Part of the Urbanis ecosystem Relocation

One relationship guides your move to Portugal.

Urbanis coordinates visas, home search, legal support, interior design and property management in Portugal, through one dedicated team and a single point of contact.

Own a home in Portugal and live abroad? See how we sell or rent it out. Helping families move from
Israel United Kingdom United States France Germany Brazil
  • AMI 24596
  • Porto-based team
  • English, Portuguese, French and Spanish
Our ecosystem

One team, every step.

Instead of talking to several separate companies, you have one team that coordinates everything, from visa to keys.

How we work

One team plans your move, and one person stays your contact from start to finish.

Every move follows the same steps, adapted to your family and your timeline.

Dedicated expertise

A multidisciplinary team (legal, real estate, interior design, property management, finance) working solely for your interests.

A plan for your case

No generic plans. Every step is built around your specific goals.

Every step in one place

From the big strategy to the smallest detail, managed under one roof.

One point of contact

One person keeps you updated at every step.

Why move to Portugal with Urbanis

A fragmented move becomes one guided process.

Moving to Portugal usually means separate conversations with immigration lawyers, banks, rental agents, insurers and schools, each on its own timeline. Urbanis brings these steps under one relationship. A dedicated team maps the route, coordinates every professional involved, and keeps you informed at every stage.

Moving from France

What changes when you move from France.

As EU citizens, French families need no visa, but a few formalities matter. Each one below links to its official source, and our team is here to help you through them. The same support applies if you are moving from elsewhere in Europe or from the United States.

01

Registering as an EU citizen

EU citizens need no visa. If you stay more than three months, register at the Câmara Municipal where you live within 30 days after the third month to get the EU registration certificate. After five years you can apply to AIMA for permanent residence.

Source: AIMA

02

Healthcare with the S1 form

If your only pension is French, ask your French pension fund (CNAV for the general scheme) for the S1 form. It gives you access to the Portuguese public health service (SNS). The European health insurance card only covers unexpected care on short stays.

Source: ameli.fr

03

Taxes

France and Portugal have a tax treaty dating from 1971. You become a Portuguese tax resident after more than 183 days in any 12-month period, or if you keep a home here as your habitual residence. The NHR regime closed to new applicants in 2024; IFICI, which replaced it, applies to certain qualified jobs and research and does not cover pensions.

Sources: tax treaty (BOFiP) · residence (CIRS, art. 16) · IFICI (Portal das Finanças)

04

Your driving license

A French license stays valid in Portugal until it expires. Once you settle, register it with the IMT within 60 days. A license with no expiry date must be exchanged within two years.

Source: IMT

05

French schooling in Porto

The Lycée Français International de Porto is part of the AEFE network and teaches the French curriculum from age 3 to the baccalauréat.

Source: AEFE

06

Your French pension

Your pension can be paid into a Portuguese bank account. Give each pension fund your new address and bank details, and keep your French account until the first payments arrive.

Source: service-public.gouv.fr

Talk to our team
Our moving packages

Packages, or exactly what you need.

Full packages built around your move, or individual services on their own.

Tailored proposal

Relocation, Investment & Buying

Residential purchase and investment strategy, under one roof

Custom pricing
1st consultation: free, no obligation
  • Everything in Relocation & Renting
  • VIP home finding and buying process guidance
  • Bureaucracy guidance (NIF / NISS where applicable)
  • Introductions to trusted banker and accountant
  • Strategic investment planning and ROI analysis
Get a tailored proposal
À la carte

Flexible advisory menu

Pick exactly what you need

Per service
1st consultation: free, no obligation
  • Visa D7, D8 or D2 guidance
  • NIF, NISS and bank account guidance
  • Marriage, status update or estate planning guidance
  • Home finding, rental or utilities guidance
  • Any single service, on its own
Get a price quote
Our professional network

Direct access to trusted experts.

Partners Urbanis has chosen and works with.

Banking partners

Priority account opening and expat-friendly solutions.

Millennium BCP · ActivoBank · Novo Banco

Legal advisors

Immigration, contracts, property law, estate planning and will drafting.

Tax & accounting

IFICI and tax-residency guidance, tax planning and financial structuring.

Healthcare providers

Private clinics and international health insurance.

Médis · Multicare

Education consultants

International schools and university guidance.

Real estate experts

Vetted agents, property managers and architects.

Selected partners

How it works

One conversation starts your move.

No chasing separate providers. You speak with Urbanis, and Urbanis coordinates the route from first question to settled life.

01 Discovery We start by understanding your vision and needs, your timeline, budget and what matters most to your move.
02 Strategy Urbanis defines the right visa path, budget and timeline, and assembles your dedicated team.
03 Execution Visas, banking, housing and paperwork move forward together, while your team handles the bureaucracy and the search.
04 Welcome You arrive with the essentials in place, and support continues for as long as you need it.
Start your journey
Tiled building facade with iron balconies
Own a home in Portugal?

Living abroad? We can sell or rent out your property here.

Our real estate team in Porto (AMI 24596) does the work on the ground: valuation, visits, buyers or tenants, contracts and documents.

  • Updates by email and WhatsApp
  • Sign in person or by power of attorney
Questions

Moving to Portugal: your questions.

Straight answers about moving to Portugal with Urbanis.

Ask something else
01Which visas does Urbanis help with?

Guidance for the D7 (passive income), D8 (digital nomad) and D2 (entrepreneur) visas, and for family reunification. Each case is reviewed individually before a route is proposed.

02Do I need to buy property to move to Portugal?

No. Many clients move here by renting first. Urbanis supports both renting and buying, depending on your goals.

03Will I need to work with several different companies to move here?

No. Urbanis handles the move as one coordinated team: visas and immigration, home search or purchase, legal support, interior design and property management. You have a single point of contact throughout, instead of separate conversations with a lawyer, an estate agent, a furniture supplier and a property manager.

04Do I need to be in Portugal in person to buy a property?

No. You can sign in person or through a power of attorney, so someone you trust, often your lawyer, signs on your behalf. It must take the same form as the purchase itself (source: Civil Code, art. 262). A power of attorney issued abroad usually needs an apostille, or consular legalization in the few countries outside the Hague Convention (source: HCCH), plus a certified Portuguese translation. Urbanis prepares this for every client, wherever you are moving from.

05Can Urbanis help before I arrive in Portugal?

Yes. Most of the groundwork (visa guidance, NIF, bank account and home search) starts remotely, before you land.

06What happens after I arrive?

Your team stays available for everyday settling-in support: schooling, healthcare, utilities and ongoing questions.

07How much does help with moving to Portugal cost?

Scope depends on what you need, from a single service to full coordination. Share your situation, and Urbanis will propose a plan for your case.

08How much should I budget to move to Portugal?

Beyond any income requirement tied to your visa, plan for initial costs such as housing deposits, legal fees, NIF/NISS, health insurance and several months of living expenses while you settle in. Urbanis reviews your specific case and gives a realistic estimate.

09How long does the whole process take?

A NIF can be requested free of charge at a tax office or Loja do Cidadão, by appointment, or online through a tax representative in Portugal if you live outside the EU (source: gov.pt). Consulates have 60 days by law to decide a residence visa, and many take longer (source: visa portal); AIMA then has 90 days to decide the residence permit. Plan for at least six months from a first conversation to a settled life, and up to a year when AIMA appointments are slow. Our guide to AIMA processing times explains each stage. Every case is different.

10Does Urbanis help families moving from Brazil?

Yes. Brazilian clients are among the families Urbanis helps move to Portugal, and support covers the details that matter most for a move from Brazil, including driver's license exchange, NIF and NISS registration and tax residency steps, alongside the same visa and settling-in guidance every client receives.

11I'm moving from France. What are the first formalities?

As an EU citizen you need no visa. If you stay more than three months, register at the Câmara Municipal where you live within 30 days after the third month (source: AIMA). If your only pension is French, ask your French pension fund for the S1 form to use the Portuguese public health service (source: ameli.fr). Your French license stays valid until it expires, but you register it with the IMT within 60 days of settling (source: IMT). Our team is here to help with each step.

12Can I sell my property in Portugal without traveling there?

Yes. You can sign a power of attorney so that someone you trust in Portugal, often a lawyer, signs the deed for you. It must take the same form as the sale itself (source: Civil Code, art. 262). From France, you can sign it by appointment at the Portuguese Consulate General in Paris, bringing a draft in Portuguese and the property's tax record, the caderneta predial (source: Consulate General in Paris). The buyer must also receive the energy certificate details before the promissory contract (source: ADENE).

13Can I rent out my property in Portugal while living abroad?

Yes. As a non-resident owner you appoint a tax representative or sign up for the Tax Authority's electronic notifications (source: Portal das Finanças). A long-term lease is reported to the Tax Authority by the end of the month after it starts, with stamp duty of 10% of one month's rent (source: Portal das Finanças). For short-term rental, each municipality now sets its own rules, so the address has to be checked with the Câmara first (source: Decree-Law 76/2024).

14Do I need a visa to live in Portugal?

EU citizens do not: they register at the Câmara Municipal after three months (source: AIMA). From outside the EU, for example from the US or Brazil, you need a residence visa from the Portuguese consulate before you move, usually the D7 (passive income), D8 (remote work) or D2 (business). Consulates have 60 days by law to decide (source: visa portal), and AIMA then decides the residence permit in Portugal. We help you choose the visa and prepare the application.

15Can I live six months in Portugal and six months in my home country?

You can, but your taxes depend on where you are resident. Portugal treats you as tax resident if you spend more than 183 days here in any 12-month period, or if you keep a home here that shows you mean to live in it as your habitual residence (source: CIRS, art. 16). If both countries consider you resident, the tax treaty between them decides; with France it is the 1971 convention (source: BOFiP). Our tax partners look at your case before you set your dates.

16What tax do I pay when I sell my property in Portugal as a non-resident?

Since 2023, non-residents are taxed like residents on a property sale: only 50% of the gain counts, and it is taxed at the progressive rates, set using your total income, including income from abroad (source: Tax Authority circular 20269/2024), (source: CIRS, art. 43). The real amount depends on your purchase price, costs and income, so we work it out with our tax partners before you accept an offer.

Relocation

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