Can British nationals still move to Portugal after Brexit?

Yes. British nationals can apply for the D7 Passive Income Visa, which requires evidence of regular income (pension, rental income, remote work) above a minimum threshold. The process involves a consulate appointment in the UK and typically takes several months from application to approval.

What is the D7 Visa income requirement?

The D7 threshold is set relative to Portugal's minimum wage. As of 2026, applicants typically need to show a minimum monthly income of around €760 for the main applicant (the threshold is updated periodically, so verify current figures with the Portuguese consulate or an immigration lawyer before applying).

How much does property cost in the Alentejo compared to the Algarve?

As a general pattern, the Alentejo offers significantly lower property prices than the Algarve coast. Rural farmhouses and village properties in the Alentejo can represent exceptional value relative to comparable properties in western coastal areas, though prices vary considerably by location, condition, and size. An independent valuation and local agent comparison is always recommended.

What taxes apply when buying property in Portugal as a non-resident?

The main taxes are IMT (transfer tax, rate depends on property value and buyer category), stamp duty (0.8% of purchase price), plus notary and land registry fees. The combined transaction costs typically fall between 7-10% of the purchase price. A lawyer can calculate the exact figure for a specific property before you make an offer.

Do I need to speak Portuguese to live in the Alentejo?

Basic Portuguese makes daily life significantly easier, especially in smaller towns where English is less commonly spoken than in Lisbon or tourist areas. Most expats in the Alentejo take language classes after arrival. In the short term, having a Portuguese-speaking contact (a lawyer, a neighbour, a local agent) is essential for practical matters.

From Bristol to the Alentejo: How One British Couple Found Their Forever Home in Portugal

The Moment Brexit Changed the Plan

Sarah Hardy had been visiting Portugal since her twenties. She and her husband David, both teachers, had spent three summers cycling the Alentejo's back roads, stopping at quintas that sold wine from unlabelled bottles. When the UK left the European Union, something clarified for them: if they were ever going to make the move, it had to be now, while the D7 Passive Income Visa offered a clear, honest path.

"We weren't running away from anything," Sarah says. "We just decided to run toward something before we were too old to enjoy it properly."

They are now part of a quiet wave of British nationals who have relocated to Portugal in the years since Brexit, drawn by the country's stable property market, lower cost of living relative to the UK, year-round sunshine, and an application pathway that requires no employer sponsor -- just evidence of a regular income.

Why the Alentejo, Not the Algarve

Most UK buyers head straight for the Algarve's Gold Coast. The Hardys deliberately went the other direction. After years of holiday research, they had concluded that the Algarve had become expensive, crowded in summer, and -- in the most popular resort towns -- culturally thin. The Alentejo offered everything the Algarve once was: space, silence, genuine Portuguese village life, and property prices that left room to breathe.

The Alentejo is Portugal's largest region by area, covering roughly a third of the country's land mass between the Tagus river and the Algarve border. It is a landscape of cork oak forests, olive groves, whitewashed villages, and small market towns. São Brás de Alportel is Algarve, but Évora, Estremoz, Monsaraz, and Mértola are Alentejo -- and they are spectacular.

Property prices across the region vary considerably by location. Rural quintas with land command a wide range depending on condition and size; village houses in smaller inland towns remain among the most affordable residential property in Western Europe -- a broad claim, but one that comparative European housing data (Eurostat, INE) consistently supports for rural interior Portugal. The Hardys' budget, which in Bristol would have bought a modest terraced house, secured them a three-bedroom stone farmhouse with a cork-oak grove and a swimming pool. Alentejo quintas span a wide range -- a habitable but unrestored two-bedroom farmhouse can start below €120,000 in smaller inland areas, while fully renovated properties with land and pools range from €200,000 to well over €500,000 depending on condition, size, and location -- but the Alentejo consistently offers more space and land per euro than the Algarve or Lisbon coast.

The D7 Visa: What Actually Happened

The D7 Passive Income Visa is designed for non-EU nationals who can demonstrate they receive regular income from outside Portugal -- pensions, rental income, dividends, or remote-work contracts. The income threshold is pegged to the Portuguese minimum wage; for 2026, a single applicant must typically demonstrate a minimum monthly income of around €870, with increments for dependants. Verify the current figure with the consulate or an immigration lawyer before applying, as the threshold is reviewed annually.

For the Hardys, the income source was David's teacher's pension and Sarah's freelance translation work. The process required gathering six months of bank statements, a criminal record check, proof of accommodation (they used a one-year rental contract on a village house while they searched for a property to buy), and an in-person appointment at the Portuguese consulate in London.

"The consulate was the slow part," David recalls. "We applied in autumn and the appointment slot was four months out. Once we had the visa, the NIF registration in Portugal took about forty minutes."

The NIF (Número de Identificação Fiscal) is the Portuguese tax number every buyer needs before signing any property contract. It can now be obtained by non-residents remotely through a fiscal representative, which saves a trip. The Hardys obtained theirs in person on their first extended visit, while still in the rental.

Buying the Quinta: Three Things Nobody Warned Them About

Portugal's property transaction process is well-documented, but the Hardys encountered a few realities that the standard expat guides skimmed over.

1. Rural properties often have documentation gaps. Older quintas, especially those that have passed through families over generations, may have outbuildings registered differently from the main house, or rural land parcels with boundaries that don't match the cadastral map. Their lawyer (a Portuguese solicitador rather than a notary -- both are valid in Portugal; a solicitador handles the paperwork independently) found and resolved a discrepancy in the land registry before the escritura (final deed) was signed. Budget time for this.

2. The IMT calculation surprised them. IMT (Imposto Municipal sobre Transmissões) is Portugal's property transfer tax. For non-resident buyers purchasing a property as a secondary home, the rates are different from those for a primary residence (habitação própria permanente). Their lawyer explained this clearly upfront, and the tax was factored into their budget from the start. The key lesson: ask your lawyer to calculate the full purchase cost -- IMT, stamp duty, notary, and registration fees -- before you make an offer, not after.

3. The neighbours matter more than in the UK. Rural Portugal is deeply community-oriented. The couple who sold them the quinta introduced them to the village mayor, the local farmer who maintained the olive grove, and the woman who ran the bread van that came twice a week. "We realised that buying the house was only part of it," Sarah says. "We were buying into a set of relationships."

Life in the Alentejo: A Realistic Picture

The Hardys have been in the Alentejo for three years. They are honest about the trade-offs.

The nearest large supermarket is a forty-minute drive. The public healthcare system requires patience and some Portuguese language ability; they maintain private health insurance, which is affordable by UK standards, for routine and specialist care. The winters are cold -- not British cold, but cold enough that the stone house needs heating from November through February.

On the other side of the ledger: the food is exceptional (Alentejo produces some of Portugal's finest olive oil, cork, black pig, and wine), the pace of life is genuinely unhurried, and the cost of day-to-day living is materially lower than it was in Bristol. They have rebuilt their savings rate.

Most importantly, David says, the decision has not worn thin. "Every morning I walk through the cork grove and think: we actually did it. That feeling hasn't faded."

What UK Buyers Should Know Before Making the Move

Based on the Hardys' experience and conversations with other British buyers who have made similar moves in recent years, here are the practical points that matter most:

Start the visa application early. Consulate appointment slots in London can be booked out months in advance. Start the process at least six months before you want to arrive.
Rent before you buy. The Alentejo is large and varied. Spend at least three months living in the region before committing to a specific area. The feel of a village in autumn is very different from how it was in July.
Hire a bilingual lawyer, not just a notary. Portugal allows buyers to use a solicitador or advogado (lawyer) independently of the notary who signs the deed. An independent lawyer working for you -- not the estate agent -- will protect your interests in due diligence.
Get your NIF early. You need it for everything: opening a bank account, signing a promissory contract (CPCV), receiving utility bills, and filing taxes.
Understand the tax picture before you arrive. Portugal's tax framework for new residents has evolved in recent years. Seek specific advice on your income sources from a Portuguese tax specialist who is up to date on the current IFICI (formerly NHR) scheme and its implications for UK pension income.

Is the Alentejo Right for You?

The Alentejo is not for everyone. If you need urban amenities, a buzzing restaurant scene, and easy access to international airports, Lisbon or Porto are better fits. If you want space, authenticity, value, and the kind of Portugal that hasn't been smoothed flat for tourism -- the Alentejo rewards those who look properly.

The Hardys have no regrets. Their advice to anyone at the thinking-about-it stage: "Stop thinking about it. Come for three months and see how you feel. Portugal has a way of answering the question for you."