About sasha7

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Some Forum Posts:

Portugal: over qualified age for visa?:

Alma, I will give you my recent experience in Lisbon. I'm in my mid 50s and single. I received a retiree visa last July and stayed for 4 months. Getting the visa was not very difficult if you follow the steps in Susan's list. The DC embassy was quick to respond to emails. The hard part for me was actually getting the resident permit while I was in Lisbon. The people in the Lisbon office spoke very limited English and it took months to get an appointment. If you had a question you would have to call the office and make another appointment which would take another two months. The retirement visa is only good for 4 months so by the time I had my last appointment my visa was expiring in a matter of days and I still had no permit. I'm not sure what it is like in other cities or towns in Portugal. The immigration office in Lisbon was packed every time I was there. I stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment in the suburbs in Telheiras for 700 euros for a couple of months. Also stayed in an Airbnb in Alcantara and a Pension when I first arrived. When I was there the flats were more expensive the closer you were to the center of town. I would check the Portuguese rental sites for apartments but most want you to stay for 6 months or longer. I studied Portuguese while I was there and also had a background in Spanish. When I was in the suburbs it was 50-50 with the people knowing English so knowledge of basic Portuguese was very important for me in going to restaurants, asking directions and for reading the real estate ads. You wouldn't have any problems with English in the center of Lisbon. I rode the metro, buses, trams and trolleys while I was there. I would definitely recommend staying close to the metro for ease of movement. In Alcantara I would have to either ride the bus or the tram to the center. I traveled alone as well. When I stayed at the Pension I talked with the hotel clerks who had great tips and information. The Airbnb place was not that good at all and I got dehydrated while staying there and actually went to the local hospital. The place in Telheiras was very quiet but I had a 20 minute walk to the metro and the nearest grocery was even farther so I would either walk or take the bus. I made a mistake taking that place but it was very hard to get a short term apartment for 3 months. Anyway, that is probably more than what you wanted to hear but that was my Portuguese experience. Mike

Portugal: To bring or not to bring your car:

Ola a todos, I am now in Lisbon and wondering if I should try to have my car shipped over to Portugal when I go back to the states. Is it worth doing? Cars are so expensive these days it is hard for me to sell it.

Portugal: Question about Restaurants:

Me and a friend went to a restaurant in Lisbon during lunch time. We already had lunch and only wanted to get a dessert and coffee. We asked for the dessert menu but the waiter said we could not order coffee and dessert before the meal. The waiter kept saying to us "We are a restaurant." We decided to leave because we were not that hungry and did not want to order a full lunch meal. Has this happened to anyone else who, when going to a restaurant, the waiter refused to serve you because you wanted to eat out of the normal meal sequence? (Even though they had a dessert menu and a separate drink menu.)

Portugal: US Dollars:

Is it possible to open a bank account in Lisbon using US dollars or will it be converted to euros? Obrigado, Mike

Portugal: Immigration attorney:

Susan, Does Rita have an email address? I am in the process of compiling my paperwork in the US now but it will be good to have an immigration contact in Portugal when I get my visa completed. Thanks for the information, Mike

Portugal: Tax Liability:

I will be living off my retirement income. Would a pension, annuity, or 401 (k) withdrawals qualify as passive income? I will not be employed and plan on renting in Portugal for more than 6 months a year. Also, does it make any sense to try and get the non habitual resident status? I'm not sure if I should try to qualify for this or not. Thanks, Mike

Date Joined:

3/3/2015

Total Posts:

15

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0.02