Quality of Life:
According to the PortugalIN website:
- Portugal is ranked third worldwide chosen country for expats to live in due to its quality of life and its ease to settle in.
- For the lovers of sunshine, the country has 290 rain-free days and 2.600 km of coastline.
- You can choose between several daily activities without getting bored: art, culture, golf, surfing, trekking, cycling, gastronomy, towering mountains, vast plains, wide sandy beaches, and many others.
Stability:
- Portugal ranks third as the most peaceful country in the world.
- The country established in 1143 and her borders never changed since 1297.
- The success story of the EU recovery with 2,4% GDP growth recorded in 2018, a 1% inflation rate, and 7% unemployment, the lowest since 2005.
Talent and Education:
- Known for its skilled labor which ranks eight worldwide.
- Portuguese can speak different languages which rank them fifth in the world on the language skill level. English was widely spoken from businesses to ordinary people.
- Portugal has more than 30 international schools, and universities with two ranked as the top 30 universities in Europe.
- The labor cost is 55% lower than the UK one. It amounts to 14€/hour which makes it very competitive.
- The women’s participation in the labor market highly regarded in Portuguese society, which ranks them fifth worldwide.
- The country is ranked nine in the world for the smooth hiring of foreigners.
- Sixth in personal freedom.
- Portugal makes it in the top 30 in the quality of research institutions (26), and the future workforce (23).
Industries & Regions:
- Portugal has 15 important industries(link) with a vibrant disruptive ecosystem, enabled by 20 clusters and more than 130 incubators.
- It has seven main regions(link) with diverse demography, landscape, and economic specialization.
Infrastructure :
- According to the European commission, Portugal ranks first in innovation and innovative SMEs.
- Portugal co-ranks first in the EU in broadband penetration.
- Fifth worldwide in quality of roads.
- Portugal ranks in the top 30 on trains efficiency services (23), on seaport efficiency services (26), and in the overall quality of infrastructure (19).
- Portugal has the best healthcare system in southern Europe.
- Lisbon ranks sixth worldwide for hosting international events, which makes it win the yearly hosting of the Web Summit event until 2028.
Incentives:
- Incentives in tax, financing, and job creation.
- Favorable corporate tax regime with a non-applicable branch remittance and free capitals gain exit.
- A fast-tracking procedure for eligible project licenses provided by the National Interest qualification (PIN).
- More than 40 private equity and capital venture companies are available.
- State-owned IFD for business, Angel SPVs, and venture capital are available for equity and quasi-equity funding.
- For qualified expats, a special tax regime is given for ten years. It includes a flat tax on domestic income at a 20% rate and a possible exempt on foreign personal income.
- Residence permits issuance for people looking to study, invest or work.
- Portugal ranks 34 worldwide in the simplicity of setting up a business.
European Gateway:
- Portugal is a fully committed member of the European Union since 1986.
- According to the OECD, Portugal ranks second as the most open country to foreign direct investment. In 2018, the Portuguese government registered a record of 99 FDI projects that created more than 10.700 jobs.
- Thanks to its geographical position, Portugal is a gateway to America and Africa.
- Portugal follows the same time zone as the UK. So it won’t disturb your personal or work life.
Bilateral Relationship:
- The Anglo-Portuguese treaty of 1373 is the oldest active alliance in the world.
- Regular flights between Portugal and UK airports that amount to 682 flights weekly.
- In 2018, Portugal’s highest number of tourists was from the UK with 2 million visitors, a 15% share of the tourism market, and made a 2.810 M revenue.
- The UK is also the first foreign investor in Portugal with a total of 896 M investment in 2018.
UK Track Record:
Many UK brands have chosen to open in Portugal and more than 500 Portuguese companies with the UK control
- Vodafone
- Barclays
- AstraZeneca
- Sage
- Easyjet
- DS Smith