Hey travel bugs! Dianne and Guillermo coming to you again from Lisbon, Portugal our new home base.
It’s been quite sometime since our last video… we’ve been busy with the holidays, we had friends visit us from the U.S. and our son Devan also came to visit us for an entire month.
We’ve been living in Portugal for 4 months now and It’s been wonderful so far. We are slowly adjusting, we’re weathering the cold weather…which isn’t too bad actually since it really hasn’t rained much this season.
Covid restrictions are slowly easing up and life is quickly going back to normal.
We continue to see more and more tourists throughout Lisbon and we are meeting new people every week..
This is our last “Move to Portugal” vlog where we cover public transportation, our eventful SEF appointments and finding our long term rental,
it’s a story on its own that you won’t wanna miss.
LISBON Public Transport Websites:
Via Viagem Tranportation Card:
Comboios de Portugal (CP) Schedules and Prices: or CP App (iOs and android)
Carris Bus/Tram Tickets and Schedules:
Helpful Transit Apps that we use:
Mooveit, RometoRio, CityMapper
Ferry Schedules:
TTSL App (android and iPhone)
Our Rental requirements:
-Up to 1,800€
-25 max distance from the center of Lisbon
-2 or 3 bedrooms
-2+ bathrooms (at least 1 with a bathtub)
-Outdoor space for our dogs (terrace or garden/yard)
-Well equipped/size kitchen
-Near public transportation, small market and cafe
-good energy rating – A, B or C
-a washing machine
-a dishwasher or space to install
-close to a park or nice area to walk the dogs every day
-Gym space
-Office space
-Guest space
-Preferably a house, not a condo
-View (water/city)
Lisbon Neighborhood Information Website:
Hoodpicker.com
Neighborhood of our interest: Caxias, Paco de Arcos, Carcavelos, Carnaxide, Ajuda, Oeiras, Saldanha, Avenida Novas, Areeiro, Parque das Nacoes, Alvalade, Camp de Ourique, Principe Real, Arroios, Santos, Amadora, Benfica, Carnide, Alfragide, Quinta da Cerieira, Saixal, Costa da Caparica and Almada.
Portugal Requirements to Rent:
Portugal requires a “fiador” or “guarantor” to rent a home, if you don’t know anyone you can use a bank as your fiador for a fee through a service that’s called “Garantia Bancária” (Bank guarantee).
-Offer to pay a couple of months in advance instead of using Fiador.
-It is a legal requirement for all property that is being commercially advertised for sale or to rent to have an Energy Performance certificate rating: The ‘Sistema de Certificação Energética dos Edifícios or SCE is valid for 10 years and measures the energy efficiency of a property on a scale of A+ (top rating) to G (lowest rating).
-You should ensure that the property has been granted a rental license by the local council (alojamento local). This is the landlord’s responsibility in order to pay proper taxes.
-You need to sign a rent contract (must be written on both English and Portuguese)
-It’s standard for landlords to ask for the equivalent of two months’ rent as a security deposit before you move in.
Useful Facebook Groups for Information and recommendations:
-Americans & FriendsPT
-Expats in Portugal Q&A
-Expats in Portugal
-Lisbon Expats & friends
-Expats with Dogs in Lisbon, Portugal
-Americans in Portugal ~ The Expats Group
-Expats in Lisbon
-American Expats in Portugal
Paid Relocation Services and Expat Resources to move to Portugal:
-Relocate to Portugal:
-Expacity:
-Moving to Portugal:
If you’re planning on applying for a Tax ID # (or NIF) or opening a bank account in Portugal, check out Bordr.io and their services, their process is quick and stress free. You can get a 10% discount on your online order by using our code “seekingparadisebugs” (
Useful Language App:
uTalk (has over 140 languages). Use the code and link below for a 30% discount:
SEF Offices Contact and Appointment Scheduling:
To confirm appointment (besides your passport temporary visa link):
Email for contact details:
gricrp.cc@sef.pt
Central for appointments:
PHONE | 808 202 653
MOBILE | 808 962 690
WORKING DAYS
from 08:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m.
Updated SEF local phone numbers:
217115000 and 965903700
*call after 5pm
Online Car Rental Broker:
www.discovercars.com
Soundtracks:
Royalty Free Music – No Copyright Music:
Epidemic Sound:
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