u/ricardo_novais

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share my situation and get some honest advice from people living in Spain.

I’m originally from Brazil, and I left my home country back in 2015. Since then, I’ve lived in Sydney (4 years), Berlin (2 years), and for the past 5 years, Lisbon has been my home.

Portugal has been good to me in many ways. I even managed to buy an apartment here — not because the country made it easy, but because I’ve worked hard for over a decade and saved consistently. Professionally, I’m in tech, and I’m stable: good job, two cats, and a comfortable life.

But socially… Portugal has been the hardest place I’ve lived in.

I’ve experienced hostility and discrimination here in a way I never did in Sydney or Berlin. I’ve heard things like “volta para o seu país”, “brasileiro do caralho”, and “os brasileiros só vêm para cá fazer merda.” These generalizations hurt, and they make me feel unwelcome in a place I’ve tried to build a life in.

Sometimes it feels like people think they’re doing me a favor by letting me live here. But the reality is: expats contribute to the economy, and I’m qualified — Portugal is not my only option.

The thing is: every time I visit Spain, I feel genuinely well received. I don’t know if it’s cultural, historical, or just coincidence, but the vibe is completely different. I’ve been thinking more and more about moving to Spain, especially since finding a tech job there shouldn’t be too difficult.

My main hesitation is practical:
I own an apartment in Lisbon, so leaving would mean renting it out and reorganizing my whole life. But emotionally, I’m starting to feel like a change might be necessary.

So I’d love to hear from you all:

• How do Brazilians (or Latin Americans in general) feel living in Spain?
• How is the social environment compared to Portugal?
• Anything I should be aware of before making such a big move?

Thanks in advance for any insights.

Hi everyone,

I’m in a bit of a time-sensitive situation regarding Portuguese citizenship and would really appreciate any guidance or real experiences.

I’ve just completed 5 years of legal residence in Portugal and was about to submit my citizenship application. However, with the recent approval of changes to the nationality law by the President, I’m worried the requirement may increase from 5 to 7 years very soon.

The issue is:
My birth certificate (from Brazil) is currently in transit to Portugal, but it’s still stuck in export customs and may take several more days (or longer) to arrive, I would expet 10 more days.

So my question is:

👉 Is it possible to submit the citizenship application now with all other required documents, and then provide the birth certificate later as an update or upon request?

• Has anyone done something similar?
• Will the application still be considered valid if a required document is missing at the time of submission?
• Or would it simply be rejected outright?

I’m trying to understand if it’s worth submitting urgently to “lock in” the 5-year rule, or if that’s not feasible without a complete file.

Any insights, especially from people who’ve applied recently or professionals familiar with the process, would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Olá a todos,

Recentemente foi aprovada uma obra no prédio, que implicará um custo de 3.000€ para cada fração.

Nesse sentido, solicitei à síndica (vizinha) a emissão de um recibo com o meu NIF. Este documento é importante para efeitos fiscais, nomeadamente para eventual apuramento de mais-valias, caso venha a vender o apartamento no futuro.

Segundo orientação que recebi, é aconselhável guardar todos os comprovativos de despesas realizadas com o imóvel, uma vez que esses valores podem ser considerados e deduzidos no cálculo da mais-valia.

Não sei exatamente como devo proceder nesta situação. Foi-me indicado que, normalmente, a fatura é emitida em nome do condomínio, uma vez que é este que contrata a obra — o que compreendo.

No entanto, fico com a dúvida sobre como poderei comprovar a minha parte da despesa para efeitos de mais-valias, caso venha a vender o imóvel no futuro.

Hey everyone,

I’m Brazilian and have been living in Lisbon since April 2021, so I’ve just completed 5 years of legal residence.

I already have my birth certificate with Hague apostille sorted, and I’m now preparing to apply for Portuguese citizenship.

Given the possible law changes (5 → 7 years), I’d like to move forward as soon as possible — but I’m considering using a lawyer to avoid mistakes and delays.

Does anyone have recommendations for a good but reasonably priced lawyer in Lisbon (or Portugal in general) with experience in citizenship applications?

I’m not looking for anything super fancy or overpriced — just someone reliable who knows the process well.

Appreciate any suggestions or experiences 🙏

Olá pessoal,

Sou brasileiro e vivo em Lisboa desde abril de 2021, então completei agora 5 anos de residência legal.

Já tenho a minha certidão de nascimento com apostila de Haia e estou me preparando para dar entrada no pedido de cidadania portuguesa.

Com essas possíveis mudanças na lei (de 5 para 7 anos), queria avançar o quanto antes — mas estou considerando contratar um advogado para evitar erros e atrasos.

Alguém tem recomendação de advogado bom e com preço justo em Lisboa (ou em Portugal) que tenha experiência com processos de nacionalidade?

Não procuro nada super caro, só alguém confiável e que conheça bem o processo.

Agradeço desde já 🙏