Moving to Portugal

collywolly1990 · 21-10-2025 07:05PM #1

Hi. First time poster here.

I've been offered a job in Portugal and am interested to get any feedback from anyone who's either moved there from Ireland or is considering it too.

My situation is that I'm in full-time employment in Ireland earning circa €300k (includes pension) and I'd be moving to a full time position there earning circa €200k (with no pension). My current employer won't allow me to take a leave of absence so I'd be walking away completely from that job forever, unfortunately.

Aside from the pay cut, I don't seen any major down side. Any input welcome.

Fysh · 22-10-2025 07:16AM

Do you have any existing connections to Portugal like family/friends already living there? Have you lived there previously? Do you speak the language at all?

If not, I'd encourage you to give a lot of thought to all the assumptions you might be making about what living there is like - living in a place is very different to going there on holiday.

There's likely to be a significant cost of living difference in your favour, which may cause tension with the locals you'd want to integrate with if you're going to be there for a while. Depending on where you go, you may find it difficult to get by without at least some Portuguese - not just socially but also in terms of state bureaucracy.

Obviously the answers to the above depend on whether you're viewing this as something to do for a couple of years or a more long-term move. I'm not trying to dissuade you from doing it, just trying to give you ideas of some things that you should factor into your plans.

Agent_47 · 22-10-2025 07:28AM

I’d be talking to a tax advisor firstly and seeing what the net income would be after tax, and what tax incentives are available for pension and tax reduction.

Presumably you would be based in or near Lisbon, which has high prices for property rentals and purchase. Certainly a cheaper cost of living and better weather, perhaps better quality of life as well. Good luck with your decision.

Peregrinus · 22-10-2025 07:35AM

I'm asssuming that you have no spouse or dependents, since you don't mention them as a factor in your decision. (Obviously, if you do, We Need To Talk About That.)

Given that there's a substantial pay cut involved, I do have to wonder why you are considering making the move. More interesting, or less stressful, work? You fancy living in a Mediterranean climate? Escaping your creditors? A romantic partner in Portugal that you want to be with? Something else? It's relevant because "major downsides" includes the risk that your hope or ambitions for this move might not be borne out. That's a risk we can't assess or comment on if we don't know what your hopes or ambitions are.