Plenty of Brits are ditching our country’s grey skies and rainy weather, and heading to sunny Portugal instead.
The number of UK nationals residing in the popular European destination almost trebled between 2014 and 2024.
According to figures from Portuguese immigration authority AIMA back in 2014, there were 16,559 Brits living in Portugal.
In 2024, this jumped to a whopping 48,238 UK residents.
But the way people are viewing Portugal as a possible place to live is shifting. Rather than just a holiday-home destination, Brits are increasingly seeing it as a location to move to permanently.
A change in lifestyle and the locations available to move to are big pulls for Brits looking for a fresh start.
Stephen Baldwin moved to Portugal with his wife and three children and explains: ‘Lifestyle factors were a big part of our reasons for moving. We wanted to spend more time outdoors and enjoy a more active life.
‘The plentiful sunshine certainly makes that possible. We regularly stroll to the nearby beach and I use my electric bike to explore the coastline.
According to figures from Portuguese immigration authority AIMA back in 2014, there were 16,559 Brits living in Portugal. In 2024, this jumped to a whopping 48,238 UK residents
‘My wellbeing has benefited significantly from moving to Portugal. The sunshine and active outdoor lifestyle make a big difference – it’s a much healthier way to live.’
Portuguese Chamber general manager Christina Hippisley has run ‘Moving to Portugal Show’ events for a decade and has noticed a shift in people’s interests in the country.
‘When we began running the events, attendees were largely looking for second homes and often nearing retirement. Now, their focus is much more on Portugal as a destination to live, do business and raise a family,’ she says.
The show’s Portuguese experts have noticed that the destination is still seen as a good place to retire, holiday or own a second home.
But, the pull to work remotely and live all year-round as a family has also increased over the past ten years.
The country is also increasingly trying to attract high-skilled workers and tax changes for those in scientific research, innovation, tech and related sectors have helped this too.
Brits looking to relocate are still considering the typically popular places like the Algarve, but are increasingly shifting to more service-dense cities such as Lisbon and Porto.
Brits looking to relocate are still considering the typically popular places like the Algarve, but are increasingly shifting to more service-dense cities such as Lisbon (pictured) and Porto
These locations offer a choice of international schools, private healthcare, professional networks and employment access – all important things for a permanent move.
Interest in Porto and northern Portugal has increased over the past few years in particular.
In 2022, 29 per cent of Moving to Portugal Show attendees expressed they were looking into the area.
Meanwhile, in 2025 this rose to 35 per cent.
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Brits are flocking to Portugal as the number of UK nationals living there triples in the past decade
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