We Left the UK for Portugal in 2026: Our Honest One-Year Review

James and Sarah relocated from London to Lisbon in January 2026 with their two children, aged 8 and 11. This is their story, shared with their permission.

Why We Decided to Leave the UK

We had been talking about it for years. London was expensive, grey, and exhausting. After James's company went fully remote in 2024, the last excuse disappeared. We both worked online — James in software consulting, Sarah in medical writing — and our children were still young enough to adapt. The only question was where.

Portugal kept coming up. Everyone we knew who had moved there said the same thing: "We wish we had done it sooner." So in September 2025, we booked a two-week research trip to Lisbon. By November, we had applied for the D8 Digital Nomad Visa. By January 2026, we were carrying suitcases through Humberto Delgado Airport.

The Visa Process: What Nobody Tells You

We applied for the D8 Digital Nomad Visa, which requires proof of at least €3,480/month combined income from a foreign source. James earns well above that, so qualifying was straightforward. The paperwork, however, was not.

The documents required included:

• 3 months of bank statements (certified)
• Employment contract or, for self-employed applicants like Sarah, a list of clients and recent invoices
• Proof of accommodation in Portugal (we used a 1-year rental contract)
• Criminal background check (UK DBS, apostilled)
• Travel insurance covering repatriation
• NIF (Portuguese tax number) — we got this remotely through a fiscal representative service for €150

The Portuguese consulate in London processed our applications in 11 weeks. We were told to expect 12–16 weeks, so we were pleasantly surprised. The biggest advice we can give: get your documents certified and apostilled before you submit, not after a rejection.

The First Month: More Chaotic Than We Expected

Nobody warns you that arriving in January means estate agents are on holiday, schools have waiting lists, and the SEF (now AIMA — the immigration authority) appointment for biometrics was scheduled for 6 weeks after our arrival. We lived in an Airbnb for the first three weeks while our rental was sorted.

The Portuguese bureaucracy is real. Opening a local bank account required our NIF, our rental contract, and an in-person appointment. The branch we chose spoke limited English, which felt shocking after London. We downloaded Google Translate and got through it.

Schools: Better Than We Feared

Our biggest worry was the children. Ellie (11) and Marcus (8) speak no Portuguese. We enrolled them in an international school for the first year — costing €900/month per child — which was painful but necessary. By month four, Marcus was playing football with neighbourhood kids and mixing Portuguese words into his sentences naturally. Ellie took longer but by summer 2026 was conversational.

For families considering the move: the Lisbon international school scene is large and competitive. Apply 6+ months before arrival. We put deposits on two schools while still in the UK, which felt excessive at the time but proved wise — one spot fell through.

Cost of Living: The Numbers After One Year

Here is what we actually spent monthly in Lisbon in 2026, as a family of four:

Category	Monthly Cost (EUR)
Rent (3-bed apartment, Príncipe Real)	€2,400
Schools (2 children, international)	€1,800
Groceries	€600
Dining out (2–3x/week)	€400
Transport (no car — Metro + Uber)	€150
Health insurance	€320
Utilities + internet	€180
Entertainment / activities	€300
Total	€6,150/month

In London, our equivalent lifestyle cost around £9,800/month (~€11,500). We are saving roughly €5,000/month more than we did in London — while living in a sunnier, more beautiful city.

The Unexpected Things Nobody Mentions

The saudade is real. The Portuguese concept of nostalgic longing affects expats too. We missed Sunday roasts, our friends, the BBC, and oddly — the London grey that we spent years complaining about.

Healthcare surprised us. Portugal's public health system is technically free for residents, but waiting times for specialists are long. We use a private clinician (€80/appointment) for most things and find it faster than the NHS ever was.

The food is extraordinary. Pastéis de nata for breakfast, grilled fish for €8 at a local tasca, and wine cheaper than juice. This alone added to our quality of life measurably.

The community is huge. There are more British expats in Lisbon than we imagined. Facebook groups like "British Expats in Lisbon" have 12,000+ members. It made settling in infinitely easier.

Would We Do It Again?

Without hesitation: yes.

The first three months were genuinely hard. The bureaucracy, the language barrier, the children's adjustment, the logistical chaos of moving a family across countries — all of it was real and difficult. But by month six, we had a routine. By month twelve, Portugal felt like home.

If you are sitting in a grey British office reading this and wondering if it is worth it — it is. The key is planning. Start the visa process early, get the school deposits down before you arrive, and give yourself 3–6 months to feel settled.

Our Advice for British Families Considering Portugal in 2026

1. Apply for the D8 visa at least 4 months before your target move date
2. Get your NIF number before you arrive — use a fiscal representative service online
3. Research schools thoroughly and apply to multiple — waitlists are real
4. Join the British expat Facebook groups before you land — the advice is invaluable
5. Budget for a 3-month "chaos period" where costs will be higher than normal
6. Learn basic Portuguese — even 50 words of effort earns enormous goodwill from locals

If you want to explore your own Portugal visa options, check out our Visa Checker tool or read our full Relocation Advice guides.