Moving to Lisbon: a free, practical guide for newcomers
Papers, health, your rights at work, and how to find a job quickly while you look for one that fits your skills. Written in plain language, with links to official websites only.
🧭 First steps in Lisbon
Most things in Portugal (a job contract, renting a room, a bank account, a phone contract) ask for the same few… 🧾 NIF: your tax number
The NIF (número de identificação fiscal) is your tax number. Employers, landlords, banks and phone companies will ask… 🛡️ Social Security (NISS)
The NISS is your Social Security number. With it, your work counts towards benefits like sick pay, unemployment support… 🏥 Health
Emergency (ambulance, police, fire): 112. 🪪 Living here legally
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can live and work in Portugal. After three months you should register with your Câmara… ☕ Finding work quickly
Cafés, restaurants, hotels, cleaning, shops, deliveries, construction and agriculture often hire quickly, including… ⚖️ Your rights at work
The national minimum wage (salário mínimo nacional) applies to everyone who works in Portugal, whatever their… 🎓 Towards a job that fits your skills
Learn Portuguese: free Portuguese courses for migrants (Português Língua de Acolhimento) are offered through IEFP and… 🏠 Finding a room safely
Renting a room (quarto) is the most common start. A deposit (caução) of one or two months is usual.
Most things in Portugal (a job contract, renting a room, a bank account, a phone contract) ask for the same few… 🧾 NIF: your tax number
The NIF (número de identificação fiscal) is your tax number. Employers, landlords, banks and phone companies will ask… 🛡️ Social Security (NISS)
The NISS is your Social Security number. With it, your work counts towards benefits like sick pay, unemployment support… 🏥 Health
Emergency (ambulance, police, fire): 112. 🪪 Living here legally
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can live and work in Portugal. After three months you should register with your Câmara… ☕ Finding work quickly
Cafés, restaurants, hotels, cleaning, shops, deliveries, construction and agriculture often hire quickly, including… ⚖️ Your rights at work
The national minimum wage (salário mínimo nacional) applies to everyone who works in Portugal, whatever their… 🎓 Towards a job that fits your skills
Learn Portuguese: free Portuguese courses for migrants (Português Língua de Acolhimento) are offered through IEFP and… 🏠 Finding a room safely
Renting a room (quarto) is the most common start. A deposit (caução) of one or two months is usual.
🎤 Practise a job interview in Portuguese, for freeHustle & Hangout is a free game set in Lisbon. Practise a real café job interview, learn the phrases that work, explore the city and meet other newcomers. It runs in your browser, with nothing to buy.
Play free →
Play free →
General information to help you get started, written in October 2026. It is not legal advice. Rules change, so always check the official links.