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Guides

Guides

Comprehensive practical guides for living in Portugal. Taxes (IFICI/NHR), visas (D7, D8, Golden Visa), healthcare (SNS + private), housing, banking, bureaucracy, and daily life essentials for expats.

Property Tax in Portugal in 2026: A Practical Guide to IMI, AIMI, IMT, the May Payment Calendar and the Capital-Gains Treatment for Residents and Foreign Owners

Property Tax in Portugal in 2026: A Practical Guide to IMI, AIMI, IMT, the May Payment Calendar and the Capital-Gains Treatment for Residents and Foreign Owners

Owning property in Portugal in 2026 means tracking IMI, AIMI, IMT and capital-gains lines across one cadastral parcel. This guide walks the OE 2026 brackets — IMT exemption to €106,346 (€330,539 IMT Jovem), AIMI €600k / €1.2M thresholds, IMI 0.3-0.45% urban — and the May–Nov payment calendar.
The Portugal Brief
Pharmacies in Portugal in 2026 — The Receita Sem Papel Codes, the Farmácia de Serviço Rotation, the Farmácias Portuguesas Saúda Card, App da Farmácia Home Delivery, and a Practical Guide for Foreign Residents Across the Counter

Pharmacies in Portugal in 2026 — The Receita Sem Papel Codes, the Farmácia de Serviço Rotation, the Farmácias Portuguesas Saúda Card, App da Farmácia Home Delivery, and a Practical Guide for Foreign Residents Across the Counter

Portugal has 2,920 community pharmacies, the Receita Sem Papel system runs every prescription through three SMS codes, the Farmácia de Serviço rotation keeps one open in every freguesia, and a fresh Greater Porto delivery app launched on 1 May. The practical 2026 guide for foreign residents.
The Portugal Brief
Visiting Fátima in 2026 — The Six Anniversary Pilgrimages, the May 12-13 International Edition, the Cova da Iria Programme, the Caminho Routes from Lisboa and Porto, and a Practical Visitor Guide for Expats

Visiting Fátima in 2026 — The Six Anniversary Pilgrimages, the May 12-13 International Edition, the Cova da Iria Programme, the Caminho Routes from Lisboa and Porto, and a Practical Visitor Guide for Expats

Fátima draws six million visitors a year and six monthly Anniversary Pilgrimages between May and October, anchored on 13 May and 13 October. This is the practical 2026 visitor guide — the programme, the Caminho walking routes, the Cova da Iria layout and the Sanctuary etiquette.
The Portugal Brief
Recognition of a Foreign Academic Degree in Portugal in 2026 — The Three Routes (Automático, Nível, Específico), the New IES Platform, the €32.20 Fee, and How Foreign-Educated Residents Get Their Diploma Across the Counter

Recognition of a Foreign Academic Degree in Portugal in 2026 — The Three Routes (Automático, Nível, Específico), the New IES Platform, the €32.20 Fee, and How Foreign-Educated Residents Get Their Diploma Across the Counter

Portugal recognises a foreign degree through three routes: Automático (€32.20, 30 days, fixed list), de Nível (90 days, all countries), or Específico (90 days, course-specific). DGES handed the file to the new IES, I.P. in March 2026; the professional orders run a separate inscription on top.
The Portugal Brief
Importing a Car to Portugal in 2026 — The Transferência de Residência ISV Exemption, the DAV Customs Declaration, the Modelo 112 Inspection, the IMT Homologation, and What the Process Actually Costs

Importing a Car to Portugal in 2026 — The Transferência de Residência ISV Exemption, the DAV Customs Declaration, the Modelo 112 Inspection, the IMT Homologation, and What the Process Actually Costs

Bringing a car when you move to Portugal can be tax-free under the transferência de residência exemption — six months abroad, six months ownership, a 12-month application window, and a 12-month sale ban. Outside that, ISV plus legalisation runs €750 to €10,000-plus. The procedure walked end to end.
The Portugal Brief