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moving
The best thing is to read through many of the posts on this forum including the chit chat section and the property owners section. You will find a wealth of information and opinions about Portugal, the Algarve and Carvoeiro...good and bad and get a feel for the place.
If you decide to come, my advice is to rent for a long period (6 months to 1 year minimum) to see if you like it before committing yourself in terms of property purchase. If you need to work that is another consideration. Do you speak good Portuguese? If not start learning now to make things easier for when you arrive.
Browse away and then if you have any particular queries you can't find in the forum posts, ask and somone is sure to be able to help or give you advice. Best of luck in your decision making.
If you decide to come, my advice is to rent for a long period (6 months to 1 year minimum) to see if you like it before committing yourself in terms of property purchase. If you need to work that is another consideration. Do you speak good Portuguese? If not start learning now to make things easier for when you arrive.
Browse away and then if you have any particular queries you can't find in the forum posts, ask and somone is sure to be able to help or give you advice. Best of luck in your decision making.
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AFKA1
Great advice from Bruxinha.
It all depends on what you want out of your move? Going there to retire is completely different to going out there and having to make a living.
We are buying a villa in Carvoeiro and have had good advice off people on the board, especially Kteee.
We have been planning this for a few years now, and hope to move out to Cvo by early next year.
It all depends on what you want out of your move? Going there to retire is completely different to going out there and having to make a living.
We are buying a villa in Carvoeiro and have had good advice off people on the board, especially Kteee.
We have been planning this for a few years now, and hope to move out to Cvo by early next year.
What type of business are you looking for? What type of companies have you had before. I am not being funny but you say that you are not very "well off" but then say you want to buy a business...if you are not "well off" how will you afford to buy a business? Sorry I am really not being rude, just curious.
In my opinion it is not that easy to find "decent" work here. If you speak very good Portuguese you will have more chance of finding work but be prepared to earn only about 500 to 600 Euros a month (average salary) and quite often the work is seasonal i.e. 6 to 8 months of the year. If you have a family and don't have a lot of back up money to survive for at least several months I personally wouldn't risk it. If you are a single person with no family to worry about ok, you could give it a go. You could be lucky and find something a few months after arriving, depends what skills you have, but it could also take a lot longer. Do loads of homework and research in any case. Best of luck.
In my opinion it is not that easy to find "decent" work here. If you speak very good Portuguese you will have more chance of finding work but be prepared to earn only about 500 to 600 Euros a month (average salary) and quite often the work is seasonal i.e. 6 to 8 months of the year. If you have a family and don't have a lot of back up money to survive for at least several months I personally wouldn't risk it. If you are a single person with no family to worry about ok, you could give it a go. You could be lucky and find something a few months after arriving, depends what skills you have, but it could also take a lot longer. Do loads of homework and research in any case. Best of luck.
If you have enough money to give you a reasonable basic life style, great 
and at most all you need is bit of extra money to enjoy the good things is life,you will love it (been here 17 years).
However if you have to earn a living here forget it, have seen so many people in the situation where they could not even buy their kids a bottle of drink from the supermarket
but still wanted to stay, they get deeper and deeper into debt and then suddenly they disappear. (Another name to add to the long list of runners from the Algarve).
A sad situation we all dream what we want in life but we cannot always have it, it is the same the whole world over, we have to accept the situation and make the best of it.
and at most all you need is bit of extra money to enjoy the good things is life,you will love it (been here 17 years).However if you have to earn a living here forget it, have seen so many people in the situation where they could not even buy their kids a bottle of drink from the supermarket
but still wanted to stay, they get deeper and deeper into debt and then suddenly they disappear. (Another name to add to the long list of runners from the Algarve).A sad situation we all dream what we want in life but we cannot always have it, it is the same the whole world over, we have to accept the situation and make the best of it.
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Thunderbolt
- CVO Master
- Posts: 1025
- Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:16 am
- Location: Carvoeiro
I agree with all Bruxinha and Jaylay have said.
I made the move over here 7 months ago and I love it but I had done my research beforehand.
Depending on what business you want to get in, I would suggest you start looking before you leave. Try the international comapnies if you don't speak portuguese as they are more likely to take you on.
If it's a whole family you are moving, think about it carefully. If you need to relocate children to schools, etc....
The Algarve is a lovely place to live in but it's very different to when you come over on holiday.
I would also suggest moving over in the winter to see if you can hack it when it gets much quieter and a lot of places are closed.
Having given all these words of warning, I certainly do not regret having moved here and I absolutely love it so good luck to you!
I made the move over here 7 months ago and I love it but I had done my research beforehand.
Depending on what business you want to get in, I would suggest you start looking before you leave. Try the international comapnies if you don't speak portuguese as they are more likely to take you on.
If it's a whole family you are moving, think about it carefully. If you need to relocate children to schools, etc....
The Algarve is a lovely place to live in but it's very different to when you come over on holiday.
I would also suggest moving over in the winter to see if you can hack it when it gets much quieter and a lot of places are closed.
Having given all these words of warning, I certainly do not regret having moved here and I absolutely love it so good luck to you!
Hi Digs
I don't know an awful lot about it and don't know of anyone, who has done it but when I was in the UK I was reading a leaflet from the DSS, which said if you want to claim benefits in another EU country, you can, but you must already be signing in the UK before you leave to claim it in another country, and you can only claim for a limited period I also believe and not indefinately. The rules could have changed of course, as I read this a while ago.
I know if you are working here and paying all your "caixa" you would be entitled to claiming if you are laid off etc but a mate told me it isn't worth bothering, as the amount is so small.
I don't know an awful lot about it and don't know of anyone, who has done it but when I was in the UK I was reading a leaflet from the DSS, which said if you want to claim benefits in another EU country, you can, but you must already be signing in the UK before you leave to claim it in another country, and you can only claim for a limited period I also believe and not indefinately. The rules could have changed of course, as I read this a while ago.
I know if you are working here and paying all your "caixa" you would be entitled to claiming if you are laid off etc but a mate told me it isn't worth bothering, as the amount is so small.
Unfortunately, what Jaylay said can be true. I know of a couple, who used up all their money buying a business here and they got stitched up by the people selling it and their legal advice. Then they also had problems with the house they bought. They had to sell the business on and lost a fair bit and now the guy might have to go back to the UK to work, while his wife and kids stay here to sort out the house problems. The family might be spilt up for some time. Not something anyone wants to happen. It really isn't worth coming here on a "wing and a prayer". It is best to have a lot of security behind you and research, research, research.
Don't want tbbr to accuse me of being one of the "negatives" but best to be open and realistic and not give people a load of old blah! Dream BUT plan well!
Don't want tbbr to accuse me of being one of the "negatives" but best to be open and realistic and not give people a load of old blah! Dream BUT plan well!
so you reckon if I emailed the DHSS in Londres, included my NIB No. and demanded £100/week (or whatever’s the going rate) I’d be wasting my time huh?Bruxinha wrote:Hi Digs
I don't know an awful lot about it and don't know of anyone, who has done it but when I was in the UK I was reading a leaflet from the DSS, which said if you want to claim benefits in another EU country, you can, but you must already be signing in the UK before you leave to claim it in another country, and you can only claim for a limited period I also believe and not indefinately. The rules could have changed of course, as I read this a while ago.
I know if you are working here and paying all your "caixa" you would be entitled to claiming if you are laid off etc but a mate told me it isn't worth bothering, as the amount is so small.
I doubt it mate 
Here is the link below for the DWP (was DHSS, then DSS) regarding living abroad and claiming benefits.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/famchil ... abroad.asp
I've copied this bit for you too, as probably the most relevant part:
UK contribution-based JSA in another EEA country
If you are getting UK contribution-based JSA, and you have been registered as available for work, usually for four weeks, at a UK Jobcentre Plus office or Jobcentre, you may be able to carry on getting UK contribution-based JSA for up to three months while you look for work elsewhere in the EEA . But you must have been getting contribution-based JSA before you go abroad.
UK contribution-based JSA is paid by the employment services in the EEA country in which you register for work. Payment is made in local currency at the rate of contribution-based JSA you were paid in the UK, and is authorised on form E303. This form is issued by The Pension Service.
If you can get UK contribution-based JSA in another EEA country, you can get a letter from your Jobcentre Plus office or Jobcentre to help you in registering for work in that country. Give it to the authorities who run the employment services in the other country.
If you can get UK contribution-based JSA in another EEA country and you are going to look for work in any of the following countries, you will also be given form E303:
Hope that is of interest.
Here is the link below for the DWP (was DHSS, then DSS) regarding living abroad and claiming benefits.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/famchil ... abroad.asp
I've copied this bit for you too, as probably the most relevant part:
UK contribution-based JSA in another EEA country
If you are getting UK contribution-based JSA, and you have been registered as available for work, usually for four weeks, at a UK Jobcentre Plus office or Jobcentre, you may be able to carry on getting UK contribution-based JSA for up to three months while you look for work elsewhere in the EEA . But you must have been getting contribution-based JSA before you go abroad.
UK contribution-based JSA is paid by the employment services in the EEA country in which you register for work. Payment is made in local currency at the rate of contribution-based JSA you were paid in the UK, and is authorised on form E303. This form is issued by The Pension Service.
If you can get UK contribution-based JSA in another EEA country, you can get a letter from your Jobcentre Plus office or Jobcentre to help you in registering for work in that country. Give it to the authorities who run the employment services in the other country.
If you can get UK contribution-based JSA in another EEA country and you are going to look for work in any of the following countries, you will also be given form E303:
Hope that is of interest.
Just back from the algarve ( very reluctantly ) and as ever optimistic.
I accept that we may just be fortunate in having met some of those who have made a go of it ( albeit in areas of work totally unconnected to anything they have done before ).
They work very hard during the season ( not bars or restaurants ) and this is the secret of their success. " HARD WORK ".
This enables them to enjoy the Algarve when it is quiet.
Of course they do not earn UK wages but neither is it close to the quoted 6-800 euros/month.
On the other hand we have met those who do bar work with a basic wage of 3 euros/hr plus tips.
So the moral is be flexible, not too choosy, take what ever you can get to start with and LEARN PORTUGUESE.
I accept that we may just be fortunate in having met some of those who have made a go of it ( albeit in areas of work totally unconnected to anything they have done before ).
They work very hard during the season ( not bars or restaurants ) and this is the secret of their success. " HARD WORK ".
This enables them to enjoy the Algarve when it is quiet.
Of course they do not earn UK wages but neither is it close to the quoted 6-800 euros/month.
On the other hand we have met those who do bar work with a basic wage of 3 euros/hr plus tips.
So the moral is be flexible, not too choosy, take what ever you can get to start with and LEARN PORTUGUESE.