Daan & Priya(29)

Priya is a data scientist, I'm a backend developer. We both worked for international companies from Eindhoven. Remote work had become the norm after COVID, so why not somewhere else?

We chose Lisbon for three reasons: the tech scene, the weather and the international community. Eindhoven is nice, but after five years we wanted more. More culture, more diversity, more street life.

The move was relatively simple. Our employers allowed remote work from Portugal. We applied for the D7 visa based on our employment contracts. We got our NIF numbers at the consulate in The Hague, even before we moved.

The tech community in Lisbon is incredible. There are meetups, hackathons and conferences almost every week. Priya found her current role at a Portuguese startup through a local AI meetup — she earns comparable to the Netherlands, but costs are lower.

Integration is important to us. We're both taking a Portuguese language course (A2 level now). It makes a huge difference — at the supermarket, with the neighbors, at work. Portuguese people really appreciate it when you speak their language, even if it's broken.

Our advice: if you're young and work in tech, don't hesitate. The Portuguese startup scene is thriving, costs are lower and life is richer. We plan to stay — maybe even apply for Portuguese citizenship someday.