Once we made the decision to move, the first big question was:
How do we legally live in Portugal?
We’d heard about the D8 Digital Nomad visa, which allows people with remote jobs to live and work from Portugal. My job is 100% remote, so at first it seemed like a no-brainer. Done and done, right?
Not exactly.
Goodbye Florida, Hello Portugal (and Panic)
Instead of heading to Florida for February break like we’d originally planned, we swapped our tickets for a scouting trip to Portugal. The trip was just two weeks away, and our to-do list exploded overnight:
– Research neighborhoods
– Schedule school visits
– Figure out residency paperwork
– Breathe
I wasn’t too worried about the visa part — the D8 seemed tailor-made for people like me. Until, just a few days before our flight, the doubts started creeping in.
The HR Meeting That Changed Everything
Stacey started asking good (read: stressful) questions about what my employer would actually allow. So I booked a meeting with HR — the only available time was just a few hours before we left for the airport.
I walked in expecting to check a box. Instead, I left with my stomach in knots.
Turns out, for the D8 visa to work, your employer needs to have a legal tax presence in Portugal or you need to be a 1099 contractor. My HR rep kindly but clearly explained that neither was possible in my current role.
So… yeah. Back to square one. We hadn’t even boarded the plane yet, and our plan was already falling apart.
We Went Anyway
Despite the uncertainty, we boarded the flight to Portugal.
And the moment we arrived, we knew: this was the right place for our family.
Out of all the countries we’ve traveled to — and there have been quite a few — Portugal felt the most like home. Warm, friendly, safe, and manageable. Even with the visa question unresolved, we were determined to make it work.
Plan B (That Should Have Been Plan A): The D7 Visa
After hours of research — blogs, Facebook groups, forums, government sites — we discovered an alternative: the D7 Visa, also known as the Passive Income visa.
This visa isn’t for digital nomads. It’s for people who can show they have enough money saved (or steady income from things like retirement or investments) to support themselves without needing to work immediately in Portugal.
Basically:
– You apply while still living in your home country.
– You prove you can support yourself and your family financially.
– You get a 2-year residency, with the option to renew for 3 more.
– Once in Portugal, you can look for work or start a business.
The financial threshold is surprisingly low — especially compared to what it costs to live in the U.S. And we realized that if we sold almost everything we own, saved aggressively, and downsized, we could qualify.
No, We’re Not Rich. Yes, This Is Hard.
Let’s get something clear.
We’re not doing this because we’re independently wealthy or wildly lucky. We don’t have family money or a huge safety net. And while we absolutely acknowledge our privilege — we’re white, educated, employed, and have U.S. passports — this move isn’t easy. It’s not simple. And it’s definitely not without risk.
We are selling almost everything we own:
Our home. Our business. Our furniture. Our tools, our books, our bikes, our dishes. The stuff that filled our lives for decades. We’re turning our lives into savings accounts.
And we’re doing it with no guaranteed job waiting for us in Portugal, no family there to help us land softly, no master plan for how we’ll rebuild. We’re applying for a visa that says, in essence, we can take care of ourselves — just give us the chance.
We know some people will say we’re lucky. And in many ways, they’re right. We are incredibly fortunate to have the option to try something like this. But this isn’t some dreamy European sabbatical. It’s a radical, terrifying, deeply intentional act of self-preservation and hope.
We’re Doing This for a Different Kind of Life
Yes, we’re scared.
Yes, we’re constantly asking ourselves, Are we doing the right thing?
But we keep coming back to the same answers:
– We want our kids to grow up safe.
– We want a slower, more connected way of living.
– We want to spend time exploring this big, beautiful world together.
– And we want out of the toxic systems in the U.S. that are stealing our time, our joy, and our sense of safety.
We’re not chasing perfection. We’re choosing something better. Something more aligned with who we are and how we want to raise our kids.
And if that means letting go of what’s comfortable? So be it.
We’d rather be uncomfortable on purpose than stay somewhere that’s slowly becoming unrecognizable.
Game On: Lawyers, Lists, and Letting Go
After returning from our trip, we hired an immigration lawyer to guide us through the process and help us avoid any mistakes. She confirmed that based on our situation, we’re strong candidates for approval. That meeting sealed it for us.
We’re officially all in:
– We’re selling almost everything we own.
– We’re stockpiling savings.
– We’re applying for our D7 visa.
– We’re moving to Loulé or Faro — right in the heart of the Algarve.
We’re Out. Follow Along.
So yes — the Behans are out.
Out of our comfort zone. Out of the country. Out of patience with systems that no longer work.
We don’t know exactly how this will go. But we’re doing it. And we’ll be sharing everything here as we go — the good, the messy, the bureaucratic, and the beautiful.
Thanks for following along. 💛