What considerations should you do before going?
When moving abroad, there are several practical things that you should get sorted before leaving. If you are moving abroad with the intention of living and working in the city, it can be a good idea to get this sorted, before you get there. In Lisbon there are many great work opportunities, which you beneficially can explore beforehand and potentially secure a job before arriving.
In connection to the recent economic development in Lisbon, you will see many international companies who offer position in your native language, in an outsourced customer service department for instance. If you get a job before you arrive in Portugal, you are already well on your way to become part of the Portuguese system. You have to make sure, that you get a NIF-number in Portugal, as this is considered a National-ID / Personal ID number. You can get this with the help of your employer, go to the local tax office or a local department of a Citizen Shop. To get your NIF-Number, you need to have an employment contract, picture-id og documentation that you have a residence in Portugal. Your NIF-number is important for various reasons, as you will need it to open a bank account, pay taxes or even buy a car - Therefore, we advice you to get this done ASAP!
After the NIF-number you will need a Certificado do Registo de Cidadão da União Europeia, better known as a CRUE-Certificate, which you need within the first 3 months of arriving to Portugal. To get the certificate, you have to bring your passport, hiring contract and your NIF-Number to the town hall (Câmara Municipal), where they can issue a CRUE-Certificate.
What job opportunities can you find in Lisbon?
In connection to Lisbons increase in popularity for international companies and entrepreneurs, many exciting opportunities have risen in international environments. This means that it is both possible for you, who are looking to have a gap-year abroad after finishing highschool and you who are looking for new career opportunities outside your own country. Many of the bigger companies offer English speaking positions where you competencies are more important than your language skills. It can be a good idea to contact a recruitment agency, that can help you through the process of finding a job in Portugal.
It can be a good idea both to get an entry to the many opportunities as well as having somebody to spare with and who can guide you when picking your next employer. In Exodius we have been working with different international organisations for more than 2 years, where we have helped more than 150 European to Lisbon with the purpose of finding new options in the international market.
How do you find an apartment?
Finding an apartment in Lisbon is, generally speaking, easy - but as with most of the European capitals, there is a general increase in the prices of the rentals in the inner city. That means that it might take a while to find the right apartment, that ticks all your boxes - especially for a reasonable price. There are great possibilities to find residence in the area outside of Lisbon city in the municipality of Lisboa for approximate 400€ monthly.
Lisbon have an okay infrastructure, meaning that you with relative ease can get commute with public transportation. Therefore we highly advice to get a monthly card for 40€, which can give some air in the budget as you will have unlimited travel opportunities in all of Lisboa. This card can be used for the metro, busses and trains but also the ferries sailing through the canals outside of Lisbon city centre.
For apartments we recommend looking at uniplaces.com and idealista.pt
Activities and experiences in Portugal.
The warm climate in Lisbon gives a great opportunity to experience the outdoors all year. Hereby an active lifestyle is part of many of the people living in and around Lisbon, where you amongst other can do hiking and surfing!
The coastline in Portugal are filled with beautiful beaches with tall waves, which makes it attractive both for the surfer and those who want to use this as a get-away from the city. We recommend you to check out the beaches around Costa de Caparica or the beaches around Cascais or Estoril. From Lisbon city centre it only takes around 30 minutes with public transportation till you get to the beach!
If you’d like to learn how to surf, there are plenty of private teachers and communities that offer lessons and rent out surfing equipment. Are you interested in getting to feel the earth beneath you, then a walk in Sintra. Here you’ll find yourself surrounded by fantastic nature and historical buildings, that can give a brief intro to the Portuguese history. No matter where you find yourself in Lisbon, you will be welcomed by the Southern European vibe, see unique architecture and the colorfull buildings that throughout time, has become Lisbons trademark
