Over the past few weeks, Google searches around How To Move Abroad have skyrocketed, up more than 1000% percent overall.

And many of those searches, especially for the LGBTQ+ community, are geared toward Portugal. Between the D-8 Digital Nomad visa and the D-7 retirement / non-lucrative visa, Portugal has made it onto every future expats radar.

But what is it actually like to live there? Just because you might be able to get a visa to move there, do you want to?

That’s where Sue and Diana come in. Sue Reddel and Diana Laskaris are a married couple who moved to Portugal in 2021 from the States. They moved with their two elderly cats and made a life for themselves. The duo are former corporate executives who jumped off the ladder and into entrepreneurship roughly a decade ago, and now they work remotely from Portugal and run Food Travelist, a food and travel publication.

The pair are avid travelers, but Sue had never lived abroad before this move. So what has it been like to move to this beautiful, coastal Southern European country?

That’s what we get into in this episode.

This conversation was recorded inside our Queer Expats Worldwide community on Facebook, and shared with you here. It is a bit longer than our usual episodes, but because of the popularity of Portugal as a possible relocation destination, we wanted to share it with you in its entirety.

To access more interviews like this and a very active community of LGBTQ+ folks and families, join our Queer Expats Worldwide community.

Sue and Diana can be found at:

Website: Food Travelist
Instagram: @foodtravelist
Facebook community: Queer Women and Friends in Portugal

Links mentioned in this episode:
Transport your larger animals abroad for your move with barkair.com

Sue and Diana have written two books:
101 Tips for Moving To Portugal
What Should I Do Now?

Rainbow Relocation Strategies:
Find out how to work with us at: Rainbow Relocation Strategies
Instagram: @rainbowrelo
Book: How To Move Abroad
Queer Expats Worldwide Facebook Community

Your host, Jessica Drucker, can be found online at jessicadrucker.com

The Adventure Calls podcast is a bi-weekly podcast that seeks to empower queer folks to move, live and thrive abroad with interviews with relocation experts, queer expats who have successfully relocated and other organizations that give a lens on the LGBTQ+ experience in the world.

Portugal has been at the top of almost every 'Best Places to Move Abroad' list for the last several years...but is it really?

Anything that receives so much attention can't be real... can it? Well, it just might be! If you are interested in moving to Portugal, get out your pen and paper and get ready to take some serious notes, because this is everything you need to know to move to Portugal in 2025.

In this episode of Adventure Calls, host Jess Drucker chats with expert relocation consultant Rossana Veglia, who shares invaluable insights on successfully moving to Portugal. From visa navigation to housing and community integration, you will get to the bottom of advice from an actual expert on how to actual move to Portugal.

Rossana Veglia is the Chief Mobility Officer at Global International Relocation, offering extensive relocation services in Portugal from offices in Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve. Originally from Venezuela, Rossana has lived in the US, Spain, and Portugal, bringing vast personal and professional expertise in immigration and relocation. Her company supports various visa categories and helps individuals transition smoothly to life in Portugal. With a deep understanding of the visa systems and housing market, Rossana is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to move abroad.

Below are the key takeaways from this episode:

• Visa Processes: Applications take approximately 90 days, requiring thorough documentation, such as proof of financial means and accommodation.
• Housing and Moving: Post-approval, moving takes 5-8 months. Lisbon is pricier, while coastal and smaller town options like the Algarve and Silver Coast offer more affordable real estate.
• LGBTQ Inclusivity: Portugal is welcoming to LGBTQ expats, especially in Lisbon’s Príncipe Real and Bairro Alto, with active communities and inclusivity programs.
• Relocation Support: Companies like Global International Relocation offer comprehensive support, from visas to finding accommodations, with significant presence in key Portuguese cities.
• Affordability: Despite rising city costs, Portugal remains affordable for expats, with smaller towns providing a balance of cost, quality of life, and investment opportunities.

Find Rossana Veglia:

Website: https://global.pt/en/homepage-en/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossanaveglia/?originalSubdomain=pt

Rainbow Relocation Strategies:

Queer Expats Worldwide Facebook Community

Rainbow Relocation Strategies

@rainbowrelo on Instagram

Book: How To Move Abroad

Your host, Jessica Drucker, can be found online at jessicadrucker.com

The Adventure Calls podcast is a bi-weekly podcast that seeks to empower queer folks to move, live and thrive abroad with interviews with relocation experts, queer expats who have successfully relocated and other organizations that give a lens on the LGBTQ+ experience in the world.

Should we stay or should we go now? That’s the question that LGBTQ+ folks and their families have been asking over the last several months of this 2024 election cycle. If Trump wins, are we safe? And just how bad will Project 2025 be for the LGBTQ+ community if he does win?

Make no mistake about it. There is a tangible, intentional ecosystem created to scapegoat and marginalize queer folks in a quest for power from the right, says Spencer Macnaughton, our guest. Spencer is a Gracie Award-winning and Emmy-nominated journalist. He has written and produced for 60 Minutes+, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Vice, Vox, Time, NBC News, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone. He is also an Adjunct Professor at New York University where he teaches a course about LGBTQ journalism. Macnaughton is now the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Uncloseted Media, an investigative LGBTQ news publication that will launch September 3rd.

Contribute to the growth of Uncloseted Media here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=PFPHZ5CHP35TG&ssrt=1715262419710

Below are the key takeaways from this episode:

• Project 2025: The episode highlights the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, a document with anti-LGBTQ policies that could affect the community under a Trump administration.
• Anti-LGBTQ Legislation: There is concern over new anti-LGBTQ laws in states like Texas and Florida, which may serve as models for federal policies.
• Activism and Relocation: Jess and Spencer stress the importance of voting and activism, along with discussing the choice between staying to fight for LGBTQ rights or relocating to more progressive countries.
• Uncloseted Media Launch: Spencer announces the September 3 launch of Uncloseted Media, an LGBTQ news publication aimed at providing rigorous journalism on LGBTQ issues.

Find Spencer Macnaughton + Uncloseted Media

Instagram @unclosetedmedia

TikTok @unclosetedmedia

X.com

Facebook

LinkedIn: Uncloseted Media

UnclosetedMedia.com

Links from the episode:
Project 2025: https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf

Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/
Outspoken (an LGBTQ right-wing publication) https://getoutspoken.com/

Rainbow Relocation Strategies
90-Day Exit Strategy Cohort ( join the waitlist for our next cohort - more information coming mid September)

Queer Expats Worldwide Facebook Community
Rainbow Relocation Strategies
@rainbowrelo on Instagram
Book: How To Move Abroad

Your host, Jessica Drucker, can be found online at jessicadrucker.com

The Adventure Calls podcast is a bi-weekly podcast that seeks to empower queer folks to move, live and thrive abroad with interviews with relocation experts, queer expats and other organizations that give a lens on the LGBTQ+ experience in the world.