Erik(45)

I had a marketing agency in The Hague for 15 years. Good revenue, but the tax burden and costs increased every year. When a business partner told me about entrepreneurship in Porto, I started calculating.

The numbers were convincing. Corporate tax of 21% (17% on the first €25,000), versus the total tax burden in the Netherlands. Personnel costs are lower, office space is affordable, and the tech scene in Porto is growing explosively.

Setting up a Portuguese Lda (similar to a BV/Ltd) cost me about €1,500 and three weeks. You need a NIF, a Portuguese bank account and an accounting firm. My TOC (contabilista certificado) now handles all my bookkeeping.

Porto is not Lisbon — and that's exactly why I chose it. It's more compact, more authentic and rents are lower. My office in the center costs €800 per month, with a view of the Douro.

What I've learned: Portuguese business people value personal relationships. A lunch here takes two hours, and that's not a waste of time — it's how you build trust. My network has grown more in two years than in ten years in The Hague.

My advice to Dutch entrepreneurs: do it. But prepare well. A good accountant and a lawyer who knows Portuguese law are indispensable.