Portugal, a beautiful country in Southwestern Europe, consists of diverse landscapes, stunning beaches, and green mountains all around. The country, due to its stable government, is globally recognised as a peaceful and welcoming nation and thus attracts global investors to its residency by investment program. Recently, investors from countries like America and Scotland are actively taking an interest in its golden visa program due to the various lifestyle and business opportunities it offers.
Portugal Residency by Investment: Program Overview
Due to rising global political conflicts, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) seek a second home in a safer country that is away from political and economic crises. The Portugal residency by investment program provides relief to these wealthy individuals by granting them a 5-year residency permit, which allows them to live, work, and study in a risk-free environment in Portugal by investing in the golden visa Portugal 2025. The program not only provides safe EU residency to its residents but also offers benefits like visa-free access to Schengen countries, a better lifestyle, diverse business opportunities, and favorable tax policies.
From Edinburgh to New York: Global Investors Turning to Portugal Golden Visa
During the last few years, Portugal has emerged as a global destination for Americans who are trying to escape the financial and social pressure in the U.S. and Scots who are seeking a lifestyle and climate upgrade. According to reports, around 14,000 Americans became residents of Portugal in 2024. Americans, apart from investing in Portugal residence programs, are also applying for Portugal D-type visas, like the Portugal Digital Nomad Visa, which allows remote workers to work in Portugal. The data from the AIMA Interim report claims that Americans make up half of the overall 40 million population of digital nomads in Portugal. Moreover, 22.4% of Digital Nomad Visas were received in America in 2023.
Why are Americans Choosing Portugal Residency by Investment in 2025?
In 2025, due to high tax policies in America, it is becoming difficult for the residents of the country to manage their income and expenses effectively. Additionally, the increasing political instability in the U.S is convincing Americans to reevaluate their priorities. In 2023, the investments from the U.S. in Portugal surged by 162.5% as the number of investors significantly increased from 216 to 567. The following are the further reasons why a large number of American citizens are relocating to Portugal in 2025:
High Cost of Living in the U.S. vs. Portugal
According to the 2025 report by the Century Foundation, 26% of the American population was not able to pay their monthly bills, and 23% struggled with their rent. Furthermore, to cover their expenses, around 41% citizens used their savings, and 37% started using credit cards as they did not have enough cash. Hence, in the past few years, Americans, after facing growing debt and a lot of financial stress in their country, realized that the American system here is unfair, and they should start their new journey in a better country that suits them financially. This is when Portugal emerged as a fresh breeze to them because the cost of living in Portugal is much less than in the U.S.
Country | Cost of Living |
Portugal | $2,500 - $3,000 per month |
America | $6,440 per month |
Better Work-Life Balance in Portugal
Today, skilled professionals want to balance both their personal and professional lives efficiently, but a survey by 18,000 U.S. employees claims that it has become difficult for talented individuals in the U.S to manage their personal life with work, and the reason is the unpredictable work schedules. Hence, a large community of professionals is dissatisfied with the corporate culture of the country and is seeking work opportunities in Portugal because of the relaxed work environment there. According to the following data by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the workers in Portugal work 160 hours less compared to the workers in the U.S.
Country | Year | Weekly Working hrs | Yearly Working hrs |
Portugal | 2022 | 1,635 | 31.4 |
America | 2023 | 1,799 | 34.6 |
Affordable and Efficient Portugal Healthcare
The American residents are getting largely frustrated by the high costs and limited access to healthcare systems of the U.S. This can be demonstrated by the data revealed in a Gallup survey that only 19% of Americans are satisfied by the healthcare in the U.S. Additionally, the prediction says that the Social Security Fund will run out by the start of 2033 which can further reduce the future benefits for the residents by 20%. Hence, U.S. citizens are investing in Portugal residency by investment as it provides affordable private and public healthcare to its residents. The following data from both countries on the cost spent on healthcare per person in 2022 shows that the healthcare systems in America are very expensive compared to Portugal, which convinces citizens to move to the U.S.
Country | Healthcare cost per person |
Portugal | $2,580 |
America | $12,555 |
Low Tax Policies Attract U.S. Citizens
Recently, the residents of the U.S are highly attracted by the favorable tax benefits offered by Portugal's golden visa under its Non-Habitual Residency (NHR) Scheme because, according to a recent survey by the Cato Institute in 2025, around 81% of U.S. citizens are unable to pay high taxes. Thus, they seek residency in a country with low tax policies compared to America.
Portugal’s High Quality Lifestyle
Apart from escaping from financial issues in the U.S., some citizens also move to the U.S. to enhance their lifestyle. Portugal offers a high-quality lifestyle to its residents alongside beautiful landscapes, including pristine beaches. The city of Portugal, the Algarve, provides Portuguese people with an opportunity to participate in water activities like swimming and snorkeling. In addition, the vibrant culture and countless business opportunities in Lisbon and Porto, the popular cities of Portugal, attract a large community of foreign investors to the country.
Why do Scots Consider Portugal Residency by Investment a Smart Choice?
In the past few years, Portugal's golden visa has caught the eye of an increasing number of investors in Scotland. The Scots who are fed up with seeing the grey skies and living in the cold weather of Scotland are moving to Portugal to benefit from the pleasant and sunny weather. The Scottish citizens are not just attracted by the weather but also by the following benefits of Portuguese residency:
Portugal’s Attractive NHR 2.0 Scheme
The major reason behind Scots moving to Portugal is its updated NHR 2.0 scheme designed for the highly-skilled professionals who become Portuguese tax residents. It offers them a flat 20% tax rate on the income they earn from employment or self-employment in Portugal. The policy is non-renewable for 10 consecutive years. This is beneficial for the residents trying to manage their incomes efficiently.
Flexible Work Opportunities and Lifestyle
The prominent cities of Portugal provide many lifestyle and work opportunities to investors of the Golden Visa Portugal. Furthermore, the digital nomads consider cities in Portugal, like Lisbon and Porto, to be business-centric hubs for remote work. According to Rankings by Instant Office, Lisbon is the worldwide winner among the best cities for digital nomads with a score of 369. Additionally, according to the Portugal Global Digital Nomad Report by Global Intelligence Unit, Portugal ranks in the 7th position globally with a score of 84.07 in terms of cost-effective living, rich infrastructure, and healthy lifestyle, which are major factors any individual, including Scottish citizens, consider before moving to a new country.
Conclusion
Portugal is a safe haven for citizens of America and Scotland to start a fresh journey in a beautiful and developed country with world-class infrastructure. Apart from the Portugal golden visa, the country also offers diverse visa options in 2025, including the Portugal digital nomad visa, Portugal Passive income visa, and Portugal Entrepreneur Visa. The individuals seeking a better option for Plan B can consider investing in Portugal residency by investment as a safe option.