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Moving to Portugal
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By Pedro Rodriguez
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Moving to Portugal
much has been written about this subject already. So why do Ispend my time and write another one? Well, one of the reasons Ihave in doing so, is that I do know Portugal well and feel thatI can write with some authority on this very subject.
One other reason I have, is that by reading what has been saidand written about moving to Portugal does not reflect the wholespectrum.
There are two different and principle issues concerning thistopic. A. moving to Portugal for retirement, and B. moving toPortugal whilst still in need of employment and the need to makea living.
Too much emphasis in the articles I have read is put on the sun,the beaches and the wonderful life in a country where the paceof life is slower, the environment healthier and life in generalis wonderful and easy. Well you may not like what I have to say,but I believe that such views are slightly removed from reality.
Let me tell you, that I am an extremely optimistic person and tolook at life in a pessimistic way is not part of my make up butI very much dislike that people who are seriously thinking aboutmoving to Portugal are getting sold only half the story.
I have a sneaky suspicion, that some of the authors have had avery personal and vested interest in painting a very colourfuland glowing picture.
Let my get more specific about it all and cover the retirementangle first.
To retire in a country with better climate and hopefully with alower cost of living is a positive step which more and morepeople take. After a lifetime of work and with a pension tosecure this new chapter in their life's there are very littlerisks in moving away from your home country. After all Portugalis less than 3 hours away. Faro International airport hasexcellent connections to the UK in particular, with manyoperators offering low cost fairs.
The vast majority of retired couples will keep their home intheir respective country and spend a few months at a time in thesun, returning to their home country whenever they feel like.Others do live abroad all year round. Both these groups have onething in common. A regular income.
With a secure and steady form of income from whatever source,you truly can enjoy the country, its people, the sun, and thebeaches, the food, in short a great way of life. That'swonderful. You deserve it.
Now let me turn to the second group of people who are looking tomove to Portugal but are in need of a job and income.
I have met and spoken over the past 20 years with many clientsand given my views and advice on moving to a different country.I have also met and spoken to many people after they have movedand heard their stories and learned of their problems.
In almost every case where problems developed, it was due tothe fact that they relied on information they were given and nottaken the precaution to double check, if what they have beentold was indeed correct.
Coming to Portugal today, believing that it will not be aproblem finding well paid employment can not be further from thetruth. It will be tough and that is the reality. I have seenmany foreigners come and go, not being able to make ends meet.Not speaking the language does not help and will always be amajor obstacle which is not easy to overcome.
If one would like to have a serious desire to succeed in workingin Portugal, or even starting a business here the language ispriority.
Not speaking the language will narrow your opportunities, andyou will be restricted to working within your own ex patcommunity. Another reason I have identified over the years beingresponsible for failure and early return to the country theyleft with so much hope and expectations was the inability toadapt to a very different way of life. If children are involvedin a move abroad, and depending on their ages, the educationissues can add additional pressure. Not everyone has the moneyto pay for the education in private schools of their ownnationality. Many parents have to send their kids to Portugueseschools which can prove difficult for the children. But thatreally depends on their ages. The younger they are the better itis, and the less problems parents will encounter.
So when we are talking about younger people coming to live inPortugal, the key issue is without any doubt whatsoeverfinancial stability and the capacity to earn money in a newcountry. An amazing amount of people underestimating thedifferences in the way things work in Portugal. Even people withgood skills in their respective professions need to learn how toapply their skills within a new, and at the beginning strangeenvironment.
Starting a business in the sun is the dream of many, butunfortunately quite often not enough time is spend on research,evaluating potential markets and opportunities. I don't like tosay it, but the dream of buying a bar or restaurant is mostlyshort lived. Very few foreigners, having bought a bar orrestaurant earn enough money to keep a family. I deliberatelysaid foreigners. The Portuguese bars and restaurants aredifferent and a foreigner will in most cases not be able tocompete. When I decided to write this article, I promised myselfto be honest and to portray things as they really are.
Please don't misunderstand I am not saying that you can't earnmoney in Portugal. What I say is this: Don't repeat the mistakescountless others have made before you. Take advice fromqualified sources and act upon that advice. Portugal in mybelief has a lot of opportunities to offer if you can see themand know how to exploit them and make them work for you.
If you come with the attitude to do your "thing" in the same wayyou have always done it you have a great chance of "not makingit". Don't let that happen.
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