Expat blog about Portugal
Practical reading for people settling in Portugal: where to live, what things cost, how procedures really work. Page 2 of 3.
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Health insurance requirements in Portugal: what is mandatory, when, for whom
Health cover in Portugal by stage: travel insurance with repatriation for any national visa, SNS registration once the residence permit exists, insurance as a permit condition for students and golden-visa investors, S1 and EHIC for Europeans, user fees since 2022, and when a private plan pays.
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Portugal's cost of living compared with Europe: the official numbers
Eurostat's 2024 price levels (Portugal 85,0, EU 100) by country and by category, INE's median sale prices and rents for Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and the country, inflation at 3,3 % in August 2026, and the salaries to set against them: a cost-of-living comparison built on official statistics.
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Tolls in Portugal: how electronic tolls work, how to pay, which roads are free
Toll plazas, Via Verde and electronic-only gantries: how tolls are paid in Portugal in 2026 — within 15 working days at CTT for Portuguese plates (DL 84-C/2022), EASYToll or TOLLCard for foreign plates — the motorways freed by Lei 37/2024 from 1 January 2025, and the fines of Lei 25/2006.
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Average salaries in Portugal in 2026: the official figures and what they mean
INE's payroll-based averages for Portugal: 1 835 € gross total remuneration per month in Q2 2026 (base 1 342 €), 1 694 € over 2025, +3,2 % in real terms; minimum wage 920 € in 2026; unemployment 5,3 %; 11 % Social Security and IRS withholding; how to read a job offer.
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Portuguese language certification: the levels, the exams and which one you need
The CEFR levels A1–C2 and the Portuguese exams that certify them: ACESSO (A1, 60 €), CIPLE (A2, 95 €, pass mark 55 %) — the proof of Portuguese for nationality and the permanent permit — DEPLE, DIPLE, DAPLE, DUPLE, and the free PLA courses that certify A2 and B2. Which level is needed for what.
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What it costs to build a house in Portugal in 2026: the official numbers
The official numbers behind building a house in Portugal in 2026: INE's cost index (+6,8 % in a year, labour +7,3 %), the 570 €/m² value fixed by Portaria 471/2025/1, median sale prices by region, IMT and stamp duty on the land, municipal fees, IMI — and how to read a builder's quote.
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Building permits in Portugal: licence, prior communication or nothing at all
Which works in Portugal need a municipal licence, which run on a prior communication, and which need nothing: the RJUE after the 2024 Simplex reform, the 120/150/200-day deadlines with tacit approval, the end of the licence to use, municipal fees and the fines for building without papers.
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Inheritance law in Portugal for expats: forced heirs, wills, 10 % stamp duty
Forced heirs and reserved shares under the Civil Code, the choice of national law allowed by EU Regulation 650/2012, public and closed wills, the 10 % stamp duty on assets in Portugal with the exemption for spouse, descendants and ascendants, the three-month declaration and the steps after a death.
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Getting married in Portugal: the process, the documents and what it costs
Marrying in Portugal in 2026: the preliminary process at any civil registry (or online), the documents a foreigner needs, the IRN prices (120 €; 200 € outside the registry; prenuptial agreement 100/160 €), six months to celebrate, the default property regime and the EU choice-of-law rule.
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Renewing your residence permit in Portugal in 2026
Since July 2025 residence permits are renewed on AIMA's online portal: apply up to 30 days before expiry, pay 133 € + 114,30 € (85,80 € online), keep the 180-day receipt. What AIMA checks, the documents, and what changed on 15 October 2025 and with the September 2026 reform.
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Exchanging a foreign driving licence in Portugal: the IMT rules by country
How IMT treats a foreign driving licence in 2026: EU/EEA licences valid until expiry (register within 60 days); OECD and CPLP licences (UK, USA, Canada, Brazil, Japan…) accepted after residence under DL 46/2022; other countries with 90-day and two-year deadlines or tests. Documents, fee, steps.
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The expression of interest is over: what replaced it in 2026
The manifestação de interesse was repealed by Decreto-Lei n.º 37-A/2024; Lei n.º 61/2025 set 31 December 2025 as the last day for pending regularisations and abolished the job-seeker visa. The routes that replace it in 2026: work visa, qualified job-seeker visa, CPLP, D2, D7/D8, family.
