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Culture & Tradition, Tips
Marc Martin - Portugal
Expat vs. Migrant: What’s the Difference and ...

As someone who works closely with individuals moving to new countries, I often hear the terms expat and migrant used interchangeably. But are they really the same? Words matter, and choosing the right one can shape how we understand and discuss the experience of moving across borders. Let’s explore the distinctions between these terms, why I choose to use “expat,” and what it really means to live in a country that’s not your own.

Expat vs. Migrant: What’s the Difference and Which Term Should You Use?
Culture & Tradition, Tips
Marc Martin - Portugal
9 Things You Should Never Say to a Portuguese ...

Portugal is a welcoming and friendly country, but like anywhere, there are cultural sensitivities that it’s good to be aware of! Certain topics and phrases can be touchy, and it’s best to approach them with caution. Here are 9 things you should avoid saying to a Portuguese person if you want to keep the conversation friendly and respectful. I’m Lisbob, the expat’s assistant, here to help you navigate Portuguese culture with ease!

9 Things You Should Never Say to a Portuguese Person
Culture & Tradition, Tips
Marc Martin - Portugal
9 Things Expats Miss Most About Home After ...

Moving to Portugal is an incredible adventure, filled with new experiences, beautiful scenery, and a relaxed lifestyle. But even with all the perks, there are certain things expats often find themselves missing from home. From familiar foods to cultural traditions, here are 9 things expats commonly miss most after moving to Portugal. I’m Lisbob, the expat’s assistant, here to help you navigate the highs and lows of expat life!

9 Things Expats Miss Most About Home After Moving to Portugal
Culture & Tradition, Tips
Marc Martin - Portugal
9 Big Differences Between Northern and Southern ...

Thinking about making Porto your new home? With its stunning river views, historic charm, and vibrant culture, Porto has a lot to offer. But don’t let the postcard images fool you—living in Porto has its own quirks, surprises, and challenges that newcomers should know. Before you pack your bags and head to this beautiful city, here are 9 things you absolutely need to know. I’m Lisbob, the expat’s assistant, and I’m here to give you the real scoop on life in Porto!

9 Big Differences Between Northern and Southern Portugal
Culture & Tradition, Tips
Marc Martin - Portugal
9 Times Portuguese Bureaucracy Will Surprise You

Portugal is a beautiful country with a laid-back lifestyle, but that relaxed vibe can sometimes put your patience to the test! From bureaucracy to daily quirks, life here has its challenges that can feel frustrating if you’re not prepared. Before making the move, here are 9 ways living in Portugal might test your patience—and how to handle them. I’m Lisbob, the expat’s assistant, here to help you navigate the ups and downs of life in Portugal!

9 Times Portuguese Bureaucracy Will Surprise You

Lisbon airport

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Montijo Airport canceled? Emergency meeting between the government and the cities concerned

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Montijo Airport canceled? Emergency meeting between the government and the cities concerned

While everyone thought that Montijo Airport would finally be able to see the light of day, a new obstacle stood before the construction of this new airport. Scheduled to unclog the Lisbon-Portela airport, which has been overstepping for a few years, Montijo airport meets with opposition from several mayors and associations who prefer the option of Alcochete. Despite the positive environmental opinion issued a few weeks ago, a law, so far unnoticed, allows the town halls concerned by the new airport to veto and therefore to cancel its construction. Of the 9 town halls involved, 5 gave an unfavorable opinion. This Wednesday Antonio Costa, the Portuguese Prime Minister, urgently convened the mayors concerned in order to find a compromise. Meanwhile, the construction of Montijo Airport has never seemed so far away. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this emergency meeting to advance or cancel the construction of a new Lisbon - Montijo airport.

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5 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Portugal

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5 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Portugal

Portugal now has 5 cases of coronavirus on its territory. A new positive case of infection with the new coronavirus, Covid-19, has been diagnosed in Portugal. This new case is a man who is admitted to the São João hospital in Porto. The patient is around 40 years old and has recently returned from Italy. This is the fifth confirmed case in Portugal. On Monday March 2, the first two patients infected with the new coronavirus, which appeared in the city of Wuhan, in China, in December, were confirmed. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this fifth confirmed case of coronavirus on Portuguese soil.

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4 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Portugal, Lisbon and Porto hospitals already running out of capacity

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4 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Portugal, Lisbon and Porto hospitals already running out of capacity

Portugal now has 4 cases of coronavirus on its territory. The first two positive cases are in Porto and were reported yesterday (a doctor from the Tâmega e Sousa hospital who was on vacation in northern Italy, and a person working in Spain). There are a total of 14 people placed in total isolation, including 8 doctors. In addition, the hospitals in Lisbon and Porto are already without any capacity to receive new patients, which has forced the DGS to activate new hospitals in the northern region. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the four confirmed cases of coronavirus on Portuguese soil.

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2 first confirmed cases of coronavirus in Portugal

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2 first confirmed cases of coronavirus in Portugal

Portugal has announced the confirmation of the first two cases of coronavirus on its territory. The two positive cases are found in Porto. A doctor from Tâmega e Sousa hospital, who was on vacation in northern Italy, was hospitalized yesterday afternoon at Santo António Hospital in Porto. The second confirmed case of coronavirus is a person working in Spain. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the first two confirmed cases of coronavirus on Portuguese soil.

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Póvoa de Varzim under alert for the coronavirus with the risk of contagion from Luís Sepúlveda

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Póvoa de Varzim under alert for the coronavirus with the risk of contagion from Luís Sepúlveda

It is a very beautiful city in the north of Portugal, which surely did not expect to be on alert for the coronavirus so early. This place is Povoa de Varzim, which has had impressive preventive measures imposed following the news that Luís Sepúlveda is infected with a coronavirus, The Chilean writer participated, a week ago, in Correntes d'Escritas - Meeting of writers of Iberian expression, renowned book festival in the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. Accompanied by his wife, they spent a total of 6 days in Povoa do Varzim. The DGS invited all the people who had contact with the writer remained confined at home, to avoid social contact and call Saude24. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this coronavirus alert in Povoa do Varzim.

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1 million Portuguese infected with coronavirus: the DGS reveals its forecasts

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1 million Portuguese infected with coronavirus: the DGS reveals its forecasts

The coronavirus epidemic has not yet affected Portugal, while most European countries have registered cases on their territory, but the DGS (Portuguese Health Management) has released its forecasts on the spread of the virus. And they are pretty cold on the back. Indeed, Graça Freitas, the Portuguese director general of health, today released the authorities' estimates: the coronavirus could infect a million Portuguese. Among those infected, about 200,000 will suffer severely from the disease. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the DGS forecast on the coronavirus outbreak.

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Portuguese law prohibits quarantine, authorities recommend keeping distance with people returning from Italy

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Portuguese law prohibits quarantine, authorities recommend keeping distance with people returning from Italy

The coronavirus epidemic continues to develop in Europe with the appearance of several foci of contamination in Italy in particular. Portugal is still not affected but the Directorate General for Health has provided two crucial pieces of information today: it advises to maintain a "social distance" with anyone arriving from the north of Italy. The second piece of information is rather scary: Portugal cannot legally declare a compulsory quarantine because the law simply does not exist! This little-known point prompts some representatives to call on the government to change the Portuguese constitution as soon as possible in case the epidemic spreads to Portugal. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the DGS information on the coronavirus.

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First Portuguese infected with coronavirus, more than a hundred cases in Italy in less than 48 hours

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First Portuguese infected with coronavirus, more than a hundred cases in Italy in less than 48 hours

This is the first confirmed case of coronavirus in a Portuguese patient. The 41-year-old man from Nazaré has worked for five years as a plumber on the cruise ship Diamond Princess. Despite the positive diagnosis, he shows no symptoms of the disease. The General Directorate of Portuguese Health and the Portuguese government have not yet confirmed the positive result of the coronavirus. The Diamond Princess was docked in Japan for several weeks and many people became infected with the virus, while some countries decided to evacuate their nationals. On the Italian side, quarantine has been imposed on more than 50,000 people following the multiplication of confirmed cases: more than a hundred in less than 48 hours, and already 2 dead. Northern Italy, particularly the Milan and Veneto regions, are on high alert to curb the coronavirus epidemic. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant, tells you all about the latest news on the coronavirus epidemic in Portugal and Italy.

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Coronavirus in Portugal : Two new suspected cases in Portugal

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Coronavirus in Portugal : Two new suspected cases in Portugal

Two new suspected cases of infection with the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Portugal were validated today by the Directorate General for Health (DGS), after clinical and epidemiological evaluation. This is what the Portuguese Secretary of State for Health is announcing today. One is in Lisbon and the other in Porto and tests are pending to confirm or rule out the coronavirus infection. According to the DGS, it is "a patient returned from China who was referred to the Curry Cabral hospital, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central" and a man "returned from China who is already at the Centro Hospitalar de São João ", in Porto. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this two new suspected cases of coronavirus in Portugal.

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Coronavirus in Portugal : 2 new suspected cases in Lisbon

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Coronavirus in Portugal : 2 new suspected cases in Lisbon

Two new suspected cases of infection with the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Portugal were validated today by the Directorate General for Health (DGS), after clinical and epidemiological evaluation. This is what the Portuguese Secretary of State for Health is announcing today. The two suspect patients have been admitted to Curry Cabral hospital in Lisbon and tests are pending to confirm or rule out the coronavirus infection. The two unrelated patients show all signs of the coronavirus. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this two new suspected cases of coronavirus in Portugal.

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Coronavirus : 1st suspected case of infection in Portugal

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Coronavirus : 1st suspected case of infection in Portugal

Portugal would hold its first case of coronavirus patient? Today the Portuguese Directorate General for Health (DGS) confirmed the first suspected case of coronavirus in Portugal, with a patient under observation at the Curry Cabral Hospital in Lisbon. According to DGS, the "patient, who returned today [this Saturday] from China, where he has been in the city of Wuhan (Hubei province) for a few days, is already under observation at the Curry Cabral Hospital in Lisbon, a hospital of reference for these situations ”. The official press release from the Portuguese DGS is available by clicking here. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the global coronavirus epidemic.

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Coronavirus outbreak : Lisbon airport does not screen passengers from China

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Coronavirus outbreak : Lisbon airport does not screen passengers from China

The new coronavirus that has appeared in China has already infected more than 800 people and has killed 41 people (at the time of writing), leading to the quarantine of several Chinese cities. Tens of millions of people cannot get out of their cities, and some airports are cordoned off. The virus having already reached other countries including France, airport checks are necessary. Portugal, however, still has not implemented screening for passengers from China. This information is reported to us by the Bombeiros24 website.

Corruption : Portugal falls in corruption world rankings

Corruption : Portugal falls in corruption world rankings

As every year, the NGO Transparency International publishes its ranking of the corruption perception index (CPI), considered as the main global indicator of the level of corruption in the public sector. This year Portugal sees its ranking dropped both globally and at the European level. According to Transparency International, problems of conflicts of interest, the usurpation of state resources for electoral purposes, insufficient disclosure of the funding of political parties and campaigns and the lack of independence of the media remain common. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about this global ranking of corruption.

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Definitive green light for the new Montijo-Lisbon airport ?

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Definitive green light for the new Montijo-Lisbon airport ?

The new Lisbon-Montijo airport will be done after receiving the final green light from the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). This new airport has been debated for a few years and after multiple twists in this file, the environmental impact study (DIA) gave a favorable opinion to the construction of Montijo airport in exchange for several environmental measures of a amount of 48 million euros. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you all about the final green light given to the construction of the new Montijo airport.

Aircraft engine explodes just before takeoff at Lisbon airport : no injuries

Aircraft engine explodes just before takeoff at Lisbon airport : no injuries

Do you know the nickname of the TAP? "Take Another Plane". This is surely what the passengers of the Lisbon - Venice flight now say. Indeed, one of the engines of the TAP Airbus A320, which would connect the Portuguese capital to Venice, exploded on Wednesday afternoon just before takeoff on one of the runways at Humberto Delgado airport. TAP confirmed that the aircraft had suffered a "technical engine failure" and that the take-off "was immediately interrupted". Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you everything about this incident that will not improve the reputation of Lisbon airport.

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New Airport Lisbon - Montijo confirmed : opening in 2022

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New Airport Lisbon - Montijo confirmed : opening in 2022

Portugal has signed today the confirmation of the construction of the Lisbon - Montijo airport and its opening is scheduled for 2022. The company ANA, which manages the Portuguese airports, has signed an agreement for an amount of 1 , 15 billion euros until 2028. The agreement signed this Tuesday on the extension of the airport capacity of Lisbon, divides the opinion and took time to decide. What will the new airport of Lisbon - Montijo look like ? When will he open ? Lisbob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you everything about the confirmation of the new Lisbon - Montijo airport with an opening scheduled for 2022.

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Lisbon Airport is the sixth worst in the world in terms of punctuality

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Lisbon Airport is the sixth worst in the world in terms of punctuality

The airline statistics company OAG (Official Airline Guide) has published its latest ranking on the punctuality of airports and airlines. And the least we can say is that Portugal does not shine particularly, whether through these airports or its airlines. Indeed, according to the ranking established by OAG, Lisbon Airport ranks 6th (from the end) of the global airport punctuality ranking for the period between June 2017 and May 2018, out of a total of 513 airports in the world. the world. TAP ranks 122nd out of 137 airlines in the OAG rankings. How do Portuguese airports rank in terms of punctuality? What is the place occupied by Portuguese airlines in this ranking? Bob, the expatriate assistant in Portugal, tells you everything about this ranking.