Gr8kids

Hi. I was hoping for some assistance please. We plan on moving to Portugal within a years time and are looking for all the information we could need to help us along please. Is there possibly a pinned thread or something that can give us a guide on all we need to look into please. It'll be myself, hubby (he'll be finished his 24 years as a soldier soon - hence the reason for a move to the sun and live a carefree hopefully self sustainable life in the future) and my 11 year old son, along with 2 cats, bearded dragon, 11 african millipedes. All information will be gratefully received please.

peterfc

An idea of where you want to move to would help.

Peter

dmu

Hi, butting in from the France forum, but you've raised two issues concerning all of Europe:
Check carefully whether your bearded dragon and African millipedes will be accepted as pets in Portugal. There would be restrictions, if not prohibitions, in France....
Another point is that 11 years is a bad age for a foreign child to move to another country where he doesn't speak the language, unless you put him in an International School with a British Curriculum. It's recommended on the France forum for children of this age to stay down in Primary School for a year to get used to the different Education System, pick up the language and some culture, and make friends. Your son would integrate more easily by doing this, whereas in an International School, he wouldn't pick up the language and make friends with neighbours' children very easily.

Gr8kids

Hi Peter. Of course, how silly to forget that vital information. We looking to move with Alentejo area. Not found our property yet though. Thank you

ouriquejan

The Alentejo is a vast area - which part are you thinking of?

Gr8kids

I honestly don't know right now, but once we find the house/Land we like then there would need to be a local school close by for our son.

ouriquejan

Sending you a pm.

dmu

Hi again, there don't seem to be any International Schools in Alentejo, as per

https://www.livinginportugal.com/en/...ional-schools/

so a Portuguese school would be the only solution. As said, if you agree to put your son in last-year Primary in the town where you settle, he'd have a chance of picking up the language and making friends before going up to Secondary School.
You should also consider your healthcare coverage if neither parent has an earned income. AFAIK an Army Pension doesn't make you eligible for the S1 from the DWP, and you must take out private healthcare coverage while waiting for the UK State Pension to kick in.....
Sorry to sound like a Cassandra in these various aspects (including the exotic pets), but you did ask for assistance and we often cover these aspects on the France forum. I imagine that most EU countries have the same Regulations....
Hopefully some one living in Portugal under the same circumstances can give definite info, so that you can make an informed decision! Good luck!

Gr8kids

Thank you

Red Eric

With regard to healthcare, it ought to be possible to enrol in the state system here even if neither working nor in receipt of a state pension. Being registered as resident is now supposed to be (and generally appears to be) sufficient, although there are still occasional cases of new arrivals complaining about not being able to get properly enrolled at a health centre.

mfesharne

NHS entitlement is SOLELY based on residency & nothing else & S1 only refers to which Government eventually pays for it

.Right to reside EU PPT holders & partners

Portal SEF

UK entitlement to PT NHS with/without SS number

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-portugal

How to register on the PT NHS in Portuguese & English

https://www.ers.pt/pages/438?news_id=1203

If you need to complain about not getting registered on the PT NHS system:

https://www.ers.pt/pages/356

Gr8kids

I'm grateful for all the info, thank you.

GeniB

One thing you can do is start your son on Portuguese lessons asap...You might even find a Portuguese national living close to where you are who might oblige in giving lessons. Otherwise I believe the BBC do a course.Give him as much advantage as you can..

The Alentejo is a vast , mainly empty area. Really think about how that might affect your son. Maybe be better to be on the outskirts of a reasonable sized town.He will soon be a teenager with all that entails. I say this, as I lived as an ex-pat in semi rural Netherlands for 30+ yrs..My kids would not have survived going straight into a Dutch school..(altho I wished often that they had,had I known then we were staying for so long )

International school is expensive and exclusive..your child won't necessarily be able to mix with local kids..He won't get as easily fluent in Portuguese either.
My niece moved her 11 yrs old son to rural France and altho he integrated into the football team,he did badly at school.Never really settled and went to live with her ex-husband when he was 13 yrs old...Just saying that this is indeed a difficult age to move a child (mine were much younger at 6&9 )

If you really do your homework.. get on language course's for all of you (you have the time) it can really work out well. though Good luck

Gr8kids

Really appreciate all the advice and information, thank you.