Why We’re Moving Our Family of 3 to Portugal from the U.S.

Photo by cottonbro studio

Disclaimer: I am not an immigration attorney or someone who has extensive knowledge about immigrating or visa processes. I’m not making suggestions to anyone, just sharing my understanding and experience, which may be contrary to the views of others.

While it took years to get comfortable with the idea of leaving the United States — which you can read more about here — deciding where to go next happened much faster, though it was still incredibly challenging.

There are 195 countries in the world — 194 if you’re excluding the US. That’s nearly 200 possibilities for new adventures. The sheer number of choices was both exhilarating and daunting. So many opportunities! But also so many ways it could go wrong.

We had to really narrow in on our priorities, figuring out which countries jumped out at us and which ones to cross off the list. 

So we needed to figure out what mattered most.

Our Top 5 Priorities We Considered for Picking Our New Home Country

As discussed in this post, we made the decision to leave the United States for several reasons, which helped us inform our priorities for our next home. 

1. Safety

We wanted to find a place to settle so that we could feel comfortable exploring the cities and towns with our son. With the Global Peace Index showing the US as 132 of the 163 listed, we figured it wouldn’t be too hard to find somewhere that had lower crime rates and volatility. 

2. Healthcare

We knew we wanted to live in a place that viewed healthcare as a human right. Living in a country that prioritizes the health of its citizens was of utmost importance.

Even as someone who’s rarely gone without health insurance in the US, I’m always afraid of any trip to the emergency department. It’s not just the medical emergency itself that’s terrifying — it’s the looming possibility of astronomical co-pays and surprise out-of-network bills piled on top of it.

I don’t know about you, but medical debt being the leading cause of bankruptcy in the US doesn’t feel very “citizens first” to me.

3. Work-Life Balance

As a working mom, I know how hard it is to balance a career with having a young family. The desire to stay at home with my baby is so strong but not possible for me at this point, unfortunately. So I’m keenly aware of the passage of time. Every day, I’m reminded: He’s only this little once. He’s only this old today; tomorrow he’ll be a whole day ahead. 

Leaving him with his grandparents while I work is a blessing but is so hard to do, realizing all the moments I’m missing out on.

So finding a place where we could spend more quality (and quantity) time together was absolutely crucial.

4. Affordability

It probably goes without saying: costs are higher than ever. Cars, homes, groceries — everything seems to be climbing. Of course, that’s a reality almost everywhere, but living in South Florida has amplified how unaffordable things feel.

Finding a place where we could not just survive, but thrive, became a key priority.

5. Visa Eligibility

This one was non-negotiable. We could have found the perfect fit for our family, but if we didn’t consider the visa situation, it wouldn’t matter. Where could we go with our professional backgrounds and experience? How long could we stay? Could the visa lead to citizenship down the road? What hoops would we need to jump through?

For us, a remote work or “digital nomad” visa was ideal, which instantly eliminated some countries from consideration. Ideally, the visa would allow at least a year; anything shorter just wouldn’t work for our family.

My Top 3 Remote Work Visa Picks

Once we figured out that a digital nomad visa was the best fit, we had to identify which countries offered them and narrow it down from there. The thing is, the world is huge—almost 200 countries and 6 regions to choose from! At that point, it felt almost crushing, like the weight of the decision could flatten me.

It was during a midnight nursing session that I stumbled across Citizen Remote and Global Citizen Solutions, which quickly became my new BFFs—and, to be honest, also a source of anxiety. Finding it made everything start to feel really real.

I swear I went through every page on that website 50 times, comparing and contrasting the information to different consulate websites to ensure accuracy. Then, I cross-referenced those countries with the Global Peace Index—of course, following it up by searching for that country and their visas on TikTok (the real MVP).

I identified my top contenders that way.

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1. Portugal 

Portugal met all my requirements: 

• 2 year of residency with a digital nomad visa, renewable for up to 3 years, with the opportunity at that point to gain citizenship
• Affordable compared to the United States (specifically, southern FL)
• Ability to work remotely with clients abroad allows for flexibility
• Lower costs for healthcare
• Ranked 7th on the Global Peace Index

Bonus points:

• Several visa options that could fit a given family
• Temperate climate

What concerned me:

• High dollar amount required to be in a savings account to show proof that we could survive in the country

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2. Spain 

Spain met all of my requirements:

• 1 year of residency with a digital nomad visa + renewable for 5
• Affordable compared to the United States (specifically, southern FL), considering rent and the cost of food
• Ability to work remotely with clients abroad allows for flexibility
• Lower costs for healthcare
• Ranked 23rd on the Global Peace Index

Bonus points:

• Some familiarity with Spanish

What concerned me:

• W-2 employees applying for a visa in Spain have previously been denied due to some issue with social security
• Some confusion on history of work requirements
• Company requirements (at least 1 year old)

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3. Costa Rica

Costa Rica met all of my requirements:

• 1 year of residency with this visa
• Affordable compared to the US
• Ability to work remotely with clients
• Lower healthcare costs
• 58th on the Global Peace Index

Bonus points: 

• Low required monthly income for an individual with dependents ($4,000 total)
• Proximity to the US
• Some familiarity with Spanish

What concerned me:

• Tropical climate. I’ve lived in Florida for most of my life and I am pretty tired of hurricanes at this point. This was a big one for me.

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Why We Chose to Move to Portugal from the U.S.

1. Safety

Considering how high safety was on our list of priorities, it may not be surprising that we chose Portugal. They ranked number 7 in 2024 on the Global Peace Index and have low overall crime rates, which really excites me. 

2. Climate

As a gal who’s lived in Florida for most of her life, the idea of being out of a tropical climate is enticing to me. I’ve had it with hurricanes. 

3. Affordability & Health

Compared to the U.S. (especially South Florida), Portugal’s cost of living and healthcare system felt like a breath of fresh air. The visa’s flexibility, coupled with lower healthcare costs, just made sense.

4. Family-Friendly & Opportunity

With a visa that allows for up to three years of residency — and even a path to citizenship after five — Portugal feels like a place where we can plant roots while keeping our options open.

5. Excitement and Adventure

There have been so many things I wanted to do that I didn’t do because I was scared. Don’t get me wrong, I’m scared about this– terrified. But I want to prove to myself that I can do the hard, scary thing that I’ve always wanted to do. 

Portugal gives my family and I the opportunity to travel more broadly, thanks to its proximity to other countries in Europe. It’s an exciting place I’ve never been to. Even if we hate it, it’s an adventure (plus, it helps that I don’t think I’ll hate it).

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At the end of the day, choosing to move our family to Portugal from the U.S. just makes sense: Portugal checked all the boxes for us — safety, opportunity, and a way of life that feels more balanced. It’s not just a move — it’s a chance to show our son that there’s a whole world out there, and it’s okay to chase what feels right for our family.

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A quick heads-up from Alley:
I’m a mental health counselor, but this blog is just me, sharing stories — not giving advice or doing anything clinical. If you’re a client, you’re totally not expected to follow along (but hi if you’re here!).

To all: thanks for reading — I’m so glad you stopped by. Feel free to share or say hello in the comments!