What are the advantages and disadvantages of migrating from Brazil to Portugal? How to escape the pitfalls of “the little land”? Journalists Giuliana Miranda and Álvaro Filho answered these questions in the live “Guide for Brazilians in Portugal”, held last Friday (26), on the profiles of sheet and yes Lisbon message not Instagram.
The tips, aimed at those who intend to live in Portugal, were given by those who live the experience and understand the subject. Giuliana is a correspondent for sheet in Lisbon since 2015, author of the blog Ora Pois and president of the Foreign Press Association in Portugal (AIEP). Álvaro was also a correspondent for this sheet and today she is a reporter for Lisbon message.
The live is part of the special Onde se Fala Português, a partnership with sheet like Public it’s at Lisbon message, vehicles from Portugal. The project brings reports on the daily life and culture of the countries that make up the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
Check below the main tips given by Giuliana and Álvaro in the live “Guide for Brazilians in Portugal”:
1. Anyone who arrives in Portugal with a tourist visa can become regularized after getting a job
Giuliana: Portugal has a device that allows those who arrive irregularly to be regularized later. For example, someone who comes with a tourist visa and gets a job, if he pays everything to Social Security, he can get regularized. This is the traditional way of much of the Brazilian community here. The problem is that having this tool doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
What I say to everyone is that they come regularized, because, at this moment, the SEF (Foreigners and Borders Service), which takes care of this, is full of requests. They still haven’t figured out the people who placed the orders two years ago. During the confinement, they also stopped and this added to the demand that was already dammed up. Anyone who stays here without being regularized has a series of limitations and is more vulnerable to exploitation.
2. Working without being regulated can be a bad idea
Alvaro: There is a market that survives on irregular work. So, he will pay less and he will not give the rights. The person here has to get by and end up accepting this type of work. You will join this regularization queue and it can take a long time.
3. Agreement allows Brazilians in Portugal to have the same rights as natives
Alvaro: There is the so-called Treaty of Porto Seguro (between Brazil and Portugal). With six regular months in Portugal, either as a student or by job invitation, you can request this isonomy. It now has almost all the rights of a Portuguese. You can even vote.
It’s like you took an identity and that’s reciprocal. To take it, you must be over 18 years old. It is a document very similar to the identity card of the Portuguese, which makes it easier to get a job, for example. This is a tip you almost never hear anyone talk about.
4. Regularization in Portugal is just the first step
Giuliana: The visa is just one step in this process. After all, you have to build all your documentation in another country. So, you need the NIF (Tax Identification Number), which is the equivalent of the CPF, and you need the NISS (Social Security Identification Number) and your user number (from the NHS), which is what gives you the right access to public health in Portugal.
5. Agreement enables care for Brazilians in public hospitals in Portugal
Giuliana: There is an agreement called PB4, which is actually called CDAM (Certificate of Right to Medical Assistance), between the Ministry of Health of Brazil and Portugal. It allows Brazilians to be treated normally at the public hospital, as if they were a Portuguese citizen.
Here in Portugal, public health is not always free. There is sometimes something called a user fee. The government subsidizes part of the care and the patient pays a smaller part. Those who do not have this agreement end up having to pay the full amount, which is very high.
Other foreigners do not have this option. It’s an advantage for Brazilians. But only those who are regularized can have the user number. It also ensures that you have access to medications and exams.
6. From a tourist visa to a work visa, don’t be surprised if relationships change
Alvaro: The change can generate another type of relationship with the Portuguese. When you arrive as a tourist, everyone is very welcome, because you are moving the economy. But at work, it’s always a very sensitive topic. When you start fighting for a spot with someone who is from Portugal, this relationship can be a little strained.
7. Living in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, can be very expensive
Alvaro: Lisbon is a very expensive city. It’s not as much as other European cities, but it’s an expensive city, when you compare what you earn as a salary with what you pay as rent, for example. It is very unlikely that you will be able to live alone in Lisbon, even for the Portuguese. Even sharing a house, it’s still expensive.
The minimum wage is €665 (R$4,240.39 on December 1, 2021). A two-bedroom apartment in Lisbon will cost from €700 to €800 and can easily reach €1,000, depending on where you want to live.
Apart from housing, other things are not so expensive. For example, here you can get a pass for all public transport and walk freely. You only pay €30 and you can walk as many times as you like. It’s a fantastic thing.
8. Time passes in a different way in Portuguese life
Alvaro: There is such a thing as “Portugal time”. Things don’t happen in the time we want. The first time I arrived here, I gave someone a WhatsApp and it took them a week to respond. I thought I had made a mistake, an unkindness. A Portuguese friend says, “Don’t come in such a hurry. Remember you are in the Old World.” So, you need to be patient.
9. Solving a cucumber in summer may be impossible
Alvaro: If you have to sort anything out over the summer, you’re lost. In July and August, you don’t find anyone. Fix everything first. It’s like Carnival Tuesday in Brazil. You won’t be able to solve it.
10. Portugal asks for a little more calm with the public service
Giuliana: There is a maxim in Portugal that says “it depends on who serves you”. If you go to the same office in different neighborhoods, you may have different experiences. In one, you may be able to get service; in the other, no. Therefore, it is important that you know exactly what your rights and duties are.
Alvaro: Here, the civil servant always has the impulse to say that he will not do what you are asking. But at the same time, he’s already filling out the documents and doing what you need. Don’t take “no” for an answer, be quiet for a while, which he ends up doing.
11. Bookstores in Portugal keep many riches
Alvaro: Here, this habit of reading is still possible, of seeing these literary cycles, with several releases. So, for those who like it, it’s interesting to spend time in a bookstore, to be able to go through the books. Nobody will be asking anything. They’ll let you sit and read in peace. Most of the bookstores here have cafes, which can also be a good escape from the cold in winter.
12. The “house” wine is always a good choice
Giuliana: Even restaurants that have a simpler face serve good food. Don’t be afraid of those little doors, which we wouldn’t normally go to in Brazil and, here in Portugal, they are true treasures. Try the house wine, which in general is great and super cheap. Here, it’s normal to have wine even at work lunch, okay?! It’s very cultural.
13. Pandemic still imposes small restrictions
Giuliana: Covid-19 cases and deaths increased, but Portugal, at this moment, has less than half of the deaths that it had in the same period last year. The situation is still under control. Fortunately, vaccination here is quite high: the country has 87% of people fully immunized, which is a lot, especially compared to other countries that suffer from it. Feeling of normal life for now. The restrictions that come back now are very small compared to what we’ve already faced here.
Alvaro: We took a step back in distrust. I have seen that what happens here in Portugal (during the pandemic) also happens, two or three months apart, in Brazil. We are in the fourth wave. We went back to wearing a mask, having a certain distance. But this morning, I usually went to the gym, which is the gym. I didn’t notice anything absurd. It’s like a normal day.”
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