You made the decision to come live in Portugal? You are not the only one. In fact last year, the SEF (Foreigners and Frontiers Service) granted more than 29,000 residence permits to nationals of European Union countries. This is the biggest increase of the last five years but this figure is not a record. The sun, the people and the nature make Portugal a privileged destination for expatriation. Lisbob, the Expats Assistant in Portugal tells you all about this dramatic increase.
29,000 new expats in Portugal in 2017
They sometimes arrive as tourists, to enjoy years of retirement or as refugees, and eventually become residents. They are the foreigners who make the decision to live in Portugal. The number of these nationals living in Portugal increased by 19% last year compared to 2016. This is the largest increase of the last five years, reveals this Tuesday the "Diário de Notícias".
In 2017, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) granted exactly 29,055 residence permits to nationals of European Union (EU) countries. The percentage between nationalities of people making the decision to live in Portugal is not communicated.
In the last six years, according to SEF data, Portugal has regulated almost 150,000 immigrants, allowing them to enter the Schengen area under immigration legislation.
Lot of people coming from lot of different country
According to the same data provided by the SEF, the number of foreign citizens seeking to reside in Portugal has continued to increase despite the years of crisis. Expatriation in Portugal is a strong trend.
Indeed, the figures provided attest to this: in 2012, 28,681 residence permits were granted, before declining to 22,600 the following year. These values ere maintained until 2015. This was followed by an increase of 9.3% in 2016 and finally an increase in 2017 of 18.8%. Let's face it, this wave of foreign nationals wishing to live in Portugal will not run out of steam anytime soon.
