Well, it finally happened. Donald Trump is now officially back in office as the 47th president of the United States. For some Americans, this might be an exciting time, but for others, this is a very upsetting time – and it may be a time for them to reevaluate everything and even move to a new country. We at Portugal.com are a team of Americans and Portuguese who are ready to help you find the peace of mind that you just can’t seem to find in America these days. Read on as we make the case for why Americans should start applying for residency in Portugal as soon as possible.
Peace of Mind with Your Medical Care
You may have heard of Luigi Mangione and his defiant act against the US medical system. While you may not and should not condone an act of violence, the message is clear. There are deep and divisive issues regarding how Americans are treated under the current private medical health care system. Even if you work full-time for a Fortune 500 corporation, you may still expected to pay exorbitant monthly amounts for health insurance that ultimately may not cover the care that you need, leaving you with a huge, unexpected bills to pay. The truth is: you shouldn’t have to be 65+ or living in poverty to get access to free health care. Portugal is one of many countries around the world that will treat you for free or for a minimal fee.
Earlier this year, we wrote an article outlining the costs of private medical care in Portugal and our personal review of care received thus far. Although it’s not perfect (what system is?), Portugal’s medical staff are highly trained, empathetic, and generally speak English well at hospitals in major cities. The private medical system in Portugal stresses preventative care and provides convenient ways to book appointments through mobile apps. Private insurance premiums are affordable and surgeries require payments of €500-€1000, depending on the deductible.
Portugal also has a public health care system that is completely free, although you will have to wait longer for routine procedures and many often wait hours for emergency care (again, not perfect but it exists). For complicated surgeries, doctors in the public health care system are said to be even better.
There are also several physical therapy clinics throughout the country along with psychologists, dentists, dermatologists, etc. Portugal can often solve your problem without requiring you to wait in a hospital through this avenue of care.
Portugal Is Safe
According to TheTrace.org, as of 2022, there are an estimated 378 million guns left in circulation in the USA. As of December 2024, according to the US Census Bureau, the population of the United States is an estimated 337,569,639 Let that sink in. There is at least one gun for every person including children. In comparison, according to Safe Communities Portugal, there an estimated 1.5 million legal weapons in Portugal and 80% of these are carbines and shotguns owned by hunters who are only licensed to use them when hunting. The total population in Portugal in 2024 was estimated to be 10.6 million people.
In 2024, Portugal ranked seventh on the Global Peace Index out of 163 independent states and territories, falling one place compared to 2024. It is the 5th most peaceful European nation after Iceland, Ireland, Austria, and Switzerland. Where did the US rank? 132, right below Brazil and one ranking above Iran. Being considered peaceful isn’t only about avoiding conflict with your neighbors, it’s also about your reputation as a peaceful nation and one that avoids having enemies. The Portuguese passport will grant you access to 190 countries visa-free, ranked as the 4th best passport in the world according to Henley and Partners. The US passport, by comparison, is ranked 8th and can only get you into 186 countries visa free.
Wouldn’t you like to live in a peaceful country where you are much less statistically likely to encounter someone with a firearm? School shootings in Portugal are also extremely rare. One occurred was in January 2018 when the father of a child at a primary school was arrested after shooting his father-in-law on the school playground over a custody battle. Another occurred, with one 16-year-old was shot in November 2021 in Loures due to a dispute between musical band members. The victim was not a member of the school. By comparison, there have been 954 shooting incidents in the US from 2018-2023 and a total of 676 people injured during that same period. This equates to a school shooting in a K-12 institution every 2.29 days. Do you really want to play with statistical fire in the US and have to worry about your child being involved in a dangerous incident at school or even need to go through a shooter drill? Children shouldn’t have to think about such things. It’s a crime in itself that the US has created an environment in which they do.
Portugal Universities Are Affordable and Improving Year on Year
We’re sure that you’re aware of rising tuition costs in the United States. Asking a middle class family to pay for a United States tuition these days is going to set them back for decades on loan payments. God forbid you have two children in school at the same time. Yes, there are scholarships that can be applied for and you can pray that your children do well on tests or get a sports scholarship, but, in reality, college in the US has become incredibly unaffordable, especially if a student wants the true college experience.
Earlier this year, we published an article comparing the cost of two brothers going to university in the US vs. going to university in Portugal. Guess which one was cheaper and resulted in citizenship in a second country and fluency in a second language by the end? You guessed it – Portugal. I can speak from experience when I say that staying in a typical English-only environment in the US is going to result in your American child continuing to only know one language (dramatically limiting his job opportunities compared to his bilingual peers) – let alone the lack of cultural opportunities at your doorstep in Europe.
In 2022, six Portuguese universities ranked in the top 1000 of the world, and six of Portugal’s business schools ranked in the top 100 best in Europe for the first time in 2024. Sending your children to a Portuguese University is a viable alternative to US Universities in terms of affordability, safety, and cost-benefit analysis. Portugal’s facilities may not be as modern as their US counterparts, but the education is still competitive compared to the rest of the world.
So How Do You Move to Portugal?
Now that we’ve introduced Portugal in terms of welfare and education, we would like to explain how you can actually move to the country.
Portugal offers four main routes to establish residency in the country: the Golden Visa, the D7 Visa, the D8 Visa, and the D2 Visa.
The Golden Visa
Portugal has one of the most attractive Golden visas in the world. It allows non-EU citizens to get a long-term residency permit, and eventually citizenship. However, you do not need to live in Portugal to be eligible for this visa. All you need to do is to stay in the country for at least 7 days in the first year and 14 days in the subsequent years. This visa allows for family reunification where your family members are granted the same residency rights as you.
So, what type of investments can you make to still be eligible for a Portugal Golden Visa? There are 4 types of investments!
1. Investment Fund
- You can spend a minimum of a €500,000 subscription in a qualifying Portuguese investment fund.
- These are known as “fundos de capital de risco” and are investment funds that support Portuguese businesses.
- The minimum amount used to be €350,000, but it has changed to €500,000 at the beginning of 2022.
2. Capital Transfer
- This is the most expensive option, a €1.5 million capital transfer.
- You must show proof of bank transfer deposits to Portugal from a foreign account that adds up to this amount.
- The minimum amount used to be €1 million, but it has been increased to €1.5 million at the beginning of 2022.
3. Job Creation
- Another investment option is creating jobs in Portugal. There are two options in this category:
- Create a minimum of ten new full-time jobs in a Portuguese business that you own.
- Or invest a minimum of €500,000 in an already existing Portuguese business and create a minimum of five new full-time jobs in that business within three years.
4. Donation
- You can also make a donation in Portugal. There are two options in this category:
- Invest a minimum of €250,000 in preserving art or national heritage in Portugal.
- Or invest a minimum of €500,000 in a research and development activity in Portugal.
Portugal D7 Visa vs. the Portugal Golden Visa
Wondering what the main differences are between the Portugal D7 Visa and the Golden Visa? The main difference is that the Golden Visa requires an investment of at least €350,000, while a D7 Visa requires zero investment. The application process for a D7 Visa is also much shorter as it only takes 3 to 4 months to obtain a visa, while with the Golden Visa this can take up to a year. However, with the Golden Visa, you only need to stay in Portugal for around one week, while with the D7 Visa you need to stay at least 6 months of a whole year. The D7 Visa does require proof of passive income, while the Portugal Golden Visa does not. The Golden Visa is more expensive not only in investment but because the professional service fees such as paying lawyers can cost more than €30,000, while the cost for a D7 Visa is less than €5,000.
Portugal D7 Visa
The D7 Visa is also known as the Retirement or Passive Income Visa but is also suitable for remote workers and digital nomads. The Portugal D7 Visa was introduced in 2007 and requires no investment. This visa is for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who want residence in Portugal and have a reasonable passive income. This income can come from real estate, a retirement pension, a salary, etc.
The minimum passive income required is €9,840 per year for the main applicant. For a spouse, you must add 50% to this (€4,920) and for a dependent child, you must add 30% to this (€2,952). Therefore, for a couple with one child, you would need around €17,712 a year to be eligible for the D7 Visa.
For this visa, you must spend at least 16 months in Portugal during the first 2 years. Along with a clean criminal record, when applying you need to show that you have proof of address in Portugal (rental or purchase). This visa allows for family reunification where your family members are granted the same residency rights as you.
Portugal D7 Visa vs Portugal Golden Visa
Wondering what the main differences are between the Portugal D7 Visa and the Golden Visa? The main difference is that the Golden Visa requires an investment of at least €350,000, while a D7 Visa requires zero investment. The application process for a D7 Visa is also much shorter as it only takes 3 to 4 months to obtain a visa, while with the Golden Visa this can take up to a year. However, with the Golden Visa, you only need to stay in Portugal for around one week, while with the D7 Visa you need to stay at least 6 months of a whole year. The D7 Visa does require proof of passive income, while the Portugal Golden Visa does not. The Golden Visa is more expensive not only in investment but because the professional service fees such as paying lawyers can cost more than €30,000, while the cost for a D7 Visa is less than €5,000.
These two visas also share some essential similarities. They both contain family reunification where your family members are granted the same residency rights as you. Both visas also pave the way for permanent residency after 5 years and citizenship after 6 years. Moreover, they both make you eligible for the non-habitual tax regime, an attractive fiscal regime.
Portugal D2 Visa
The Portugal D2 Visa is not as well known as the Portugal D7 Visa and the Portugal Golden Visa, but it could be the right path to take if you are an entrepreneur, freelancer, or independent service provider from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland looking to reside in Portugal. You might be eligible for a D2 Visa if you want to start a business or startup in Portugal, transfer your existing one to Portugal, as well as invest in a business in Portugal. This visa caters to small and medium-sized businesses to raise foreign investment to develop the Portuguese economy. To apply, you must put together a viable business plan that will be evaluated in terms of its economic, technological, and cultural impact. You can set up any business, from a restaurant to a tech startup.
In terms of cost, the D2 Visa would sit right in the middle between the D7 Visa and the Golden Visa. While with the Golden Visa you need at least a €350,000 investment and with the D7 Visa all you need is proof of passive income, the D2 Visa requires you to prove that your business is viable. You must invest in the company’s share capital, which immigration firms advise should be at least €50,000. In truth, the more you invest, the more likely you might be to get your visa. You must also show that you have the financial ability to sustain yourself while living in Portugal.
This visa allows for family reunification where your family members are granted the same residency rights as you. Like the D7 Visa and Golden Visa, you can apply for a permanent resident after 5 years and citizenship after 6 years. To be eligible for permanent residence, you must spend at least 6 consecutive months in Portugal within those 5 years.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling stressed, uncertain, and disappointed with the direction that the United States is taking, it may finally be time to consider moving to another country. We think that Portugal is a fantastic choice for your first (or next) country to try after leaving the United States.
Before you begin the visa process, however, it is important to consider your current finances and decide whether you can afford to make the move. You shouldn’t move to any new country without the financial means to support yourself. Many visas, such as the D7, does not allow you to work for a Portuguese employer in Portugal, so you will need to earn money from a foreign employer or passive income. You should also be prepared to assimilate into Portugal, understand the Portuguese culture, and learn the language. With the proper paperwork and financial support, Portugal is here to welcome you, but you will also need the right mindset to start the residency process.
