Latest news and stories about expat finances in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Observador reports that over the past decade foreign taxpayers in Portugal have become younger and increasingly receive family benefits, with concentrations now in the Lisbon, Faro and Setúbal districts. The shift affects benefit patterns and local public-service demand in those regions. Those advising immigrant households or working in local administrations should note the changing demographic and benefit profile.
Economist Ricardo Reis predicts that inflation will peak between 3% and 3.5% following his participation in the ECB Forum in Sintra.
ECB President Christine Lagarde defends recent interest rate hikes as a necessary response to rising inflation, while global economic experts gather in Sintra to discuss monetary policy challenges.
This Tuesday features key economic updates including INE's June inflation estimates, the deadline for IRS tax filings, and the second day of the European Central Bank's annual forum in Sintra.
The Tax Authority has issued a warning that renting out a primary residence before selling it can disqualify homeowners from capital gains tax exemptions, regardless of their registered tax address.
Lisbon has joined major European cities like Barcelona and Milan in rolling back tax incentives for digital nomads and restricting short-term rentals to address severe housing shortages and market saturation.
A BPI Vida e Pensões study reveals that while 63.3% of Portuguese citizens save for short-term emergencies, only 22.1% prioritize retirement planning, highlighting a significant gap in long-term financial security amid rising life expectancy.
An analytical look at the financial pressures of childcare costs in the UK, prompting a family to weigh the trade-offs of a significant salary reduction in exchange for a better work-life balance in Portugal.
European stock markets and the euro are experiencing declines as oil prices surge due to escalating conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Iran. US oil prices rose by 8% to $72.40 per barrel, while Brent crude increased by 8.8% to $79.30 per barrel. Natural gas futures in Europe saw a significant rise of over 40% following a production halt by Qatar. Gold prices also increased by 1.2% as investors sought safer assets amid uncertainty. Wall Street opened lower, with the Dow Jones down 0.70%, the Nasdaq down 0.58%, and the S&P 500 down 1.09%. In Europe, while the Lisbon stock exchange remained relatively stable, major markets like Madrid, Frankfurt, Paris, and London faced notable declines. The euro fell to $1.1703, down from $1.1817, and also weakened against the pound and yen.
Portugal is seeking to enhance its appeal to Middle Eastern investors, particularly from Qatar, by shifting its marketing strategy beyond just its favorable climate. In Doha, representatives from Startup Portugal are engaging with local entrepreneurs to promote investment opportunities in the country.
Reported house prices rose 16% year‑on‑year, but the data provided appears inconsistent: the body states prices reached €2,111 per square metre in Q3 last year, while the headline claims €5,000 per square metre in Lisbon. This likely reflects different measures or geographies (national average vs Lisbon city centre, asking vs transaction prices). Verify source breakdowns and timing; implications include tighter affordability, stronger expat/investor demand in Lisbon, and amplified regional divergence in the housing market.
The chief executive of Caixa Geral de Depósitos anticipates a decline in lending activity following the implementation of new regulatory requirements by the central bank.
Home loans increased by 42% year-on-year. In the first half of the year, the state-owned bank granted 2.5 billion euros to young people with state guarantees and paid 1.33 billion euros to the state in dividends and corporate income tax. During the results presentation in Lisbon, CEO Paulo Macedo highlighted the bank's best-ever semester, with profits rising 2.2% to 913 million euros. The bank also noted a significant increase in home loan approvals, which reached 740 million euros in June alone, a figure described as a historic milestone.
Bárbara Barroso discusses the financial habits of the Portuguese population, noting a persistent preference for saving over investing.
The country manager for Trade Republic outlines the company's goal to become the leading bank in Portugal within five years, noting that the firm has already established a local branch and provides national IBANs.
MSH, a company specialising in international health insurance and social protection solutions under Diot-Siaci, the largest French insurance brokerage group, has announced the opening of its first offices on the Iberian Peninsula, with operations in Lisbon and Madrid, as part of its expansion strategy in Southern Europe, reports the News Assurance website.
In her opening speech at the ECB Forum in Sintra, Christine Lagarde guarantees that the European economy is more resilient to shocks and, therefore, any “adjustments” to interest rates will be “measured”.
The president of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, rejected this Monday that the 25 basis point interest rate hike at the institution's last meeting served as a “safety” measure, justifying that keeping rates constant would have left inflation above 2% next year and in 2028. “There were those who characterized the...
The President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, believes that monetary policy has entered a new phase, returning to the “essentials”, after the response to crises over the last decade and a half involved the use of unconventional instruments, such as debt purchasing. “In the last 15 years, a context of extraordinary pressures required responses...
The ECB raised rates this month, which had not happened in three years. The trajectory until the end of the year will depend on the evolution of the war in the Middle East, but markets anticipate another increase.
An entrepreneur chooses to move capital away from high-yield Brazilian investments to focus on the Portuguese startup ecosystem.
The Minister of Finance stated this Friday, June 19, that the Government will “move forward shortly” with the reform of tax justice, specifically with a review of tax rates. During a speech at the Franco-Portuguese Economic Conference in Lisbon, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento highlighted necessary measures to address the country's main constraints, namely in human capital, bureaucracy, and the labour market. Regarding fiscal simplification, he indicated that the reform of tax justice and tax litigation will proceed shortly, including a review of rates. Furthermore, he highlighted the reform of the State to “extinguish and reduce the number of entities, but above all to combat bureaucracy, and in those entities where” there is “perfect awareness that they are a bureaucratic problem, such as the APA [Portuguese Environment Agency], ICNF [Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests], IRN [Institute of Registries and Notaries], and CCDR [Commission for Coordination and Regional Development].” The minister also signalled the need to continue reducing marginal IRS (personal income tax) and IRC (corporate income tax) rates, noting that even though they are no longer the highest in the OECD, they are “still quite high.” For this year, Miranda Sarmento emphasized that, “despite all the difficulties,” it will be possible to achieve “growth of around 2% of GDP, well above the Eurozone average,” a balanced budget, and continued reduction of public debt. At this conference, focused on relations between Portugal and France, the minister listed examples of investments in Portugal, such as BNP Paribas and Natixis, projects which, as a whole, “are critical to the Portuguese economy.” The banking sector is “another success story,” he added, pointing out that “15 years ago the banks were in a very difficult situation; today they are resilient, well-capitalised, profitable, and proof of this was the purchase of Novo Banco by BPCE.” Miranda Sarmento: tax revenue shows that Portugal is doing better than people say. IRS and IRC reductions “are to be implemented,” guarantees the Secretary of State for the Budget.
The Minister of Finance reaffirmed this Monday the Government's intention to lower income tax (IRS) again, stating that a reduction in 2027 will only be decided after reviewing the performance of the economy and public accounts. During a conference in Lisbon, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said that it is important to continue reducing...
The price of gold and silver recorded a drop of more than 2%, reaching new lows since mid-March, affected by the strengthening of the dollar and expectations of interest rate hikes. According to Bloomberg data, at 9:30 am in Lisbon, the troy ounce of gold was down 2.21% and was trading at 4,166.9...
In a study comparing 37 European capitals based on daily expenses and average net salaries, Lisbon emerges as the least affordable capital. For those living alone, expenses exceed 127% of the average salary in 2026.
The leader of Chega also proposes a maximum pension cap of 4,500 euros.
The Portuguese central bank suggests lowering the maximum effort rate allowed for housing credit applications to 45%.
Álvaro Santos Pereira stated that the banking regulator and supervisor will propose reducing the debt-to-income ratio from 50% to 45%.
There is significant frustration among US citizens regarding recent changes to the Nationality Law, which have now come into effect. Filipa Pinto Carvalho, co-founder of RedBridge Lisbon, notes that these changes may deter American investment, as the waiting period for nationality for non-Portuguese speaking investors has doubled from five to ten years. While the government, represented by Minister António Leitão Amaro, argues that investors were misled by consultants, several law firms are preparing legal challenges against the new legislation.
Changes to the Nationality Law have been a factor slowing down investment decisions from the US, admits RedBridge Lisbon co-founder Filipa Pinto Carvalho in an interview with Lusa. Created four years ago, RedBridge is a community of entrepreneurs, professionals, and investors that is consolidating itself as a platform...
