Searching For Home – Scouting Trip to Portugal and Spain

In 2021, we decided what we wanted in our next country. Then on July 4th, 2021, our family boarded a plane bound for Europe! For context, the summer of 2021 was during the Delta wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, I know that we didn’t experience the “real” versions of either country. Most places were very quiet.

Our goal: decide if Portugal or Spain was the right place for our family to live for the next two or more years.

First Stop: Valencia, Spain.

Valencia is the third-largest city in Spain. It’s rich with Spanish culture and history, but also has a lot of modern features. Our family of four, including a 5-year-old and 9-month-old, spent two weeks exploring this beautiful city.

We stayed in a two-bedroom Airbnb between the Russafa and Gran Via neighborhoods. We had easy access to multiple bus lines, metro, markets, pharmacies, fruit and vegetable shops, and many restaurant options.

I first wrote this nearly two years after our visit. The trip had already shaped our decision; later news also stayed on my mind. I don’t want to turn a few weeks of travel or individual news stories into a verdict on everyone in either country.

We didn’t move to Spain because:

• Racism — This mattered to our family. When I published in May 2023, the racist abuse of Vinícius Júnior in Valencia was in the news.
• Lack of diversity in the places we visited — Lisbon felt more diverse to us. Full stop. That’s our impression from the neighborhoods and social circles we encountered, not a census comparison between the two cities.
• Taxes — Our cross-border tax situation was part of the decision. US citizens generally remain subject to US tax rules on worldwide income, but that does not mean everyone owes tax twice on every dollar. Credits, exclusions and the type of income matter. We needed advice for our own situation rather than a headline tax rate.
• Unwelcoming – Before we visited, I joined several Facebook groups for immigrants to Spain and specifically Valencia. When compared to the Lisbon and Portugal groups, the Spanish groups were far less helpful, less welcoming, and sometimes rude.

Because I want to be fair, here’s what we liked about Valencia:

• Language– We already knew some Latin American Spanish before our trip and our language skills got much better after a week of being immersed and conducting daily activities in Spanish. Our 5yo picked up the language quickly, which gave me hope that he’d do well long-term.
• Environment – Cities, mountains, beaches, to arid deserts. Spain really does have every type of natural beauty.
• Cleanliness– The Valencianos take care of their city. Dirty streets at night are clean by morning. The thing that shocked us is how clean their highways are. No trash, weeds, or anything really.
• The Mediterranean Sea – Full stop. I would be happy for the rest of my life just living by the sea, going for swims every day, and grabbing some paella along the promenade.
• Cost of Living – When compared to other European cities of similar size, Valencia has a lot to offer. Real estate was far more approachable than Lisbon. Restaurants and markets were also much less expensive.

Last Stop: Lisbon, Portugal.

Lisbon is the capital and largest city in Portugal. We spent two and a half weeks in a two-bedroom two-bath flat in the Avenidas Novas neighborhood. We also rented a car and drove west, north, and south to explore smaller towns and dip our toes in the Atlantic Ocean. 

Some differences between Valencia and Lisbon emerged after only a few days in Portugal. Here are all the reasons why we chose Lisbon:

• Diversity – It started at the Lisbon airport and continued everywhere we looked around Portugal. People of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, religions, and nationalities. Interracial families, immigrant-owned businesses, and multiple generations utilizing the same public spaces together, in harmony.
• Friendliness – The Portuguese people are incredibly kind. This has been further confirmed after living in Lisbon for one year. They really do go out of their way to help.
• Immigrant Community – There’s no comparison. When we arrived in Lisbon, we were taken into the fold of fantastic immigrant families from all over. We had playdates, attended birthday parties, and got to speak with people from all walks of life who chose Portugal as their new home. Spain was, nothing.
• Family friendly — We loved the emphasis on family time and connection. Parks and playgrounds had seating, play areas and kiosks with food, drink and even decent bathrooms. Portugal also has priority-service rules for people accompanied by children up to age two, subject to the rules and exceptions—not a blanket fast pass for every family with young children.
• Safety – We had a few late nights with new friends and we felt safe everywhere we went. Whether we were walking or riding the bus, there wasn’t a single time when we felt unsafe. The top story from our time in Lisbon was about a French man who punched and decapitated a pigeon for eating his French fries.
• English – I know that this isn’t to be expected, we are immigrants, but it has been really helpful that so many Portuguese people speak English. In Spain, people would laugh in our faces when we asked, “¿Habla inglés?”
• Taxes — The tax rules available when we were planning in 2021 were part of Portugal’s appeal. That old description is not a current offer for new arrivals. The tax authority explains the repeal of the old NHR regime and its transitional rules. Newer schemes have their own eligibility requirements; don’t plan around a promised flat rate or assume investment income is exempt.

The only thing that was challenging about Portugal was the language. Spanish really didn’t help us in learning Portuguese. In some ways, knowing a little Spanish made learning Portuguese harder. That said, we’re doing pretty well. Mr. Scribbles and I have taken some in-person lessons and spend time each week studying in our textbooks and online. The boys are doing great, learning at school.

Once we returned to Seattle, it didn’t feel like home anymore. Within a month of being back in the US, we decided to move our family to Portugal. The decision felt easy. What came next was harder. Getting our Portuguese visas and figuring out what to do with our life and stuff in the US.

If you’re interested in Portugal and want to chat, send me a message here.

One thing I’d sort out before another scouting trip

Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you buy through the Surfshark links in this section.

Test access to the US accounts and websites you’ll need while you’re away, before the suitcase chaos starts. Since moving in 2022, we’ve used Surfshark VPN (affiliate link) and I love it. It’s helped us reach US services that otherwise weren’t accessible from Portugal. Access varies by website, and some services block VPN connections. Check the terms of the service you want to use; a VPN doesn’t change account eligibility or verification requirements.

Make the scouting trip useful after the holiday feeling wears off

Check the school run, ordinary grocery shopping, transport and the neighborhood at different times of day. My country criteria explain how we made the shortlist. Our rental story and healthcare costs cover what came after.

For sightseeing and local context, the official Valencia tourism guide is a useful starting point. For the moving research, get my free Portugal checklist.

If you’d like to talk through the practical side of your own move, I offer one-on-one Portugal calls: €95 for 60 minutes. I share what we’ve learned from living here; legal, tax and investment decisions belong with qualified professionals.