Have You Got Your Ducks in a Row? 🦆

Happy Sunday, amigos! 😎

This summer has been a beaut across Portugal, in my opinion, and when the weather is this good, it’s pretty hard to think of anything dull.

However… I can tell you from experience (thanks to our stellar track record of multiple near-death hospital emergencies) that the paw-paw can hit the fan when you least expect it. 😬

Not to dampen the mood with today’s article, but hopefully, once you’ve read it, you’ll be able to relax even more into this beautiful country knowing that your ducks are in a row.

And if today’s article gets your gears turning, stay tuned for next month, when we’ll dive into a refresher on wills and estate planning in Portugal. Because once the important paperwork is sorted, you can take a deep breath, kick back, and get on with enjoying the good stuff.

So, with that slightly morbid but hopefully very useful thought out of the way… let’s get into it, shall we?

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💙 Piódão: Portugal’s Blue-Door Village

Hidden in the Serra do Açor mountains, Piódão is one of Portugal’s 12 Historical Villages, known for its schist houses and distinctive blue doors and windows. Why blue? The true story is uncertain, although one local legend says blue was simply the only paint available in this remote mountain village. Its isolation helped preserve Piódão’s unique character, and wandering its narrow, winding streets today offers a glimpse of what mountain life looked like generations ago. Just over 90 minutes from Coimbra, it’s a memorable day trip, particularly in autumn, when the surrounding region comes alive with the chestnut harvest.

It’s not a conversation any of us particularly want to have, but living abroad means there are some important things we should plan for, especially when family, finances and legal matters span more than one country.

Today, we’re tackling this sensitive topic with the help of the Fresh Legal team, who have put together a practical guide to help expats understand what happens when someone dies in Portugal, what families may need to deal with, and why having a plan in place can make an incredibly difficult time a little easier.

A huge thank you to the Fresh Legal team for helping us navigate a topic that’s uncomfortable to think about, but so important to understand.

🪦

Most people moving to Portugal spend time thinking about visas, taxes, schools, property, and healthcare.

Very few think about what happens if someone dies here.

But for expat families, this is one of the most important practical conversations to have early. Especially when assets, children, bank accounts, or family members are spread across different countries.

When someone passes away in Portugal, families are often dealing with grief while also trying to navigate unfamiliar systems, different laws, language barriers, and urgent administrative steps.

Knowing what to expect can make an incredibly difficult moment more manageable.

If someone dies in Portugal, the first step is obtaining an official death certificate.

This is usually handled by:

The death must then be officially registered with the Portuguese civil registry office.

Once registered, the family can request certified copies of the death certificate, which will be needed for almost everything that follows:

For international families, it is also important to notify the relevant consulate or embassy, especially if the deceased was not Portuguese.

In the first days and weeks, families often need to coordinate with multiple parties at once.

This can include:

This becomes more complex when:

A clear checklist becomes essential very quickly.

If the deceased owned Portuguese property, the transfer process depends on:

The property may need to go through:

Portugal currently has no inheritance tax between close family members, but there can still be stamp duty obligations in some situations, especially for non-immediate relatives.

Portuguese banks generally freeze individual accounts once notified of a death.

Joint accounts can also become temporarily restricted depending on how they are structured.

Families may need to provide:

This is particularly important for expats who rely on Portuguese accounts for:

Many families discover too late that no one else has legal access to key accounts.

Planning for death is not only about inheritance. It is also about medical decisions and personal wishes.

A living will allow someone to document healthcare preferences in advance if they become unable to communicate those decisions themselves.

This can include:

For expat families, this becomes especially important when:

Every expat family should know:

These are uncomfortable conversations.

But they are also some of the most caring and responsible conversations families can have.

We hope you won’t need this information. But if that day does come, having a plan in place can make all the difference.

🪦

With thanks to our collaborators at FRESH Portugal, for their valuable insights and contributions to this article.

_{The legal team at Fresh Portugal is composed of experienced professionals with expertise in tax, immigration, real estate, estate planning, and corporate law. They advise individuals and businesses on relocation, investment, compliance, and tax planning. With extensive experience working with international clients, the team delivers clear, practical, and forward-thinking solutions to help expats thrive in Portugal.}

Email: [email protected]

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Thanks for reading! 💌

Hustle on!

Angelique

PS — got an expat friend who's one bureaucratic form away from booking a flight home? Forward this newsletter their way. We're all just trying to figure it out together.