portugal country guide

© Employment Conditions Abroad Limited 2001

Country Profile

PortugalContentsWelcome 1

Section 1: Background information 2

The territory 2Map of Portugal 2Geography 3Climate 3The capital city: Lisbon (Lisboa) 4

The people 5Demography 5Distribution 5Language 6Religion 6Social customs and modes of address 6

The state 7History 7Government 8International relations 8

The economy 9Employment and standard of living 11

Section 2: Before you go 12

Cross-cultural preparation and language tuition 12

Travel 13Getting there 13Internal travel 15Driving licence and car insurance 17

Immigration procedures 18Passports and visas 18Health regulations 19Working in Portugal 20

Hotels 20

Health and hygiene 22Risks and precautions 22Medical facilities 22Medical and repatriation insurance 23Further information 24

Clothing 25

The working environment 25

Portugal Country Profile

© Employment Conditions Abroad Limited 2001

Business practices 25Local time 26Hours of business 27Public holidays 27

Money 28Currency unit and exchange rate 28Credit cards 28Currency controls 28Banks 29Tipping 30

Communications 30Post 30Telephone 31Fax 32Internet 32Broadcasting 32Newspapers 34

Section 3: On arrival 35

Customs formalities 35Personal effects 35Cars 36Pets 36Prohibited items 36

Setting up home 37Registration and residence permits 37Accommodation 37Estate agents/realtors 42Utilities 43Domestic staff 44Security and insurance 45

Education 45

Shopping 51Weights and measures 51Facilities 52Value added tax 53

Food and drink 54Quality and availability 54Restaurants 54

Recreation 55Sports and social clubs 56

Home country rights and duties 56

Addresses and information sources 57Foreign representation 57Representation overseas 58Trade and travel organisations 58Further health information 58Information for expatriates 60Background reading 61


© Employment Conditions Abroad Limited 2001 1

WelcomeThis guide is a complete and up-to-date package of information intended to brief as well as advise expatriatemanagers involved in planning business trips and short- or long-term assignments for employees.

It will also prove to be an informative and valuable guide for employees during their first few weeks and monthson assignment.

We have made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this report is as accurate and up-to-date aspossible at the time of going to press. We are conscious of the fact that events in countries are continuouslychanging and we welcome comments and suggestions from our readers which will help us in preparation for thenext edition. If you feel that we have omitted any useful information, or perhaps included something that is nolonger accurate, please write and tell us; address your letter to: The Editor, Country Profiles, ECAInternational, Anchor House, 15 Britten Street, London SW3 3TY UK (e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.eca-international.com).

To make it easier for readers to find their way around the text, we have a comprehensive system of cross-references. In addition, we have highlighted important information through the use of graphical icons. The readershould become familiar with the following icons so that essential information can be picked out quickly:

Useful telephone numbers Checklist of useful information priorto departure

Caution advised Cross-reference

IMPORTANT

Important advice

Employment Conditions Abroad Limited is not responsible for the content of external web sites referred to in thispublication.

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Section 1: Background informationThe territory

Map of Portugal



Geography

The Portuguese Republic lies on the Atlantic side of the Iberian Peninsula in south-west Europe. It is bounded tothe north and east by Spain and to the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean, having a coastline of 844 km. Thecountry is roughly 560 km long and up to 200 km wide; the total land area of Continental Portugal is 92 080 km2

while the Portuguese archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores measure 794 and 2 250 km2 respectively. Madeiralies 900 km south-west of Europe, the Azores in mid-Atlantic, west of Portugal.

Almost a third of the land area is forest and woodland and 43% is cropland or pasture. The country falls intothree geographical zones, corresponding with the climatic areas.

The northern half of the country is mountainous and wooded, with peaks rising to over 1 000 m in the north-eastin the province of Tras-os-Montes. There are vines growing everywhere, the source of the famous Vinho Verde;the countryside is verdant and rivers (the main ones are the Minho and the Douro) and streams abound.

The central part of the country comprises the provinces of Estremadura, Beira Baixa and Ribatejo. The mainriver is the Mondego which rises in the Serra da Estrêla; a tributary, the Dão after which the wine is named. Alarge part of the area is a plain where wheat, vines, olives and vegetables are grown. Towards the coast areforests of pine, chestnut and oak.

Rolling, arid plains cover much of the south, down to the hills behind the Algarve. The vegetation is sparse,enough for flocks of sheep and goats; olives, almonds and cork oak grow well. The principal river is theGuadiana, while the Sado which runs, like most Portuguese rivers, from east to west, is a valuable source ofirrigation.

Climate

Continental Portugal has three distinct climatic zones which correspond with the geographical ones. The north-west, exposed to moist winds from the Atlantic, has abundant rainfall (more than 127 cm annually) although themonths of June to August are generally dry; winters are mild and summers short but warm. There is a moreextreme and somewhat drier climate in the north-east, with long, cold winters and hot summers. Elsewhere, aMediterranean climate predominates, with mild, showery winters, pleasant springs and autumns, and long, hotsummers.



Climate data: Lisbon (Portugal)

Month Temp. oC (oF) Temp. oC (oF) Humidity % RainfallMin. Max. am (pm) mm

Jan 7 (44) 15 (59) 83 (72) 111

Feb 8 (46) 14 (57) 80 (66) 76

Mar 9 (48) 16 (60) 76 (63) 109

Apr 11 (51) 18 (64) 69 (58) 54

May 13 (55) 21 (69) 67 (57) 44

Jun 16 (60) 24 (75) 64 (53) 16

Jul 16 (60) 28 (82) 61 (48) 3

Aug 18 (64) 27 (80) 61 (46) 4

Sep 17 (62) 24 (75) 67 (53) 33

Oct 14 (57) 21 (69) 72 (59) 62

Nov 11 (51) 17 (62) 80 (68) 93

Dec 8 (46) 14 (57) 83 (72) 103

Detailed world-wide, daily and long-range/five-day forecasts are available on-line from a number oforganisations including BBC Weather (web site: www.bbc.co.uk/weather) and CNN (web site:www.cnn.com/WEATHER).

The capital city: Lisbon (Lisboa)

Built on a series of hills, Lisbon overlooks the wide estuary of the River Tejo (Tagus) in south-west Portugal. Itis the seat of government and the centre of the country’s import trade, with a large, well-equipped port and manyindustrial activities.

The low-lying centre of Lisbon was devastated by an earthquake and tidal wave in 1755. It was rebuilt by theMarquis de Pombal, chief minister of King Jose I, as a district of broad avenues and plain, stately buildings, andit was the Chiado shopping area in this district that was destroyed by fire in 1988. This has now been renovated.

Older properties are being repaired and refurbished whilst the city authorities are encouraging people to return tolive in the city’s commercial centre. Unsightly posters and graffiti have been removed and buildings cleaned:Rossio railway station is being restored as a gem of 19th century architecture. A great deal of building work wascarried out in readiness for the city to be the Cultural Capital in 1994. Further building and infrastructureimprovements such as the new 12 km Vasco da Gama bridge over the Tejo were constructed for Expo ’98, aworld fair dedicated to preserving the oceans. A 330-hectare derelict dockland area is being redeveloped as anew residential and business hub for the city, for completion by 2015.

Medieval neighbourhoods climb the surrounding hills and ridges: Alfama, the oldest, to the east, Bairro Altoand Madragoa to the west, Mouraria and Graca, survived both natural and man-made disasters and are verypicturesque but run-down; they are a maze of steep alleys, cobbled and car-free. The huge Monsanto Parque isthe city’s largest open space and is split by the autostrada to Estoril/Cascais; other parks include the BotanicalGardens (Jardim Botanico), the Parque Edouardo VII: the highest part gives good views over the city, and theJardim da Estrella. Trams are an excellent, but slow moving, way of seeing the city. For pedestrians, there arelifts to get up and down the steepest hills. Lisbon’s streets are very congested and ample time should be allowedfor travel. Suburban train services are good, to Cascais and Estoril where the majority of expatriates tend to live,and to Sintra.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather

http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER



Outside the city are huge slums (bairros - districts) where around 300 000 people live, the majority withoutsanitation or electricity. Each bairro has its own ethnic flavour - not only from Portugal but Mozambique, CapeVerde, Macau and, most recently, East Timor.

The people

Demography

The population of Continental Portugal totals 9.79 million, including 750 000 retornados, returnees fromPortugal’s former colonies. There are around 173 000 resident foreigners, many of whom are retired. Thepopulation growth rate has fallen rapidly in recent years, to a current 0.7%. Twenty-one per cent are under theage of 15 and 13% over 65. Life expectancy at birth is 71.8 for men and 78.8 for women. Population density is110 per km2 and a third are urban-dwelling (which is very low by European standards).

Migrant workers have been returning from Western European countries in ever-increasing numbers (up to 50 000a year in recent years); some were forced back because they lost their jobs in Germany or France but many havesaved enough to realise their dream of returning home to their family land in Portugal where they buildthemselves a new house and, in many instances, start a small business - garage, car repairs, shop, cafe - run inconjunction with their small-holding to provide employment for their extended family.

Distribution

Lisbon, with a population of over 2.4 million (including suburbs), is the capital city and seat of government. It isby far the most important centre for Portugal’s import trade and was, for centuries, the centre for produce fromoverseas territories. There are extensive port installations, shipyards, a steelworks and oil refinery, engineeringfirms and factories producing textiles and knitwear, cement, chemicals and fertilisers, soap, vegetable oils,pottery, rubber goods and cork products. Nearby Setúbal has been the major recipient of foreign investmentwhere a 400-hectare industrial park, to be known as Silicon Bay, is under construction.

Oporto (known locally as Porto) has a population of around 400 000 and is the major industrial city in the north,the centre of the cotton textile industry and the port through which all the country’s exports of port wine pass. Itis also the hub of Portugal’s small-business sector. The Oporto area, including Vila Nova de Gaia, has apopulation of 1.3 million. Other industries include metal goods, engineering, electronic components, ceramics,textiles, garments and knitwear, shoes and jewellery. Many leading banks have their headquarters in the city.Oporto is one of the European Capitals of Culture 2001 (web site: www.porto2001.pt).

Coimbra (population 72 000) on the banks of the River Mondego, has the oldest university in Portugal. The cityhas fine Romanesque and baroque buildings and is also famous for the superb Roman mosaics which have beenexcavated from nearby Conimbriga.

Matozinhos (27 000) is a centre for fishing and fish-preserving industries in the north. Faro (35 000) and VilaReal de Santo Antonio (15 000), on the southern coast of the Algarve, are the fishing centres of the south.

Covilha (23 000), with nearby Tortozendo, is the centre of a declining woollen textile industry.

http://www.porto2001.pt/



Other centres of population include Braga (64 000), which has soap, knitwear and other industries, Aveiro(29 000) - important centre for fishing, agriculture and mining, ceramics, engineering and textiles, Leiria(11 000) (plastics and ceramics), Marinha Grande (21 000) (glass) and Evora (34 000), an historic markettown on the road to Seville.

The Azores have a population of around 243 200 and Madeira has a population of 258 600. The capital isFunchal. The islands are heavily dependent on tourism although with EU help an International Business Centreand a free-trade industrial zone have been developed.

Language

Portuguese, which is the official language, is somewhat similar to Spanish except in pronunciation. Thus anyonewith a knowledge of Spanish is likely to be able to read Portuguese with ease but will probably not understandthe spoken language without practice. This is mainly because the language is spoken so quickly and words slurinto one another. A few words and phrases in Portuguese are appreciated but not expected.

Many Portuguese understand Spanish but their national pride is easily offended by its use. It is preferable to starta conversation in English or French rather than Spanish.

French and English are widely spoken in business circles, and English is also widely understood in the resorts ofthe Algarve. For a lengthy stay in Portugal a working knowledge of the language is desirable, not least for theinevitable dealings with Portuguese bureaucracy.

Refer to ‘Cross-cultural preparation and language tuition’, page 12.

Religion

The vast majority of Portuguese are Roman Catholics (over 95%) and the church is a powerful institution.Traditional festivals, both religious and secular, play an important part in the social life of the nation.

In the main towns there are places of worship that hold services in English.

Social customs and modes of address

Social customs

The Portuguese are friendly and courteous and their way of life is leisurely; life moves slowly and there is littlesense of urgency in getting things done. They have formal manners and appreciate courtesies, such as leavingcards after an introduction or returning thanks for hospitality. Please (se faz favor) and thank you(obrigado/obrigada) should be used whenever possible. They themselves are not always punctual, although theyexpect foreign visitors to be.

Portuguese society is still very much male-orientated. It is comparatively rare for married women of the middleand upper classes to work outside the home, and few women gain positions of responsibility.



The Portuguese have an ingrained suspicion of Spain and the Spanish and prefer their part of Europe to bedescribed as the Luso-Spanish Peninsular rather than the Iberian Peninsula.

Many Portuguese smoke, but smoking is banned in cinemas, theatres and on buses. In restaurants, it is customaryto smoke only at the end of the meal.

The custom of the siesta continues and some shops still close between 12.30 and 15.00 but offices normally takeonly an hour or so for lunch. However, there are moves to integrate Portugal into more mainstream commercialhours of operation.

Modes of address

Professional titles should be used: Doctor, Enginheiro etc. Otherwise, people should be addressed as senhor (Mr)or senhora (Mrs).

The state

History

The early history of Portugal was that of the Iberian peninsula as a whole, most of the country being incorporatedwith part of western Spain in the Roman province of Lusitania. The peninsula was over-run by the Visigoths,followed by the Moors who were defeated in 1147 when Lisbon was retaken. Alfonso I was proclaimed King in1139, though the Moors were not finally driven out of the country for another century.

The alliance between England and Portugal was confirmed in 1386 when King John I of Portugal married thedaughter of John of Gaunt, and heralded the most illustrious period of Portuguese history. Their son, Prince Henrythe Navigator, initiated many voyages of exploration; the Cape of Good Hope was rounded by Bartholomew Diaz(1488), the route to India was discovered by Vasco de Gama (1498) and Brazil was acquired in 1500; Madeira, theAzores and the Cape Verde Islands were colonised and the Portuguese Empire was founded. However, in 1580Philip II of Spain seized the throne and Portuguese independence was not again recognised by Spain until 1640. Thecountry suffered severely in the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-14) and the Peninsular War (1810-12), andlater from civil war and dictatorships, and Brazil was lost.

1910: Portugal became a republic, following a revolution against the monarchy. 1910-32 there was a succession ofcoup d’états which threw the country into constant turmoil. Political stability was established after Antonio deOliveira Salazar came to power. The 1933 Constitution provided for a one-party state; Dr Salazar ruled as virtualdictator until ill health forced his resignation in 1968.

His successor, Marcello Caetano, attempted to modernise industry and initiate closer political/economic ties with thedeveloped world while trying to retain Portugal’s autocratic political system and colonial possessions. Costly wars inAngola/Mozambique resulted in Portugal’s economy becoming virtually bankrupt. Within Portugal, these policiesculminated in the bloodless revolution of April 1974, carried out by radical officers (MFA) of the Portuguese army.



African territories of Guinea-Bissau, Angola/Mozambique, together with East Timor in the East Indies, achievedself-government after conflict with the former governing Portuguese forces. The former colony of Macau reverted toChinese rule in December 1999.

Portugal suffered considerable political instability, having 16 governments in 13 years to 1987.

Government

Sovereignty is divided between the President, the Assembly of the Republic and the Government. The Presidentis elected for a five-year term by popular vote and appoints the Prime Minister and with the Prime Minister’sagreement, the Council of Ministers. The Council of State is primarily a consultative body. The Assembly has230 members (to be reduced to between 180 and 200), elected by universal adult suffrage for a term of four years(subject to dissolution). Mainland Portugal is divided into 18 administrative districts. The Azores and Madeirahave had a degree of autonomy since 1976. Main political parties include the Socialist Party (PS), SocialDemocratic Party (PSD), Communist Party (PCP), Popular Party (PP) and the Left Bloc (BE).

Recent events

A presidential election took place in January 2001. The Socialist candidate, Jorge Sampaio, was re-elected for asecond and final term.

A general election was held in October 1999. The governing Socialists were returned to power for a second four-year term, narrowly failing to achieve an overall majority in Parliament. Prime Minister António Guterresannounced his intention to govern without seeking pre-arranged alliances with either the left or right. Nextelections are due by the autumn of 2003.

International relations

Portugal is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the Western European Unionand became a full member of the European Community (now EU) in 1986. It saw membership of the latter as thecountry’s salvation from economic depression and has become far more Europe-minded than at any time in itsprevious history. Portugal was among the first states to join the Single European Currency in January 1999.

Relations with Spain have not always been good. Three of Portugal’s major rivers, the Tejo, Douro andGuadiana, rise in Spain and the amount of water allowed to flow out of Spain is a sensitive issue, especially in thewake of a drought which has affected much of the peninsula. Both countries are heavily reliant on irrigation foragriculture.

Portugal has a special relationship with Brazil, but this is currently under severe strain over Portugal’s treatmentof illegal immigrants from Brazil.

Ties with former colonies in Africa (Angola and Mozambique) remain strong and Portugal has tried to help bothcountries with aid and with peace negotiations. The Portuguese territory of Macau reverted to Chineseadministration in December 1999. Relations with Indonesia remain strained over the issue of East Timor.



Portugal is a signatory of the Schengen Convention which allows free movement of capital, goods and servicesbetween member states (i.e. with no policing of frontiers or customs posts).

The world’s seven Portuguese-speaking nations (Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique,Portugal and São Tomé & Principe) have set up a Lusophone commonwealth to promote Portuguese languageand culture.

The economy

Portugal has a growing, mixed economy with a great deal of dependence on foreign trade. There arefew natural resources. Rapid industrialisation took place during the 1970s. The country is less dependent onagriculture than before.

Portugal is politically and economically stable and has enjoyed strong economic growth in recent years. GDPgrowth was 3% in 2000 and is forecast to be 3% in 2001. Unemployment has fallen to around 4.4% of theworkforce. Inflation is currently running at 2.9% annually.

Portugal is one of twelve EU Member States to have adopted the Single European Currency (the euro). Austria,Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Irish Republic, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain allbecame members in January 1999. Greece joined in January 2001, having initially failed to meet the economicconvergence criteria. After a transitional period during which prices are to be displayed in both the nationalcurrency and in euros, euro notes and coins will be introduced in January 2002. National banknotes and coinswill be withdrawn from circulation by July 2002. Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom are all eligible formembership, but have so far opted out for political or economic reasons.

Agriculture

Although still an important factor in the economy, agriculture (including forestry and fishing) employs 13.6% ofthe labour force (down from 22% in 1985) but provides an estimated 3.7% of GDP. The main crops are cereals,olive oil, sugar beet, tomatoes and fruit (including grapes for wine and port production). Agriculture has beendependent on subsidies and generally inefficient and the country has to import 75% of what it eats; the system ofprotection is gradually being dismantled. Farms in the north have been sub-divided within families forgenerations with the result that units are too small to be economically viable. In the south, farms are larger andgrow mainly cereals, olives and grapes but many are poorly-managed. However, the number of farms hasdropped from 700 000 ten years ago to fewer than 500 000 at present and many go bankrupt each year. Thesector is hampered by poor infrastructure and marketing and the transition to competitive farming is bound to bepainful.

A regional development plan is underway in the north of the country to expand and improve the port-wineindustry and to provide more irrigated land and cattle pasture. A special 10-year EU programme is providingfinance for modernisation of the infrastructure, with provision of rural roads, electrification, irrigation anddrainage as well as development of agro-industries, storage systems and training schemes for farmers. Ports are tobe improved as a substantial proportion of imports and exports are transported by sea. Indeed, EU financialtransfers, already in the region of USD 3 billion a year, are still crucial to the country’s progress.



Forests cover 30% of mainland Portugal and yield an abundance of cork; wood, cork and paper are majorexports. The traditional fishing industry (sardines) has been experiencing difficulties; low levels of investmentleft the outdated fishing fleet ill-equipped to compete with modern, foreign fleets, and the fish-canning sectorsuffered from the price increases of local olive oil. The traditional staple of Portuguese families, bacalhau (cod),is now scarce off Portugal’s own shores and is imported from countries such as Norway. Trawlers are being builtin Portuguese yards to replace coastal craft, so that fisherman can exploit the deep-sea reserves of squid,swordfish, greyfish and deepwater shrimp, whilst storage and distribution systems are being upgraded to complywith EC standards.

Mining

There are deposits of iron ore, rock salt, wolfram, tungsten, manganese, tin and uranium and rich copper depositsin the Alentejo region, where a newly-opened copper/tin mine has already brought employment to one ofEurope’s poorest areas.

Energy

There is considerable hydro-electricity production (around 50% of electricity generated) but this can be severelydisrupted in times of drought. Coal-fired power stations are planned or are under construction but no decision hasyet been taken about nuclear power stations which could utilise domestic supplies of uranium. At present thecountry depends on imported oil for over 70% of its energy needs. Natural gas is imported from Algeria bypipeline.

Industry

Industry generates 36% of GDP and employs 31% of the workforce, although the level of industrialisation inPortugal is still low by Western European standards. The country has developed its manufacturing industriesconsiderably in the past few years and has received funding from the EU for a programme to regenerate privateindustry. Three quarters of companies employ fewer than 10 people and most manufacturing is in the hands ofsmall companies.

Portugal’s textile, clothing and footwear industry which employs 200 000 people, accounts for almost 20% ofexports but is particularly vulnerable to competition from developing countries.

Ford and Volkswagen set up production near Lisbon in 1994 and this is expected to account, eventually, for 30%of the country’s exports.

Tourism

Tourism is a significant source of income, accounting for 7%-8% of GDP and the sector employs 300 000people. Any expansion of the industry will take place only after considerable investment in infrastructure, such assewerage and roads, particularly in the Algarve where existing facilities are under considerable strain.

In 1998 there were over 26.5 million foreign visitors, mainly from Spain, United Kingdom and Germany.



Employment and standard of living

The workforce numbers around 4.5 million of whom 51% are female. Around a third of the workforce isemployed in industry and the textile industry employs over 20% of the industrial workforce. Some 55% work inthe services sector. Over a fifth are self-employed.

More than 10% of the workforce is employed, directly or indirectly, in the construction industry and this sectorhas grown strongly in recent years with the widespread purchase of property by Portuguese as a hedge againstinflation.

Real GDP per capita is estimated at USD 14 701 (2001) but average wages are well below the EU average.Remittances from Portuguese employed overseas make a significant contribution to the economy.

Unemployment has fallen to around 4.4% of the workforce. However, many workers enter the ‘black economy’,estimated by some to account for more than 20% of GDP. Underemployment is widespread and there is strongevidence that there will be more job losses as industry becomes more competitive.

The standard of living for many Portuguese is rising and they are becoming a nation of avid consumers,particularly of electrical and electronic goods. New car sales are increasing. Some 77% of homes have atelephone, 94% have running water, 96% have a television and 54% have a car.

A major problem is education which is of a low standard. The adult literacy rate has improved since the 1980s,however, and is currently 93.7% (male) and 88.3% (female).



Section 2: Before you goCross-cultural preparation and language tuition

A key aspect of success in international assignments is the ability to deal effectively with cultureshock, both in terms of the business and social context. Being well prepared for the cross-cultural experienceallows expatriates and their families to predict likely areas of difficulty in advance and set up appropriatestrategies to minimise any adverse effects of culture change. There are a number of organisations which offercross-cultural preparation programmes and language tuition:

ECA International has produced a series of International Assignment Guides to ensure that individuals arebetter prepared for expatriate life. Developed by a team of HR managers, the guides draw from the experience ofexpatriates, their partners and families. Planning to Work Abroad? enables potential expatriates to assess theirown suitability for an assignment, helps individuals and their families prepare for the opportunity to work abroadand to think about and resolve some of the associated issues ahead of time. Together on Assignment has beendesigned for those who need to make a decision about accompanying their partner on assignment. It prompts theindividual to consider the challenges and opportunities presented, and highlights the impact an assignment willhave on their own life. ECA also offers support for repatriation with Returning Home. Contact ECAInternational (tel: +44 (0)20 7351 5000; fax: +44 (0)20 7351 9396; e-mail: [email protected]).

GMAC Global Relocation Services, Global Headquarters, 477 Martinsville Road, Liberty Corner, NJ 07938(US tel: (800) 589 7858; Asia tel: +65 535 0010; Europe tel: +44 207 392 7016; web site:www.gmacglobalrelocation.com).

Prudential Relocation International, 475 Park Avenue South, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10016 (tel: (800)433 8672; web site: www.prudential.com).

Cendant Mobility, Corporate Headquarters, 40 Apple Ridge Road, Danbury, CT 06810 (tel: 203 205 3400; website: www.cendantmobility.com).

Briefing programmes for expatriates and business travellers, of one to four days’ duration, and near-immersionintensive language tuition are given by The Centre for International Briefing, Farnham Castle, Farnham,Surrey GU9 0AG United Kingdom (tel: +44 (0)1252 720416/419; fax: +44 (0)1252 719277; e-mail:[email protected]; web site: www.cibfarnham.com).

Babel - Language and Cultural Consultants, Imperial Lodge, 33A High Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5AEUK (tel: +44 (0)20 8295 5877; fax: +44 (0)20 8295 5878; e-mail: [email protected]; web site:www.babelgroup.co.uk). Translations, language training and tailored cultural briefings.

Linguarama International, Language Training for Business (e-mail: [email protected]; web site:www.linguarama.com); provides tailored language training and cultural awareness programmes to businesses andindividuals. UK: Queen’s House, 8 Queen Street, London EC4N 1SP (tel: +44 (0)20 7236 1992; fax: +44 (0)207236 7206; e-mail: [email protected]); Netherlands: Arlandaweg 10-28, 1043 EW Amsterdam (tel:0800 8225596; fax: 070 3654381; e-mail: [email protected]); further centres in Czech Republic,Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain.


http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/

http://www.prudential.com/

http://www.cendantmobility.com/


http://www.cibfarnham.com/


http://www.babelgroup.co.uk/


http://www.linguarama.com/





KIT (Royal Tropical Institute), P.O. Box 95001, 1090 HA Amsterdam, The Netherlands (web site:www.kit.nl); provides cross-cultural training programmes, intensive language tuition and country orientationbriefings for expatriates and businesses. Intercultural training and consultancy (tel: +31 (0)20 568 8319; fax: +31(0)20 5688 409; e-mail: [email protected]); language training (tel: +31 (0)20 568 8478; fax: +31 (0)205688 464; e-mail: [email protected]).

In the UK language courses are run by:

Language Studies International, 19-21 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AH UK (tel: +44 (0)20 7467 6500;fax: +44 (0)20 7467 6501; e-mail: [email protected]).

Among self-teaching and phrase books in Portuguese are Hugo’s Teach Yourself Portuguese and Collins’Portuguese Phrase Book. Berlitz’s Portuguese Phrase Book is particularly recommended. Linguaphone andTutor Tape Co Ltd have language cassette tapes in Portuguese.

Interpreter and translation services

Embassies in Lisbon can usually provide their nationals with the names and addresses of suitable interpreters andtranslators.

Travel

Getting there

By air

There are two main international airports:

Lisbon, 9 km north of the city centre (flight information tel: 841 3700 (24 hours); web site: www.ana-aeroportos.pt).

Faro International, 6 km west of the city centre (flight information tel: 800801 (24 hours); web site: www.ana-aeroportos.pt).

There is no airport departure tax.

There are services to Lisbon from most parts of the world and regular flights from all EU countries. There aredaily flights between London and Lisbon throughout the year, operated on a pooled basis by TAP Air Portugaland British Airways, augmented during the summer months (June - October).

There are daily direct flights to New York (Delta Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, United Airlines) and fourtimes weekly to San Francisco. Flights to Los Angeles go daily via Madrid (TAP Air Portugal). There are dailyflights to Sydney via Heathrow (British Airways) and to Tokyo via Frankfurt (TAP Air Portugal), Orly orHeathrow.

http://www.kit.nl/




http://www.ana-aeroportos.pt/






Airlines

Air France, 226 Av de Outuburo no 206, 3rd Floor, Edificios Caravelas 1050, Lisbon (reservations tel: (21) 7900202; fax: (21) 790 0240; web site: www.airfrance.com).

British Airways, Av. Liberdade 36-2nd Floor, 1250 Lisbon (tel: 808 200 125; web site:www.britishairways.com).

PGA Portugália Airlines, Aeroporto de Lisboa, Rua C, Edif. 70, 1700 Lisboa (tel: (21) 842 55 00; fax: (21) 84256 25; web site: www.pga.pt).

TAP Air Portugal, Loja Gare do Oriente, Edif. Estação do Oriente, Av de. Berlim, Lisboa (tel: 808 205 700;web site: www.tap-airportugal.pt).

Approximate flight durations

Route Length of flight

London to Lisbon 2 hours 30 minutes

New York to Lisbon 8 hours

British Airways and TAP Air Portugal also operate services from London to Oporto and Faro connecting withservices from Belfast, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle. TAP Air Portugal hasregular weekly flights to Oporto from Amsterdam and from Zürich via Geneva. Air France has regular flights toLisbon from Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille and Nice and there is a daily service from Paris to Oporto.

Travel from the airport

The average taxi fare from airport to city centre, with luggage, including tip, is PTE 1 657 (Lisbon). Theequivalent bus fare is PTE 170. The journey by bus takes around 30 minutes.

By rail

Train services connect Paris and Madrid with Lisbon, the journeys taking 24 hours and nine hours respectively.From London there is a daily service to Lisbon via Paris, taking around 26 hours. Between June and September amotorail service operates between Paris and Lisbon. International trains arrive at Estação Santa Apolónia.

http://www.airfrance.com/

http://www.britishairways.com/

http://www.pga.pt/

http://www.tap-airportugal.pt/



Internal travel

By air

The domestic airline TAP Air Portugal operates a shuttle service linking Lisbon with Oporto and there are dailyflights to other towns operated by TAP Air Portugal and Portugália. Air taxis are available to Covilha,Bragança, Vila Real, Sines and Portimão.

By rail

Internal rail communications are quite good and sleeping car accommodation is not necessary as distances arerelatively short. There are express trains, some with restaurant cars, from Lisbon to Oporto, Setúbal, Faro, VilaReal de Santo Antonio, Evora and Beja. Seats should be reserved in advance.

Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses, EP (CP) (Portuguese Railways), Calçada do Duque 20, 1294-109 Lisbon (tel:(21) 321 5700; fax: (21) 321 5879; web site: www.cp.pt).

Metro/commuter trains

There are four short underground railway lines in Lisbon, and the service is fast and efficient. The lines are to beextended over the next few years. Tube stations are marked by a red ‘M’ in the street above; fares arecomparatively cheap and tickets can be bought either from an attendant or from a machine. The service operatesfrom 06.30 to 01.00 daily. Metropolitano de Lisboa (web site: www.metrolisboa.pt).

There are frequent electric train services which run from Lisbon (Cais do Sodre) along the coast to Estoril andCascais, and a separate line to Sintra.

By road

Until a few years ago, Portuguese roads were amongst the worst in Europe but thanks to generous funding fromthe EU new roads have been built and existing ones have been improved. Roads into Portugal from Spain areamongst those funded by the EU and plans include a new bridge over the River Guadiana, to make a fast roadfrom the Spanish commercial centres of Malaga, Seville and Cadiz to the Algarve and from there north to Lisbon,Oporto and the province of Minho in the north. The toll motorway between Lisbon and Oporto has cut thejourney time to about five hours. The Marginal motorway along the coast between Lisbon, Cascais and Estorilhas opened. The north-south motorway between Setúbal and Braga was completed in 1991. Lisbon’s inner ringroad and a second bridge over the Tagus are now complete. Motorways around Lisbon and Oporto charge tolls.

In general, journeys are still calculated by the time taken rather than by the distance travelled.

Speed limits on the roads are as follows: 50 kph in built-up areas; 90 kph elsewhere and 120 kph on motorways.

Traffic drives on the right and traffic coming from the right has priority at junctions and intersections of roads ofequal importance. Drivers may not overtake trams which are picking up or putting down passengers. Trams inLisbon and Oporto must be overtaken on the left.

Portuguese motorists are thought to be some of the least competent drivers in Europe so great care should betaken: accidents and fatalities are among the highest in the EU. There is no compulsory vehicle testing system somany vehicles are poorly maintained and an extra hazard on the roads.

http://www.cp.pt/

http://www.metrolisboa.pt/



It is compulsory for drivers and front seat passengers to wear seat belts. All cars must have wing-mirrors andmud-flaps on the rear wheels and must carry a red warning triangle in case of breakdown. Infringements ofdriving regulations incur heavy fines (e.g. illegal parking, speeding, if found to be without a licence andespecially if over the legal limit of alcohol).

Note that parking in the centre of Lisbon is very difficult.

There are plenty of petrol stations in all but the remotest areas. Unleaded (sem chumbo) is widely available.

Coach services

There is a comprehensive network of coach services throughout the country; these services are somewhat moreexpensive than second class rail travel.

Buses

There are efficient bus services operating in Lisbon and Oporto but they are very crowded during the morning,midday (many people go home for lunch) and evening rush hours. Lisbon’s yellow trams (eléctricos) are slow.

Taxis

Taxis are available in Lisbon (and are the best way of getting around the city) and other principal towns and canbe hired for any distance; fares are generally cheap by European standards. The average cost of a 3 km taxijourney within the city, including tip, is PTE 681 (Lisbon).

Note that passengers have to get in and out of the nearside door; the offside door has to be kept locked by law.

Car hire

A number of car hire companies offer a world-wide booking and reservation service on-line. For example, Avis(web site: www.avis.com), Europcar (web site: www.europcar.com) and Hertz (web site: www.hertz.com).

Self-drive cars are available in most towns; full details, including current rates, may be obtained from branches ofthe Portuguese National Tourist Office.

Airport City centre

Avis: Lisbon Da Portela Airport(tel: +351 (21) 843 5550).

Av Praia Da Vitoria 12 CLisbon, 1000-247(tel: +351 (21) 351 4560).

Europcar: Lisbon Da Portela Airport(tel: +351 (21) 840 1176).

Av. Antonio Augusto Aguiar, 24 C/D(tel: +351 (21) 353 5115).

Hertz: Lisbon Da Portela Airport(tel: +351 (21) 843 8660).

Rua Castilho 72, Lisbon(tel: +351 (21) 381 2430).

http://www.avis.com/

http://www.europcar.com/

http://www.hertz.com/



Private cars

A wide range of new and second-hand cars is available for purchase. New cars are very expensive and thePortuguese are adept at repairing old models to keep them running far beyond their normal life span. Because ofthe poor state of many roads it is advisable to have a car with good springs and high ground clearance. Mostluxury models have air-conditioning fitted as standard.

Purchase prices of various popular models are as follows:

Make & model Engine size (cc) Price (PTE)

Alfa 166 (a) 1 600 5 227 000

Ford Focus (a) 1 600 3 937 000

Honda Civic (a) 1 600 4 370 000

Opel Astra 1 600 4 100 000

Audi A4 (a) 2 000 10 427 000

Opel Vectra (a) 2 000 5 660 000

Volvo S80 2 000 8 900 000

BMW 523i 2 300 10 990 000

BMW 325i (a) 2 500 10 221 000

(a) Automatic transmission fitted as standard.

Automatic transmission costs between PTE 300 000 and PTE 400 000 extra where not fitted as standard.Air-conditioning is fitted as standard for all cars listed in this report.

The car owner must always carry the car registration (log book).

Motoring organisation

A number of national motoring organisations are affiliated to the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), HeadOffice, Rua Rosa Araujo 24-26, 1250-195 Lisbon (tel: +351 21 3180100; fax: +351 21 3180237; web site:www.acp.pt).

Driving licence and car insurance

EU nationals may drive with home country licences. Non-EU nationals may drive in Portugal with homecountry licences for a period of six months after which a local licence must be obtained. The application must beaccompanied by a copy of the home country licence, ID card and two recent photographs (passport type).Applicants are required to undergo a medical examination.

http://www.acp.pt/



An International Certificate of Insurance (Green Card) is valid for up to three months after entry; insurancemust then be renewed. Third Party insurance is compulsory, but fully comprehensive cover is stronglyrecommended.

Immigration procedures

Passports and visas

Passports

All travellers require a valid passport to enter Portugal, although nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark,Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta,Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom are permitted to enter onpresentation of a valid National Identity Card. (In addition, holders of passports expired less than five years fornationals of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerlandand the United Kingdom may enter Portugal.)

Passports must be valid for three months (six months for Brazilian nationals).

Visas

Visas are not required by nationals of the following countries:

� Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela for visits of up to three months;

� Canada, Ecuador and Korea (Republic) for visits of up to two months; and

� holders of residence permits (Autorizacao de Residencia) issued to alien residents in Portugal, providedholding a valid passport.

Special regulations apply to holders of diplomatic and service passports.

Non-EU nationals may be required to provide evidence of financial means to support their stay in Portugal.

All other foreign nationals require a visa to enter Portugal.



The Schengen Agreement

Portugal is a signatory to the March 1995 Schengen Agreement which created a ‘borderless’ travel area coveringthe following states: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Travellers in possession of a valid passport or similar,recognised by all participating states, are exempted from the usual visa requirements for travel within theSchengen area. Those in possession of a visa issued by one of the participating states may, in theory, travel freelybetween all participating states. In practice, however, the visa policies of the individual Schengen states have notbeen completely harmonised.

Visa agencies

Obtaining visas can be a complex and time-consuming process; a number of specialised agencies will undertakethe task.

CIBT Global Relocation Services, Inc. (America’s Visa & Passport Professionals), 25 West 43rd Street, Suite1420, New York, NY 10036 (tel: (800) 925-2428, (212) 575-2811; fax: (212) 575-3605; web site:www.cibt.com). Relocation information for US residents. Offices throughout the US.

Global Visas UK: 181 Oxford Street, London W1 1TA (migration tel: +44 (0)20 7287 8344; UKimmigration/tourist visas tel: +44 (0)20 7734 5900; UK work permits tel: +44 (0)20 7287 8345; fax: +44 (0)207734 6900; e-mail: [email protected]); South Africa: 42 Restanwold, Saxonwold 2196 (tel: +27 (11) 4860344; fax: +27 (11) 646 1738; e-mail: [email protected]); New Zealand: Suite 8, ‘K’ Plaza, 501Karagahape Road, Auckland (tel: +64 9 377 2225; fax: +64 9 858 0033; e-mail: [email protected]). Website: www.globalvisas.com.

Thames Consular Services, 548 Chiswick High Road, London W4 5RG UK (tel: +44 (0)20 8995 2492; fax:+44 (0)20 8742 1285; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.thamesconsular.com).

Trailfinders Visa & Passport Service, 194 Kensington High Street, London W8 7RG UK (tel: +44 (0)20 79383848; fax: +44 (0)20 7938 3305; web site: www.trailfinder.com).

The Visaservice, 2 Northdown Street, Kings Cross, London N1 9BG UK (tel: +44 (0)20 7833 2709; fax: +44(0)20 7833 1857; web site: www.visaservice.co.uk). Visas, passports, birth/marriage certificates, translations,verification and legalisation of documents and international driving permits.

Travel Document Systems, 734 Fifteenth Street N.W. Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005 USA (tel: +1-202-638-3800; fax: +1-202-638-4674; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.traveldocs.com). Visa andpassport services for US citizens and US permanent residents.

Health regulations

Vaccination certificates are not normally required by the immigration authorities, although visitors travellingfrom or via infected areas (e.g. yellow fever belt) are advised to hold the necessary International Certificates ofVaccination.

http://www.cibt.com/




http://www.globalvisas.com/


http://www.thamesconsular.com/

http://www.trailfinder.com/

http://www.visaservice.co.uk/


http://www.traveldocs.com/



Azores and Madeira

Yellow fever vaccination certificates are required by visitors to these islands if arriving within six days ofleaving or transiting infected areas (children under 12 months are exempt).

Working in Portugal

Work visas

EU nationals are not required to obtain work visas to take up employment in Portugal. Non-EU nationals musthold a fixed-term contract of employment with a Portuguese employer before applying for a work visa. Workvisas are granted for up to one year and may be extended for an additional year. The signed contract must beregistered with the Minister of Labor, Ministry of Employment, Praca de Londres, 2, 1000 Lisbon (tel: +351 (1)840 1012). The following documents, with Portuguese translations, must accompany a work visa application:medical certificate, passport photographs, photocopy of passport, proof of sufficient financial means to supportthe stay in Portugal, signed employment contract and certificate from police stating the individual is of goodcharacter. Work permits are non-transferrable; the process must be repeated in order to change employers. Inreviewing applications, the authorities will take into consideration the availability of local labour andaccommodation. Visas are renewable annually (in January) by employers.

The spouse of a work visa holder must make a separate application in order to take up employment in Portugal.Non-EU nationals must provide proof of adequate financial means to support the stay and accommodation inPortugal.

Hotels

A number of web sites now offer hotel booking/registration online. Amongst the best are www.all-hotels.com, www.hotelbook.com, www.hotelguide.com and www.hotelworld.com. Portugal Hotel Guide (website: www.maisturismo.pt).

There is a fair amount of hotel accommodation in the main business centres, ranging from the luxurious to themodest. However, reservations should be made well in advance as the tourist traffic is heavy, particularly duringthe summer months (April to October).

Government-run pousadas are inns, usually situated in picturesque country districts, which maintain a very highstandard and offer excellent value for money. However, accommodation is limited and bookings should be madewell in advance. A list of hotels, pensions and pousadas, including details of prices charged, may be obtainedfrom offices of the Portuguese National Tourist Office. Information may be obtained in Portugal from thetourist office at Lisbon airport.

Prices include service charge and VAT.

http://www.all-hotels.com/

http://www.all-hotels.com/

http://www.hotelbook.com/

http://www.hotelguide.com/

http://www.hotelworld.com/

http://www.maisturismo.pt/



Lisbon

✭✭✭✭✭Sheraton Lisboa Hotel & TowersRua Latino Coelho 1, P-1069 (tel: (21) 357 5757; fax: (21) 354 7164; web site: www.sheraton.com).Close to financial and shopping districts. Single room: PTE 32 000 – PTE 40 000.

✭✭✭✭✭Four Seasons Hotel, The Ritz LisbonRua Rodrigo da Fonseca, 88 P-1070 (tel: (21) 383 2020; fax: (21) 383 1783; web site: www.fourseasons.com).In city centre. Single room: PTE 45 000 – PTE 55 000.

✭✭✭✭Lisbon Penta HotelAv dos Combatentes, P-1600 (tel: (21) 726 4054; fax: (21) 726 4281).10 mins from city centre. Single room: PTE 22 000.

✭✭✭✭Holiday Inn LisbonAv. Antonio Jose de Almeida, 28A, P-1000 (tel: (21) 793 5222; fax: (21) 793 6672; web site:www.basshotels.com/holiday-inn).In central location. Single room: PTE 30 000.

✭✭✭Miraparque HotelAv Sidonio Pais 12, P-1050 (tel: (21) 532 4286; fax: (21) 357 8920).Opposite Eduardo VII Park. Single room: PTE 9 200 – PTE 12 000.

Cascais

✭✭✭✭Village CascaisRua Frei Nicolau de Oliveira, Parque da Gandarinha, P-2750 (tel: (21) 483 7044; fax: (21) 483 7319).Facing Cascais Bay. Single room: PTE 11 870 – PTE 21 950.

Porto

✭✭✭✭Castor HotelRua das 12 Casas 17, P-4000 (tel: (22) 570 014; fax: (22) 566 076).Located in a quiet residential district. Single room: PTE 11 900 – PTE 13 900.

✭✭✭✭Le Meridien Park AtlanticAv da Boavista 1466, P-4100 (tel: (22) 607 2500; fax: (22) 600 2031).Located in a residential area. Single room: PTE 26 000 – PTE 30 000.

http://www.sheraton.com/

http://www.fourseasons.com/

http://www.basshotels.com/holiday-inn



ECA’s Daily Rates for Business Travellers are collated to help anticipate the cost of short business tripsabroad. They provide typical essential costs of short-term business trips in 97 countries and 123 locationsworldwide. Not surprisingly, the cost of hotel accommodation and meals normally make up the largest part of atraveller’s daily expenses. ECA’s Daily Rates also take into consideration expenditure on taxis, laundry and otherincidental costs (paperback book, toilet soap, newspaper, cinema ticket and cigarettes). The Daily Rates forBusiness Travellers are available singly, regionally or as a full set. For further information please contact ClientServices, ECA International (tel: +44 (0)20 7351 5000; fax: +44 (0)20 7351 9396; e-mail: [email protected]).

Health and hygiene

Risks and precautions

No special health precautions are necessary for expatriates in Portugal, but all travellers are recommended tohave typhoid and tetanus vaccinations. Those working in the health sector are advised to be vaccinated againsthepatitis B. Tap water is usually chlorinated and may cause mild stomach upsets. Outside the main urban areaswater may be contaminated and purification is advisable. It is as well to remember that the sun can be verystrong in summer and a sun hat, sun glasses and sun block cream are wise precautions, particularly for childrenand those with fair or sensitive skin. Expatriates should seek advice from their GP well in advance of departure.

Refer to ‘Further health information’, page 58.

Medical facilities

Portuguese hospital and health services have been reorganised and it is government policy to establish acomprehensive national health service and to improve the social welfare services. Nevertheless, expatriates willgenerally require private insurance cover for medical expenses. This may be arranged through the employing

company or through a private insurance company ( Refer to ‘Medical and repatriation insurance’, page23.) or, if the stay is for a short period, through travel agents.

The British Hospital in Lisbon provides medical, surgical, maternity and general nursing attention for theEnglish-speaking community and visitors. Details of special rates and priority of entry may be obtained uponapplication. There are also international medical centres in Cascais which are reliable and efficient and haveEnglish-speaking staff.

Lisbon area

British Hospital, Rua Saraiva de Carvalho 49, Lisbon (tel: (21) 395 5067; fax: (21) 397 4066).

Hospital Da Cruz Vermelha, Lisbon (tel: 01 177887134; fax: 01 17780505).

Clinica Medica Internacional (out-patients), Cascais (tel: (21) 484 5317/8; fax: (21) 483 2506).

Hospital de Santa Maria, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, Lisbon 1600 (tel: (21) 797 5171; web site: www.hsm.pt).



http://www.hsm.pt/



Algarve

Casa de Saude, Faro (tel: (289) 802106; fax: (289) 803958).

Hospital Particular do Algarve, Alvor (tel: (282) 420400; fax: (282) 420404).

MediLagos Clinic, Lagos (tel: (282) 760181; fax: (282) 760180).

Embassies hold a list of doctors who are bilingual, and who are able to give treatment to visiting foreignnationals.

Pharmacies (farmácia) throughout the country stock a comprehensive range of drugs and other medical supplies.

Citizens of other European Union countries are entitled to medical treatment as provided for Portuguese citizensunder domestic legislation. A few weeks (but not more than six months) before travelling, prospective visitorsshould complete the necessary forms which are available from their own Social Security or Health Offices; theywill then be issued with a certificate of entitlement to medical benefits (E111) which they should take with themto Portugal. In mainland Portugal, information is available from Regional Health Services Offices(Administração Regional de Saude).

Within the EU, private medical insurance contracted in one country is accepted by the authorities in the other EUcountries.

Medical and repatriation insurance

Foreign nationals who require private treatment are advised to take out private medical insurance beforedeparture. Within the EU, private medical insurance contracted in one country is accepted by the authorities inthe other countries.

Insurance companies include:

BUPA International, Russell Mews, Brighton. BN1 2NR UK (tel: +44 (0)1273 208 181; fax: +44 (0)1273 866583; web site: www.bupa-intl.com; details of international schemes, quotations and global travel and healthadvice).

ExpaCare Insurance Services, Dukes Court, Duke Street, Woking, Surrey. GU21 5XB UK (tel: +44 (0)1483717800; fax: +44 (0)1483 776620; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.expacare.net; specialists ininsurance for expatriates. Healthcare and income protection insurance for individuals and group healthcareinsurance schemes for companies and organisations with employees working abroad).

PPP healthcare, Head Office, Philips House, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN1 2PL UK. (tel: +44(0)1892 772 002 (from outside the UK) or 0800 33 55 55 (UK only); web site: www.ppphealthcare.com; detailsof international schemes, quotations, directory of services available to members).

International Health Insurance danmark a/s, Head Office, 8 Palaegade, DK-1261 Copenhagen K, Denmark(tel: +45 33 15 30 99; fax: +45 33 32 25 60; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.ihi.dk) insures expatriates of allnationalities in more than 150 countries world-wide. World-wide Health Insurance Card offers 24-houremergency service.

US citizens can obtain health insurance through American Citizens Abroad. Refer to ‘Information forexpatriates’, page 60.

http://www.bupa-intl.com/


http://www.expacare.net/

http://www.ppphealthcare.com/


http://www.ihi.dk/



Further information

Services

British Airways Travel Clinics (tel: +44 (0)1276 685 040; web site: www.british-airways.com/travelqa/fyi/health/health.shtml) are sited throughout the UK and South Africa and will providenecessary vaccinations, travel healthcare products and health advice.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30333 USA (tel: (404) 639-3311 (CDC Operator); (800) 311-3435 (CDC Public Inquiries); web site: www.cdc.gov). Information aboutvaccinations, health advice and publications.

MASTA (Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad), London School of Hygiene and TropicalMedicine, Keppel Street, London. WC1E 7HT UK (tel: +44 (0)20 7631 4408; web site:www.masta.org/index.html); provides a comprehensive database of world health information relevant totravellers.

Travel Health Online (web site: www.tripprep.com); country-specific information including advice on healthprecautions, disease risks and recommended immunisations.

International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT), Canada: 40 Regal Road, Guelph,Ontario N1K 1B5 (tel: (519) 836-0102; fax: (519) 836-3412; e-mail: [email protected]); New Zealand: PO Box5049, Christchurch 5 (fax: (643) 352-4630; e-mail: [email protected]); Switzerland: 57 Voirets, 1212Grand-Lancy-Geneva; USA: 417 Center Street, Lewiston, NY 14092 (tel: (716) 754-4883) is a world-wideassociation offering a list of approved English- or French-speaking doctors whose training meets British andAmerican standards. Web site: www.sentex.net/~iamat.

Medic Alert Foundation, 2323 Colorado Avenue, Turlock, California 95382 USA (tel: 1-800-825-3785; website: www.medicalert.org); Canada (tel: 416-696-0267; fax: 416-696-0156); UK and Irish Republic (tel: +44(0)20 7833 3034; fax: +44 (0)20 7278 0647); Australia (South) (tel: 61-88-274-0361; fax: 61-88-271-4844).Individuals with diabetes, rare blood groups, allergies to certain drugs can register with this foundation. A MedicAlert emblem is issued, which can be worn, together with a wallet card giving specific details and instructions tocall Medic Alert collect (reverse charge) from anywhere in the world in case of accident.

Medical Services Overseas Ltd, Snow’s Medical Buildings, Slad Stroud GL6 7QE UK (tel: +44 (0)1452814614; fax: +44 (0)1452 812043; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.mso.cwc.net). MSO carries outmedical audits on-site for industries operating overseas: workplace health, litigation and legal compliance,disease control, emergency medical care, training, routine medical care and community health projects.

Travel health publications

Travellers’ Health - How to Stay Healthy Abroad, Richard Dawood, published by Oxford University Press(1992).

The Pocket Doctor - A Passport to Healthy Travel, Stephen Bezruchka, MD, published by Mountaineers Books(1999).

The ABC of Healthy Travel, Eric Walker, Fiona Raeside, Lorna Calvert and Glyn Williams, published by BritishMedical Journal Books (1997).

http://www.british-airways.com/travelqa/fyi/health/health.shtml

http://www.british-airways.com/travelqa/fyi/health/health.shtml

http://www.cdc.gov/

http://www.masta.org/index.html

http://www.tripprep.com/



http://www.sentex.net/~iamat

http://www.medicalert.org/


http://www.mso.cwc.net/



Understanding Travel & Holiday Health, Bernadette Carroll, Gil Lea, Tony Smith and Dave Eastbury, publishedby Family Doctor Publications (1997).

Your Child’s Health Abroad, Jane Wilson Haworth and Matthew Ellis, published by Bradt Publications (1998).

International Travel Health Guide, Stuart R. Rose, MD, published by Chronimed Publications (1998).

The Doctor’s Guide to Protecting Your Health Before, During and After International Travel, W. Robert Lange,MD, published by Pilot Books (1997).

Clothing

Clothes shops and stores sell locally-manufactured and international brands of clothes. Inexpensiveclothes are often of poor quality; prices of better quality clothes such as those imported from France are high byPortuguese standards (i.e. when compared with average wages). Outlets include C & A, which has branches inthe centre of Lisbon and in Cascais and Loja das Meias in Amoreiras which sells menswear. Mothercare sellsclothing for children. The hypermarkets usually stock a range of clothing and footwear.

The Portuguese are generally formal in their office dress and it is customary for men to wear a suit duringworking hours. In Lisbon and Oporto medium-weight clothing, with a warm waterproof topcoat, is suitable forwinter, and light-weight, but not tropical, clothing will be required for summer. Winters can be cold with heavyrain. Dinner jackets are rarely worn, except on the most formal occasions.

Women will require woollen clothing and a topcoat for winter, and silk or cotton dresses for summer, with a lightcoat or wrap for evening. Lightweight clothing is worn throughout the year in the extreme south. A raincoat andumbrella are essential, particularly in the north and along the western coast. Most expatriates will requiresunglasses and a sunhat, especially for the Algarve during the summer.

Scanty clothing should be confined to the beach and poolside.

Dry-cleaning facilities mentioned by expatriates include 5 à sec and Lavandaria de Torr in Cascais. MisterMinit outlets provide shoe repair services in several cities.

The working environment

Business practices

For a business visit it is essential to make a prior appointment, preferably in writing and to arrive on time.However, visitors should not expect punctuality from hosts or meetings to begin on time. Men should wear a suitor jacket and tie, and women a skirt or suit.



The formal handshake, both on arrival and departure, is an important custom to be observed at all business andsocial meetings.

Those who speak Spanish more fluently than Portuguese will find that they can conduct negotiations in Spanishprovided that they first explain and apologise (this can be done in a mixture of Portuguese/French/English).However, meetings where an English-speaking foreigner is present are most likely to be conducted in English.

Lunch is a vital part of doing business and will usually take two hours. Business breakfasts are unknown. There isno siesta in the afternoon.

All important decisions are taken by senior management who exert strong control. There is little delegation andthose lower down the management scale are seldom given much responsibility. It is therefore important to dealwith Portuguese of equal status within a company.

Bureaucracy can be slow and frustrating and strikes amongst public-sector workers are common, leading tofurther delays. The right connections help and visitors should enlist the assistance of a Portuguese colleaguewhere possible.

Local time

Details of international times and time zones are available on-line from iSBiSTER International, Inc. (web site:www.worldtimeserver.com) and CNN (web site: www.cnn.com/WEATHER/worldtime).

Standard time on the Portuguese mainland and Madeira is the same as Greenwich Mean Time. From the lastweekend in March to the last weekend in October the time is GMT +1. Standard time in the Azores is GMT -1.

Noon in Lisbon (Lisboa)

NoonLondon

(0)

10 pmMelbourne

(+10)

7 amNew York

(-5)

9 pmTokyo(+9)

N.B. Daylight Saving Time (Summer Time), usually one hour in advance of Standard Time, is kept in someplaces.

http://www.worldtimeserver.com/

http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/worldtime



Hours of business

Banks

08.30 to 15.00 Monday to Friday.

A few banks in Lisbon are open on Saturday morning.

Offices

09.00 to 13.00 and 15.00 to 19.00 or 09.30 to 19.30 Monday to Friday.

Shops

Shops in the main centres of Lisbon and Oporto are usually open during the following hours:

09.00 to 13.00 and 15.00 to 19.00 or 09.30 to 19.30 Monday to Friday.09.00 to 13.00 Saturday.

Shopping centres are open daily from 10.00 to 23.00. Hypermarkets and other large stores may open for fivehours on a Sunday; other shops may open for ten hours.

Public holidays

January 1 2001 New Year's Day. February 27 Carnival - Mardi Gras. April 13 Good Friday. April 25Freedom Day. May 1 Labour Day. June 10 Portugal Day. June 14 Corpus Christi. August 15 Assumption.October 5 Republic Day. November 1 All Saints' Day. December 1 Restoration of Independence Day.December 8 Immaculate Conception. December 25 Christmas Day.

January 1 2002 New Year's Day. February 12 Carnival - Mardi Gras. March 29 Good Friday. April 25Freedom Day. May 1 Labour Day. May 30 Corpus Christi. June 10 Portugal Day. June 24 St John's Day(Lisbon). August 15 Assumption. October 5 Republic Day. November 1 All Saints' Day. December 1Restoration of Independence Day. December 8 Immaculate Conception. December 25 Christmas Day.

Most embassies observe the local Portuguese holidays, together with their own national holidays.

The majority of Portuguese take their holidays during July, August and September, and business visits are notrecommended at this time. It is also difficult to arrange appointments during the week before and after Christmasand Easter.

Public holidays that fall on a Sunday are not observed the following Monday.



Money

Currency unit and exchange rate

The unit of currency is the Portuguese escudo (PTE), which is divided into 100 centavos. The followingdenominations are in circulation:

Notes: 500, 1 000, 2 000, 5 000 and 10 000 PTE.

Coins: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 PTE.

Euro currency will be in circulation 1 January 2002:

Notes: 10, 100 and 500 EUR.

Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents; 1 and 2 EUR.

Exchange rate: GBP 1 = PTE 324.945 (11 May 2001); USD 1 = PTE 228.835 (11 May 2001);EUR 1 = PTE 200.484 (11 May 2001).

Credit cards

The major international credit cards (MasterCard, American Express and Visa) are accepted to an increasingextent in Portugal but visitors should not rely on being able to use them in shops and small hotels, particularlyoutside the main business and tourist centres. Similarly, Eurocheques are accepted only by the larger hotels andshops.

For holders of current accounts with foreign banks, cash may be drawn against cheques (backed up by aEurocheque Card) from branches of the principal banks in the main centres (Lisbon, Oporto, Faro) which showthe Eurocheque Card sign. Account holders should obtain full details from their own bank. A cash advanceagainst Visa and MasterCard is available from outlets in the main business and tourist areas.

Expatriates should note that regulations affecting Eurocheque Cards, credit cards etc are liable to alteration andthey are advised to check with their own bank.

Cirrus and Maestro are widely accepted at ATMs.

Currency controls

Exchange control regulations are liable to change and intending visitors should seek up-to-date informationbefore departure. At present, the following regulations apply:



Import

There are no restrictions on the import of local or foreign currency. Foreign currency in excess of PTE 1 millionmust be declared on arrival.

Export

Local currency up to PTE 100 000 per person, per trip may be exported. There are no restrictions on the exportof foreign currency, however, amounts in excess of PTE 1 million must be declared.

Travellers’ cheques may be changed in hotels, banks and bureaux de change but rates of commission vary widely.

Banks

The Central Bank is the Banco de Portugal, Rua do Ouro 27, 1100-150 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3213200; fax: (21)3464843; web site: www.bportugal.pt). Bank of monetary issue.

Leading commercial banks in Portugal include:

Banco Comercial Português (BCP), POB 4744, 4050 Porto (tel: (22) 6099136; fax: (22) 6099512; web site:www.bcp.pt).

Banco Espírito Santo, Av. da Liberdade 195, 1200 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3158331; fax: (21) 3532931; web site:www.bes.pt).

Banco Mello de Investimentos, SA, Rua Alexandre Herculano 50-5o, 1269-055 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3125000; fax:(21) 3125001; web site: www.bancomello.pt).

Banco Nacional Ultramarino, Av. 5 de Outubro 175, POB 10139, 1111 Lisbon (tel: (21) 7930112; fax: (21)7937835; web site: www.bnu.pt).

Banco Pinto e Sotto Mayor, POB 2148, Rua do Ouro 28, 1100-063 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3402929; fax: (21)3213188).

Banco Português do Atlântico (BPA), SA, Praça D. João I 28, 4001 Porto (tel: (22) 2072000; fax: (22)2005175; web site: www.bancoatlantico.pt).

Banco Privado Português, SA, Rua Mouzinho da Silveira 12, 1250 Lisbon (tel: (21) 313700; fax: (21)3137092; web site: www.bpp.pt).

Banco Santander Portugal, SA, Praça Marquês de Pombal 2, 1250-161 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3107000; fax: (21)3107244; web site: www.santander.pt).

Banco Totta e Açores (BTA), SA, Rua Aurea 88, 1100-063 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3211500; fax: (21) 33211591).

Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), Av. João XXI 63, 1017 Lisbon (tel: (21) 7953000; fax: (21) 7905050; website: www.cgd.pt).

Crédito Predial Português, Campo Pequeno 81, 1000 Lisbon (tel: (21) 7921100; fax: (21) 7908824).

http://www.bportugal.pt/

http://www.bcp.pt/

http://www.bes.pt/

http://www.bancomello.pt/

http://www.bnu.pt/

http://www.bancoatlantico.pt/

http://www.bpp.pt/

http://www.santander.pt/

http://www.cgd.pt/



Foreign banks include:

ABN-AMRO Bank NV (Netherlands), Av. da Liberdade 131-1o, 1250 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3211800; fax: (21)3211900).

Banco do Brasil, Praça Marquês de Pombal 16, 1250 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3521640; fax: (21) 3143180).

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd (Japan), Rua Castilho 165-2o, 1070 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3832104; fax: (21)3832363).

Banque Nationale de Paris (France), Av. 5 de Outubro 206, Lisbon (tel: (21) 7910200; fax: (21) 7955616).

Barclays Bank PLC (UK), Av. da República 50-2o, 1050 Lisbon (tel: (21) 7911100; fax: (21) 7911123).

Fortis Bank NV (Belgium), Rua Alexandre Herculano 50-6o, 1250 Lisbon (tel: (21) 3139300; fax: (21)3139350).

Many Spanish banks have opened branches in recent years.

Financial liberalisation has resulted in more competition between private and state-owned banks and the latter arehaving to compete with the range of services provided by the former.

Tipping

Hotels and restaurants

Although a service charge is included in all bills, a small tip is also expected.

Taxi drivers

10% of the fare.

Hairdressers

Men’s - PTE 100 – PTE 200; women’s - PTE 200 – PTE 300.

Communications

Post

The address of the Central Post Office is CTT, Praça dos Restantadores, Lisbon 2; this office is open 08.00 -22.00 daily. The main post office (Correios) on Praça do Comércio is open 08.30 - 18.00 Monday to Saturday.



General opening hours for other post offices are: 09.00 to 18.00 hours Monday to Friday. CTT – Correios dePortugal, SA (web site: www.ctt.pt).

Stamps (selos) can be bought at post offices and stationery shops. Mail boxes are either blue for next-daydelivery or red for normal service.

Internal services are reasonable throughout Metropolitan Portugal (i.e. Continental Portugal, Madeira and theAzores) although facilities are less extensive in the Azores.

Air mail to the UK and other European countries takes about three days, whilst surface mail takes up to five days,including delivery; air mail to North America takes about five days.

Addresses

Mail should be addressed in the following order: Name; Street name followed by number; and Postcode followedby town or city.

Telephone

The telephone system in Portugal is mainly state-owned although privatisation of the network has started andmany numbers have been changed. The system is improving following the improvements in technology. It takesseveral days to have a telephone installed in the Lisbon area.

The automatic dialling system is in use throughout most of the country. The cheap rate is 20.00-08.00 and atweek-ends for calls within the country.

Public telephone kiosks are red and cream coloured. Card phones are being installed in public callboxes in themain cities and towns. These cards can be bought at post offices and shops displaying the phonecard sign.Otherwise, phones take PTE 20 and 50 coins.

Internal codes

Lisbon 21

Faro 289

Oporto 22

Emergency and useful telephone numbers in:

Portugal

Fire Brigade 112

Police 112

Ambulance 112

International Access Code(to call abroad from Portugal)

00

Country code for Portugal 351

International operator 099

http://www.ctt.pt/



Fax

Almost all of the larger companies, hotels etc have a fax transmission system. Hotels have fax facilities forguests.

Internet

Worldwide Internet café search engine (web site: www.cybercafe.com).

Cyber.bica, Duques Bragança Street, 7 Lisbon 1200 (tel: +351 21 3225004; fax: +351 21 3225004; e-mail:[email protected]; web site: www.cyberbica.com).

Broadcasting

There are several government-run radio stations: RDP – Radiodifusão Portuguesa, SA (web site: www.rdp.pt)and private stations including RR - Rádio Renascença (web site: www.radiorenascenca.pt), the Catholicbroadcasting station. All broadcast in Portuguese.

There are state-run television channels run by RTP - Radiotelevisão Portuguesa, SA (web site: www.rtp.pt)plus cable TV. There are also two private channels - SIC (web site: www.sic.pt) and TVI (web site: www.tvi.pt)(the latter backed by the Roman Catholic church). Many of the programmes relayed are British or American, withPortuguese sub-titles and Brazilian soap-operas are very popular. There are no television licence fees.

International radio stations can be heard throughout the country on short-wave receivers.

Australia

Details of broadcasts by Radio Australia and a programme and frequency guide can be obtained from RadioAustralia, GPO Box 428G, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3001 (tel: +61 (3) 9626 1825/1500; web site:www.abc.net.au/ra).

France

Details of relays by Radio France Internationale can be obtained from RFI, 116 avenue du Président Kennedy,75116 Paris France (tel: +33 (1) 42 30 12 12; fax: +33 (1) 42 30 44 81; e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.rfi.fr).

Germany

Relays by Radio Deutsche Welle; programmes and schedules can be obtained from Deutsche Welle,Raderberggürtel 50, 50968 Köln Germany (tel: +49 (221) 3890; fax: +49 (221) 389 3000; web site:www.dwelle.de).

http://www.cybercafe.com/


http://www.cyberbica.com/

http://www.rdp.pt/

http://www.radiorenascenca.pt/

http://www.rtp.pt/

http://www.sic.pt/

http://www.tvi.pt/

http://www.abc.net.au/ra


http://www.rfi.fr/

http://www.dwelle.de/



Netherlands

Radio Netherlands; details of schedules, frequencies and programmes from: Radio Netherlands, Box 222, 1200JG Hilversum, The Netherlands (tel: +31 (35) 672 4211; fax: +31 (35) 672 4239; web site: www.rnw.nl).

Sweden

Relays by Sveriges Radio, S-105 10 Stockholm, Sweden (tel: +46 (8) 784 5000; fax: +46 (8) 784 1500; website: www.sr.se).

UK

Programme schedules and information about BBC World Service television and radio are available in On Air, amonthly publication obtainable on subscription from: BBC On Air, Dept. WW, Room 207NW, Bush House,Strand, London WC2B 4PH UK (tel: +44 (0)20 7557 2211; fax: +44 (0)20 7240 4899; e-mail:[email protected]; web site: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice). A regularly updated list of the frequenciesused by the BBC World Service can be found on their web site.

USA

Details of Voice of America programmes and schedules can be obtained from VOA, Office of External Affairs,330 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20547 USA (tel: +1 (202) 619 2538; fax: +1 (202) 619 1241;e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.voa.gov) or from American embassies and consulates.

Other foreign nationals are advised to consult their embassy for information about radio transmissions from theirhome country.

http://www.rnw.nl/

http://www.sr.se/


http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice


http://www.voa.gov/



Newspapers

The most influential newspapers are those circulating in Lisbon and Oporto, including: Correio da Manhã (website: www.correiomanha.pt), Diário de Notícias (web site: www.dn.pt), Jornal de O Dia, Público (web site:www.publico.pt), A Capital in Lisbon, and Jornal de Notícias in Oporto (web site: www.jn.pt); most arepublished six days a week. Expresso is the largest and most respected weekly (web site: www.expresso.pt). Inaddition, there are many magazines. Revista Exame is the leading business magazine. There are no daily English-language papers. The News Weekly is available on-line in English (web site: http://the-news.net/).

The English-language newspaper Anglo-Portuguese News is published every Thursday and is a useful source ofinformation for expatriates; it carries adverts for properties to rent. It can be bought in newspaper shops andkiosks or on subscription. The Algarve News is published every fortnight on Fridays.

European newspapers are available everywhere, and British papers can normally be bought on the day of issue,particularly in the Lisbon area. UK Sunday papers reportedly arrive without the colour supplement.

http://www.correiomanha.pt/

http://www.dn.pt/

http://www.publico.pt/

http://www.jn.pt/

http://www.expresso.pt/

http://the-news.net/



Section 3: On arrivalCustoms formalities

Customs

Personal effects

EU nationals are exempt from paying duty on personal and household goods. In the case of other nationals, noduty is payable on new articles contained in an expatriate’s baggage providing they are not worth more than therelevant duty-free allowances and are for own personal use. In practice, all clothing, personal jewellery, and suchitems as sporting equipment, camera, etc may be imported free of duty. A detailed inventory (with Portuguesetranslation) of all items to be imported must be completed.

Import allowances

Travellers entering from EU states (goods bought tax/duty-paid):

Alcohol Tobacco Perfumes Other

90 litres of wine and110 litres of beer.

800 cigarettes or 400cigarillos or 200cigars or 1 kgtobacco.

No limit. -

Travellers entering from non-EU states:

Alcohol Tobacco Perfumes Other

1 litre of spirits over22% or 2 litres ofother alcoholicbeverages under 22%and up to 2 litres ofwine.

200 cigarettes or 100cigarillos or 50cigars or 250 g oftobacco products.

50 g perfume and250 ml toilet water.

Tax free goods toPTE 7 500. Othergoods to PTE 34 400(lower amounts forpersons aged under15 years).

Tobacco and alcohol allowances are restricted to persons over 17 years of age.



Cars

Motor vehicles may be imported duty-free for a temporary period of up to six months. During this time importformalities must be carried out. The vehicle must have been in the registered owner’s possession for a minimumof six months prior to importation. The duty payable will depend on the make, model, age and length ofownership.

The following documents will be required: driver’s license, original vehicle registration certificate, vehicledetails including make, model and serial number.

Pets

A health certificate will be required, issued by a veterinarian not more than four weeks prior to date of import.

Air Animal International Pet Moving Services, 4120 W. Cypress St., Tampa, FL. 33607 USA (tel: (813) 8793210; fax: (813) 874 6722; web site: www.airanimal.com).

The Independent Pet and Animal Transportation Association International, Inc., Route 1, Box 747,Highway 2869 - Big Sandy, Texas 75755 USA (tel: (903) 769-2267; fax: (903) 769-2867; e-mail:[email protected]; web site: www.ipata.com) is an international network of pet relocation specialists - animalhandlers, pet moving providers, kennel operators and veterinarians - who can help with all aspects of relocatingpets.

Petplan Ltd, Computer House, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 9DX UK (tel: +44 (0)20 85808080; fax: +44 (0)20 8580 8183; web site: www.petplan.co.uk). UK pet health insurance company; can arrangeboarding kennel cover, world-wide transit cover and personal accident insurance.

Prohibited items

Imports

� Plants and animals (excluding pets) andarticles obtained from some protectedspecies, such as skins and ivory. Anyweapons (except those used on shootingranges or for hunting), narcotics andpsychotropic substances.

� Pornographic material.

http://www.airanimal.com/



http://www.ipata.com/

http://www.petplan.co.uk/



Setting up home

Registration and residence permits

Residence permits

EU nationals may apply for residence permits. These are valid five years and may be renewed.

Non-EU nationals intending to take up residence in Portugal must first apply for residence visas from Portugueseembassies/consulates in the home country. Visas are valid six months, during which an application for aresidence permit must be filed. Temporary residence permits are valid two years (renewable for a furthertwo-year period). Permanent residence permits must be renewed every five years.

Accommodation

Lisbon

Apartments, houses or villas, both furnished and unfurnished, may be rented. Rents are generally high, especiallyin the Lisbon area, but there is considerable variation. The majority of expatriates tend to live outside Lisbonitself in Estoril, Cascais or to a lesser extent in Sintra. Relatively few expatriates choose to live in Lisbon; thefollowing areas are the most popular:

Lapa

� A fashionable diplomatic quarter - narrow cobbled streets with a mixture of smartly renovated and sadlyneglected buildings side by side, some with fine views down to the River Tagus.

Baixa

� The low-lying downtown part of the city, now mainly a shopping and commercial area, but with a fewapartments.

Laranjeiras

� An area in the north-west of the city next to Lisbon zoo and with views of Monsanto park. There is a goodsupply of modern apartment blocks in this area, which is close to some of Lisbon’s prestigious office blocks.Connected to the city via metro. (Note: The new north-south expressway now dissects this neighbourhood,making it rather noisy).

� Excellent shopping and cultural facilities.

� Adequate public transport with regular bus/tram services, as well as the metro (often more convenient to usepublic transport/taxis rather than a car because of traffic congestion and the difficulty of parking).



� A wide variety of apartments available, ranging from old-style to very modern.

� Older apartments often have no garage and the plumbing and electric wiring may be substandard.

� Check that the electric supply will be sufficient to run several appliances at the same time.

Monthly rental in PTE for unfurnished accommodation in Lapa/Baixa/Laranjeiras (minimum)

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

1 bedapartment

2 bedapartment

3 bedapartment

Type of Accommodation

Few properties are available and there is a great deal of demand amongst Portuguese professionals. Portuguesetenants tend to rent on a very long-term basis.

Cascais, a tourist resort situated 28 km west of Lisbon on the Atlantic coast.

� A popular area for expatriates, especially those with children.

� Cascai-Shopping is a huge out-of-town shopping mall.

� Public transport is adequate with commuter trains/buses to central Lisbon.

� Wide variety of property available, from palatial old villas to suburban-style houses/new apartments.

� Good choice of modern housing, but with very small gardens.

� Modern residential suburbs of Cascais: Quinta da Marinha (exclusive resort village next to the ocean andset amongst pine trees), Birre (large villas with swimming pools), Malveira da Serra (hillside village suburbwith ocean views).

� Apartments are either high-rise or low-rise; there are portered blocks and ‘closed condominiums’ with24-hour security guards. A number of luxury blocks have been built in recent years.



There is little price differential between furnished and unfurnished except when a property is newly furnished, inwhich case the rent may be an extra PTE 25 000 to PTE 50 000 per month. Availability of property is generallyfair to abundant but depends on the time of year, the summer being the most difficult because of tourists and theabsence of owners. It is always worthwhile trying to negotiate on the rent, although given the scarcity of goodquality accommodation in the area, it may not be possible to get more than a small reduction.

Monthly rental in PTE for unfurnished accommodation in Cascais (minimum)

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

2 bedapartment

3 bedapartment

3/4 beddetached

4/5 beddetached




Oporto

Foz do Douro, 4-6 km west of the city centre.

� An up-market residential suburb with seafront and riverside views.

� Large British community; British port wine families, British School, British Club etc.

� Small, exclusive shopping centre with the Boavista and downtown shops within easy reach.

� German, American and French schools in the vicinity.

� Adequate public transport with bus/trams to city centre. The journey by car takes 15 minutes.

� A wide variety of property to rent, all with garages. Some detached houses have a pool. Many are olderproperties.

Monthly rental in PTE for furnished accommodation in Foz do Douro (minimum)

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

500000

2 bedapartment/

condominium

3 bedapartment/

condominium

4 bedapartment/

condominium

3/4 beddetached


Boavista, 2 km west of the centre.

� A new urban centre with many new office and residential buildings.

� Prestigious 18th/19th century neighbourhood (Graham) is also within the area.

� Boavista Trade Centre recently opened.

� Schools for expatriate children are a few kilometres away in Foz do Douro.

� Buses and trams take 15 minutes to the city centre; the journey by car takes 10 minutes, but longer in the rushhour. An overground commuter train is planned for the future.

� All types of property can be rented, all with a garage, some with a pool.



� Rents are broadly similar to those in Foz. There is usually a small price differential betweenfurnished/unfurnished property.

� Leases are normally for one year. Annually renewable contracts are common, although five-year leases arepreferred by some landlords for legal reasons. Landlords prefer contracts drawn up in the individual tenant'sname but with a company guarantee clause. Diplomatic clauses of 30 or 60 days are easy to negotiate.

� There is usually no brokerage fee involved for the lessee but the landlord pays the agent a commission of upto one month's rent upon signing of the lease agreement.

� Upon signing the lease, the landlord or agent normally requires payment of the first and last months' rent, plusa refundable deposit of an additional month’s rent as security in case of unpaid bills or damage to the propertyand contents. When a security deposit is paid, the lease agreement should state the conditions for its returnafter the lessee’s departure.

� Subsequent rent payments are made between the 1st and the 8th of each month in advance of that to which therent actually refers (i.e. February’s payment is paid between 1 and 8 January).

� Estate agents are excessively competitive and do not work with central listings. There are dozens ofunlicensed individuals working in the rentals market. Licensed agents belong to the 'Sociedade de MediacaoImmobiliaria' and have a licensed 'AMI' number. Rents are increased annually in accordance with an indexpublished by the government each October (current rate is 2.8%).

� It is difficult to negotiate rental contracts of less than 12 months and agents advise tenants to take the one-yearagreement with a short notice cancellation clause.

� Contracts of less than six months are very difficult to find unless the client is willing to pay tourist rates.There are some apartment-hotels in the Cascais area and others of reasonable quality in the Lisbon area.These are however rather expensive.

� In the past, landlords have been able to get away with not declaring their rental income to the Portuguese taxauthorities. Now some landlords are willing to provide 'official' receipts because they are worried aboutdiscovery by the tax authorities. However, landlords offering receipts are less willing to negotiate the askingrental price, and may actually want to increase the price in return for providing receipts.

Details of locations, leases and rents were kindly supplied by EPIC International.

ECA accommodation reports

Further information on renting property in Lisbon is available in ECA’s ‘Expatriate Manager’sAccommodation Guide’. ECA’s detailed Accommodation Reports are an essential guide for HR andmanagement teams compiling accurate and fair costings for any short- or long-term international assignment.

The reports are produced on an annual basis and concentrate on areas and types of accommodation favoured byexpatriates. They are based on data from the ECA surveys of living costs in more than 180 countries, and aresupported by the Client Services teams and representatives who provide constantly updated on-the-spotinformation to subscribers. Information is also collected from letting agents and relocation companies. For moredetails contact ECA International (tel: +44 (0)20 7351 5000; fax: +44 (0)20 7351 9396; e-mail: [email protected]).





Furnishings and household equipment

Where a property is let furnished, it implies an equipped kitchen (appliances, cutlery, crockery), linen and towels,curtains, fixtures and some furniture. However, items are likely to be of poor quality except in the higher pricebrackets. TVs are often but not always supplied while video recorders and music systems are rarely provided.Furniture, household equipment, china, cutlery and glassware of all styles and qualities can generally be obtained,although prices are high and it is therefore wise to bring as much as possible from home, especially kitchengadgets and electrical appliances.

To purchase a package of one double bed, one double wardrobe, two sofas, two armchairs, one table and fourchairs would cost PTE 500 000 - PTE 750 000, depending on quality.

Estate agents/realtors

Lisbon

Cicerone Propriedades, Av Dos Bombeiros Voluntários, 4, 2765 Estoril (tel/fax: +351 21 467 3583).

Manuela Rainha - Mediadora Imobiliária, Rua do Banco, 3, 2765 Estoril (tel: +351 21 466 1630/468 2627;fax: +351 21 468 2616; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: http://portugal-info.net/rainha/port.htm).

International relocation services

A number of companies will look after all removal problems. As well as organising the actual move, servicesinclude selling/managing property at home, finding suitable accommodation overseas and helping the expatriatefamily settle into a new environment.

GMAC Global Relocation Services, Global Headquarters, 477 Martinsville Road, Liberty Corner, NJ 07938(US tel: (800) 589 7858; Asia tel: +65 535 0010; Europe tel: +44 207 392 7016; web site:www.gmacglobalrelocation.com).

Prudential Relocation International, 475 Park Avenue South, 22nd Floor, New York, NY 10016 (tel: (800)433 8672; web site: www.prudential.com).

Cendant Mobility, Corporate Headquarters, 40 Apple Ridge Road, Danbury, CT 06810 (tel: 203 205 3400; website: www.cendantmobility.com).

Expatriate Property Information Consultancy (EPIC International) is a specialist provider of accurate,residential property rental data on a world-wide basis. EPIC International is managed in the UK by RachelWadsworth who has extensive experience in both international relocation and data gathering and processing.EPIC International’s unique product has been developed over eight years and currently provides access toreliable rental data on 180 destinations in 79 countries around the world. The nature of EPIC International’sproduct, its intricate networks and the years of experience gained in building these networks, enable it to referinterested parties to the most reliable providers of relocation services almost anywhere in the world, whether thedestination be Atlanta or Karachi, Shanghai or Adelaide, Santiago or Kiev. Contact: EPIC International, 48Kimpton Road, Blackmore End, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire AL4 8LD UK (tel: +44 (0)1438 833832; fax:+44 (0)1438 832519; e-mail: [email protected]).


http://portugal-info.net/rainha/port.htm

http://www.gmacglobalrelocation.com/

http://www.prudential.com/

http://www.cendantmobility.com/




International removals and relocations

Allied Pickfords (e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.allied-pickfords.co.uk); CrownWorldwide Group (web site: www.crownworldwide.com); Expect Move Management Ltd (full range ofinternational relocation and destination services), 8 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB11 1FWUK (tel: +44 (0)20 8610 6019; fax: +44 (0)20 8610 6069; e-mail: [email protected]; web site:www.expectmove.com); Interdean.Interconex, Central Way, Park Royal, London NW10 7XW UK (tel: +44(0)20 8961 4141; fax: +44 (0)20 8965 4484; e-mail: [email protected]; web site:www.interdeaninterconex.com); Sterling International Movers, Hallmark House, Perivale Industrial Park,Horsenden Lane South, Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7RH UK (tel: +44 (0)20 8810 8800; fax: +44 (0)20 88107777; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.sterling-intl.com); Transeuro Amertrans, WorldwideRelocations, Group Head Office, Drury Way, London NW10 0JN UK (tel: +44 (0)20 8784 0100; fax: +44 (0)208451 0061; web site: www.transeuro.com).

North American Van Lines, Inc., International Moving Division, 15/16 Chestnut Way, Felthambrook IndustrialEstate, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 7DP UK (tel: +44 (0)20 8844 2000; fax: +44 (0)20 8844 2700/1250; in theUS tel: 1 800 234 1127; fax: +1 219 429 1853). Web site: www.northAmerican-vanlines.com. Internationalnetwork of relocation service providers.

International furniture rentals

World Furniture Rentals Limited, One World House, 5, Kingswood Close, Tollgate Hill, Crawley, WestSussex RH11 9RU UK (tel: +44 (0)1293 534600; web site: www.worldfurniturerentals.com). Furniture rentaland consultancy in 36 countries.

Utilities

Average cost of utilities (based on a three-year moving average) for all types of accommodation in Portugal:

Heat and light PTE 349 115

Water PTE 73 838

Telephone PTE 288 514

Total cost per annum PTE 711 467

Electricity

In most parts of the country the mains electricity supply is 220 V AC, 50 Hz. Lamp fittings are the screw typeand plugs are normally two-pin round. The supply can be erratic, particularly in times of drought, since electricitycapacity is barely keeping pace with demand. Those with sensitive electronic equipment should buy a voltagestabiliser. In Lisbon it is possible to phone in meter readings to avoid estimated bills.


http://www.allied-pickfords.co.uk/

http://www.crownworldwide.com/


http://www.expectmove.com/


http://www.interdeaninterconex.com/


http://www.sterling-intl.com/

http://www.transeuro.com/

http://www.northamerican-vanlines.com/

http://www.worldfurniturerentals.com/



Gas

The piped gas supply is being developed. Bottled butane gas is available as an alternative to electricity forcooking, water and space heating.

Water

The water supply in the main towns is adequate and considered safe although new arrivals are advised to drinkonly bottled water; away from main towns, bottled water is a safer option. Most tap water is very hard andlimescale builds up quickly.

Heating

Electric heaters are readily available. Most houses have an open fireplace, but few have central heating and cantherefore feel cold and damp in winter. Only the more up-market properties may have oil-fired central heating.Many new homes are equipped with solar heating panels.

All utility bills should be paid promptly as services can be cut off very quickly. Most bills are sent out monthly.Bills can be paid at banks using the ATMs and a Multibanco card issued by Portuguese banks up to the date limitfor payment.

Domestic staff

Domestic staff are fairly easy to hire. Many expatriate households employ a cleaner or maid, full- or part-time,usually living out, and a gardener. A statutory minimum wage has now been introduced for all employees inPortugal and expatriates are advised to consult the local employment authorities to ensure that they comply withthe regulations. Any staff hired on a regular basis must have Social Security contributions paid by the employer.

The following are average weekly wages:

Position PTE per week

Cleaner (part-time; live out) 10 828 (12 hrs)

Most employers provide food and transport expenses for their staff and all are required to pay an annual bonus ofa thirteenth month’s wage. Full-time staff are entitled to one month’s paid holiday per year.



Security and insurance

Security advice is available from the Travel Advice Unit, Consular Division, Foreign & Commonwealth Office,1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE UK (tel: +44 (0)20 7238 4503/4504; fax: +44 (0)20 7238 4545; web site:www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice.asp); German Foreign Ministry (Auswaertiges Amt) (web site:www.auswaertiges-amt.de); the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT)(web site: http://voyage.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/destinations/menu_e.htm); the Australian Department of ForeignAffairs and Trade (web site: www.dfat.gov.a/consular/advice); the US State Department (web site:http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html); the French Ministère des Affaires Étrangères (web site:www.dfae.diplomatie.fr/voyageurs/etrangers/avis/conseils/default.asp) and from the New Zealand Ministry ofForeign Affairs and Trade (web site: www.mft.govt.nz/travel/reports.html).

Levels of violent crime are low, though muggings and pickpocketing can be a problem in the Algarve, as canpetty crime in certain areas of Lisbon.

Internecine feuding between rival organised criminal gangs can lead to occasional violence. Further attacks arepossible, but are most likely to target bars, nightclubs, casinos and other traditional organised criminal haunts.Criminal gangs from former colonies such as Macau, Cape Verde and Angola are involved in smuggling withinimmigrant communities.

Far-right 'skinheads' mount sporadic attacks on non-Caucasians, particularly immigrants from Portugal's formerAfrican colonies. Immigrants - many of them illegal - are seen to be straining the economy and taking jobs fromnative Portuguese.

Petty crime is increasing nationwide, particularly in cities, but violent crime is not a major problem. Sporadicracial clashes pose only a slight risk to foreign business personnel, who are advised to avoid disturbances.

Lisbon

Lisbon is situated on Portugal’s west coast, north of the River Tagus estuary. It is Europe's smallest and mostwesterly capital with a population of under 1m. The city is spread over many hills, with the centre a gridded area.

Violent crime is rare. Some of the city's crowded squares attract petty thieves who target unsuspecting foreigners.Crime is a particular problem in the north-east suburb of Amadora, known locally as Lisbon's Bronx. Expatriatesare advised to take standard precautions against crime throughout the city.

Most of the major international insurance companies will insure expatriates and their households overseas againstall risks.

There are also many local and over thirty foreign insurance companies.

Education

The children of expatriates will need to attend private, fee-paying schools. There are schoolsthroughout the country where the language of tuition is English, teaching to UK and US curricula and alsopreparing for the International Baccalaureate. In addition there are schools catering for French, German, Swedishand other European nationals. Suitable schools include:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice.asp

http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/

http://voyage.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/destinations/menu_e.htm

http://www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice

http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html

http://www.dfae.diplomatie.fr/voyageurs/etrangers/avis/conseils/default.asp

http://www.mft.govt.nz/travel/reports.html



Lisbon area

American International School of LisbonRua António dos Reis 95, Linhó, 2710-301, SintraTel: +351 (21) 923 9800Fax: +351 (21) 923 9899e-mail: [email protected] site: www.ecis.org/aislisbon/index.html

Language ofinstruction

Curriculum Age range Number ofpupils

Annual fees

English/Portuguese

National/US/IB 3-18 333 PTE 818 000 –PTE 2 203 600

Additional charges: registration: PTE 50 000; capital fee: PTE 225 000 (payable once only);transport: PTE 239 800.

International Preparatory School (E.P.P.I. Lda)(VAT PT 501 519 246), Rua do Boror 12, 2775-557, CarcavelosTel: +351 (21) 457 0149/3501Fax: +351 (21) 457 3501e-mail: [email protected] site: www.ipsschool.com



Annual fees

English UK 1-13 160 PTE 540 000 –PTE 1 372 800

Additional charges: registration: PTE 40 000 (per annum); building levy: PTE 70 000(payable once only).

Cascais International SchoolRua das Faias Lote 7, Torre, 2750, CascaisTel: +351 (21) 484 6260Fax: +351 (21) 482 1937e-mail: [email protected]



Annual fees

English/Portuguese

International 1-6 77 PTE 246 000-PTE 840 000

Additional charges: registration: PTE 30 000; transport: PTE 190 000.


http://www.ecis.org/aislisbon/index.html


http://www.ipsschool.com/




St Dominic's International School, PortugalOuteiro da Polima-Arneiro, 2789-506, São Domingos da RanaTel: +351 (21) 444 0434/4647/6092Fax: +351 (21) 444 3072e-mail: [email protected] site: www.e-st-dominic.rcts.pt



Annual fees

English International/IB 3-18 551 Uponapplication

Additional charges:

St Julian's School27766-601, CarcavelosTel: +351 (21) 458 5300Fax: +351 (21) 458 5313e-mail: [email protected] site: www.stjulians.com



Annual fees

English UK/GCSE/IGCSE/IB

3-18 800 PTE 999 000 –PTE 2 670 000

Additional charges: registration: PTE 50 000; entrance fee: PTE 250 000 (payable onceonly).

Lycée français Charles LepierreAv. Duarte Pacheco, Apartado 1853, 1071 Lisboa CodexTel: +351 (21) 388 1101Fax: +351 (21) 387 1218e-mail: [email protected]



Annual fees

French French 3-18 1 682 FRF 10 562 –FRF 14 235

Additional charges:School year: September to June.


http://www.e-st-dominic.rcts.pt/


http://www.stjulians.com/




In addition:

Deutsche Schule Lissabon, Av. General Norton de Matos, P-1600 Lisboa (tel: (+351) 21 757 5641, (+351) 21751 0260; fax: (+351) 21 759 1434; e-mail: [email protected]).

Oporto

Oporto British SchoolRua da Cerca 326/338, 4150-201, PortoTel: +351 (22) 616 6660Fax: +351 (22) 616 6668e-mail: [email protected]



Annual fees

English UK/International/IGCSE/IB

4-18 315 PTE 1 010 000 –PTE 1 670 000

Additional charges: registration: PTE 50 000; application fee: PTE 10 000.

École française Marius Latour27 rua Gil Eanes, 4150 PortoTel: +351 (22) 618 1377Fax: +351 (22) 610 5342e-mail: [email protected] site: http://planeta.clix.pt/mlatour



Annual fees

French French 3-16 662 FRF 12 700 –FRF 13 644

Additional charges:School year: September to June.




http://planeta.clix.pt/mlatour



CLIP - Colegio Luso-Internacional do PortoEsplanada Rio de Janeiro, 4100-424, PortoTel: +351 (22) 616 6790Fax: +351 (22) 616 6799e-mail: [email protected] site: www.clip.pt



Annual fees

English UK/IGCSE 5-18 375 EUR 4 240 –EUR 5 337

Additional charges:

In addition:

Deutsche Schule zu Porto, Rua Guerra Junqueiro, 162, 4150-386 Porto (tel: (+351) 22 607 6570; fax: (+351)22 609 2126; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.deutsche-schule-porto.de).

Algarve

International School of The AlgarveApartado 80, Porches - 8400 Lagoa, AlgarveTel: +351 (282) 342547Fax: +351 (282) 53787e-mail: [email protected]



Annual fees

English UK/'A' level/GCSE/IGCSE

4-18 170 PTE 645 000 –PTE 1 125 000

Additional charges: registration: PTE 60 000 (payable once only); security: PTE 200 000.


http://www.clip.pt/


http://www.deutsche-schule-porto.de/




Escola Internacional São LourençoCaixa Postal 445N, Sitio Da Rabona, 8135, Almancil, AlgarveTel: (+351) 289 398328Fax: (+351) 289 398298e-mail: [email protected] site: www.eisl-pt.org



Annual fees

English UK/IGCSE 2 ½-18 210 PTE 592 500 –PTE 1 305 000

Additional charges:

Madeira

The British School, Madeira (Escola Britânica)Rua dos Ilhéus 85, 9000, FunchalTel: +351 (291) 773218Fax: +351 (291) 932288e-mail: [email protected]



Annual fees

English National/UK 3-12 46 PTE 601 020 –PTE 850 500

Additional charges:

Schools for expatriate children are listed in The International Schools Directory (updated annually), availablefrom the European Council of International Schools (ECIS). Offices in the UK: 21 Lavant Street, Petersfield,Hampshire GU32 3EL (tel: 44 (0) 1730 268244; fax: 44 (0) 1730 267914; e-mail: [email protected]); Spain: POBox 6066, 28080 Madrid (tel: 34 91 562 6722; fax: 34 91 745 1310); USA: 105 Tuxford Terrace, BaskingRidge, New Jersey 07920 (tel: 1 (908) 903 0552; fax: 1 (908) 580 9381) and Australia: ‘Cumburri’ I.E.C., POBox 367, Kilmore, 3764 Victoria (tel: 61 3 (57) 811 351; fax: 61 3 (57) 811 151). Web site: www.ecis.org.

Parents can obtain information and advice about boarding schools in the United Kingdom from: GabbitasEducational Consultants Ltd., Carrington House, 126-130 Regent Street, London W1R 6EE (tel: +44 (0)207734 0161/+44 (0)20 7439 2071; fax: +44 (0)20 7437 1764; e-mail: [email protected]; website:www.gabbitas.co.uk) and from the Independent Schools Information Service (ISIS), Grosvenor GardensHouse, 35-37 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0BS (tel: +44 (0)20 7798 1500; fax: +44 (0)20 7798 1501;e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.isis.org.uk).


http://www.eisl-pt.org/



http://www.ecis.org/


http://www.gabbitas.co.uk/


http://www.isis.org.uk/



Information on French schools abroad can be obtained through the Agence pour l’Enseignement Français àl’Étranger (AEFE) which regularly publishes a free guide containing details of every public and semi-publicFrench school outside France. Information on French private travelling tutors and French company-sponsoredschools is also available from the Agence at 57 boulevard des Invalides, 75351 Paris (tel: (1) 43 17 96 73; fax:(1) 43 17 96 80; web site: www.aefe.diplomatie.fr; www.edufrance.org/AEFE/aefe.html). For information oncorrespondence courses and exams, contact the Centre National d’Enseignement à Distance (CNED), Téléport4, BP 200, 86980, Futuroscope, Cédex (tel: (5) 49 49 94 94; fax: (5) 49 49 96 96; web site: www.cned.fr).

Children from The Netherlands can obtain special tuition from Stichting IVIO Lelystad; brochures andsupplementary information can be obtained from IVIO Wereldschool, Postbus 37, 8200 AA, Lelystad, TheNetherlands (tel: +31 (0) 320-229927; fax: +31 (0) 320-229999; e-mail: [email protected]). In addition, the followingorganisations may provide assistance: Stichting Nederlands Onderwijs in het Buitenland (NOB), Parkweg20a, 2271 AJ Voorburg, The Netherlands (tel: +31 (0)70 3866646; fax: +31 (0)703873154; e-mail:[email protected]); Edufax, Gaspeldoornlaan 1, 5552 GA Valkenswaard, The Netherlands (tel:+31 (0) 40 204 74 70; fax: +31 (0) 40 201 80 73; e-mail: [email protected]) and Edumonde,Educational Assignment, PO Box 38, 1687 ZG Wognum, The Netherlands (tel/fax: +31 (0) 229-573655); helpwith pre-departure educational planning, schooling abroad, relocation to other countries and returning to TheNetherlands.

Tuition for German children abroad is offered by the government-sponsored Deutsche Fernschule e.V., herbert-Flender-Str. +6, D-35578 Wetzlar (tel: 06441/921892; fax: 06441/921893; e-mail: [email protected]; web site:www.fernschule.de). Further information on German schools world-wide is provided byAuslandsschulverzeichnis (web site: www.auslandsschulwesen.de).

English-speaking expatriates who wish to teach their young children themselves or who need to supplement thelocal tuition in preparation for their children’s return to an English-speaking country, can obtain information andassistance from the World-wide Education Service (Home School) Ltd, Blagrave House, 17 Blagrave Street,Reading, Berkshire RG1 1QA UK (tel: +44 (0)118 958 9993; fax: +44 (0)118 958 9994; e-mail:[email protected]; web site: www.weshome.demon.co.uk). Correspondence courses leading toGCSE, ‘A’ levels and IGCSE are available from Mercers College, 14 Baldock Street, Ware SG12 9DN UK (tel:+44 (0)1920 465 926; fax: +44 (0)1920 484 909).

A number of private charities provide scholarships and grants for Swiss citizens who return to Switzerland fortheir education; further information is available from the Secrétariat des Suisses à l’étranger, Alpenstr. 26,3000 Bern 16 Switzerland (tel: +41 (0)31 351 61 00; fax: +41 (0)31 351 61 50).

Shopping

Weights and measures

The metric system is used throughout Portugal.

http://www.aefe.diplomatie.fr/

http://www.edufrance.org/AEFE/aefe.html

http://www.cned.fr/





http://www.fernschule.de/

http://www.auslandsschulwesen.de/


http://www.weshome.demon.co.uk/



Facilities

The retail sector has undergone profound changes since Portugal joined the EU. The first hypermarket wasopened as late as 1986 and there are now over 40; the major ones are Continente, Euromarche, Jumbo andCarrefour. However, the vast majority of shops are small, often family-run businesses.

Lisbon

Lisbon’s largest shopping centres are to be found in Campo Grande at Colombo, the Rua Garrett andAmoreiras which is a huge shopping mall in the north-west of the city; it has many non-Portuguese shops such asMothercare and The Body Shop. There are few department stores in the city centre. Other shops, all located inCascais include Benetton, Marks & Spencer (also in the city centre), C & A, Carrefour and Printemps.Cascai-Shopping, another large shopping mall, opened in Cascais in 1991. An out-of-town shopping centre inOeiras to the west of the city opened in 1996.

The Chiado area, famous for its shops, was burnt down in 1988, but rebuilding has now been completed. Anumber of international shops have moved in. There is a centre of small shops in the Baixa district by the river.

Lojas Yellow is a chain of newsagents/book shops which also sell stationery.

Men’s and Women’s hairdressing salons mentioned by expatriates include Lucia Piloto in Cascais and Patrick.

Elsewhere

There are open-air markets of different sizes in every town, selling a wide variety of goods. In Oporto, theBolhao Market is one of several.

In Oporto there are good shopping facilities in Boavista and in the city centre. Eight shopping malls have beenbuilt in and around the city over the past few years and Oporto now has more retail outlets than Lisbon.

Local craft products are available throughout the country, including china from Aveiro and the blue pottery ofAlcobaça, glassware from Marinha Grande, textiles, wood and cork articles.

A few shops in the major cities stock imported goods, but those who want tableware of the freezer tooven/dishwasher-proof type are advised to take it with them. English-language books are available, butexpensive.

Shops of the Pão de Acucar supermarket chain are found in the larger towns and cities. Other supermarketsinclude the Jumbo, Modelo and Pingo Doce chains, Polisuper and Espacial (in Estoril).



Shopping basket Average price inPTE

Bread, white loaf 1 kg 402.25Bar of chocolate 100 g 238.75Soft drink, fizzy 50 cl 122.40Milk, fresh pasteurised 1 litre 144.71Eggs Twelve 282.33Fresh or chilled chicken 1 kg 683.29Dessert apples 1 kg 239.83Onions 1 kg 104.29Bottled beer 50 cl 120.78Red wine, good quality 75 cl 1 051.13Toilet paper 2 rolls 172.75Toothpaste 100 ml 352.94Compact disc One 3 360.00Shirt One 9 411.88Day dress One 18 770.56Girl's skirt (ages 8-10) One 5 231.88Light bulb One 159.25

Internet shopping with deliveries world-wide; household goods, baby goods, toiletries etc (web site:www.expatshopping.com).

Value added tax

Value Added Tax (IVA) is levied on most goods and services at the following rates:

� a standard rate of 17%;

� a reduced rate of 12% on restaurant services and certain foodstuffs; and

� a reduced rate of 5% on unprocessed foods, medicines and books and tourism.

There is also a zero rate on certain items.

http://www.expatshopping.com/



Food and drink

Quality and availability

� Modern supermarkets and grocery storesare to be found in all towns. There areplentiful and varied supplies of fresh fruit,meat, fish and vegetables at reasonableprices, especially in the town markets. Itis reported that the price of vegetables canrise during periods of shortage (due todrought or frost). Prepared baby foodsand cereals are available, butprocessed/prepared foods tend to beexpensive (e.g. salami, instant coffee, teabags) and especially if imported. Thelocal product is always cheaper andusually just as good.

� It is worth bearing in mind thatPortuguese food products contain fewpreservatives, so sell-by and eat-by datesshould be checked carefully and frozenfood not stored for as long as one might athome.

� Virtually all catering establishments,grocery stores and supermarkets arelicensed to sell alcoholic drinks and pricesare reasonable. There is a good choice ofinexpensive table wines, red, white androsé, including vinhos verdes, Dão,Mateus and Bucelas. There are fineMadeira-type wines and many varieties ofport, although the better ones tend to beexpensive. The drier ports are often drunkas an aperitif. Lager is also a popularlocal drink; brands include Sagres andSuper Bock.

� There are several brands of mineral waterand both imported and local brands ofsoft drinks. Sumol is locally produced andconsiderably cheaper than, say, Coke.

� There are many good local brands ofcigarettes and foreign brands are widelyavailable.

Restaurants

Many local dishes are based on fish, especially cod (bacalhau), both fresh and salted, which is often used in fishstew (caldeirada). Sea bream, whiting, swordfish, turbot, sardines (much larger than those exported in tins) andcrayfish (lagosta - expensive) are other popular fish. Soups often form the main course, the favourite being canja(chicken and rice), caldo verde (shredded cabbage and sausage) and gaspacho (iced soup of bread, tomatoes,onions, garlic, cucumber and pimentos). Pork is the most popular meat, served fried, roast or grilled or in fishdishes (consoada - baked cod with peas, fried pork and fritters). Top class restaurants serve an excellent dish ofsteak cooked in Madeira but beef tends to be tough (and veal is virtually indistinguishable from beef) so dishesthat require long, slow cooking are to be preferred. A local delicacy is mixed boiled meats (beef, mutton, chickenand fat pork) served on a bed of vegetables.

Desserts are often very sweet. Creme caramel and rice pudding with cinnamon are popular, and there arenumerous confections based on egg yolk and sugar (ovos moles), sometimes with almonds. Local crystallisedfruits and sugar plums from Elvas are served, and local cheeses include some made from goats’ or ewes’ milk.



Table d’hote lunch and dinner are obtainable in many hotels and there are, in addition, many restaurants of a highstandard in the large towns, serving a wide variety of Portuguese and international cuisine, with high qualitywines. There are also high quality tea rooms in both Lisbon and Oporto. Fast-food outlets such as McDonald’sand Burger King can be found in all towns of any size.

Breakfast is usually a light meal. Lunch is served from midday to 14.30 and dinner from 19.30 onwards.

Some of the best restaurants in Portugal are to be found in the resort town of Cascais, a forty-minute drive fromLisbon. In Lisbon itself, the best restaurants are in the Rua Alves Correia.

Average meal prices per head in Portugal (PTE)

Take-away snack meal 735.00

Lunch at snack bar 1 728.33

Dinner at restaurant 4 593.75

Business dinner 8 600.00

Recreation

Sports

Football (futebol) is the national sport both for spectators and participants; cycle-racing, car racing, bullfighting(note the bull is not killed) and show-jumping are all popular spectator sports; cricket, tennis, squash, golf,fishing (both sea and fresh water) and skiing in the mountainous northern part of the country are popular. Thereare some excellent golf courses on the Algarve coast. All kinds of water sports are available along the coast.During the summer thousands head out of Lisbon and Oporto for the coast at weekends, creating endless trafficjams.

Natural environment

Bird-watching is very popular, especially in the Algarve where migrating birds may be seen on their way to andfrom Africa.

Entertainment

There is a wide choice of entertainment in the larger towns, with cinemas, theatres, discos and nightclubs. Filmsare shown in English and English-language videos can be hired. Folk music such as fado and Portuguese dancingare very popular. Cultural activities include opera and ballet.



In Lisbon the restored Coliseu concert hall has reopened. The Centro Cultural de Belém (web site:www.ccb.pt) is a popular arts and entertainment centre in Lisbon. The Gulbenkian music festivals are of a highstandard, with performances by Portuguese and foreign orchestras and soloists.

Sports and social clubs

There are many clubs which offer excellent facilities, and some have a long history of close association with theexpatriate community.

Lisbon area

International Women's ClubApartado 1060, 2750 CascaisSports facilities: Golf, Squash, Tennis. Membership subscription: Single: PTE 7 000. Waiting list: No.

Quinta da MarinhaCasa 36, Quinta da Marinha, 2750 CascaisSports facilities: Golf, Swimming, Tennis. Social facilities: Bar, Billiards, Playground, Restaurant, Snooker,Solarium. Membership subscription: Single: PTE 225 000, Couple: PTE 300 000. Waiting list: No.

Oporto (Porto)

Foz Health ClubRua do Paraiso da Foz 24, PortoSports facilities: Aerobics, Gymnasium, Racquetball, Squash, Swimming. Social facilities: Bar, Massage, Sauna,Solarium. Membership subscription: Single: PTE 14 500, Couple: PTE 27 500, Child: PTE 8 000 (payablemonthly). Waiting list: No.

Porto Cricket and Lawn Tennis ClubRua Campro Alegre 532, 4450 PortoSports facilities: Cricket, Hockey, Soccer, Squash, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball. Social facilities: Bar,Billiards, Library, Playground, Restaurant, Sauna, Snooker, Solarium. Initial fee: Single: PTE 270 000, Couple:PTE 350 000. Membership subscription: Single: PTE 86 000, Couple: PTE 127 000. Waiting list: Yes.

Home country rights and duties

Voting rights of expatriates

Each country has its own laws governing the voting rights of its citizens who are working/resident abroad and,where expatriates are permitted to vote, the electoral arrangements vary (e.g. in some cases polling stations areinstalled at the embassy whilst other countries require their nationals to appoint a proxy). Information is availablefrom district electoral registrars in the home country, from embassies and consulates and from the expatriates’organisations.

http://www.ccb.pt/



Military service

If military service is compulsory in the home country, expatriates are advised to check which regulations apply tothem and their families whilst abroad; in some instances failure to register and/or to fulfil the required service canresult in severe penalties.

US citizens are reminded that all US male citizens aged 18 are required to register (Selective Service System).Those outside the US must register at their nearest US embassy or consulate, producing evidence of identification(preferably a passport). Registration on-line (web site: www.sss.gov).

Children born abroad

Children born abroad to expatriate parents may find their citizenship rights affected, either by the laws in thecountry of assignment or by those of the home country. It is therefore very important to check on both sets ofregulations well before the child is born.

Addresses and information sources

Foreign representation

Austria Av. Infante Santo 43-4o, 1399-046 Lisbon (tel: (21) 395 82 20; fax: (21) 395 82 24)Belgium Praça Marquês de Pombal 14-6o, 1269-024 Lisbon (tel: (21) 317 05 10; fax: (21) 356 15 56)Canada Av. da Liberdade, 200-3o, 1269-121 Lisbon (tel: (21) 316 46 00; fax: (21) 316 46 91)Denmark Rua Castilho 14-3o -C, 1269-077 Lisbon (tel: (21) 351 29 60; fax: (21) 355 46 15)Finland Rua Miguel Lupi 12-5o, 1249-080 Lisbon (tel: (21) 393 30 40; fax: (21) 390 47 58)France Rua de Santos-o-Velho 5, 1249-079 Lisbon (tel: (21) 393 91 00; fax: (21) 393 91 51)Germany Campo dos Mártires da Pátria 38, 1169-043 Lisbon (tel: (21) 881 02 10; fax: (21) 885 38 46)Greece Rua do Alto do Duque 13, 1449-026 Lisbon (tel: (21) 303 12 60; fax: (21) 301 12 05)Irish Republic Rua da Imprensa à Estrela 1-4o, 1200-684 Lisbon (tel: (21) 392 94 40; fax: (21) 397 73 63)Italy Largo Conde de Pombeiro 6, 1150-100 Lisbon (tel: (21) 354 61 44; fax: (21) 352 1516)Japan Av. da Liberdade 245-6, 1269-033 Lisbon (tel: (21) 311 05 60; fax: (21) 353 48 02)Luxembourg Rua das Janelas Verdes 43, 1200-690 Lisbon (tel: (21) 393 19 40; fax: (21) 390 14 10)Netherlands Av. Infante Santo 43-5o, 1399-011 Lisbon (tel: (21) 396 11 63; fax: (21) 396 64 36)Norway Av. D. Vasco da Gama 1, 1400 Lisbon (tel: (21) 301 53 44; fax: (21) 301 61 58)South Africa Av. Luís Bivar 10, 1069-024 Lisbon (tel: (21) 319 22 00; fax: (21) 355 59 31)Spain Rua do Salitre 1, 1296-052 Lisbon (tel: (21) 347 23 81; fax: (21) 347 23 84)Sweden Rua Miguel Lupi 12-2o, 1249-077 Lisbon (tel: (21) 395 52 24; fax: (21) 396 56 88)Switzerland Rua Castilho 20-6 o, 1250-069 Lisbon (tel: (21) 319 18 90; fax: (21) 314 21 70)United Kingdom Rua de São Bernardo 33, 1249-082 Lisbon (tel: (21) 392 40 00; fax: (21) 392 41 85; web site:www.uk-embassy.pt)United States Av. das Forças Armadas (Sete Rios), 1600-081 Lisbon (tel: (21) 727 33 00; fax: (21) 726 91 09;web site: www.american-embassy.pt)

http://www.sss.gov/

http://www.uk-embassy.pt/

http://www.american-embassy.pt/



Representation overseas

Australia 23 Culgoa Circuit, O’Malley, ACT 2606 (tel: (2) 6290 1733; fax: (2) 6290 1957)Austria 1010 Vienna, Opernring 3/1 (tel: (1) 586 75 36; fax: (1) 586 75 36 99)Belgium 55 ave de la Toison d’Or, 1060 Brussels (tel: (2) 533 0700; fax: (2) 539 0773)Canada 645 Island Park Drive, Ottawa ON K1Y 0B8 (tel: (613) 729 0883; fax: (613) 729 4236)Denmark Hovedvagtsgade 6, 1103 Copenhagen K (tel: 33 13 13 01; fax: 33 14 92 14)Finland Itäinen puistotie 11B, 00140 Helsinki (tel: (9) 17 17 17; fax: (9) 66 35 50)France 3 rue de Noisiel, 75116 Paris (tel: (1) 47 27 35 29; fax: (1) 47 55 00 40; web site: www.embaixada-portugal-fr.org)Germany 10117 Berlin, Zimmerstr. 56 (tel: (30) 5900 635 00 fax: (30) 5900 636 00)Greece Leoforos Vassilissis Sofias 23, 106 74 Athens (tel: (1) 729 0096; fax: (1) 724 5122)Irish Republic Knocksinna Hse, Knocksinna, Foxrock, Dublin 18 (tel: (1) 289 4416; fax: (1) 289 2849)Italy Viale Liegi 21-23, 00198 Rome (tel: (06) 844801; fax: (06) 854 2262)Japan Kamiura-Kojimachi Bldg, 5th Floor, 3-10-3, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083 (tel: (3) 5212 7322;fax: (3) 5226 0616)Luxembourg 24 rue Guillaume Schneider, 2522 Luxembourg (tel: 46 61 90 1; fax: 46 51 69)Netherlands Bazarstraat 21, 2518 AG The Hague (tel: (70) 363 0217; fax: (70) 361 5589)Norway Josefinesgt. 37, 0244 Oslo (tel: 23 33 28 50; fax: 22 56 43 55)South Africa 599 Leyds St, Muckleneuk, Pretoria 0002, POB 27102, Sunnyside 0132 (tel: (12) 341 2340; fax:(12) 341 3975)Spain Pinar 1, 28006 Madrid (tel: (91) 561 7800; fax: (91) 411 0172)Sweden 2nd floor, Narvavägen 32, POB 27004, 102 51 Stockholm (tel: (8) 663 4555; fax: (8) 662 5329)Switzerland Jungfraustr. 1, 3005 Bern (tel: (31) 352 83 29; fax: (31) 351 44 32)United Kingdom 11 Belgrave Sq., London, SW1X 8PP (tel: (20) 7235 5331; fax: (20) 7245 1287; web site:www.portembassy.gla.ac.uk)United States 2125 Kalorama Rd, NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel: (202) 328 8610; fax: (202) 462 3726; website: www.portugalemb.org)

Trade and travel organisations

Investimentos, Comércio e Turismo de Portugal (ICEP) (Portuguese Trade and Tourism Office), Avenida5 de Outubro 101, 1050-051 Lisbon (tel: 21 7909500; fax: 21 7935028, 21 7950961; web sites:www.portugal.org, www.portugalinsite.pt, www.icep.pt).

Associação Comercial de Lisboa, Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Portuguesa, Rua das Portas de Santo Antão89, 1150 226 Lisbon (tel: 21 3224050; fax: 21 3224051; web site: www.port-chambers.com).

Confederação do Comércio e Serviços de Portugal (CCP), Avenida Dom Vasco de Gama 29, 1049 032Lisbon (tel: 21 3031380; fax: 21 3031400; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.ccp.pt).

Further health information

Typhoid is a bacterial infection of the intestines. It is spread by the ingestion of contaminated food or water,although it can also be transmitted from one person to another. Symptoms generally appear one to three weeksafter exposure and include fatigue, headache, fever, abdominal pain, and sometimes constipation. At the end ofthe first week, dark-red spots appear on the upper abdomen and lower chest. Later on there is a continuous fever,cough, diarrhoea, coma and intestinal bleeding. Prevention is via vaccination or oral capsules but precautionswith food and water should also be taken. Treatment is via intravenous fluids and electrolytes. Antibiotics arealso given.

http://www.embaixada-portugal-fr.org/

http://www.embaixada-portugal-fr.org/

http://www.portembassy.gla.ac.uk/

http://www.portugalemb.org/

http://www.portugal.org/

http://www.portugalinsite.pt/

http://www.icep.pt/

http://www.port-chambers.com/


http://www.ccp.pt/



Tetanus is a disease caused by bacteria that normally live in soil. It is also known as ‘lockjaw’. The bacteriaenter the body through a wound, then produce a toxin which spreads throughout the body. The first signs ofinfection are restlessness, headache, and painful muscular contractions and spasms. Later on, the muscles in thetorso become cramped causing breathing difficulties. There is sometimes fever. Immunisation is usually given in3 doses over a period of 12 months and is highly protective. All wounds need to be thoroughly cleansed. Iftetanus is suspected medical supervision should be sought immediately. A further vaccination may be necessarydepending on the patient's tetanus status.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection affecting the liver. It is spread through contaminated blood and body fluids. Forexample, through infected blood transfusions, unsterilised needles and syringes and through unprotected sexualintercourse. The incubation period ranges between 2 weeks and 6 months. Symptoms include abdominal pain,nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, jaundice, dark urine and there is a possibility of skin rashes and joint pain. Vaccination should be considered for long-stay visitors or residents. The vaccination programme should beadministered at least 6 months prior to departure. In addition visitors should ensure that blood transfusions arescreened, check that sterile needles and syringes are used, avoid sharing needles for drugs, avoid tattoos andacupuncture and avoid unprotected sexual intercourse. Treatment is usually via the substance Interferon, whichboosts the immune system. Specialist medical supervision is generally required.

Water precautions are crucial in developing countries. Only canned or bottled carbonated drinks, beer, wine orboiled drinks are relatively safe. Even so, visitors should check that mineral water bottles have not been refilledand recapped. Ice cubes should always be avoided. The safest drinking vessels are those in which drinks arepurchased (assuming they are not wet); alternatively disposable cups or straws can be used. Water for toothbrushing and mouth washing should be boiled or chemically treated. In addition visitors should not swim or fishin polluted waters.

Food precautions are important in locations with poor sanitary conditions. All raw food has the potential to becontaminated. Visitors should avoid salads, raw vegetables, unpasteurised milk and milk products, cold meatplatters, mayonnaise, creamy desserts, buffets, food from street vendors and dishes that have been allowed tostand at room temperature for prolonged periods. Visitors should be particularly careful when ordering meatsand seafood; they should be well cooked and served piping hot. Shelled or skinned fruits, nuts and vegetablescan be safe if peeled with care to avoid contamination. It is important to remember to wash hands prior to eating.

Sun protection is important when travelling to a country where temperatures and humidity are high. Whenexposed to the sun, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing and a hat. Use a high protection sunscreen (SPF 15 orover) which protects against both UVA and UVB rays; avoid exposure between 10am and 2pm when the sun is atits strongest; use sunglasses to avoid the risk of cataracts and increase fluid intake. If heat exhaustion occurs it isvital to cool down as quickly as possible and to drink plenty of fluids. If heat exhaustion is not treated it coulddevelop into heat stroke with symptoms of confusion, irrational behaviour, low blood pressure, shock, vomiting,shortness of breath and unconsciousness. Seek medical advice immediately if the patient is in the intermediatestage between heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Jet lag is the term used to describe the effects of long-haul flying on the human body, resulting from thedisruption of the body clock, air pressure of the plane's cabin and lack of exercise. Symptoms include fatigue,disorientation, fuzziness, irrationality, unreasonableness, dehydration, swelling of extremities and sleepdisruption after arrival. There are several precautions, which can be taken to prevent jet lag. For example theavoidance of alcohol and caffeine, the resetting of watches to the destination time zone, the creation of a darkenvironment during the flight and the wearing of comfortable shoes and clothes. Air travellers should also aim toget plenty of rest prior to the flight, to walk and stretch during the flight and to drink plenty of fluids. Uponarrival it can help to avoid heavy meals, and intensive exercise prior to bedtime. Visitors should also try to catchsome sunlight, as this will assist the regulation of the body clock. There is also a homeopathic remedy availablefor jet lag, which many travellers find to be effective.



Water purification

Many health problems encountered abroad occur as a result of consuming contaminated water (in the form ofcooking, drinking or ice cubes in drinks). Boiling water, using iodine or filters can help reduce exposure tobacteria, viruses and parasites. In developed countries visitors can drink the water safely from public supplies,but in many developing countries the water supply contains bacteria and it is advisable to take precautions bypurifying water using the following means:

Boiling: Boiling is probably the simplest method of purifying water and killing bacteria. First strain the waterwith a clean cloth to remove floating particles and debris, then bring to a vigorous boil for more than five minutes– if at a high altitude, water boils at a lower temperature, so germs may still be present; a longer boiling time maytherefore be necessary.

Iodine: An inexpensive way to purify water where boiling is not possible. Adding either an iodine tablet ortincture of iodine to water (in the right proportion) will kill most micro-organisms. It is important to let the iodinedo its work; after adding the iodine, let the water stand for at least thirty minutes before drinking. Ideally,prepare the water the night before. The main disadvantage is the strong iodine taste. This method of purificationis not recommended over long periods or for pregnant women and those with a history of thyroid disease.

Filters: Water filters clean water by passing it through a mesh of a certain pore size to screen contaminants.Some filters include iodine matrixes that kill viruses and bacteria without passing too much iodine into the water.Filters with a pore size of one micron or less are most effective (a filter of 0.4 microns is suggested). This methodis preferable to those mentioned above.

Medical kits

When travelling abroad, especially in areas with poor medical facilities or regions where common first aid itemsmay not be available, it is worth carrying a basic medical kit. A kit will allow effective and early treatment andprevent minor medical problems from becoming major ones. While persistent ailments should be brought to theattention of a local medic, visitors should have the name and telephone number of their regular physician whomay need to be contacted for additional information. If the traveller suffers from a medical condition, e.g. bloodpressure, diabetes or a heart disorder/disease, it is suggested they stock up on currently prescribed medications. The outside of the pack should contain details of the traveller’s blood group.

These are suggestions for the contents of a basic medical kit: sterile, absorbent, breathable, non-adhesivedressings; sterile, absorbent, breathable, adhesive dressings; sterile dressings/bandages for dealing with severebleeding; a triangular cloth bandage for fractures, slings, or sprains; crêpe bandages that stretch withoutrestricting blood flow; elastic wraps for wrist, knee, ankle or elbow support; antiseptic wipes; surgical tape (tearswithout scissors for applying non-adhesive dressings); breathable stretch fabric plasters; tweezers; scissors andsafety pins. In addition: children’s medicines; rehydration treatment (to restore lost salts and fluids); oil of cloves(for toothaches); antihistamines (for allergies); diarrhoea relief; travel sickness relief; mild painkillers; sunprotection; insect repellents and soothing cream for insect bites. It may also be useful to pack disposable instant-activating cold packs (for cooling injuries and burns), rubber gloves (to protect hands and to reduce risk ofinfection if treating wounds), and a thermometer.

Information for expatriates

American Citizens Abroad (ACA) is a non-profit association dedicated to serving and defending the interestsof individual US citizens world-wide; members receive a regular publication, the ACA News Report, availablefrom: 5 bis, rue Liotard, CH-1202, Geneva, Switzerland (tel/fax: +41 (0)22 3400233 or +41 (0)22 3400448;e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.aca.ch) or, in the USA, from: 1051 N. George Mason Drive, Arlington,VA 22205, USA (fax: +1 (703) 527-3269; e-mail: [email protected]).

The Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO) is a support network for American womenexpatriates. It is a non-profit international network of clubs, particularly active in the fields of US citizens’concerns, education, environmental protection and women’s and children’s rights (e-mail: [email protected];web site: www.fawco.org).


http://www.aca.ch/



http://www.fawco.org/



The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational and cultural relations and is avaluable source of information for English-speaking expatriates (web site: www.britcoun.org).

In Portugal contact: Rua de São Marçal, 174, 1249-062 Lisbon (tel: (+351) 21 347 61 41; fax: (+351) 21 347 6151; e-mail: [email protected]); Rua do Breiner 155, 4050-126 Porto (tel: (+351) 22 207 30 60;fax: (+351) 22 207 30 68; e-mail: [email protected]).

The Goethe-Institut is a world-wide, non-profit organisation offering cultural and social activities for German-speaking expatriates and promoting the German language and culture. It is partially funded by the GermanForeign Ministry (web site: www.goethe.de).

In Portugal contact: Instituto Alemão, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria 36-37, PT 1169-016 Lisboa (tel: +351 (21)882 4510; fax: +351 (21) 885 0003; e-mail: [email protected]); Instituto Alemão, Av. da Boavista, 919, PT4100-128 Porto (tel: +351 (22) 600 8153; fax: +351 (22) 600 8155; e-mail: [email protected]).

ECA’s Asia Pacific Network has offices in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. ECA Asia Pacific providesthe full range of ECA services and also conducts cultural awareness training for incoming and outgoingexpatriates. As a member of the Global Relocation Partnership (GRP), ECA’s Asia Pacific representatives offerassistance to expatriates preparing for a move to a new posting as well as housing and school searches in thedestination country. Advice and assistance for Australian expatriates can be obtained from: ECA Asia PacificPty Ltd, PO Box 230, North Melbourne Victoria 3051 Australia (tel: +61 (0)3 9329 8633; fax: +61 (0)3 93283489; e-mail: [email protected]).

Maison des Français de l’Étranger, 34, rue La Pérouse, 75775 Paris cedex 16 France (tel: +33 (0)1 4317 6079;fax: +33 (0)1 4317 7003; e-mail: [email protected]; web site: www.expatries.org) is a department of the Frenchforeign ministry providing services for French expatriates; publishes Le Livret du Français à l’étranger andindividual country studies.

Secrétariat des Suisses à l’étranger, Alpenstr. 26, 3000 Bern 16 Switzerland (tel: +41 (0)31 351 6100; fax: +41(0)31 351 61 50) provides assistance for Swiss citizens going to live and work abroad.

Union des Français de l’Etranger, 146 Boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France (tel: (1) 4562 6631) is anorganisation for French citizens abroad; members receive a periodical review, La Voix de France, and have attheir disposal a permanent secretariat in Paris.

International Women in Portugal is a non-profit association which has a large expatriate membership. It producesa monthly magazine and provides a wide range of activities. It is a good source of contacts and information.International Women in Portugal, Associação de Mulheres, Internacionais em Portugal, Apartado 63, 2751-901 Cascais (tel: (21) 486 9529).

Background reading

Intercultural Press, 374 US Route One, PO Box 700, Yarmouth, ME 04096 USA (tel: (800) 370 2665 (withinUSA); +1 (207) 846 5168; fax: +1 (207) 846 5181; e-mail: [email protected]; web site:www.interculturalpress.com) produces the following guides for expatriates:

- Survival Kit for Overseas Living - For Americans Planning to Live and Work Abroad, L. Robert Kohls (1996);covers issues of culture shock, families, trailing spouses, short-term assignments and travel.

- Women’s Guide to Overseas Living, Nancy J. Piet-Pelon and Barbara Hornby (1992); covers culture shock,families, children and health issues.

- The Art of Coming Home, Craig Storti (1997); practical suggestions for successful repatriation.

How To Books Ltd - Living & Working Abroad (web site: www.howtobooks.co.uk); over 40 locations covered,updated regularly, covering immigration, education, housing, health, economic and leisure issues.

http://www.britcoun.org/



http://www.goethe.de/





http://www.expatries.org/


http://www.interculturalpress.com/

http://www.howtobooks.co.uk/



The Daily Telegraph Guide to Working Abroad, Godfrey Golzen, published by Kogan Page (updated annually);covers the overseas job market, arranging financial affairs, children’s education, property, settling andrepatriation and medical issues.

Resident Abroad is a monthly magazine for expatriates, available on subscription direct from: Resident AbroadSubscriptions Department, PO Box 387, Haywards Heath, RH16 3GS UK (tel: +44 (0)1444 445520; fax: +44(0)1444 445599).

The International is a monthly publication for readers outside the UK only; it is available free of charge directfrom Financial Times Magazines (The International), Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P2LL UK (tel: +44 (0)20 7896 2000; fax: +44 (0)20 7896 2155).

Expat Network Ltd, International House, 500 Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey CR0 4NZ UK (tel: +44 (0)20 87605100; fax: +44 (0)20 8760 0469; e-mail: [email protected]; web site:www.expatnetwork.co.uk); publishers of Nexus Expatriate Magazine, a monthly publication containing locationreports and overseas employment opportunities.

Culturgrams, PO Box 24538, Provo, UT 84602 USA (tel: +1 (800) 528-6279; fax: +1 (801) 378-5882; e-mail:[email protected]; web site: www.culturgram.com); 4-page briefings describing a nation’s background,society, people’s daily living patterns, customs, courtesies and lifestyles, published annually for a wide range ofcountries by Brigham Young University.

Expats International, P O Box 24733, London SE13 7WD UK (tel: +44 (0)20 8469 3419; fax: +44 (0)20 86948360; web site: www.expats.co.uk) is an employment organisation for expatriates of North American, Europeanor Australasian nationality.

Internet book suppliers

Increasing in popularity amongst expatriates with world-wide airmail deliveries; available from a number of sites,including Amazon.com (web site: www.amazon.com), Barnes & Noble (web site: www.bn.com), BOL Ltd(web site: www.uk.bol.com) and Dymocks Booksellers (web site: www.dymocks.com.au).

Expatriate networking sites

Country-specific and general interest sites (web sites: www.expatforum.com; www.iagora.com;www.expataccess.com; www.expatexchange.com; www.hestianet.nl (in Dutch)).

In addition:

There are many good guide books covering Portugal and specific regions (e.g. Lisbon, Algarve); among thoserecommended are Blue Guide to Portugal (updated annually).

Live & Work in Spain and Portugal, by Jonathan Packer, published by Vacation Work 1998.

Lonely Planet – Portugal, by Julia Wilkinson and John King, published April 2001.

The Rough Guide to Portugal, by Mark Ellingham, published May 2000.

Living & Working in Portugal, by Sue Tyson-Ward, How To Books, published March 2000.


http://www.expatnetwork.co.uk/


http://www.culturgram.com/

http://www.expats.co.uk/

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.bn.com/

http://www.uk.bol.com/

http://www.dymocks.com.au/

http://www.expatforum.com/

http://www.iagora.com/

http://www.expataccess.com/

http://www.expatexchange.com/

http://www.hestianet.nl/


Security - PortugalInternal

Political/security tensions

Portugal is politically and economically stable. Crime levels are low and there are no real security problems.Expatriates are unlikely to encounter problems.

Crime

Levels of violent crime are low, though muggings and pickpocketing can be a problem in the Algarve, as canpetty crime in certain areas of Lisbon.

Internecine feuding between rival organised criminal gangs can lead to occasional violence. Further attacks arepossible, but are most likely to target bars, nightclubs, casinos and other traditional organised criminal haunts.Criminal gangs from former colonies such as Macau, Cape Verde and Angola are involved in smuggling withinimmigrant communities.

Far-right 'skinheads' mount sporadic attacks on non-Caucasians, particularly immigrants from Portugal's formerAfrican colonies. Immigrants - many of them illegal - are seen to be straining the economy and taking jobs fromnative Portuguese.

Lisbon

Lisbon is situated on Portugal’s west coast, north of the River Tagus estuary. It is Europe's smallest and mostwesterly capital with a population of under 1m. The city is spread over many hills, with the centre a gridded area.

Violent crime is rare. Some of the city's crowded squares attract petty thieves who target unsuspecting foreigners.Crime is a particular problem in the north-east suburb of Amadora, known locally as Lisbon's Bronx. Expatriatesare advised to take standard precautions against crime throughout the city.

Outside the capital

Petty crime is increasing nationwide, particularly in cities, but violent crime is not a major problem. Sporadicracial clashes pose only a slight risk to foreign business personnel, who are advised to avoid disturbances.

External

Political risks

There are no external political risks.

Prepared for ECA International by Control Risks Group Limited (web site: www.crg.com).

http://www.crg.com/

portugal country guide

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