Relocation guide
🇵🇹 Moving to Portugal: Language & Your First Week
Moving to Portugal means learning Portuguese — and not the tourist kind. The conversations that matter first are your NIF tax number and residency registration (and, from AIMA, your residence permit), opening a bank account, and seeing a doctor. Here's what to prioritise and the phrases to practise.
European Portuguese swallows vowels and sounds notably different from Brazilian — and it's what you'll hear at Finanças, the health centre and the AIMA appointment. Getting your NIF and dealing with landlords is far easier with local Lisbon or Porto Portuguese.
Sources: cultural facts from Language Lab's Portuguese curriculum; official processes vary — always confirm with local authorities. · Join the beta →
Do you need to speak Portuguese to move to Portugal?
Yes — you’ll need practical Portuguese for the essentials. Moving to Portugal means handling your NIF tax number and residency registration in Portuguese, plus the doctor, the bank and your landlord. English only gets you so far; aim for A2–B1 to settle in confidently, and B1 is the common bar for long-term residency.
Moving to Portugal: key facts
| Language you'll need | Portuguese |
| Main registration | your NIF tax number and residency registration |
| Who needs a visa / permit | Non-EU movers commonly use the D7, Digital Nomad or work visa, then complete residency through AIMA (formerly SEF); EU citizens register at the câmara. |
| Level to aim for | A2–B1 for daily life (B1 for long-term residency) |
| First thing to do | Register your address / residency — your NIF tax number and residency registration (and, from AIMA, your residence permit). |
| Free phrasebooks | 8 Portuguese topics |
Which app should you use to learn Portuguese for moving to Portugal?
Language Lab is the app built for exactly this — moving to Portugal, not holidaying there. Most apps drill tourist phrases; Language Lab teaches the Portuguese that decides your first months: your NIF tax number and residency registration, the doctor, the bank and the landlord. You rehearse the real conversations out loud before you ever have them.
- Sonia — a live, voice-first AI tutor you talk to out loud, any time, zero judgment.
- Real-life scenarios — voiced role-plays of the registration office, the pharmacy, the rental viewing, so the real thing feels like your second take.
- Relocation-first lessons — structured A1–B2 Portuguese pointed at settling in Portugal, not ordering a coffee on holiday.
- 50 languages, free to start — begin today and be ready for day one.
What to do in your first week in Portugal?
- Register your address / residency — your NIF tax number and residency registration (and, from AIMA, your residence permit).
- Open a local bank account so you can get paid and pay rent.
- Register with a local doctor (GP) and sort health insurance.
- Get a local SIM / mobile plan and set up any required digital ID.
- Learn your transport options — tickets, passes and routes.
Visa & permits: Non-EU movers commonly use the D7, Digital Nomad or work visa, then complete residency through AIMA (formerly SEF); EU citizens register at the câmara. Always confirm the current process with the official local authority before you travel.
Portuguese phrasebooks you'll need
What do expats say about language in Portugal?
- Portuguese is the official language of 9 countries across 4 continents.
- Brazilian and European Portuguese sound quite different — even 'you' changes.
- Nasal vowels (ã, õ) give Portuguese its distinctive sound.
- 'Saudade' is a famous untranslatable word — a deep bittersweet longing.
- Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas.
Land in Portugal ready.
Language Lab teaches the Portuguese you actually need to settle in — with a live AI tutor. Coming soon.
Join the beta →