NHR does not exempt a UAE salary, schools can take mid-year pupils by work address, and texts to DIGI numbers fail in Russia
NHR does not exempt a UAE salary for work done from Portugal: no tax is withheld there, so it has to be paid here
In a tax chat, someone asked about people employed by a UAE company who work remotely from Portugal and are paid into an account in the Emirates. Is it true that under NHR (the tax break for new residents) their tax comes to zero, since the UAE has no tax on salaries and Portugal supposedly exempts it? Someone in the same situation replied that it does not work: he ended up with a large tax bill in Portugal and is now thinking of leaving.
“I’m also employed in the UAE and naively hoped for a zero rate, but it was explained to me that in this situation there’s no way you’ll get it. Under category A, the zero rate with NHR only applies if tax has actually been withheld on that income in another country. If there’s no tax, the zero rate doesn’t apply. In the end I had to pay a hell of a lot of tax.”
Translated from Russianreciboverde03.11.2026
This is how the NHR rules work. A salary from abroad (employment income, category A) is exempt only if it is taxed in another country. But the tax office treats pay for work done by someone living in Portugal as Portuguese income, wherever the employer is based and wherever the money is paid. It is taxed here: under NHR at 20% if the profession is on the ‘high value’ list, otherwise on the standard IRS scale.
Pay for work done from Portugal is taxed here, even if the employer is in a country with no tax on salaries.
NHR has not been granted to new residents since 2024; it has been replaced by the IFICI tax break. How the two differ and who is entitled to what is explained in our guide How to deal with NHR and apply for IFICI in Portugal.
Mid-year, pupils are enrolled via the school office by home or work address; without Portuguese a child may repeat a year
In a school chat, a family moving in January asked how to enrol a nine-year-old in year 4 at a state school, whether it can be done online before they arrive, and whether an Airbnb would do as a home address. They were told that enrolment is based on address, so a rental contract is needed, and that getting a place in a full class in the middle of the year can be hard, especially in popular areas. Others disagreed: their children were taken into years 2 and 3 mid-year without any trouble.
“Mine got into a state school in the middle of the year, into years two and three, no problem.”
Translated from Russianschoolinportugal03.11.2026
You cannot apply online mid-year: the enrolment portal is used for the main summer round. People advise writing to the office of an agrupamento — a cluster of schools — near home or work, or going in and asking whether there are places. A school can also be requested by a parent’s work address, not only by where the family lives, which helps those in temporary accommodation for the first few months. Year 5 is a new cycle and often a new school, so families apply again in the summer anyway, by which time they have a permanent address.
“In the middle of the year you can request a school by your work address rather than where you live. Year five is a new cycle, often a new school, and you have to apply again in the summer through the portal anyway, and then you can apply near where you live. You can’t apply online in the middle of the year, but you can write to the office of the school agrupamento near your work and find out if there are places.”
Translated from Russianschoolinportugal03.11.2026
One more warning from the chat: without Portuguese a child is unlikely to pass the end-of-year tests and will probably have to repeat year 4, and people there think that may even be for the best. How enrolment works and which documents are needed is explained in our guide How to enrol a child in school in Portugal.
“If he doesn’t get the marks to move up — and he won’t without the language, he won’t pass the end-of-year tests — he can repeat year 4. And that’s the best option.”
Translated from Russianschoolinportugal03.11.2026
Bank texts to DIGI numbers do not arrive in Russia: there is no roaming. In Switzerland, MEO charged €60 in the first minute
Two chats discussed what happens to a Portuguese number abroad. In one, people wrote that DIGI has no roaming in Russia, so texts do not arrive there, and without them you cannot confirm a bank transfer, a payment or a login to online services. Others in the same chat replied that Vodafone does have roaming in Russia. Experiences with Woo (NOS’s online brand) differed: one person’s wife got no texts at all in Russia, while someone else received them there six months ago.
“DIGI has no roaming in Russia. So texts don’t arrive. As a result you get problems with bank transfers, paying for services and everything else that needs confirmation by text.”
Translated from Russianleft4portugal03.11.2026
The second story is about Europe. In an MEO shop, a man was told that roaming along his route to Germany was free, but in his very first minute in Switzerland he was charged €60 for data and his SIM card was blocked. He later got the money back. Domestic tariffs only cover the European Union (plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein); Switzerland, Andorra and Monaco are not included, and the contract says so. People whose plane lands in Geneva get caught out too, even if they are going on to France.
“My first road trip around Europe: I asked about roaming at the MEO shop, said my route went as far as Germany, asked in different ways. The answer: it works with no extra charges, all fine. The first minute in Switzerland ate €60 of data and blocked the SIM :) They meant the EU, not Europe. I got the money back, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.”
Translated from Russianchatlisboa03.11.2026
In Switzerland, Andorra and Monaco, the roaming included in your tariff does not apply: data there is charged from the first minute.
Before travelling outside the EU, people advise asking about roaming in the operator’s in-app chat and checking other users’ reviews, and using a local SIM or an eSIM for data while keeping the Portuguese number for texts.
“So it turns out the only thing you need from Portuguese operators is a number starting with +351 that can receive texts. Everything else their foreign counterparts do better and cheaper.”
Translated from Russianchatlisboa03.11.2026
Reddit warns a family of four on €2,500 a month off a house with a €900 mortgage payment: it costs more to run
In a personal finance community on Reddit, a Portuguese man asked for advice. He and his partner have two children, take home €2,500 between them and currently pay €450 a month on the mortgage for their flat. They want to sell the flat and buy a detached house (moradia): the debt would rise to €210,000, they would put another €30,000 into the purchase, and the monthly payment would go up to €900.
Most of those who replied tried to talk him out of it. Their maths: the payment would eat up 36% of income instead of 18%, leaving about €1,600 for a family of four to live on. More often still, they pointed out that a house costs more to run than a flat, and not only because of the loan. Electricity and water bills are higher, insurance is dearer, and the cost of repairing a roof or facade is not shared: in a block of flats it is split with the neighbours.
“You’d be taking on more than twice the debt, doubling the payment, with two children. If the two of you take home €2,500, the payment will be 36% of your income, when before it was only 18%.”
Translated from Portugueser/literaciafinanceira02.11.2026
“Be careful with the rise in costs in a house. Electricity shoots up. Water shoots up. Insurance shoots up. Repairs shoot up, because however bad condominium managers are, there’s no one left to share with.”
Translated from Portugueser/literaciafinanceira02.11.2026
Some had done exactly that. A family with an income of about €3,000 borrowed €220,000 last year and pays €830 a month; house insurance is another €600 a year, and life insurance for the loan about €50 a month. Another commenter moved to a house two years ago and says all is well, except that something is always leaking or breaking. What the bank looks at when it lends is explained in our guide Mortgages in Portugal: what makes up the rate and what a foreigner will be asked.
“Did the same thing! Admittedly with a slightly bigger monthly budget. Two years on, everything’s fine. Just bear in mind what you’ve already been told: in a house something is always leaking, and it all falls on you. If you like fixing things yourself, great!”
Translated from Portugueser/literaciafinanceira02.11.2026
The first service need not be at a dealer: any garage may add it to the digital service book, but hardly any do
In a car chat, the owner of a 2024 Mini asked whether the first service (oil and filters) has to be done at the official dealer suggested by the app, or whether another garage can make the entry in the digital service book. People replied that any garage is entitled to add an entry to the digital service history, but only a handful do.
“Absolutely any garage has the right to enter information into the digital service history, and when I service my own cars I always enter what I’ve done. It’s just that only a handful do it, or rather practically nobody.”
Translated from Russianautolife_pt03.11.2026
It comes down to access. Each manufacturer has its own portal (for BMW and Mini it is AOS) where you can see a car’s history, look up parts and record servicing. Access is free, people in the chat wrote, but it is only given to motor trade businesses, and a garage has to register, which many do not want to do.
“Every manufacturer has a resource (like AOS for BMW/Mini) where you can look at the service history, find parts, enter servicing and everything else.”
Translated from Russianautolife_pt03.11.2026
In the chat’s view, whether to pay extra for a dealer is a question of money. A full service history is only worth building up if you plan to sell the car privately in two or three years. The roadworthiness test (inspeção) takes no account of service history.
“Building up a history is only worth it if you’re going to sell the car privately in 2–3 years. The inspection centre couldn’t care less about it.”
Translated from Russianautolife_pt03.11.2026
