurant will cost you as little as 10 euros for a three-course meal with wine and coffee. Cars and gasoline/diesel are expensive, but if you live in the country you will almost certainly need to drive. Most Portuguese roads are narrow and winding, but luckily there is little traffic. The highways are superb but you usually have to pay tolls.

Portuguese houses are usually made of stone. They keep out the heat in the summer but can be awfully cold and damp in the winter. The Alentejo and Algarve regions are the hottest in the summer and mildest in the winter. Areas in the far north and closer to the Spanish border are typically the coldest in the winter.

These are just a few thoughts I decided to share about life in Portugal. I moved here more than three years ago after extensive research and a two-month trip during which I did volunteer work and traveled around the country.

Follow my blog to learn more about life in Portugal! It’s almost olive-picking season!

Olives are almost ripe for the harvest in my part of central Portugal.

Portuguese health care options

The private Hospital Da Luz in Coimbra — Hospital Da Luz in Coimbra is one of the many private hospitals and clinics in Portugal.

Healthcare is a big concern for many people who move to Portugal. The country has a well developed national healthcare system, Serviço Nacional de Saúde (SNS), that is funded by taxes and can be used by all legal residents. They can seek care at little or no costs at the SNS network of health centers(Centro de Saude) in towns and villages all over the country or at public hospitals which are located in the larger towns and cities.

There is also a growing network of private facilities and providers, such as Hospital da Luz, CUF and HPA, available throughout Portugal to those who pay for medical insurance.

These public and private healthcare networks rank well overall. The World Health Organization gave Portugal a number 12 ranking in its 2019 World Health Report.

How does the public system work?

Americans and residents of countries outside the European Union who want to move to Portugal must obtain a D7 visa. In order to get the visa, they must show proof of travel insurance which covers medical costs. (Since January 2021, because of Brexit, people from the United Kingdom must also have a D7 visa to move to Portugal.)

In effect this means that residents of these countries must have private health coverage when they arrive in the country in expectation of a permanent stay.

D7 visa holders can apply to be covered by SNS once they have been granted a residency permit by the immigration and borders service, Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF).

Once a person has their residency permit, they can register to be covered by the SNS at their local health center to get the health system’s user number, or número de utente. They will have to show documentation such as passport, tax number (Número de Identificaçao Fiscal or NIF) number and residency permit.

After registering, in theory, you are assigned to a local primary care doctor and will be able to make appointments in person, by phone or online. There is a small fee for consultations and tests, usually less than 20 euros, services are free for those aged 65 years and older. In practice, the Covid 19 pandemic has put a severe strain on the system and many local health centers no longer have a doctor. So people have to travel further for routine appointments and care. Many hospitals are also experiencing staff shortages which have forced them to temporarily close certain departments or services during recent months.

A public hospital in Tomar, central Portugal. — Hospital Nossa Senhora da Graça in Tomar, a public hospital in the Medio Tejo region.

A sign for a local “Centro de Saúde” or health center and the associated pharmacy.

Private healthcare options

Numerous private health insurance options are available in Portugal through companies like Fidelidade, Allianz, Cigna and Medis. Plans cover most or all of the cost of routine check-ups and consultations with private specialists and hospital charges.

Coverage for pre-existing conditions is not typically available through these plans. However, the Association of Foreign Property Owners in Portugal (AFPOP) also offers its members special insurance rates through Medal Seguros. Under certain circumstances those plans will cover pre-existing conditions.

One thing to be aware of is that the cost of different plans increases with the age. In addition, there are very limited options for people over age 65. For those people, private insurance is available from MGEN, Medis (Vintage Plan) through Millennium bank, or Allianz-Medal, through membership in AFPOP.

For more detail on healthcare in Portugal and interviews with people who have moved here, read my article “Portuguese Health Care: Public and Private” on page 83 in the current issue of Portugal Living magazine.

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