Moving from the US to Portugal? Start with numbers that are actually true.
Most advice about retiring abroad was written before the rules changed — and the rules changed a lot. Portugal ended its pension tax break, moved citizenship from 5 years to 10, and since May 2026 charges non-resident buyers a flat 7.5% purchase tax on a home. We track the primary sources and stamp every number with the date we verified it.
Free tools
D7 Visa Eligibility Calculator
The 2026 income thresholds (€920/month base), family math, and the savings amount consulates actually want to see.
Medicare Part B: Keep or Drop?
Medicare doesn't cover you in Portugal. This calculates the real cost of keeping Part B versus the permanent penalty for dropping it.
Citizenship Clock
The new 10-year rule, what counts, and your realistic earliest naturalization date under Lei Orgânica 1/2026.
Pet-to-Portugal Timeline
Enter your flight date; get every USDA/EU paperwork deadline — including the 48-hour Portugal notice rule most guides miss.
Consulate Wait-Time Tracker
Real processing times by US consulate — 2025 baselines plus live community reports.
Start here
Does Medicare cover you in Portugal?
No — and the Part B decision you make on the way out follows you for the rest of your life. What the SNS and private cover really cost at 55, 60, 65 and 70.
The 7.5% purchase tax on non-residents
A flat 7.5% IMT on residential property for non-resident buyers, already in force since May 2026 — plus the two documented ways to recover the difference.
Portugal ended NHR — what you pay now
NHR is closed and its replacement excludes retirees. What a US pension and US Social Security each cost you now, and why the treaty treats them differently.
Portuguese citizenship now takes 10 years
Who the 2026 law actually affects, what still counts toward the clock, and what to do if you were counting on five years.
D7 vs D8: which visa fits you
The two routes most Americans choose between, the income each really demands, and the trap hidden in each one.
The real cost of living for a US retired couple
Itemised for 2026, with sources: rent, health cover, utilities, food, transport and the line items other budgets leave out.
Places we have measured
One page per town, with the same ten measurements every time — and an honest verdict on who it is wrong for.
Tavira
Flat streets, €850–1,150 for two bedrooms, and a 28-minute drive to the nearest emergency room — which is the catch.
The Portugal Exit Kit — our $49 product
The 12-month checklist plan with every number verified and dated, and free updates every time the law changes. What's inside →
Get the changes before they cost you money
One email when a rule that affects your move actually changes — thresholds, tax, citizenship, deadlines. No weekly newsletter padding.