pros, cons and job prospects
We at hitch allow full remote work – the team has specialists who work from Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Lithuania. And another employee moved to Portugal two years ago and now decided to write about how she lives on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Alas, we will have to publish this text anonymously, since working for a Russian IT company = providing IT services = sanctions.
Moving to Portugal and legalization
Before we move on to the pros and cons of relocation, I’ll tell you about how we ended up here. “We” is me, my husband and the cat. In 2022, the company where my husband works decided to move the business and employees to Europe to avoid sanctions and problems with international payments. In just a week, everyone was taken to Armenia, and then to Portugal. The main office was opened in Lisbon.
The first issue we had to solve was legalization. We did not issue work visas; it is much more difficult and longer than obtaining a residence permit. My husband applied for a residence permit just on the basis of employment.
To do this you need:
international passport and entry document (ticket or stamp in the passport),
an employment contract concluded for at least a year and a salary of at least 1800 euros,
permission from the IEFP (received by the employer),
a certificate of good conduct (obtained at the Russian Consulate in Lisbon, easy to obtain through accredited translators),
confirmation of qualifications specified in the employment contract,
get a tax number (NIF) and a social security number (NISS) – everything is opened without problems,
obtaining proof of residence in Portugal (a rental agreement will do).
All papers must be certified by a notary and translated into Portuguese.
Interesting fact
One of the main national holidays in Portugal is “Freedom Day” (Dia da Liberdade). The holiday is dedicated to the liberation from the tyranny and bloody regime of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. The dictator ruled for 36 years and brought the country to a serious crisis, wars, repression and famine. His overthrow occurred during a peaceful coup – this event was later called the “Orange Revolution” (April 25, 1974).On this holiday every year there are parades, ceremonial laying of flowers at the monuments of the heroes of the revolution, political speeches, and music festivals. Many Portuguese wear red carnations as a sign of solidarity with the revolution. Dia da Liberdade has become a symbol of freedom, democracy and solidarity.
Pros: why Portugal is ideal for IT remote workers
Legalization
Portugal issues residence permits under different programs – for digital nomads, for investments or purchase of real estate (you will have to pay from 250,000 euros), residence permits for a start-up project, business owners (individual entrepreneurs will do), for family reunification, residence permits for the financially independent (required passive income from 820 € per month).
The main thing is that you can count on 100% obtaining a residence permit, and then obtaining citizenship. True, the documents take a long time to complete – my husband waited a whole year for a residence permit (instead of the promised three months)! But during this year we were protected by law – no one could kick us out, despite our expired tourist visa. We rented out our housing without any problems, opened accounts and everything else. The only limitation is that while you are waiting for a residence permit, you cannot travel outside of Portugal.
If for some reason you receive a refusal, and you are sure that there are no grounds for this, feel free to file a lawsuit, this is a common practice here. If in the end everything is ok with the documents, you will be given a residence permit in any case. This, in my opinion, is a huge plus. In Georgia, for example, Russians are massively and unreasonably denied a residence permit and nothing can be done about it.
No problems with renting housing
Many relocants who moved to Europe encountered difficulties in finding housing. For example, in the Netherlands and large cities in Germany you have to stand in line for viewing and hope that the landlord will choose you from dozens of other applicants. Even though Portugal is small, there is no shortage of apartments.
We rented our three-room apartment (100 square meters) in one of the central areas of Lisbon for 1,600 euros – this is, of course, expensive compared to Russia, but quite adequate by European standards. To conclude the agreement, we provided passports, NIF, an employment contract (it will be a plus if a large salary is indicated), and tax extracts. Sometimes they may be asked to pay a deposit for 2-6 months of stay.
In Lisbon there is housing for every budget, so relocants first come here and then settle in other cities. Someone goes north to Porto – it’s incredibly beautiful there and you can find cheaper accommodation. The wealthiest move to the south, where life is significantly more expensive.
Apartments are usually rented for a long term (up to 3 years) and are unfurnished – there is only a kitchen and a toilet. We bought additional furniture from IKEA. The cat moved with us, this did not become a problem when looking for housing, there is a pet-friendly mentality here. Our landlord had to coordinate the new tenants with all the residents of the house. To do this, he asked for our photos, as well as photos of the cat and his description.
Cost of living
Portugal is considered one of the cheapest countries in Europe. There are affordable prices for food, public transport, medicine, taxis and restaurants. Therefore, European and American retirees often move to Portugal.
Medical insurance – from 700 to 1300 euros/year
Utilities: summer – 140 euros, winter – 250 euros
For clarity, I decided to compare prices in the local Auchan with prices in the Russian Auchan. I immediately converted everything into rubles.
Interesting fact
In 1976, a terrible famine began in Portugal. Local residents massively purchased canned sardines – it was one of the few products available. In Lisbon, the old canned goods stores are still in business. For example, the store O Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa sells only canned sardines and nothing more. For foreigners this is a popular souvenir, and for locals it is a historical memory.
Digitalization
Relocants often criticize European services – they say, it’s inconvenient, there is no usual Ozon, State Services and beautiful banking applications. In Portugal, I did not find such problems: there are applications for taxis, food/clothing/equipment delivery. Instead of Wildberries/Ozon, they use Amazon – sometimes goods are delivered right on the day of order. Banking applications are quite normal, even more convenient than in Armenia.
True, with the digitalization of public services, not everything is as good as in Russia. Each organization has its own services, which are often not the most convenient. And their own rules for the provision of services – some still send documents by mail.
Safety
Portugal ranks seventh in terms of security in the 2023 global ranking of peaceful countries. There is a low crime rate here, no one worries about someone snatching their phone or getting into their bag in tourist areas. It’s not scary to walk alone in uncrowded places in the evening.
For the first 3 months I did not see police officers patrolling the streets. I only noticed passing police cars. I even got the impression that there was no one in them and they were only here to create an appearance. But later I still met quite friendly representatives of law enforcement agencies.
Climate, nature, ecology, general comfort
The climate here is wonderful, with an average of 300 sunny days a year – after St. Petersburg and Moscow, it’s a fairy tale. And the quality of food is also excellent: lots of fresh seafood, meat, fruits and herbs all year round. I don't think I've ever eaten so well. Perhaps this is why the Portuguese are a very slim nation; I have practically never met overweight people.
Lisbon has developed public transport – there are metro, trams, buses and ferry. You need to buy a travel card for a year and top it up with any amount as needed.
1 trip by metro/bus/tram – 1.61 euros
taxi costs 6 euros for 15 minutes (economy), comfort – 9 euros
Interesting fact
In large cities such as Lisbon, Porto, Cascais, everyone speaks English, but in small towns and villages problems may arise. If you plan to obtain citizenship, you will still have to learn Portuguese. And it is one of the most difficult European languages. All because of grammar, phonetics, stress rules, conjugations and declensions.
Recreation and entertainment
Portugal is a small country; only half a million people live in Lisbon. For some, this may be a significant disadvantage. But despite its size, there is all the usual entertainment here: from museums and theaters to vibrant festivals and concerts.
For example, there is the luxurious Teatro Nacional de São Carlos for true opera lovers. For rock fans, Rock in Rio Lisboa is held in Lisbon – this large-scale festival has become an offshoot of the original Rock in Rio festival, which originated in Rio de Janeiro.
Cons: why Portugal is not for everyone
You will have to refuse to work in the Russian Federation or look for loopholes
Many come here to work remotely for Russian companies. As I already wrote above, writing code for a Russian company = providing IT services = circumventing sanctions. It’s unlikely that you will be able to withdraw rubles; it’s difficult here and all loopholes like KoronaPay are regularly closed. Therefore, I simply do not advise taking risks and getting nervous again.
Either look for work for European/American/Emirati companies (there will be no problems with a Portuguese residence permit), or ask the employer to transfer you to a foreign legal entity and pay your salary in foreign currency. After 2022, many companies have such legal entities.
Mentality
The Portuguese live as if they have an eternity ahead of them. Why rush somewhere and play the game of achievement if you already live under the warm sun in an evergreen country by the ocean. Local residents are not obligatory, they are late, they do everything slowly – in general, they are southerners. They can close a cafe or store at any time and simply go about their business. Therefore, it is quite difficult to open your own business here.
You have to get used to the fact that during the daytime from 15:00 to 19:00 almost all cafes close and reopen only for dinner. On weekends, non-chain stores and pharmacies are also often closed. There are 24-hour pharmacies and shops, but they are few. August is considered a holiday month, so many establishments are closed or open several hours a day.
In Lisbon, someone is on strike all the time, there is even a strike schedule. Nurses, public transport drivers and teachers are on strike, demanding improved working conditions and wages. And this is understandable – the minimum wage is around 800 euros per month, and housing costs much more. At the same time, I have never seen strikers on the streets. They are featured in the news and sometimes residents may experience side effects from strikes in the form of transport delays and slower service.
Interesting fact
Local residents are very friendly towards Russian relocants. And in Lisbon there is a fairly large Russian-speaking community, so you won’t feel lonely.
Nuances with housing
There is no central heating in Portugal; they rely on air conditioning. New homes may have heated floors, and some cities in the north of the country have gas heating. But it turns out to be more expensive than electricity, so residents themselves often turn it off in favor of air conditioners and electric heaters. When we were preparing for the first winter, I told my husband: “It can’t be warm in winter in a city where stores sell electric blankets and someone buys them.”
And so it happened. In winter, the season of rains and winds begins, the temperature during the day drops to 15 degrees, and the humidity rises to 95%. It takes some getting used to. We bought a radiator, but that didn't help much either. We are used to the fact that in Russia you can wear shorts in your apartment in winter, but here it’s cold even with a heater. At home I wore woolen clothes, and at night I warmed myself with blankets. Things wouldn't dry and the bed linen was damp, so we bought an electric dehumidifier and placed dehumidifiers in the closets.
Of course, it would be possible to install an electric stove in each room, but it would cost a pretty penny. Therefore, on cold days we “heated” with air conditioning and a heater. And this is in Lisbon, where it is quite warm – in Porto everything is much worse, the weather is colder and the humidity can reach 100% due to its proximity to the ocean.
Another disadvantage is housing prices. The cost per square meter in Lisbon starts from 2,000 euros in the most unattractive areas of the city. True, Portugal has excellent mortgage conditions – 4-5% per annum depending on the bank, a mortgage loan covers up to 85% of the cost of housing.
Interesting fact
There are a lot of dogs here, but for some reason it is not customary to clean up after them. The Portuguese were able to overcome the problem of bulls on the street with the help of huge fines, but the problem of fecal mines at every step has not yet been solved.
Taxes
Portugal has a progressive tax scale – the more you get, the more you pay. It is calculated based on annual income. The system is not the most convenient and simple, you just need to get used to it or hire a tax consultant – this is what many do.
In general, there are a lot of taxes in the country – for a brokerage account, for renting out real estate. There are also tax deductions – when purchasing, you name your NIF (as an INN) and at the end of the year you can return part of the money for the product, this happens automatically.
Of course, for a Russian person these taxes look terrible. We are used to hearing about 13% personal income tax and forget about the hidden taxes that our employer pays: contributions to the Pension Fund, the Mandatory Medical Insurance Fund, the Social Insurance Fund – this is about 30% on top. It turns out that Portuguese taxes are sometimes even lower than Russian ones and definitely lower than taxes in some European countries.
Salary and employment
Portugal is an excellent option for those who work remotely for foreign companies. But I wouldn’t move here with the thought: “Here I’ll find a job and get rich.” Countsthat here are some of the lowest salaries in Europe. Most of the vacancies are for “gray” and “blue” collar workers: waiters, loaders, builders. The average salary of service sector workers is only 800€; this money can hardly be used to rent housing.
The average salary of highly qualified specialists (including IT specialists) is 3,500 €, which is also not the most money for Europe. If you have a residence permit, you can live in Portugal and work remotely for any other country – most IT specialists do this. To do this, you will have to open an individual entrepreneur, here it is not at all difficult.
Well, at hitch we are preparing a study on how the salary expectations of specialists have changed from quarter to quarter this year. So as not to miss, subscribe to our telegram channel! Inside are delicious vacancies, the most important IT news and analytics. And also a bot that will help you find out how much that same senior who always does nothing earns.
