My journey started out by looking for a better way to retire and relax. I knew I wasn't going to get there living on a Social Security check in the United States. The cost of everything kept going up, the food seemed to be getting worse, and everywhere I looked there was another reason to wonder what the hell had happened to the America I once knew.

 

I wanted something different. A slower pace and a better quality of life, hopefully in a place where I could afford to live, eat healthy, and enjoy myself a little. That's when I read an article about Portugal.

 

The cost of living caught my attention, and the quality of the food was an added bonus. The more I learned, the more Portugal started to make sense. Eventually, that research led me to the D7 visa, and before long I'd gone from "That sounds interesting" to "Okay, how do I actually make this happen?"

 

That's where the real work began.

 

I had to figure out what I needed, when I needed it, and how I was supposed to get through the application process without screwing something up. I also realized that other people could use the information I'd spent all that time figuring out. So I built the guides below from my notes, my research, and my experience going through the many steps. Mistakes and all.

 

Whether you're just starting to wonder, like I did, "Could I actually do this?" or you're already ready to say, "Okay, how do I actually make this happen?" I've tried to answer these three questions with the guides below:

 

What do I need?

When do I need it?

How do I do it correctly?