Not Your Average Globetrotter

Are you considering a move abroad? In this episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we will go over the challenges and rewards of relocating to a new country. From deciding if moving abroad is right for you, to navigating a new culture and building a new life. We'll go over tips and advice for those considering a move internationally. Whether you're thinking of relocating permanently, temporarily, or becoming a digital nomad, this episode is based on a range of experiences and perspectives that I've come across over the years. After a year since moving to Portugal and living abroad in this beautiful country and especially with the new year, I thought this would be a great topic to get into. In this expat podcast living abroad episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll cover a number of topics that may help you with your decisions to move abroad and build a new life in a foreign country. This isn't necessarily about how to move abroad, but what you may want to consider when getting started with the process of moving overseas for a new expat life abroad.

Living in Portugal has been quite an experience. I can say that overall I'm glad that I came... moving to Portugal was definitely the right choice for me. Life in Portugal has presented many fun moments and unique experiences, with more than plenty to continue to keep exploring. For me personally, the choice to live in Braga as an expat has been great. It's a fun little city that presents a laid-back lifestyle while also being liveable with enough going on to keep you entertained throughout the year. In this expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, I'll share some of my thoughts on expat life and living in Portugal after my first year living in Portugal.

It's a simple question with a complicated answer, and there are other questions connected to the subject that I believe are also important to ask and analyze to figure out if it's too late for an individual and their specific set of interests/circumstances to move to Portugal. In reality the answer to the question could vary from person to person. To have an easier transition in to expat life in Portugal, it's not just the legal aspects of your move abroad that will have an impact but also some of other practical external influences around you. In this living abroad expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll approach the question and get into if it is too late to move to Portugal or not.

Many people share the dream of living in Portugal, but once you decide to take the leap and move abroad, there are day-to-day things that you will encounter. Some of them are more significant than others. I wanted to take a moment to focus on a few tips for a few of these details that you may come across as an expat in Portugal. Having things in place such as a bank account and Portuguese tax code can make the biggest difference in your life in Portugal. Living abroad in Portugal comes with some challenges for expats moving to Portugal or for those already here, so why not make some of these things easier? In this expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll go over 6 tips (plus one bonus) to help make your transition into life abroad in Portugal just that little bit easier.

There has already been a visa that's been dubbed the "Portugal Digital Nomad Visa", more accurately known as Portugal's D7 visa. However, this new digital nomad visa opens up some interesting new opportunities for individuals thinking about remote working from another country. Many articles online seem to allude to the possibility of this new visa making it easier for digital nomads moving to Portugal. However, taking a quick look at this new nomad visa, it would seem to create (at least in some ways) a more restrictive set of requirements for digital nomads than before. But, is limitation something that will benefit Portugal? Will it limit the drastic cost of living increases that have been seen across the country? As mentioned in a quote in this episode, it appears as though this is being done with the intent to open Portugal to the world... But is it opening the country to the world or just opening it up to a certain segment of the world’s population? I personally will be interested to see what living in Portugal will look like for those who have decided to move to Portugal before this moment and life in Portugal after. While this new visa has the potential to be an attractive option for those who want to live the digital nomad life working from Europe... or more specifically working from Portugal, it could actually prove to be a good option... possibly more interesting than the D7... for those who may qualify.... In this expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, I'll go over some thoughts on this new visa for digital nomads in Portugal from the perspective of someone who has been living abroad long term.

Richard & Kathleen Lo had traveled the world as digital nomads before moving to Portugal. After their experience making the move to Portugal and going through the legal processes to enjoy expat life in Portugal, this nomadic entrepreneurial couple saw a gap in the market that they could fill. They decided to open up Bordr.io, a company that assists expats from around the world who want to live in Portugal by helping them with getting their NIF (the Portuguese tax number) and opening a bank account. In this expat living abroad podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we’ll get to know Kathleen and Richard better by learning more about them and what they do as well as about how to take care of things when making Portugal your home. I've been hearing from many of you who wanted to learn more about how different people have come to enjoy expat life in Portugal and I think that Kathleen and Richard have a great story that represents what many people would like to do... Move to Portugal, work from Portugal and enjoy life in this wonderful country.

🇵🇹 For help with getting your NIF (Portuguese Tax Number) and Portuguese Bank Account, visit this episode's sponsor:

In short no, I don't believe expats in Portugal or any expats living abroad anywhere will ruin the country where they are... however, I do believe there is the potential to be able to help or hurt the situation locally. Expat life can be an eye-opening experience, and living in another country can really help you learn more about yourself as well as understand and appreciate the world around you in a different way than you might in your home country. Is living abroad for everyone? No... absolutely not.... But because I have been talking about topics to do with moving to Portugal, it's the way I'd like to also frame my ideas on this topic/conversation and how it relates to living abroad in Portugal. In this living abroad expat podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, we'll continue the conversation from last week's episode and clarify some of what I wast talking about then regarding working in Portugal, and even talk about how the simple idea of tipping in Portugal could lead to a major shift in one aspect of life here even if it may seem to be something so insignificant at the end of the day...  

Those who have been enjoying expat life in Portugal know about the wonderful things that this country has to offer. But my question would be: is too much mainstream media attention going to ruin it for the people who have already decided to make a life in Portugal? I'm not saying that I have the answer to that... but I do take issue with the picture that was painted by this article on CNN Travel about Portugal. Some of the simplest sentiments that were written in this piece are things that I personally find quite shocking that they could even say about Portugal and the lack of credit that they give to the Portuguese is something I find appalling... The Portuguese people deserve credit for the beauty and success and attraction of their own country. In this expat living abroad podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter we'll go over a recent article posted to CNN travel called "The European capital of cool that keeps getting cooler" by Richard Quest and Joe Minihane.

Portugal. Because I was living in Italy before living in Portugal, I often can't help myself but compare and contrast these two places as well as think about what it's like living in Portugal as an American.... I've come to have a new understanding of what expat life can be like now as an expat in Portugal, and even since coming here there have been moments I have wondered if Braga is the best choice for me or if I should have thought about living in Lisbon. In this expat living abroad episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter, I'll share my thoughts about life in Portugal as an expat after these first 10 months of living here after moving abroad yet again...  

Answering Questions About Life in Portugal is what this expat living abroad podcast episode of Not Your Average Globetrotter is all about. Moving to Europe can be quite an undertaking and when diving into the idea of moving to Portugal, there are some things that are worth thinking about to help you have an easy transition into living abroad in Portugal. Since having packed up my life in Italy for a new adventure abroad in Portugal I can say that I've learned a lot about what life in Portugal has to offer. Every day is a new learning experience and getting to know more people here and about the culture is quite exciting.