An Expat Talks about Living in Lisbon, Portugal

Sep 18, 2017

Create an Expat Profile for Your City or Town

Lisbon, Portugal

An expat living in Lisbon offers advice to others moving to Portugal about learning Portuguese, meeting people and enjoying expat life in Lisbon.

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Lisbon

How long have you lived there?

3 months

What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?

There are a wide number of groups that you can join in Lisbon that will help any newcomer get situated.

For women, I would recommend: Lisbon Girl Gone International.

For digital nomads: Lisbon Digital Nomads.

For expats looking to make a move to Portugal: Portugal: The good life

Meetup.com is also a great site for events and meet ups.

Expats living in Portugal interested in expat health insurance should take a minute to get a quote from our trusted expat health insurance partner, CIGNA.

In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.

Lisbon is remarkably diverse. The area of intendente itself is home to 87 nationalities! Portuguese are very friendly people and accepting of all people from every background. There is a little India area, little Chinatown, African cafes, Nepalese restaurants and also lots of options for vegan and vegetarian people.

What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?

The main industry in Lisbon is tourism. Most opportunities exist in the tourism and hospitality industries. Networking with the locals and business groups would be the perfect way to find new jobs.

In general, what are peoples' priorities in this city? For example, do lives revolve around work, family, socializing, sports, etc.?

Lisbon is a great city for socializing. There are many expats and digital nomads here who are always open to meeting new people. It is great for young people, as well as older expats with is wide range of options and close proximity to the beaches and lots of bars, clubs and restaurants.

If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.

I would tell them to meet as many local people as possible and to learn some Portuguese to get situated quickly. Even though most people speak English, knowledge of the language would help them get settled and find good accommodation deals that otherwise would be hard to find.