Of course, it is not without reason that you are thinking about working in Portugal. In recent years, a great many Dutch people have come to live and work in Portugal. The country is of course beautiful. Who does not know the Portuguese Port wine that is made from delicious grapes? Or one of the beautiful large cities in the country such as Lisbon or Porto? You would think that most tourists go to the south of the country to visit the beautiful beaches, but nothing could be further from the truth. Many of the vacancies in Portugal are in the larger cities. Or of course you must want to work in the tourist sector. Then you are much better off in the south of Portugal. Are you going soon emigrate to Portugal or are you planning to get started there? Then read on quickly.
Do you also want to work in Portugal?
Have you also decided that you are going to work in Portugal and would you like some more information about this? Then we say: read on quickly and who knows, we might be able to help you a little on your way.
Why would you want to work in Portugal?
As you may have read before, Portugal is a beautiful country, so we understand it all too well when people say that they would like to live in Portugal. Living in Portugal has many advantages. The people are friendly, the Portuguese cuisine is delicious and the Portuguese language is of course super romantic. In a big city like Coimbra, for example, you can also enjoy the vibrant nightlife, so it will certainly not be boring when you go and live there.
Furthermore, the country has a wonderful Mediterranean climate and the sun shines there about 300 days a year. The country also has mild summers and it is nice to stay inland. The capital Lisbon is also very trendy among foreigners and you will encounter many young people who have migrated to Portugal. Because of the international airports you will be there in 'no time' and you can also enjoy life in Portugal.
Portugal and the European Union (EU)
For someone from one of the EU member states, it is easy to leave for Portugal. Visiting Lisbon or living there? You do not need a visa for this. You only need a valid ID card. Do you want to stay in Portugal for a longer period of time? Then this is also quite easy. In any case, you have the right to stay there for 3 months. But of course you want to live and work there, so we assume that this is for a period of longer than 3 months.
Do you need a work permit?
To work in Portugal as a Dutch citizen you do not need a work permit. All you need is a declaration of registration in the country.
How can you register?
First you need to register with the department 'junta de freguesia' at the municipality. You need to bring your deregistration certificate that you received in the Netherlands and you also need to show proof of your new address in Portugal. After these documents have been checked you will receive an 'atestado' or a certificate stating that you are living at your new address in Portugal.
The 'câmara municipal' in Portugal
The 'câmara municipal' is the town hall. Here you have to register yourself officially. You do this by showing your proof of deregistration in the Netherlands again, but you also have to hand over your 'atestado'. You also need your passport or ID card for this.
After payment you will receive the 'Certificado de Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia'. This is your temporary residence permit. After 5 years you can apply for a permanent official residence permit.
Are you going to work there for more than 3 months, but less than 12 months?
If you choose to work temporarily in Portugal, you can also apply for a temporary visa. You can do this for the duration of your contract and you can also extend it if necessary. But as explained earlier, you should not forget to register if you are going to work there for longer than 3 months.
How to find a job in Portugal?
To work in Portugal Of course you need a job first. But where do you actually find the latest vacancies?
Online
Applying for vacancies abroad is not something you do every day, so we understand that this can be a bit scary. Do you also want to work in Portugal, but do you still live in the Netherlands? Then the easiest way to find the best vacancies is online. There are plenty of Dutch companies that are established in Portugal and are looking for Dutch employees. Many of these companies also allow you to send an open application online. These are often the customer service departments of Dutch companies that are established throughout the country in Portugal and specialist knowledge is not necessarily required. The handy thing about working for these companies is that you do not have to be able to speak Portuguese.
Fun facts and tips
Did you know that the average salary in Portugal is a lot lower than in the Netherlands? Also, due to the somewhat tighter labor market, there are fewer jobs available. Do you happen to see an available vacancy online from a Dutch company? Then it is wise to respond very quickly with a letter of application or your CV, because at these companies you also have a greater chance of a higher salary. So respond quickly and who knows, you might be able to move next month!
A Portuguese bank account
When you emigrate and work in Portugal, you will of course want to have a Portuguese bank account. Do not forget to apply for this on time when you have found a job. It is true that you can use your Dutch bank account in countries within the EU, but when depositing salaries, it can happen that you receive them with delay and you do not want this.
What do you need to open an account?
To open an account in Portugal, it is very wise to take into account the opening hours of the banks in the country. Most Portuguese banks close around 3:00 PM.
To open an account you will need the following documents:
- Passport/ID card
- Your Portuguese NIF
- A proof of income
- Proof of your address
- A deposit. This varies per bank and the amount also varies.
The business culture in Portugal
In Portugal, people can still be very conservative in the workplace. After you have worked there for a while, you will quickly get used to it, but of course it takes some getting used to. The fact that the business community in Portugal is still quite conservative has mainly to do with the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has always had a huge influence on the business community in the country. Before you start planning your move, this is of course a subject that you should delve into thoroughly.
Hierarchy
In Portugal they still like hierarchy. This is of course the complete opposite of what we are used to in the Netherlands. We Dutch are used to being on the same level as our boss. Is there a meeting? Then everyone is usually there. Does the director have to make a decision? Then everyone gives his/her opinion. In Portugal, however, this is not the case at all. You will soon notice that someone's age or position is of great importance in a company. Does the director want to make a decision? Then your opinion is not really appreciated. You have to behave according to your level and everyone pays attention to this.
Be formal
At the same time, it is also very important to be formal. You address everyone by their last name unless of course it is indicated that this is not necessary. In terms of work clothing, they are also much more formal in Portugal. Ladies and gentlemen are always neatly and fairly conservatively dressed in the office. Are you going to work for a somewhat younger and hipper company? Then it is best to wait and see and adapt yourself. These companies are less conservative.
Average cost of living in Portugal
What your average costs will be not only depends on your own lifestyle, but also on where you are going to live in Portugal. Are you going to live in the south on the coast? Then this will of course be a lot cheaper than in one of the big cities or for example on an island like Madeira.
A small comparison with the Netherlands
We want to try to give you a small picture. If you choose a house in the center of Lisbon, you will pay around €600 for a 1-room apartment. In comparison with the Netherlands, you are already around €400 cheaper than if you were to rent the same house in the Netherlands.
Life is simply a lot cheaper in Portugal
It is also good to know that your groceries and eating out are a lot cheaper than in the Netherlands.
Your health insurance
In Portugal you can use the public health insurance, but you can also choose to take out private health insurance. When you start working in the country, your employer is legally obliged to register you for the 'Segurança Social'. This is the public health insurance fund of Portugal. After this, you and your employer will pay monthly premiums for your health insurance. If you need any care, it is often free or largely free. For example, for pensioners, 40%-100% of the medical costs are covered.
After you have registered with Segurança Social you will also receive an insurance card. In Portugal this is called the 'Cartāo de Utente'. You should always have this card with you when you go to the doctor or to the hospital for example. Upon presentation of this card your medical care will be free. After you have received your card you must also apply for a 'número utente' so that you will also be assigned a general practitioner.
Healthcare costs in Portugal
When you compare the monthly premium costs of your Portuguese insurance with your Dutch one, you will see that it is a lot cheaper. This is due to the fact that Portugal has a public health care system. In Portugal, they have even arranged it so that if you have no income or benefits, are retired or are long-term sick, you do not have to make any financial contribution to the monthly premium of your health insurance. This way, the very poorest or people in financial need also have easy access to medical care and no one is excluded.
When you compare this to the Netherlands, it is all a bit different, isn't it? Of course, the care in public hospitals in Portugal is a lot less luxurious than what we are used to in the Netherlands, but for a small amount per month you can also insure yourself privately. This way you can also use the new, luxurious and beautiful private clinics in Portugal.
Hiring an international moving company
When you move to Portugal, you will of course want to take your belongings with you. It is wise to look around for international moving companies in your region. These are moving companies that often have years of experience with moving abroad and they can help you best with this.
A big advantage of hiring a moving company is that they can not only pack and unpack your belongings, but the movers will of course also make sure that your belongings are neatly loaded into the moving van and then unload all your belongings at your new address in Portugal. In other words: they can make your move extra easy!
The cost of hiring a moving company
The costs of a move are very difficult to estimate without any background information. That is why it is so difficult to find an indication of this online. Many people find this rather strange, but if you know why this is the case, it is not strange at all. We are happy to explain it to you.
A move naturally has standard costs. Think of travel expenses, fuel costs or rental of the moving vans. You can try to make an estimate of these costs, but then you still don't know the total price. This is because other aspects and your wishes are also very important when calculating the total costs. How big is your household goods? Do you need extra movers? Or a larger moving van? Do you want to rent extra services such as a packing and unpacking service? Or perhaps a handyman? These things and services can make the price of your move a lot more expensive.
Request moving quotes
To know how much a move abroad will cost you, it is best to request moving quotes. Do this preferably with different companies in your area so that you can also compare the prices of different moving companies. When requesting quotes, it is important that you look carefully at the small print so that you know for sure that your request will be completely free and without obligation. Of course, you do not want to incur extra costs or be tied to something without knowing how and what.
Completely free and non-binding quotes from Moova
At Moova, we understand that you don't always have the time to look up these different moving companies in your area. And then you also have to provide all the information about your move every time! That's why we at Moova have come up with a solution for you. We understand that you're already busy enough during an already chaotic move.
At Moova you can easily, without obligation and free of charge request quotes from various moving companies. You do this by filling in our contact form after which your details will be sent to various moving companies in your region. This way you do not have to provide your details again every time and filling in the form is a maximum of 3 minutes work. After this, the companies will contact you and you can make a choice between these companies at your leisure and choose the company that best suits you and your move. How easy is that!?
Finally..
Are you someone who is currently thinking about moving to Portugal and working there? Or have you already made your decision? Then we hope that you have found the information in this article very useful. We have tried to explain everything to you as concisely and clearly as possible.
Take your time
Such a big step in your life is of course always scary and always raises the necessary questions. We can assure you that you are not the only one who finds such a big step scary. The only advice we can give you is that you should just follow your feelings and your heart. Many Dutch people have been there before you and it just worked out for them. Are you in Portugal for a while and do you still not like life? Then the Netherlands is not that far away and you can of course always fly back. Furthermore, this easy 'flying back and forth' also ensures that your friends and family from the Netherlands can always visit you, because they are there with a maximum of 3 hours flying time! So don't worry too much and make sure you give yourself enough time to get used to life in another country. The culture shock can be intense at first and you might panic, but it is extra important that you give yourself time so that you can enjoy all the new aspects and elements in your life in the new country Portugal. Give yourself time and everything will definitely work out fine!
Do you have any questions?
Do you have any other questions regarding your move to Portugal? Then you might also like to browse through our other articles in which we discuss other things about Portugal. Working in Portugal is of course not just about finding a job and registering with the municipality, but there is of course a lot more to it.
For example, do you want to buy a house there? Do you want to know what it is like to live there, how healthcare is organised or do you want to look at a list of the pros and cons of living in Portugal? Then we definitely recommend that you read the other articles on our website.
