PORTUGAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM

Portugal is famous for migrating expats due to its mild environment, tasty food, and high-quality services. Foreign-born people comprise just over 662,000 of the population or about 6.5%. Most foreigners live in larger cities like Lisbon, Faro, Setubal, and Porto. Brazil, a former Portuguese territory, has the most expats. There are also numerous Chinese and Europeans, mainly from the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and France. The Portuguese immigration system is comparable to several other EU member countries. EU nationals have free mobility, and Portugal is a member of the Schengen Zone. On the other hand, non-EU nationals can move to Portugal to work, study, join family, or retire if they meet certain criteria.

A Golden Visa scheme also tries to attract wealthy international investors to the country. According to its UN migratory governance profile, Portugal provides strong access to residence, welfare, and education services. However, it falls short in several areas, such as political rights. Foreign residents, for example, are not allowed to vote in local elections. The Portuguese Immigration and Borders Service (SEF – Service de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) oversees immigration in Portugal.