Portugal
Working in Porto
Portugal's second city, and the one where a smaller, more industrial economy has grown a technology sector of its own rather than importing Lisbon's.
What the city runs on
Textiles, footwear and port wine export built the traditional economy, and a homegrown technology and software sector has grown up alongside it over the past decade, drawing both domestic graduates and foreign hires without depending on Lisbon's startup scene.
Why people choose it over Lisbon
Rent and general living costs sit below Lisbon for comparable housing, and the same national IRS scale and IFICI regime apply here exactly as they do in the capital — moving to Porto instead of Lisbon changes nothing about your tax position, only what your after-tax income actually buys.
What to check before you sign
Whether the employer is a genuinely Porto-based company or a Lisbon company's satellite office — the two have different networks and different odds of a second offer if the first role doesn't work out.
This page is information, not advice. We are not an employer, a recruitment agency, a visa centre or an immigration adviser, and we are not affiliated with any government body. Rules change — confirm against the official source before you act.