Originally from Huy, aged 70 and 72 respectively, they bought a house in Antas, in the north of the country. “It was in 1990. We had fallen in love with Portugal but we couldn’t afford to buy a house in the Lisbon region,” recalls Madame who, in Belgium, worked at the Tihange nuclear power plant. “I was a union delegate and I exercised a complementary profession of antique dealer, with my husband”.
They left Belgium in 2011. “We come back to Belgium every winter to see the family and celebrate the end of the year”. If they chose Portugal, it was not for the tax benefits. But still… “For ten years, I was entitled to 0% taxation. Here it is 10%. Life there, 4 km from the ocean, seems idyllic. “I do ceramics with my friends, we can eat outside at noon even if, it’s very rare, it’s rather cold this winter”. The savings in heating compared to Belgium are enormous. “Not to mention the cost of living. When I do my shopping in Belgium, I always fall over backwards when I see the ticket”.
Any advice for candidates for exile? “Ideally, it is better to already have friends there. Or, take a month’s vacation and criss-cross Portugal. This will give you a good idea”.