Relocating to Lisbon
#16
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Joined: Sep 2020
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
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!
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!
I have heard Portuguese isn’t the easiest 😅 I did quite a bit of German at school and I know exactly what you mean!
Thanks again!
#17
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
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
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
I’ll get on the furniture vocab straight away 😂
#18
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
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.
Yes if you only have British passport I would say it would be best to arrive and establish residency before end of year.
Ok great, I’ll take a look at that, sounds good thank you
Yeah the plan is to try to get back out there next month for a week to get more info
I imagine trying to gain residence after Brexit on the 31st would be extremely difficult
thank you!
#19
Re: Relocating to Lisbon
However, from your point of view what would matter would be how much extra you could earn above that to cover the rest of your costs. A lot of the work that might be readily available to anybody - let alone a non-Portuguese speaker - would be at or around the minimum wage mark. That currently stands at 635€ per month, out of which you'd pay Social Security contributions.
Unless you really fall on your feet in more ways than one, living and working in central Lisbon might be something of a pipe dream. I knew people who did, some years ago, but it was always a struggle for them and the wage / accommodation cost ratio certainly hasn't got any better since then due to the skewing effect of a huge increase in tourism.
#20
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Sounds like a bargain, given that a very big chunk of the available accommodation near the centre is dedicated to accommodating tourists. You can check out the nightly rates on all the customary sites.
However, from your point of view what would matter would be how much extra you could earn above that to cover the rest of your costs. A lot of the work that might be readily available to anybody - let alone a non-Portuguese speaker - would be at or around the minimum wage mark. That currently stands at 635€ per month, out of which you'd pay Social Security contributions.
Unless you really fall on your feet in more ways than one, living and working in central Lisbon might be something of a pipe dream. I knew people who did, some years ago, but it was always a struggle for them and the wage / accommodation cost ratio certainly hasn't got any better since then due to the skewing effect of a huge increase in tourism.
However, from your point of view what would matter would be how much extra you could earn above that to cover the rest of your costs. A lot of the work that might be readily available to anybody - let alone a non-Portuguese speaker - would be at or around the minimum wage mark. That currently stands at 635€ per month, out of which you'd pay Social Security contributions.
Unless you really fall on your feet in more ways than one, living and working in central Lisbon might be something of a pipe dream. I knew people who did, some years ago, but it was always a struggle for them and the wage / accommodation cost ratio certainly hasn't got any better since then due to the skewing effect of a huge increase in tourism.
Does seem very cheap, also found a lot Of one bed apartment’s around the Cais do Sodré area currently for around 700euro per month.
The more research I do, the more unlikely it seems I could make this a reality. It’s amazing that people get by on the minimum wage there, and like you said I’d need another source of income by the sounds of things.
I’ll keep plugging away and no matter how unlikely it appears, a job may come up that works. I assume most expats go the Digital Nomad route
Thanks for the info! ✌️
#21
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,148
Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Hi Red Eric,
Does seem very cheap, also found a lot Of one bed apartment’s around the Cais do Sodré area currently for around 700euro per month.
The more research I do, the more unlikely it seems I could make this a reality. It’s amazing that people get by on the minimum wage there, and like you said I’d need another source of income by the sounds of things.
I’ll keep plugging away and no matter how unlikely it appears, a job may come up that works. I assume most expats go the Digital Nomad route
Thanks for the info! ✌️
Does seem very cheap, also found a lot Of one bed apartment’s around the Cais do Sodré area currently for around 700euro per month.
The more research I do, the more unlikely it seems I could make this a reality. It’s amazing that people get by on the minimum wage there, and like you said I’d need another source of income by the sounds of things.
I’ll keep plugging away and no matter how unlikely it appears, a job may come up that works. I assume most expats go the Digital Nomad route
Thanks for the info! ✌️
#22
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Joined: Sep 2020
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Most people who manage are either couples with two incomes or they inherited a place and might be mortgage free. Otherwise it's just trying to survive on minimum wage. Of course this is a big problem in all cities across Europe but cities like Lisbon and Barcelona are extremely difficult due to low wages and the so called sunshine tax. They know young people will work for nothing and agencies sell you the dream of life in the sun. Sometimes you are better off working in a smaller sized Northern European country for 6 months and that money will allow you to spend the other 6 months in Portugal.
That’s actually not a bad idea at all, problem is I’m so set on living in Lisbon for at least a year! Easy for emotions to cloud my judgement I guess.
Without speaking fluent Portuguese it seems too difficult to make a reality at this moment
#23
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 257
Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Most people who manage are either couples with two incomes or they inherited a place and might be mortgage free. Otherwise it's just trying to survive on minimum wage. Of course this is a big problem in all cities across Europe but cities like Lisbon and Barcelona are extremely difficult due to low wages and the so called sunshine tax. They know young people will work for nothing and agencies sell you the dream of life in the sun. Sometimes you are better off working in a smaller sized Northern European country for 6 months and that money will allow you to spend the other 6 months in Portugal.
#24
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Joined: Feb 2013
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Well nobody knows and luckily it doesn't affect me personally but even now people from Non EU countries work in the EU. Especially in hospitality, countries like Germany, Netherlands struggle to find staff and it's not that hard to get a visum. We'll only know after Brexit but with Covid, Migrant Crisis in Moria etc. Brexit seems to be the last thing on the list.
#25
Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Well nobody knows and luckily it doesn't affect me personally but even now people from Non EU countries work in the EU. Especially in hospitality, countries like Germany, Netherlands struggle to find staff and it's not that hard to get a visum. We'll only know after Brexit but with Covid, Migrant Crisis in Moria etc. Brexit seems to be the last thing on the list.
#26
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Just as an aside to this, whilst it's certainly very commonplace (has become much more so of recent years) to encounter obviously non-EU nationals at work here in Portugal, I was quite surprised by estimates floating around at the time of a recent law change, of something in the region of 40,000 people working here without proper authorisation. That number would, of course, be exclusively non EU nationals and in addition to any who have the correct documents or those who have rights by descent or marriage.
#27
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
With no abilities in spoken or written Portuguese and after 31.12.20 as a non-EU citizen, it will be difficult.
Last edited by scot47; Sep 17th 2020 at 3:57 pm.
#29
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Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Sorry to add to the gloom, but fore-warned is fore-armed....
#30
Re: Relocating to Lisbon
Sorry a bit off topic but in Germany for example they have 40.000 + Senior Care jobs that can't be filled and it's one of the reasons Germany is quite open to take refugees and making things easier for anyone wanting to do this kind of work. With an ageing population it will probably only get easier for non-EU citizens (depending what job sectors).
Another is that jobs not wanted for one reason or another by authorised residents continue to be filled by undocumented workers, living a precarious existence and trapped in terms of being able to do anything about it until such time as the government of their country of residence grants an amnesty (if it ever does), as opposed to turning a blind eye despite knowing full well how exploitation is filling the shortages.