Britons planning on moving to Portugal have been told to prepare for a lengthy waiting process to complete the most common tasks.
An expat in Portugal said that despite people warning her, she could not have been prepared for how long things take.
Speaking on YouTube, Christina said: “It can be a little maddening if I am being honest. People tell you the bureaucracy, any common thing is going to take twice as long, three times as long.
“Something as simple as getting a resident card. You follow the rules and do everything right and something that should take 30 to 90 days, ends up taking six months. You just have to wait.”
She explained that the bureaucratic process of moving abroad varies depending on who you speak to.
The expat said: “One colleague may have one way of doing it and another colleague has a different way of doing it. Depending on who you get and what mood they are in, you might not get an answer, so it can be maddening.
“The Portuguese are laidback, friendly, calm and it is just part of the process. Learn your Portuguese patience.”
Christina added once this is overcome it can be a fantastic place for individuals to live, as long as you do your research and move to the right area.
“We moved to an area with great public transportation, excellent healthcare facilities and I wanted convenience such as a shopping centre and things we might need,” said the expat.
Christina explained that she and her husband visited 16 cities after doing an extensive scouting trip and settled on Coimbra.
“Coimbra is particularly good because it is a big university town so I think they put a lot of money into creating great cultural events, music and public transportation,” explained the expat.
“It has Portuguese speakers but most people will speak English, at least a little bit.
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She encouraged individuals to get out of their comfort zone when moving abroad and try to meet expats going through a similar experience.
Christina said: “It’s a new language, new culture. If you want to meet people you have to put yourself out there.
“There are a lot of meetups which take place in Coimbra. A huge English-speaking group of people get together pretty regularly.”
