WHY EXPATS LEAVE THE ALGARVE 🌞 - SURPRISING REASONS REVEALED! I LIVING IN THE ALGARVE

welcome back beautiful people and thank you for tuning in to another sunny episode of living in the alar my name is Raquel Canadian girl living in the Algarve and today I'm going to share with you the top reasons why people might choose to leave the algar and they may not be what you think so grab a coffee tea or a glass of wine get comfy and join me as we explore the quirky the challenging and the unexpectedly hilarious parts of living in Paradise let's Dive Right In First the famed Portuguese bureaucracy it's like a freaking national sport here except much less friendly so some people move here and find themselves completely lost in a maze of residency permits which require sorry which are required if you're staying longer than 3 months I'm not going to get too much into residency in this video today as it's not really the topic of focus but I will say that it is always recommended that you seek professional advice on this as there are requirements and benefits to the different options and you want to make sure that you're fully informed so that you can decide what works best for you then there's Health registration with each of these requiring like a million different forms filled out in triple just kidding but for Health registration you will need your passport or ID proof of residency proof of address niif which is your tax number c down to see the don't AKA citizens card or if you don't already have your citizens card yet your Emma invitation letter and your NS or social security number now you may not be asked for this if you don't work and finally your mobile number it's a stram for Al and getting that peted num your local can be a bit of an adventure it's practically like a treasure hunt the ease of the process can change not just from one Health Center to another but it can also depend on who's Manning the reception desk that day some folks behind the counter are Absolute Angels and they're ready to help you navigate The Maze with smile and then there are The Gatekeepers who seem to Relish in inventing new and creative ways why you can't register just yet always a mix of fun then there's registering your CRI gold across is so lengthy that it can take longer than getting your actual driver's license for the first time I went through this and I can tell you it was one of the most stressful experiences I have ever gone through my mistake I did did it solo if I had to do it all over again I would have gathered the necessary paperwork make the necessary payment and handed it over to the profession because the few Euros that I saved diying it were so not worth the hair pulling and sleepless nights I'll tell you that even things related to school can be so slow and complicated I have school age children and the endless stream of notes and emails and generally just the way processes are handled can be somewhat slow complicated and sometimes inefficient which in turn becomes very time consuming to top it all off the Portuguese language is very formal so even if you're bilingual like me when it comes to bureaucratic matters you can find yourself feeling kind of stumped at first I questioned my language abilities but I've been told that even Portuguese people with Portuguese as their native language find themselves having to like read things over two or three times before it all makes sense navigating all of this paperwork and language hurdles can really test what's the bureaucratic system like in your country of residence let me know in the comments section down below I'd love to know more so let's get right into the second reason people might end up not making the augra of their permanent home it is due to challenges with the health care System navigating Health Care in any new country can be daunting and the Algarve is no exception many people are surprised by the wait times for non-emergency medical procedures according to the expat Insider survey a significant number of hiats find adapting to the local Health Care System challenging now this might explain some of the frustrations that newcomers face due to differences in efficiency and accessibility compared to what they're used to back home and once again that language barrier comes in as it can make it tough when dealing with local doctors making medical appointments can become an anxious Affair and expressing yourself clearly during a consultation can be a sweat inducing ordeal English is widely spoken here in the oligarch but Portuguese is the official language so you can't all always be guaranteed an English-speaking doctor or receptionist and then there are some people who have to travel back to their home country for certain treatments that may not be available locally this of course might add um in might result in unexpected trips and expenses so the learning curve for the local Health Care system can definitely takes some getting used to and engaging the help of a local friend who knows how to navigate the the ins and the outs of the Health Care system is probably a good idea until you become proficient at it and then you can help someone else having said all that Portugal is practice practically an Allstar in the healthc Care League with the World Health org organization placing it in a solid 12th Place while the 2023 Healthcare index by nbeo gives it a respectable 25th place and Portugal clinched the 17th spot in the 2021 World index of Healthcare Innovation not too shabby right I would say that this country is rocking the healthcare game especially in quality now the third reason not everyone stays put in the allar is choosing the wrong location to start off with data shows that expats often reconsider their initial choice of location once they're more familiar with the region so while specific stats for the Algarve aren't as uh aren't available in the data that I accessed this trend is commonly reported among xats in the alar and this reflects the importance of location in the quality of xot life because picking where to plant your sun umbrella isn't always straightforward it's really important to remember that where you spend your holiday isn't necessarily where you want to live permanently and a lot of people make this mistake they choose to settle in a tranquil Little Village because they had this dream of escaping City Life and are seeking peace then they find themselves a too isolated from things like health care and shopping then there are people who choose a popular tourist spot because they had such a great time when they stayed there on holiday only to find the noise and crowds really overwhelming once the summer hits and they start to dread the busy season every single year I actually personally know quite a few people in this category and what they've done is they've opted to spend Summers away family and friends they return to their country of origin for a couple of months or they rent in the eastern or western allgar during July and August as those areas tend to be less congested and they feel more at ease during a crazy busy season then there are also people who have these visions of living in idilic existence in a little Hilltop town where everybody knows your name without realizing how much they'll miss being close to the Sea and how often they'll need to drive to get anywhere and to get anything basically what I'm saying is location is key and sometimes it takes a few tries to find the perfect spot and you know what that's okay it's really no different than anything we do in our home countries we move around there too right but I want to just take a second and send a great big shout out to everyone who was supporting this channel whether through liking commenting or subscribing if you're getting value from this video make sure you hit the Subscribe button and smash that notification Bell so that you don't miss out on any future episodes of living in the augar and are the first to access Insider tips and updates moving right along the fourth challenge that may result in xats leaving the Algarve are cultural misunderstandings and local P so every culture has its quirks and misunderstandings and surveys indicate that adapting to local customs and etiquette can lead to humorous or awkward situations for example the xat inside survey notes that a high percentage of xats in the algar appreciate friendliness and the welcoming nature of the Portuguese locals but can sometimes be a little overwhelmed by this compared to what they're used to in their own cultures for example casin one on each cheek is a common greeting here and you can tell when it's not for some people their body language just screams no no no out when someone's getting all up in their personal space like that another example is that the Portuguese can be quite boisterous and expressive well I just say it loud this might be interpreted as aggression instead of Theus the enthusiasm that it truly is by those of us with that more sensitive ears even some people have commented that they find it quite rude for example if you're at a cafe or somewhere else and you're trying to socialize with your friends but Portuguese are a passionate Bunch especially when it comes to football and politics and they're not afraid to yell about it even if it's in the Public Square now one of the most common complaints that I hear all the time is the barking dogs Portuguese don't seem to be as bothered by constant parking as many other cultures personally I really really really struggled this with this when I moved here uh to the point that I seriously considered selling the house and climbing somewhere else to live however installing double glazed windows and taking some time to get to know my furry new next door neighbors seems to have solved the problem that or maybe I just got used to it I don't know all I know is that it doesn't bother me so much and for learning the inside and outs of local Customs is a journey filled with its own set of Trials and triumphs my advice is just embrace it all after all we don't move to a brand new country because we want things to be exactly the same as they are in our home countries right the next reason that I've seen people leave the allar for are failed Investments the investment game it's not always sunshine and rainbows even here in the oligarch economic report suggests that the alar experiences significant seasonal fluctuations in tourism which can severely impact businesses that don't have a plan for this variation while I couldn't find any specific percentages for the drop and tourist activity it's a well-known fact that the offseason can be challenging for businesses reliant on summer crowds for example there are people who open very high season specific businesses let's say like a beach bar or something along those lines and they're expecting endless summers only to then struggle through their first winter with scarce customers this question sorry the question then becomes how many scarce Winters can someone survive before having to close up shop there are also people who have invested and bought property to renovate and flip and then they find themselves facing endless red tape and Rising costs that eat into their profits this combined with the fact that the olar is currently facing a labor shortage like many places around the world I've heard um can make turning a profit into a challenge unfortunately I've also seen people who start up really nich businesses and there simply aren't enough clients to keep them going in the long run the elar population is like just shy of about half million residents so creating a business that only caters to a small percentage of that population is going to require some creativity and some complimentary incom producing ventures in order to generate and maintain a long-term sustainable successful business on a global scale according to the world bank's ease of doing business index Portugal ranks 39th out of 190 countries which highlights some of the challenges and complexities in dealing with administra administrative tasks compared to other countries however that still puts Portugal in the top 20% so keeping that in mind it is a lot more challenging to do business in other countries in a nutshell investing abroad is definitely not for the faint of heart or light a wallet lastly life's unpredictable waves can sometimes sweep you back to where started or into an entirely onto entirely new shorts things like Career Education or personal reasons statistics on the specific reasons xat sleeve are varied but common themes include better career opportunities back home or changes in personal circumstances The xat Insider survey frequently highlights these Trends noting that personal happiness and career satisfaction play significant roles in set decisions for example there are people who moved here in the past few years when opportunities to work remotely increased tremendously and now despite their love for the algar they've been given opportunities that are too good to pass up in their original country of residents in terms of Education specifically postsecondary education the allar does have a university and it does have three campuses the Gelish campus which is located about 6 kilomet from the city of Faro and it houses several faculties such as the faculty of medicine and biomedical Sciences The Faculty of human and social sciences The Faculty of Science and Technology The Faculty of economics and the school of health sciences the Pia campus which is situated right in the C uh the center of farro it includes includes the higher School of Education and communication the higher School of Management hospitality and tourism the higher Institute of engineering and finally there's the b m campus which is located in the Square at the railway station in pimo and this campus operates as an extension of the School of Management um hospitality and tourism where course in management and tourism are taught so if you're a student looking to study something outside the scope of what the University of the olar offers naturally you'll have to look outside the region in order to do so or maybe you're like my son and you just want to get far enough away where you know your mother won't be visiting you weekly or daily aside from this I also know of some people whose family needed back home in their country makinging their sunny days in the algar and these are people who have to return to take care of an elderly parent for example or who are missing their grandbabies so much and they want to have more than once or twice yearly visits with their little humans these types of exoduses tend to be temporary but they are among the reasons why some people leave the AUG now finally although only a small fraction some folks move here envisioning their golden years and laidback allar Sun but sometimes the shift from the constant Buzz of a bustling City to the Tranquil rhythms of coastal life and start to feel a bit too slow after years of living at a faster Pace the quiet might start to feel more sleepy than soothing and let's talk about the Summers while many dream of sun many days the olar can really turn up the heat like literally you might be thinking wait haven't you been telling us about how great the algar weather is and all of your other videos well yeah that's true I have but the intense summer temperatures aren't for everyone and I actually know quite a few people who packed up purely because they found the scorching heat a bit too sizzling for their liking some people go in search of a climb at it's a tad more temperate and perhaps a lifestyle that keeps the adrenaline pumping just a bit more they choose to trade in the relaxed pace of the olar for something with a bit more action and maybe a few more degrees cooler so there you have it straight up talk about the roller coaster ride that is aat that is xat life in the alar sure there are bumps along the road the occasional curve ball that might have you second guessing your GPS or your life choices for that matter but for every little hiccup there's a glorious Sunset pain in a sky a new friend with stories to share or an unforgettable Adventure waiting just around the corner these moments aren't just nice they're Soul enriching they turn just living into truly living and here's the thing despite the challenges the beauty of the algar both in its Landscapes and in its people has a way of tipping the scales in the end the positives don't just outweigh the negatives they pile on top of them and jump up and down that's why most of us who come here plant roots deeper than the ancient olive trees myself included I'm not just sticking around I'm thriving from spontaneous Beach trips and local festivals to those quiet Cafe mornings watching The Village wake up life here is rich in ways that go beyond the ordinary so if you're considering a leap to expat life or just curious about the view from this side of the fence remember it's about more than enduring the challenges it's about engaging engage with the culture engage with the community and above all engage with every single moment because here in the algar the best is always yet um thanks so much for joining me on this eye openening Adventure remember to like subscribe and hit that notification Bell icon for more insights into xat life if you want to hop on a call with me to dive deeper into anything that we've discussed today you can call me on Whatsapp at this number or call directly by clicking on this link you can also find all of my contact information in the video and Channel distes until next time keep exploring and embracing the unexpected and as we say here in the AL Beijing

Channel: Living In The Algarve

Views: 2,319

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Id: p0o4FJDQglM

Length: 21min 47sec (1307 seconds)

Published: Mon May 27 2024