How do you find a home in Portugal when there’s no MLS?
What are common pitfalls to avoid?
What do you need to know about taxes?
What’s the health care system like and how can you access it as an expat?
And what about insurance, banking, investing, shipping your goods, finding the right neighborhood…?
Well, if you were with us here in the room in Lisbon for the 2026 Live And Invest In Portugal Conference then you’d now have the answers to all those questions and more and have connected with all the experts you need to know to make your move here as smooth as could be.
As I write, LIOS Europe Editor Kat Kalashian has been joined on stage by a group of your fellow readers who have made their dreams of a new life in Portugal a reality…
Some were drawn by the low costs… by the climate… the lifestyle… others thought retirement in Europe was way out of reach until they analyzed the data in our annual Overseas Retirement Index and realized that Portugal is in fact one of the very best options for a move abroad—thanks, in part, to its excellent health care, easy residency options, and affordable cost of living.
Some are keeping one foot in the U.S. while the kids finish school… some have rented out their place back home but are committed to Portugal full-time… some have moved here lock, stock, and barrel…
All of them have found what they were looking for and a whole lot more besides and they’re sharing their stories with those gathered in the room here this morning.
And while amongst them they’ve found a lower cost of living, homes steps from the beach, language lessons at the local bakery, and the joys of car-free living it’s not all been plain sailing…
Windy weather, crazy drivers, noisy motorbikes, and confusing bureaucracy are among some of their bugbears but they all agree that nothing outweighs the many benefits they’ve found to a new adventure in the Old World.
The fact that the sold-out crowd here all made it back in for our early morning start despite the free-flowing rich local wines at last night’s welcome cocktail party is testament indeed to the expat experts taking to the stage today.
Later, we’ll be exploring some of Portugal’s best places to call home,—including the coastal city of Setúbal and the country’s lush, culture-rich north—learning about tax requirements, banking options, real estate, and more.
We’ll also be getting the inside track on information and opportunities key for those considering a move abroad—not just to Portugal but anywhere—
including how cybercriminals use AI to lure real estate investors into mis-sending money and how to legally build a monthly income stream using dollars you would otherwise pay out to federal and state taxes.
And there’s more to come tomorrow, with language lessons, moving your pet, shipping your goods, and the chance to get your every Portugal question answered with our Q&A session all on the jam-packed schedule. If you want to take part and put your own Portugal queries to our expert panel then here’s your chance.
Sincerely,
Victoria Harmer
Editor, Overseas Opportunity Letter
