Five Big Things that Have Changed Since I Moved to Portugal

The recent changes in the nationalization laws here in Portugal have many people up in arms and to some extent, rightfully so. Many people chose to move to Portugal because it had a faster path to citizenship than other countries. I can’t say it was a large factor in my decision to move to Portugal, though the idea of getting citizenship and thus, an EU passport was a definite benefit. I just wasn’t aware that only five years of residency to qualify for citizenship was a short time period. It wasn’t on my radar. I was moving to Portugal as a long-term resident and citizenship was a far-off idea.

The laws, and at a lower level, rules or requirements change, sometimes due to political pressure, sometimes due to practicalities and market pressure. Or even, sometimes with the lofty goal of streamlining processes. Anytime you make changes, there are disruptions and a transition period while everyone gets used to the new system. It’s part of the deal.

I have lived in Portugal for a little over five years and many things have changed, big and little, for better or worse.

Here are five of the big things.