I'm Going To Portugal, Has Anyone Been There?

Wu Wei Wu

Jedi Master
It's decided! I have some affairs to deal with Portugal so I'll be going there to handle those, and finish my citizenship application while I'm at it.

I didn't see any Portuguese members on the map, so I'm not sure if there are any. But regardless, does anyone know anything about it? There is so much to learn and I'll be going early next year. Language, culture, everything! I'll be going to Lisbon and probably stay in Europe for some time.

I'm also curious whether any Canadians know how to and the ease of transferring wealth from country to country. I know the Canadian limits are just $10,000 before a legal requirement to report, but what about after that? I haven't been able to find much info, and plan to call Canada immigration if I can't dig up anymore. It would be a shame to travel so light, when unnecessary. If anyone knows good ways to transfer both currency or hard assets at an affordable price, I would be interested.

I'm born and raised in Canada, and this will be my first time living in a foreign country as an adult. I'm not sure what it will be like, so I wish to be humble and open to the wisdom of those of you with knowledge to share. Every bit I learn now is needless suffering avoided, I hope.
 
Wu Wei Wu said:
I'm also curious whether any Canadians know how to and the ease of transferring wealth from country to country. I know the Canadian limits are just $10,000 before a legal requirement to report, but what about after that? I haven't been able to find much info, and plan to call Canada immigration if I can't dig up anymore. It would be a shame to travel so light, when unnecessary. If anyone knows good ways to transfer both currency or hard assets at an affordable price, I would be interested.

Reporting over 10k is a requirement, but that doesn't mean you can't bring more than that. Although I would discourage it. It's safer to use checks, debit cards and/or credit cards. The easiest way to transfer currency is through wire transfer. You'll need a bank account in both countries first, of course.
 
Heimdallr said:
Wu Wei Wu said:
I'm also curious whether any Canadians know how to and the ease of transferring wealth from country to country. I know the Canadian limits are just $10,000 before a legal requirement to report, but what about after that? I haven't been able to find much info, and plan to call Canada immigration if I can't dig up anymore. It would be a shame to travel so light, when unnecessary. If anyone knows good ways to transfer both currency or hard assets at an affordable price, I would be interested.

Reporting over 10k is a requirement, but that doesn't mean you can't bring more than that. Although I would discourage it. It's safer to use checks, debit cards and/or credit cards. The easiest way to transfer currency is through wire transfer. You'll need a bank account in both countries first, of course.

That's a good suggestion. I should have no difficulty getting a bank account in the EU, as I am a citizen. So simple, yet I missed the obvious, thank you.
 
I know nothing about banks details, and transfers, but I'm portuguese and will help you with any other doubt that you have! Just ask.
Have a nice journey.
 
Thank you Scheherazade!

Can you tell me anything about the renting market? Finding a place to rent has proved more difficult than I expected. There are not as many internet resources as I'd hoped.
 
I think you will like Portugal, Portuguese are very nice. The coffee is excellent, the food very good. :) Lisbonne is a magnificent city, very artistic city with many hills. There is this movie that you should see about Lisbonne and history of this city during the 30's: According to Pereira, by Roberto Faenza. You should also read (if you want!) the books by Saramago, the best contemporary author of Portugal (and of the world). I think there is no link between Canadian Banks and Portugal concerning the income tax, but you can take out money from Canada via debit card with no problem at all.

I found this page about Lisbonne, with Lonely Travel guide. It is always complicated to find an apartment to rent when you are outside the country, that's true. But you can rent a room and then shop around.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/search?q=lisbonne

I wish you a good trip and good experiences in Portugal. It is a country that I always love, and I would not have mind living there.
 
Concerning rental market, you want to rent an apartment just for you? There are many resources for renting shared apartments for foreigners, where they can support each other while adapting to a new country. For instance, "uniplaces.com", directed for students, but it is a good starting point.
Most of the internet resources are for temporary housing, vacations, or foreigner students. There is this site that I found very complete:
http://lisbon.angloinfo.com/
 
Thank you everyone! You're advice has been useful. I have been able to secure a place to stay and am already in awe of Portuguese generosity.

I have begun learning the language, and although it seems a long road hopefully I will get there soon enough. I will arrive next week, and will be happy to convey what I learn to everyone else! So much to learn!
 
Back
Top Bottom