Portugal offers high standards in quality of life. Reduced living costs, security, cleanliness, great food and the friendly approach of the Portuguese people are the main reasons why foreigners are choosing Portugal to live, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. After deciding to move and live in Portugal or buying a second home, you need to spend some time learning about what is involved. But first things first: you’ll need to find a home.

After more than 10 years contributing to the real estate and national economy growth, the golden visa regime in Portugal is coming to an end.

Thinking of a staycation in Portugal this year, then a road trip should be on the cards as Portugal takes the top spot in Europe.

This is according to the latest 2020 Global Peace Index (GPI), by the Institute for Economics & Peace, which compiles the 'ranking' of the world’s safest countries. Portugal’s Ministry of Home Affairs has said it is happy with the results. Portugal is the third safest country in the world to live and work according to the Global Peace Index. Portugal appears in third position, after Iceland and New Zealand. In 2014, Portugal ranked eighteenth on the Index, having climbed to third position in 2019.

Any expected fall in the Portuguese real estate market has not yet occurred, with prices in Portugal instead rising 5.9 percent in 2020. House prices rose 5.9 percent, reaching €2,147 per square metre (m2). In relation to the quarterly variation, the increase was 2.7 percent in the last quarter of the year, according to the price index from Idealista. In the third, second and first quarters, prices had grown by 1 percent, 0.5 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.