📜 Your Life Crossed Borders. Has Your Estate Plan?

Happy Sunday, friends! 😎

We’ve had our fair share of sudden, life-shaking moments in Portugal (not the good kind) to know that when the paw-paw hits the fan, it usually happens when you're least expecting it.

Which is why, although today’s article isn’t necessarily the warmest and fuzziest topic we've ever covered, it is an important one, especially if you live in Portugal and have children, property or other assets here.

Because when life throws you a curveball, the last thing you or your loved ones need is more uncertainty and paperwork to worry about. So, make sure you've got a plan in place by checking out today's article from the Fresh Legal team.

And speaking of planning and getting your financial ducks in a row... if all this has you wondering how your money is moving between countries, we've got a brand-new collaborator joining us soon, sharing tips to help you keep as much of your precious moolah as possible when dealing with foreign exchange. Stay tuned for that one!

Right, let’s get into it, shall we?

Convento do Carmo Ruins is one of Lisbon’s most atmospheric landmarks: a hauntingly roofless Gothic church whose soaring stone arches have stood open to the sky since the devastating 1755 earthquake. Today, the weathered ruins house the small but fascinating Carmo Archaeological Museum, making this a memorable stop for anyone interested in Lisbon’s history, architecture, and stories of survival.

If you missed the article on what happens when someone dies in Portugal, you might want to give it a quick read, because today we’re taking the conversation one step further. This week, the Fresh Legal team is helping us look at estate planning for expats, including wills, international assets, forced heirship and why planning across different countries can be more complicated than we realise. A big thank you to Fresh Legal for helping us tackle another important topic that most of us would probably rather put off!

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Most expats in Portugal spend time planning visas, taxes, investments, and property purchases.

Far fewer spend time planning their estate.

But for international families, estate planning is one of the most important parts of building a stable life abroad, especially when assets, heirs, and legal systems exist across multiple countries.

Many expats assume their home country will automatically handle inheritance matters if something happens.

Once you live or own property in Portugal, Portuguese succession law can quickly become relevant.

Without proper planning, families are often left dealing with legal confusion, delays, frozen assets, and cross border complications during already emotional moments.

Many foreign residents in Portugal already have:

The challenge is that inheritance laws do not work the same way internationally.

What applies in one country may not automatically apply in Portugal.

This is where many expat families run into unexpected problems.

Portugal follows succession rules known as forced heirship.

This means certain close family members, usually spouses and children, are legally entitled to part of the estate regardless of what a will says.

Many expats are surprised to discover that Portuguese inheritance law may override parts of their estate planning if things are not structured correctly.

This becomes especially important for:

In some situations, yes.

Under EU succession rules, many foreign nationals living in Portugal can elect for the inheritance law of their nationality to apply instead of Portuguese inheritance law.

But this is not automatic.

It usually needs to be clearly reflected in estate planning documents and coordinated properly with any existing wills abroad.

A generic will drafted years ago in another country may not fully protect an international estate in Portugal.

Many expats assume a will from their home country is enough.

But once you live or own assets in Portugal, several legal systems may apply at the same time.

This can create complications around:

In some situations, families may need to deal with lawyers, banks, tax authorities, and registries in multiple countries simultaneously.

Foreign documents may also require:

For expat families, estate planning is often less about complexity and more about coordination.

The earlier the structure is clear, the easier it becomes for families to manage legal and financial matters later.

We covered this topic in more detail here:

Cross Border Wills in Portugal: How to Protect Your International Estate

Nobody likes talking about inheritance planning.

But avoiding the conversation does not make the legal process easier later.

For expats building a life in Portugal, estate planning should be treated the same way as tax planning, healthcare planning, or immigration planning, especially when family, assets, and legal systems span multiple countries.

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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]

We've heard from a few creatives and small businesses in the expat community who are looking for a fun, festive space to hang out, connect and buy and sell some really cool things ahead of Christmas this year. So, we're running a quick poll to see whether there might be some interest in something like this around the Silver Coast...

We're not announcing anything just yet 😉, but if the idea of having a stall or exploring a sponsorship opportunity sounds interesting to you, hit reply and we'll be sure to keep you in the loop when (and if!) there are more details to share.

Learn the most common means of transportation in European Portuguese! 🇵🇹

European Portuguese vocabulary for beginners, with useful words and pronunciation.

How do you say car, scooter, plane, helicopter, boat, ship, bus, train, bicycle, truck, metro, tram, etc. in Portuguese? 🚆🚌✈️🚲

🗣 Want to learn more phrases like this? Check out Mia’s free Portuguese course “Kickstart Your Portuguese - The Basics”.

💡 Mia from Mia Esmeriz Academy is a Portuguese teacher from Porto with more than 15 years of experience teaching foreigners. She helps expats become fluent in Portuguese in a clear and practical way.

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.