AaronTravel

Hi, new to the forum

Recently visited Lisbon for 2 weeks from the UK and absolutely loved it.

Strongly looking into the idea of relocating to Lisbon. Always wanted to live and work abroad and Lisbon appears ideal for what I want out of a city.
I’ve just turned 26 and currently out of work in the UK due to the impact of Covid 19 on the company I worked for.

Already done a fair bit of research on general cost of living, house prices etc.

Finding work is probably the biggest barrier to any plans. I don’t speak Portuguese (but would certainly look into enrolling in a language school with the aim of speaking fluent once I’m there)
I’ve got a fair bit of customer service experience having worked in bars/restaurants for 2 years and as a fully qualified telecom engineer for 6 years. I understand that these sectors of work might not be viable for me in Lisbon without speaking Portuguese, so I really am open to working in other sectors to fulfil the dream of working and living in Lisbon. Also aware that with the impact of Covid on the world, currently this all could be a pipe dream, but one that I want to pursue and at least try to realise

Would love to here from anyone who has relocated to Lisbon recently and what challenges they faced along the way, and just a little bit of background on your journey to Lisbon and what if any employment routes I could go down

Thanks for reading and any sort of advice here is much appreciated

coleio

By far the best way is (especially if you have no job) to spend as much time as possible over here and find out stuff and make the decisions directly for yourself - Lisbon is a BIG place and quite a number of Portuguese have left to find work abroad (that does suggest something about getting work here) a lot of stuff here is not on the interwebs and no-one else can decide for you RE: how you want to live - what the standard of housing you'll accept/where you want to live, - so that means you'll have to find and go look at places yourself - what sort of work you you will accept in the short term/long term, if you need to park a car, need access to some medical help, have some food allergy, can't sleep if there a dog barking etc etc.

I wish you good luck.

AaronTravel

Hi coleio

I’ve spent about 4/5 weeks in Lisbon the last few years, but it’s only on this recent trip I really decided that this is somewhere I’d love to live.
And yes I agree, it’d certainly be more practical to be in Lisbon when looking for work/viewing property. Was just curious how the job market is for native English speakers, available work in the tourism industry, even call centres etc.
Hopefully I can make a return soon

I did find some relatively cheap studio apartments to rent around the Rossio area which would be ideal

Thank you for the advice!

christmasoompa

Do you have Irish (or any other EU country) citizenship? Or just British citizenship? If so, the forum pros will be able to advise on the impact of Brexit on your plans and any visa requirements, best of luck.

Moses2013

As Coleio said, a lot of of Portuguese work abroad to make money and return when they have the cash. I know many Portuguese in Ireland and personally get job offers through LinkedIn in Lisbon/Barcelona but the bigger problem is the salary vs. cost of living. In most cases these jobs require 2 European languages and unless you have specific skills, it's not that easy. You are still young and have many opportunities, so just need a plan that suits yourself. Good luck.

AaronTravel

Just British citizenship unfortunately.

That is another question I was going to ask, curious as to how that will effect my plans. Wonder if it’s possible to sort before the whole Brexit thing is finalised.
I’ll look to get some more info from someone here who’s in the same position

thanks a lot

AaronTravel

The salary/cost of living problem dilemma seems to be popping up quite a bit during my research. I’d be content with a regular job and cheap apartment, for me living in an area with good weather like Lisbon outweighs a lot of the cons, for example I wouldn’t look to get a car etc.
Yeah I’ll keep searching and continuing doing more research to hopefully find that one job opportunity which will suit me

thank you so much for the reply and info

Moses2013

A lot of people are always focused on weather but also quickly realise that it's worth nothing if you struggle from month to month. Might be great for a year but when all you can afford is a tiny room without outside space, have long working hours with no cash left, it's just streets and houses like everywhere. At least you can look for work without being there, so first step would be to contact agencies in Lisbon to see what kind of jobs you can get and take it from there. Other thing is Brexit of course but no point moving if you don't have a job.

AaronTravel

That’s a very fair point! I imagine a lot of people quickly realise that maybe it’s not for them after the first year!
I’m willing to give it a go though, I’ve got some savings to help me get going initially,
and while I’m young it might be the best time to see if it’s for me or not before it’s too late.
May sound naive, and it probably is, but if I don’t do it I’ll never know

Hopefully learning Portuguese there will bring further job opportunities

The whole Brexit situation is all a little confusing right now, but I’ll get onto agencies and see what’s available
Thanks again

toots sweet

Renting in Lisbon is going to eat into your savings quickly,especially if you aren't earning. Have a look at small towns outside the Lisbon area with good transport links that will get you into the city easily for leisure activities. You will need to really get started on the language problem. That's going to be a big stumbling block.

AaronTravel

Hi tootssweet

Do you live in Lisbon yourself?

I have seen a one bed studio apartment in the centre (near Rossio square) for around €680 per month including bills (electricity, water etc.) is that unusually cheap for Lisbon would you say?

I don’t think I would move until I had a guarantee of a job. I’ve seen quite a few job ads for call centres where they seem to only require you to speak English, but I couldn’t agree more, the language barrier is a concern initially.

I’ll have a look at property in the smaller towns, as you’ve suggested

thank you for your advice!

dmu

Hi, you'd have to be really desperate to work in a call centre. My two daughters did this in Berlin while studying, and it's not for the faint-hearted. How do you yourself react when you receive cold-calls day-long? I remain polite before hanging up, but only because I know the conditions that the callers work in and they don't deserve the insults that they get....
Be aware that Portuguese is generally a difficult language for the English to learn - it's as bad as German, with all the genders/conjugations/declensions to cope with, let alone the pronunciation!
Good luck in your venture, but secure a job before you take the plunge!

toots sweet

Not in Lisbon,about an hour's drive.On the other side of the river. Look to the north perhaps up to Vila Franca de Xira ,a largish town.
If you fancy retail, Ikea might need people who speak English ,as there are always plenty of foreign registered cars in their car parks,from people relocating or for their holiday homes or setting up holiday rentals. Try learning some furniture vocab

qianh

There is facebook group called accomodation for lisbon digital nomads, you can have a look and get an idea, it may be not bad to share a nice big apartment with likely minded people.
Yes if you only have British passport I would say it would be best to arrive and establish residency before end of year.

toots sweet

Not in Lisbon. About an hour's drive across the river. You could look to the north of Lisbon up to Vila Franca da Xira, a largish town. The cheaper apartments are probably in older buildings,and mark my words if the heating isn't up to scratch you'll be very uncomfortable.
You could have a try with Ikea if you don't mind retail.They have 2 stores in the Lisbon area.(Loures and Alfragide I think) and there are always a number of foreign reg cars in their car parks.People relocating to PT,furnishing holiday homes and rentals. Try learning some PT furniture vocab.