Welcome Tom,
Havenāt been on these threads in more than a year - but I can tell you the site owner, ThomasKRunning, is a very capable congenial young man. He and his girlfriend stopped by us here in Japan 2019. Natural ability to moderate, organize, encourage this community, in spite of the chaos these days.
Duncan
Nara
Hi, My name is David, I have just returned to Portugal on the initial-granted D7 entry visa. I am a fluent Portuguese speaker. My country of application was the USA, and I went through the Newark Consulate General. I did the application process myself (no lawyers etc). I came to Portugal for 2 months to do the in-country setup. The only service I paid for was the initial NIF, and I now realize in hindsight that even the ā¬100 I paid for that could have been saved.
The hardest thing I encountered by far, was getting legitimate rental accommodation, for a reasonable price. I nearly gave up. Remember, you have no guarantees of getting the visa, so I did not want an expensive rental.
The rental situation in Portugal is very difficult. Too many people seeking rentals, and not enough rental stock. The reasons for this are complex, but include the accommodation needs of a huge influx of migrants primarily from Brazil (the government is really trying hard to facilitate this flow, as most of the Brazilians coming are young, qualified, work hard, and already speak the language so assimilation is much easier), the immigration programs in place in Portugal (D7 etc), real estate laws that favor tenants and can make renting your property risky, and tax laws that require the instant declaration of, and tax payment on, all rental income.
Some towns I went to literally had not a single apartment for rent. Loads of property to buy, but virtually no rentals. Anyway, I finally found a beautiful furnished 2 bedroom apartment for ā¬380 a month, the landlord was happy to register the contract with FinanƧas correctly, and I solved my problem. Be prepared for this. I actually wonder how long these visa programs will continue, because the shortage of rental accommodation is effecting Portuguese citizens just as seriously.
You will find big differences in initial application wait times (in your own country) from when you have your interview - it appears to be somewhat random. I know a person who got his in 30 days, but mine took over two months.
I have settled in the north of Portugal. It is very beautiful, cheap, and off the beaten track. Very few expats here, and virtually no English. The best way to describe this is similar to Tuscany in many ways. If you like ham, this is your place. 
Boa Sorte!
Hi, we are Sherry & Andy, from the United States (all over, but currently Montana 
).
We have just left our jobs early 
and are preparing to travel the world as overlanders, living off income/investments generated from the sale of our home and whatever little odd jobs we occasionally pick up here and there.
We are building out our travel rig 
this year and hope to hit the road in 2023āwith no plans of returning to the USA except for occasional visits to see family.
We are excited to meet people everywhere we go and will be capable of living off-grid extensively. Should be a pretty sweet life! 
You can follow our adventures on YouTube and Instagram as NomadicMidlife.
We found this site while researching banking options for nomads. Thanks for all the hard work you have put into it!
Hi Yāall
My name is Jennifer and Iām new to this community and way of life. Iām from California but have lived in multiple states across the US. Some of my favorite places and/or things that I have visited are:
diving in Cozumel and swimming with huge grouper, sea turtles, and barracuda.
Looking out over Pikes Peak and watching my dad finish his race up the mountain ending in the āStairs of the Godsā in Colorado
Sking in Colorado down devilās canyon with the crisp air invigorating all my senses
Chilling in Gennie Springs, Florida at the only bed and breakfast there; enjoying the excellent company, the beautiful springs, and diving the many caves and caverns
Floating on the water watching the whooping cranes in Galveston, Texas
I would enjoy visiting New Zealand, Cayman Islands, and Greece.
Hi Nomadgate community,
We are a family of four, currently living in San Francisco, CA but moving to Portugal next summer. Iām of Indian origin but was born and raised in Kenya. My husband is Brazilian. Weāre excited for our move and for the resource you all have built with this community.
Thanks
Rishi
i cannot figure out how to post except by replying. Iām not new to forums but this one has me stumped. Anyway, hi Iām Sarah and I live in Hong Kong (usually). For the next 3 months itās Australia and for the last 6 months Iāve travelled all over the place mainly because HK was such as PITA to enter. Iāve applied for a Portugese Golden visa to try and reclaim my European Passport (yes, Iām affected by Brexit). So itās the portugese golden visa which has mainly brought me here.
Hi Great site for information.
I am Mathew from Portland OR and my partner and I doing the PT GV in hopes of an early retirement P 
but given the massive delays will see if its we retire first or have the GVā¦lolā¦
Spare time enjoy doing long distance triathlons and knittingā¦just finished by 2nd sweater and just in time for fall 
Thanks again
Mathew
Hi everyone, Exited to be here,
I am from Delhi, India. Recently, I and and my husband have opted for voluntary retirement to pursue our passion for traveling. Our daughter is based in Europe, so we are planning to move to Portugal on D7 visa. I joined this forum to seek advice and suggestions related to the process of getting D7 visa and also as we love traveling, this is an excellent link for connecting to different people. Can anybody help in letting us know :
Hi, my name is Karim, I am a banker based in Dubai.
I have a two years old son, his name is Ali. My wife and I are currently thinking about the long term plan, ideally that would be a nomadic retirement - hopefully soon.
I have come across this website when I was doing research about Portugal residence through investment program.
It seems like the Mercan route is the most straightforward for me. It would be super helpful if I could get some firsthand experience from people who have actually gone with the Mercan option, and whether they actually got their money back.
Thank you!
Hi world.
Well Letās say Iāve been a nomad since before digital was ever a thing.
I left UK in 1988 and then went UK> Germany > Holland > Italy > Malta > Spain.
Somewhere along the way I became a consultant in Telecoms and worked for several startups and was in high demand as mobile networks took off around the world. At some point I looked at how to minimize tax with offshore company strategies etc. Along the way it seemed I worked out flag theory before I even knew what it was, only reading about it recently. These days I spend my time between homes that I picked up along the way and somehow got ālostā between tax authorities.
Iām now researching on where best to base myself when I stop working and think about how I can best pass on my assets tax free to the next generation. Iām guessing it will be some Caribbean /South America/Asia destination not sure yet
Hi all,
My name is Dan and I am new to the Nomadgate community. Nice to make your virtual acquaintance 
.
I am married and we have two teenage daughters, one in college and one in high school.
Iām 57 years ola but, retired early at 50. I was in the asset mangement industry.
We are very concerned with the non-democratic direction the U.S. is taking (to be clear we are not conspiracy theorists and this IS coming from the non-democratic right-wing elements in this country, including our former President whose name shall go unnamed). As an insurance policy we want to establish an escape hatch and establish residency in Europe and have chosen Portugal as the way to do so.
We have recently engaged with La Vida Golden Passports. They seem very knowledgeable, experienced and legitimate and appear to offer the full gamut of services from beginning to end (our goal is to attain Portuguese residency at this point. Citizenship, we will cross that bridge when the time comes). They answered all our questions and are not pushy.
My wife is very protective of our money and financial security so we havenāt formally gone with them at this point and have not sent them any money yet.
Before we sign up with La Vida I wanted to see what others experiences, from beginning to end, have been with them.
Any insights specifically on La Vida would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much in advance,
Dan
Hi All iām Evgeniy.
iām Product designer from Israel ( originally Ukraine ) Married and have two children.
Recently we applied to Portugal Golden visa process and this place is very helpfull 
for us
Hi nomads!
Glad to be here! 
Excited to be sharing my trips and to read the stories and experiences of other nomads.
Happy Holidays! 
hi all, this is braga from chennai, India. Nice to meet you all !
Hello - Iām John, in my 70s, and living for the last 13 years with my partner in Zambia on our smallholding near Lusaka. I spent most my working life in industry and later as a consultant on private sector development for development agencies. I am still active business-wise and otherwise walk with the dogs and ride horses.
Hello, Iām Bruno, Portuguese and Lisbon based.
I work in real estate. So feel free to ask any questions.
I like to enjoy the local beaches. I like to cook. I keep active and normally do some sort of physical activity on a daily bases.
Iām a free thinker and enjoy talking to open minded people on any topic.
Feel free to ask for any local tips for Lisbon.
Hi there. My name is Mark and I am an international tax lawyer. I have been working for about 25 years in international tax and live in NYC (for now). I have helped many clients with the tax aspects of digital nomading, and am going to also do it myself in 4 months (counting down!!). I find that there is really a bunch of non-sense written on (especially FB forums) the pertinent tax aspects of a digital nomad (like working remotely for an employer without letting them know, VPNāing it, etc) and I think I can be of help. The biggest misconception seems to be that there is no tax risk that you will have to pay tax in your host country if you are only there for a few months (with the argument that you do not become a local tax resident and thus not a taxpayer). Stunnerā¦ one can be a taxpayer without becoming a tax resident. That is actually called a 'non-resident taxpayer". What I like to learn from the community is tips and tricks of travel/rental locations (for longer term rentals (one month for instance), healthcare insurance for a DN, traveling with a DN dog (donāt know if that is a thing but he definitely is coming along). So am really glad to be part of this community and hope to learn and share a lot.
Hello! Iām John; I live in San Francisco, and recently entered early retirement after spending a couple of decades as a Silicon Valley executive (or something like that). Iām partway through the Portuguese Golden Visa process and watching developments there withā¦ great interest.
OlĆ”, my name is Marzena I am Polish, lived in Toronto for 22 years, back in Poland since 2 years and going soon to Madeira. Looking to connect with business-minded creative people, am I in a right place?
Hello
Iām Rachael an Anglo-Canadian. Ive lived in Europe and also Canada. Love travelling, hoping to get to Australia at some point and then perhaps settle somewhere in Europe.
Pleased to meet you all - favoutite places - Paris, Greece and Scotland.