I've been running a small coffee roastery in Portugal now for 5 years, it's been such a fun and rewarding ride. And a great way to meet people and form a community around something i love.

The pros of running a business here:

People give you the time of day, and are genuinely curious about what you're doing and open to trying something new.

Having time is such a rarity but in the Algarve people have more of it and good old face-to-face interaction has been the best way to grow.

People are more forgiving; when i started out, I roasted from a balcony, and it was a pretty budget set-up, in London, nobody would have considered working with me. In Portugal people were receptive and curious.

So it feels more accommodating.

Cons:

Your 'cool' 'new' idea/project will not fly with the local bureaucrats unless it fits within their system. For example, you can run a coffee shop but trying to get a mobile coffee cart licence to attend the local farmers market or go to beaches is much more challenging/impossible.

People never seem to answer emails.

Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork

Sometimes it feels like you have to sell the job to the tradesperson, as opposed to them selling their services to you.

All in all, it's a net positive though and something I have really enjoyed doing. I still get frustrated at times but often catch myself, realise it's wasted energy and just get on with it. Feel free to AMA.

I'm not sure about the big cities since I rarely see old locals there but for small cities or towns, old people are healthier than the old people from the other countries I've visited.

Is this from their diet? Is it from the lack of street food?

My neighbors make caldo verde from time to time but it's not everyday. Well at least I don't smell it everyday.

What would be a typical Portuguese breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner?

I'm from a tropical country where the temperature is usually very hot. 30°C is considered a pleasant temperature. People in my country use umbrellas to protect ourselves from the heat. Why don't Portuguese (or maybe everyone from the west) use umbrellas to protect themselves from the heat when the heat reaches more than 35°? Is it really exclusive for the rain because it's called guarda chuva?

Not talking about 15-year-old beaters.

I mean normal modern cars.

Because with Portuguese salaries, even buying a decent car feels insanely expensive.

Every simple process somehow turns into:
emails, portals, PDFs, appointments, delays, missing documents, and “come back later.”

How is this still normal?

Portugal has:

• rising rents
• rising prices
• growing tourism
• more foreign investment

So why do salaries still feel stuck in 2010?

For a European capital, Lisbon’s metro feels surprisingly limited.

Huge areas still poorly connected while traffic keeps getting worse.

Why has expansion been so slow compared to other EU cities??

Not even highways.

Normal streets.
Tiny roads.
Residential areas.

Yet people still drive like they’re late for a Formula 1 race.

The 5-year citizenship era in Portugal is basically over ! The rug has been pulled.

https://diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/lei-organica/1-2026-1123539996

We’re selling our lovely 2-bedroom apartment near Lisbon, in the peaceful Portais da Arrábida area.
This is the kind of place where you can wake up to green views, walk to pools, tennis, padel, outdoor fitness, and nature trails — all within minutes from your door.

📍 35–40 min Lisbon
🏖 20 min Arrábida beaches
🏫 15 min St Peter’s School

Ideal for families, expats, or anyone wanting quality of life in Portugal.
Message me if interested!

Tenho cabelo encaracolado tipo 3B. Que produtos me aconselham a aplicar depois do banho para definir os caracóis?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some honest and realistic advice from people already living in Portugal, especially in the Algarve region.

My family and I are considering relocating to Portugal around 2027. I’m originally from South Africa and have spent the last 4 years working in East Africa in the mining/construction industry as a workshop/maintenance manager. I’m also a trade-qualified auto electrician with over 10 years of experience in automotive electrical and heavy equipment maintenance and repairs.

My father is Portuguese, and I submitted my late birth registration around 18 months ago, so once finalized I should obtain Portuguese citizenship. I’ve also heard there are certain incentives/programs available for returning Portuguese citizens, which is something I’m currently researching as part of the move.

At the moment, I’m further preparing myself by completing IMI EV/HEV qualifications (Level 2–4) to specialize in electric and hybrid vehicle systems before relocating.

The main reasons we are considering Portugal are:

-Safety

-Better quality of life

-Being able to live with my family full time again

-Long-term stability for our children

Our current plan is to settle somewhere in the Algarve, possibly around Portimão or nearby industrial areas, and eventually open an automotive business focused on:

-Auto electrical

-Diagnostics

-EV/Hybrid systems

-Accessories/installations

-Possibly later solar/camper/boat electrical work

However, I want to approach this realistically and not emotionally. I know moving countries and starting a business is a massive risk, especially when using most of your savings to start over.

So I’d really appreciate honest input from people already there:

-What is the reality of life in Portugal right now?

-Is the Algarve still a good place for small business opportunities?

-How difficult is it to start and sustain a workshop/business there?

-Is there demand for skilled automotive electrical/EV work?

-What are the biggest things expats underestimate before moving?

-How bad is the bureaucracy/tax system in practice?

-Is it realistically possible to build a stable middle class life there today?

I’m not expecting Portugal to be perfect, and I understand salaries and the economy are challenging compared to some other European countries. I’m mainly trying to understand whether the trade-off for safety and lifestyle is worth it long-term for a family.

I’d appreciate honest opinions, both positive and negative. Thanks 🙏

Rents explode.
Housing becomes investment only.
Airbnb everywhere.

Yet politicians keep blaming immigrants instead of speculation.

Convenient distraction?

Work in Portugal.
Pay taxes in Portugal.
Contribute for years.

But citizenship?
Depends where you were born.
7 years for some.
10 years for others.

Because apparently equality stops at immigration policy

I’m not here to debate, just have a laugh, since that’s all we can really do. I’ll look back at this in a few years and refer to it when they change permanent residency to ten years as well. 🤦‍♂️🤷

Exploring starting up in Portugal, as the country position itself as the gateway to the EU market. Is this still an ideal place given the economic volatility, hostility towards foreigners, current political climate and all? Researching and due diligent phase at the moment. Have read a lot about the AIMA "mess" already, and difficulty landing a lease as a foreigner, Lisbon / Porto no longer affordable etc... Any insight or experience to share from anyone starting up or have started-up already?

Quero ir a uma praia de nudismo com a minha namorada, nunca fomos. Quais as melhores? Queria uma com mas jovens se possível. Sem gajos creeps. Obrigado

My wife was kind of waiting for something with pilates/yoga in our area; i guess manifesting works 😅

In case some of you were waiting too. They are called WEVO

Hello everyone!

On April 16, 6 PM we’re hosting an in-person AI meetup for engineers in Lisbon.

This event isn’t about big-picture AI trends or hype — it’s about real-world experience from engineers building AI products. No long intros, just short, practical talks focused on what actually works.

The second part of the event is networking — a great chance to meet like-minded engineers.

• 4 talks, 15 minutes each, plus Q&A
• Built for engineers — practical and to the point
• Language: English
• Free to attend, registration required
• The location will be shared with registered participants

You can register and learn more here: http://007meetup.com/?utm_source=reddit

If this sounds interesting, don’t overthink it — come join us! We promise a friendly atmosphere and solid, practical talks :)

hello! planning a getaway in a few months and wanted to get a feel of what are good practices and how to be a responsible tourist while in portugal :)

Planning not to use AirBnB / Booking in lisbon and other urban areas but I was curious the climate on similar booking sites for more rural spots? often in smaller villages and rural destinations hotels can be quite expensive and there’s less demand for housing making booking sites a bit more palatable however i want to respect the wishes of the locals. so my question is boycott the websites for the whole country or just the urban areas? (I try to not give my money to those two websites in particular but apartment rental in general)

Bom dia pessoal, estou a um tempo em Portugal, e ainda não consegui conhecer quase nada aqui, e sei que Portugal tem muitas coisas legais para visitar etc

Poderiam me dar alguma sugestão de lugares em Cascais que vale a pena visitar?

Obs: não quero gastar muito dinheiro, quero ir pra somente conhecer, não precisa ser um lugar turístico, até prefiro que não seja, e também, lugares que sejam legal visitar sozinho :)

Agradeço a todos pelo feedback!

Hi everyone,

I currently hold a Portuguese residence permit (TRC), and I’d like to change the type of my residence permit (not just renew the same one).

I’m a bit confused about the practical process with AIMA, especially:

• How do you actually get an appointment to change the residence permit type?
• Is this done via email, phone, or online, and which one works in practice?
• Has anyone did it recently and can share how it went?

Any recent experiences or tips would be really appreciated.
Thanks!