Make the Algarve your home
Information to help with your move to the Algarve
There is no place like home; What if you decided to make the Algarve yours?
For many, making such a move would be a dream come true. With its great weather, fabulous beaches, luxury properties and a relaxed lifestyle, the Algarve appears to have it all.
Your first task is probably going to involve looking for a property to buy or rent. There certainly is a lot of choice and with prices currently favourable it has become more attractive than ever to buy your own slice of heaven.
Compared to other countries, most properties in the Algarve are generously proportioned and usually have outdoor space either private or communal. There are many residents who only live in their property part of the year and for others it is a second home that they rent out when they are not there on holidays. There are signidicant tax benefits to being a Non-Habitual Resident in Portugal - expert financial advisors such as Blevins Franks can guide you through it all.
Being on a direct flight path to various countries also makes the Algarve highly accessible as a destination. The increasing quality of services combined with fabulous beach life is making it ever more attractive as a kind of "California of Europe".
As more northern Europeans settle in the Algarve there are many familiar products and facilities available here. There are a good range of supermarkets selling international products, shopping centres, bars and pubs of all different types to cater for this large expat community.
For foreign nationals, the Consulates based in the Algarve are present to advise on matters to do with passports, visas and other diplomatic and legal issues.
While you are navigating legal matters and getting to know the ins and outs of becoming a resident it will be helpful to know some Portuguese. In general you will be rewarded for making the effort and certainly you will find it helps you feel more at home.
With many retirees there has also been quite a bit of attention on health and wellbeing facilities with the result that the Algarve has excellent medical care practicing with the very latest technology. As with many businesses in this region there are also multi-lingual professionals around making consultations very easy for new expats.
Tourism forms by far the largest employment sector. There are quite a number of small family-run businesses that form the fabric of community life in the Algarve. While there are already a large number of gardeners and home improvement companies with specialist knowledge of the area, niche companies are still fairly under developed here and there are still plenty of opportunities for those with a head for business.
It is also worth checking out some of our handy information such as safety in the Algarve and links to financial services.
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