Pajama Prescriptions & the Not-So-Cozy NHR Update

Enjoy sleeping in while you can, friends, because at the end of March, we’re losing an hour of sleep again. But at least this week, I didn’t have to lose too much sleep over something far more urgent: getting an emergency antibiotic prescription. And, shockingly, it didn’t require ninja-level patience or a six-hour wait at the Centro de Saúde. Turns out that not everything in Portugal is complicated. Who knew?

Here’s what’s on the menu today:

🪅 Cool things happening in March

💊 Getting a prescription can be easier than you think

😕 And… the not-so-fun NHR tax regime updates

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Oh, and if you haven’t yet, you know what to do…

🎥 Fantasporto International Film Festival: February 28 - March 9, 2025, Porto

📽 Monstra - Animation Film Festival: March 20-30, 2025, Lisbon

🎸 Hybrid Theory and Grey Daze Concert: The Linkin Park Tribute Show. March 22, 2025, MEO Arena, Lisbon

🏅 Lisbon Half Marathon—The fastest half marathon in the world with a unique course that starts in the middle of the 25th of April Bridge and ends in the heart of Lisbon, in the Jerónimos Monastery. March 9, 2025

🍫 Óbidos International Chocolate Festival: Starts March 21 - April 6, 2025

When you frequently deal with Portuguese bureaucracy, you start expecting everything to be “complicated”—even when it isn’t. That’s exactly what happened to me this week when I urgently needed a prescription for a UTI (urinary tract infection).

We’re in between medical insurances because we’re moving all our banking and insurance over to Millennium Bank, so I didn’t have a private doctor I could quickly turn to—at least not without a hefty price tag. And I’ve spent enough time in the Centro de Saúde to know that getting an appointment there wasn’t going to be the fastest route to the antibiotics I desperately needed. And although we now have a family doctor with our local Centro de Saude (which we only waited about 2 years for) I knew I wouldn’t get an appointment the same day.

What’s the Fastest Way to See a Doctor in Portugal?

Enter ChatGPT (aka the new Google). I asked my AI friend for recommendations on online doctors in Portugal and its top recommendation was Knok, a platform that offers video consultations with doctors as soon as 15 minutes out. The website was a little glitchy, so I couldn’t book online, but a quick phone call solved that. They gave me an appointment time, I requested a female doctor (which wasn’t an issue), and yes, they were able to assist me in English.

How Do You Pay for an Online Consultation?

Paying was incredibly simple. I provided my phone number (linked to my MB WAY account), and they sent a payment request directly to the app. All I had to do was open MB WAY and approve the €20 payment within five minutes. Done. (If you don’t know how to use MB WAY, or you need a refresher, read last week’s newsletter, in which I explained MB WAY in more detail.) Shortly after the payment was made, I received an SMS and email with a link for my video consultation.

What Happens During the Consultation?

I clicked the link about two minutes before my scheduled time, and the doctor was online right on the dot. She asked about my symptoms, medical history, and any medications I was currently taking. She also asked if I had a Número de Utente (Portugal’s public health number), which I provided.

After the call, I received an SMS with my prescription number, plus an email with the full prescription details. I took it to the nearest pharmacy, and just like that, I had my antibiotics and pain meds. Total cost? €7.

Is an Online Doctor Always the Right Choice?

There are cases where an in-person doctor visit makes more sense: if you’re unsure what’s wrong, if you need tests, or if there’s a chance it’s a virus or something more serious. But for my situation, this was an absolute dream. No waiting rooms, no unnecessary stress, just quick, efficient healthcare when I needed it most.

In a Nutshell

This experience was a reminder that not everything in Portugal has to be a bureaucratic nightmare.

🧑‍⚕ Have you ever used an online doctor in Portugal? Or do you have another healthcare hack that’s saved you time? Drop me a message—I’d love to hear about your experience!

🚗 Nobody is in a rush, except when driving: Bureaucracy, restaurants, and services move slooowly—except when a Portuguese person gets behind the wheel.

🥙 Lunch is sacred (and long): Expect businesses to shut down from 12:30 to 3 PM. Plan your errands accordingly.

For years, Portugal’s Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime made the country a magnet for expats, retirees, and remote workers. It offered huge tax breaks, including exemptions on foreign income and a flat 20% tax rate for certain professions. Sounds great, right?

Well, the Portuguese government thought otherwise. NHR was criticized for benefiting wealthy foreigners while doing little for the local economy. So, in 2024, they pulled the plug and replaced it with TISRI (NHR 2.0)—a new system focused on attracting highly skilled professionals and investors.

But what does this mean for you? Here’s everything you need to know, straight from the tax experts at Fresh Portugal 👇

“Relocating to a new country involves extensive planning, choosing where to live, understanding healthcare, and, most importantly, navigating tax systems. Portugal has long been an attractive destination for expatriates due to its quality of life; however, its tax system, featuring high tax bands compared to some jurisdictions like the U.S., requires careful planning to optimize financial outcomes.

The Non-Habitual Resident (NHR) tax regime was a major draw for expats, offering a 10-year tax break on certain types of foreign income. The scheme provided exemptions or reduced tax rates depending on the income type, making Portugal a prime destination for retirees and professionals.

However, it was replaced in 2024 with the TISRI (the Tax Incentive for Science, Research, and Innovation scheme), also known as NHR 2.0 (or IFICI in Portuguese).

This article provides a comprehensive overview of these changes and what they mean for those considering moving to Portugal.”

“The new TISRI tax regime, officially launched in 2024, builds upon the NHR framework but introduces more stringent criteria and a focus on highly qualified professions. While the core idea of attracting talent remains the same, TISRI emphasizes deeper integration with Portuguese businesses and communities by requiring applicants to work in specific high-value professions or invest locally.

To qualify for this new tax incentive, individuals must meet the following conditions:

The new system aims to attract skilled individuals who can contribute meaningfully to Portugal's economy while fostering stronger ties between expatriates and local communities.”

“To benefit from TISRI in Portugal, you must:

While this last criterion sounds more restrictive than the previous NHR scheme, this route can also be achieved through an investment in a Portuguese business.”

“Unlike the old NHR scheme, TISRI offers exemptions on foreign passive income regardless of the existence of a double taxation treaty, providing a risk of taxation at the source or effective taxation in the source country. However, this income is aggregated to determine the tax bracket for any other income subject to Portugal's progressive tax rates.

Work income from a high-value profession tied to a Portuguese company qualifies for a preferential 20% tax rate.

Foreign-sourced work income is exempt regardless of the professional activity.

The benefits are granted for a 10-year period from the date of registration and can only be used once per taxpayer.”

“Unlike the old NHR system, TISRI introduces new deadlines for registration.

Applications must be submitted by January 15th of the year following the establishment of tax residency in Portugal. However, due to delays in releasing specific regulations for the registration process, the deadline has been extended to March 15th, 2025, for individuals who became tax residents in 2024 and are not grandfathered into the old NHR status.

Given the complexity of this process, it is advisable to seek professional tax consultation to ensure compliance.”

“Portugal's Golden Visa program remains one of the most popular in the world due to its minimal stay requirement and the fact that applicants do not have to become tax residents. Many people apply for the Golden Visa without intending to move to Portugal, using it as a route to citizenship.

However, a growing number of Golden Visa applicants eventually decide to relocate to Portugal. For these individuals, TISRI presents significant tax advantages, allowing Golden Visa holders who move to Portugal to leverage its benefits.

For those considering a future move to Portugal, FRESH Portugal, in collaboration with select funds, has developed an exclusive Golden Visa investment program. This program not only provides flexibility in investment choices but also ensures compliance with TISRI, making it the only GV program structured for maximum tax benefits.”

“Portugal’s NHR regime was a popular expat incentive, but with TISRI, the country now prioritizes skilled professionals. If you're considering moving to Portugal, understanding the new TISRI rules, application deadlines, and tax benefits is essential.”

With thanks to our collaborators: Olga Neto, Head of Communication at Fresh Portugal, for her valuable insights and contributions to this article.

The tax team at Fresh Portugal is a highly skilled and experienced group, with deep expertise in both domestic and international tax law. Specializing in tax consulting, litigation, and planning, the team focuses on areas such as digital nomad taxation, crypto, and expat tax services. Additionally, the team has a strong background in private client services, tax compliance, delivering comprehensive and innovative solutions.

Email: [email protected]

Even though I was fortunate enough to have an English-speaking doctor help me during my online consultation this week, there have been plenty of times—whether at the Centro de Saúde or the local public hospital—where knowing key Portuguese words and phrases made all the difference.

That’s what I love about the video above. It’s a listen-and-repeat lesson where you can clearly hear each sentence, see it on the screen, and you can read the English translation too. It’s a simple but clever way to learn essential vocabulary that might even save your life one day.

While many healthcare workers do speak English, don’t assume they all do. Language barriers can be real, especially in remote areas or smaller towns. If you missed the story about my husband’s near-death experience and how language played a role, I shared it in an earlier issue of The Expat Hustle here.

Thanks for reading! 💌

Hustle on!

Angelique🧞‍♀️

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