Essential steps to take before our big move to Portugal

This blog post is all about the essential steps to take before our big move to Portugal!

If you’ve read our previous blog post, you know that we are moving to Portugal in July! Click HERE for the link to that blog post! While we are so excited for this big move, there are some essential steps to take prior to moving. Our flight to Lisbon is July 6th. That means that we have a little more than three weeks from today to get these steps done.

Here is our to do list:

VPN (we need to get a VPN to use for our devices so we are able to use internet as if we were still in the United States. But, which one should we get? The top 3 are: Surfshark, Nord and Express. Because Surfshark has a great rating, affordable plans and unlimited devices, we will use their VPN services. July 15 update: we got Surfshark and have been using it consistently in Portugal. It’s awesome! It works seamlessly so we highly recommend it. Here’s the link for Surfshark. 

Change mailing address – we need to change our address. Many expats use a service such as Traveling Mailbox, but we plan to use our friends’ address, until we get settled. July 15 update: our friends are renting our house in Austin. So, we are keeping our address and they will email photos of any important mail we receive.

driver’s license things to do:

Driver’s License records – we need to request our Driver’s License Records from Texas Department of Public Safety. Many people in the Expat Facebook group have stated that we need our records going back 10-15 years. However, I asked a friend who moved to Lisbon in January. She said that the standard 3-year records that you can request online from DPS is sufficient. 

Driver’s License copy apostille (location is on Brazos street) – We got a copy of our Texas Driver’s Licenses, got them notarized at UPS and then the apostille at the Texas Secretary of State. Each apostille price was $15.

education things to do:

Kids’ transcripts – I requested the grades and transcripts from each of the kids’ schools. Those transcripts had to be signed and notarized by the registrar’s at their respective schools. I picked them up last week and then took them to the Texas Secretary of State for the Hague Apostille. The fee was $15 each for a total of $30.

Translated transcripts (after apostille) – Now that we have the Hague Apostille, we have to get the kids’ transcripts translated into Portuguese so we can register them for school. I need to contact the schools to see if we can simply use Google Translate or if we need them professionally translated. Update: we have to get the transcripts professionally translated, notarized and certified. Then, we take them to the high school in the neighborhood where we live to have them request equivalency through the DGE (Director of Schools in Portugal). Basically, this shows that our kids have finished the school grade that we say they have finished. It’s going to cost approximately $200 USD to get just 1 kids’ grades translated, notarized and certified.

registering M1 for school:

Register M1 at the school of choice – this is a big one for us! We are completely set on the school that we want M1 to go to. Hopefully, she will be accepted. More details on this to come! Update: it took us approx. 10 hours to get her registered. With the help of our good friend, João, we were able to accomplish this task after about 4 days. Thankfully, we were able to register M1 before the end of the deadline and she was accepted!

home things to do:

Sell + donate all our stuff – we have been working so hard on organizing all of our stuff! Why did we wait until now to sell all of the kids’ old toys that they haven’t played with in years?! It’s so much work, but we can have a nice break after we move. We still have to sell all of our furniture, vehicles, some of Fernando’s artwork and my skincare products. Thankfully, we have awesome friends who have mentioned that we can store some items at their house, if necessary. Hopefully we can get rid of everything, but it’s nice to know that we have this option if we run out of time.

See friends – we need to plan some get togethers with friends before we move. Thankfully, we’ve already seen most of our closest friends and have some fun activities on the calendar.

House stuff – next week, Fernando and I will be dedicating lots of time to painting the dining room, hallways and kitchen. We’ve also hired a handyman to do some of the work that we are unable to do. We also hired somebody to re-finish our bathroom countertops in the master bathroom. Hopefully, once these items are finished, our house will be ready to go!

things to get before our move:

Buy a few necessary items – Fernando got a new iPhone and Mac Laptop. His employer owns his current tech products so he won’t be able to take them to Portugal. Fernando’s beloved Aeropress is on it’s last leg. As he cannot live without his daily coffee, we will add that to the list.

I also need to pick up a pair of my favorite trail running shoes from Asics because I anticipate that we will be walking A LOT while in Portugal. Based upon my research, the cobblestone streets can be very slippery, especially after it rains. These extra grippy shoes will be perfect for that. And of course, I need a pair of my absolute favorite capris because I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get them in Portugal. We also need to buy some lightweight duffle bags to move our stuff that will be easy to fold and hide once we have moved. These Samsonite totes have been highly recommended!

Oofff .. lots to do before the move! I’m sure I’m forgetting some important items. Fellow expats, is there something I’m forgetting?

Here’s a photo of the first place (Cascais) we are staying once we arrive in Portugal. Eek – I cannot wait!

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THE 5 ITEMS WE WERE SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOR ALL OF OUR TRIPS:

1. Merrell women’s light hiking shoes – these are amazing because they are lightweight, but are extra grippy and helpful! I also have this pair that I always get compliments on: Merrell Rainbow shoes. Fernando loves his Asics trail runners which are also grippy and perfect for walking on cobblestone streets.
2. Thermoflask water bottle – like a Hydroflask, but more affordable! We don’t go anywhere without these water bottles full of purified water.
3. North Face Aphrodite 2.0 capris – Seriously, I wear these pants every.single.day! I couldn’t live without these ultra-comfy, lightweight pants that dry so quickly. They are 100% worth the money!
4. Osprey Day Pack – this is an awesome lightweight backpack! We easily put the belongings we need at hand for traveling around the city and on public transportation.
5. Travel-friendly chewable toothpaste tablets – these are so fantastic for keeping your teeth clean on the go!

OUR FAVORITE EUROPEAN SERVICES:

1. DISCOVER CARS – If you want to rent a car while you’re in Europe, our favorite car rental aggregator is Discover Cars. We frequently rent cars, and they always have the best prices and great quality vehicles.
2. iTalki – if you want to learn another language before traveling to Europe or while you’re there, we love iTalki. We highly recommend their language services.
3. NORD VPN – perfect to use your technology in other countries!
4. Airalo E-Sim – this let’s you use your phone anywhere in the world without having to get a physical sim! We use this all the time when we travel outside Europe!
5. For fun activities in each city, check out Viator and their recommendations.
6. Big Bus Tours – the perfect way to see the city when you first arrive!
7. Get Transfer – transfers between all of the airports and cities

Have you been to Portugal? What was your favorite thing about it? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas!

And here’s a gorgeous photo of Lisbon at dusk.