Guides
Everything in the app, by city
Step-by-step how-tos for the admin jobs, longer reads for the big topics, and comparisons when you need to pick a bank or a neighbourhood.
Lisbon
City overview →How-tos
What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.
Get a Portuguese SIM card
20 minWorking number, mobile data, no contract. In 20 minutes.
€10–15
Buy a Navegante transit card
15 minUnlimited metro, bus, tram, and ferries for €40/month.
€7 card + €40/mo
Get your NIF (tax ID)
30–60 minFree, takes 30 min. You need it for almost everything else.
Free (DIY) · €70–150 (rep)
Open a Portuguese bank account
45 minFor salary, rent, and the bills nobody pays in cash anymore.
Free at Activobank
Register with SNS (get your utente)
20 min at the centreYour public health number. Free GP, hospital, prescriptions.
Free
Set up home internet
15 min to order · 5–15 days to installFibre is cheap and fast. The hard part is the install date.
€30–45/mo
Exchange your driving licence
1 hour at IMTEU licences are easy. Non-EU is a longer story.
€30
Get your residence permit
Weeks (visa first) · 1 AIMA visitThe tÃtulo de residência. What lets non-EU citizens stay legally.
€170 approx
Register as an EU resident (CRUE)
20 min at the câmaraEU/EEA citizens: the Certificado de Registo you get after 90 days.
€15
Sign a lease (without getting scammed)
1–4 weeks of huntingFrom "this one looks nice" to keys in hand, paperwork intact.
2–5 months' rent upfront
Get your social security number (NISS)
10 min online · 1–2 weeks waitNeeded the moment you work in Portugal. Employed or freelance.
Free
Set up electricity, water & gas
1 hour total · 1–5 days activationThe day-one chores after you sign. Most are 20 minutes online.
€60–120/mo combined
Set up MB Way
10 minHow Portugal actually pays. By phone number, instantly, for free.
Free
Register as a freelancer (abrir atividade)
30 min online (once you have portal access)The official switch that lets you invoice from Portugal. Recibos verdes and all.
Free (DIY) · €50–150/mo with an accountant
Editorial guides
Longer reads on housing, healthcare, visas, and the rest.
Living
Your first 72 hours in Lisbon
Land, get connected, get moving, and book the one errand everything else waits on.
5 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
How to get your NIF in Lisbon
The tax ID number every expat needs. Three ways, in person and online.
5 min read · Updated Updated this week
Housing
Renting in Lisbon without losing your mind
The expat playbook for finding a flat in a market that wasn't built for newcomers.
6 min read · Updated Updated this week
Healthcare
Healthcare 101: SNS, private, and insurance
How the public/private split actually works, and which combo most expats land on.
6 min read · Updated Updated this week
Living
Best neighbourhoods for digital nomads
Six districts compared on rent, Wi-Fi, walkability, and how loud Saturday night gets.
5 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
Which visa do you actually need?
D7, D8, work, student. The overview of Portugal's visa routes, and the one most people should take.
6 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
Taxes for expats: the honest basics
When Portugal starts taxing you, what happened to NHR, and why freelancers need an accountant more than a coworking desk.
6 min read · Updated Updated this week
Compare & choose
Bank accounts
A Portuguese IBAN for rent, salary and direct debits.
4 banks · Checked June 2026
Home internet
Fibre is cheap and fast. The install date is the hard part.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Gym memberships
From €25 budget chains to clubs with rooftop pools.
4 gyms · Checked June 2026
Health & travel insurance
What actually covers you as a newcomer. And what just looks cheap.
4 plans · Checked June 2026
Where to live
Six districts compared on rent, vibe, walkability, and noise.
6 areas · Checked June 2026
Mobile providers
A working number and data. Prepaid or monthly.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Barcelona
City overview →How-tos
What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.
Get your NIE (and TIE)
30 min at the office · weeks for the citaThe foreigner ID number everything else in Spain hangs off.
€9.84 (tasa 790-012) · €16+ for TIE
Register your address (empadronamiento)
20 min at the OACThe free town-hall registration that gets you on the list for healthcare and schools.
Free
Get a Spanish SIM card
15 minWorking number and data in 15 minutes. Passport is all you need.
€10–20
Get a T-mobilitat transit card
15 minMetro, bus, tram, and Rodalies on one contactless card.
€4.50 card + €21–40/mo
Open a Spanish bank account
45 minFor rent, salary, and the Bizum payments everyone assumes you have.
Free at most banks (with conditions)
Register with CatSalut (get your TSI)
20 min at the CAPYour Catalan health card. Public GP, hospital, and prescriptions.
Free
Set up home internet
15 min to order · 3–10 days to installFibre is everywhere and fast. Pick the right contract length.
€25–40/mo
Exchange your driving licence
1 hour at the DGTEU licences barely need anything. Non-EU depends on the country list.
€28.87
Register as an EU resident (certificado de registro)
20 min at the officeEU/EEA citizens: the green certificate you need after 90 days.
€12
Sign a lease (without getting burned)
1–4 weeks of huntingFianza, aval, and the temporada trap. Keys in hand with your rights intact.
3–4 months' rent upfront
Get your social security number (NUSS)
10 min online · days for the replyNeeded before your first day of work. And your employer can usually do it for you.
Free
Set up electricity, water & gas
1 hour total · 1–5 days activationCUPS codes, the cambio de titularidad, and why the previous tenant's contract is your friend.
€80–140/mo combined
Set up Bizum
5 minHow Spain actually pays. By phone number, instantly, from your bank's own app.
Free
Register as a freelancer (alta de autónomo)
1–2 hours with a gestorThe double registration that lets you invoice from Spain. And the €80 first-year quota.
~€80/mo first year (tarifa plana) · then €200–590/mo
Editorial guides
Longer reads on housing, healthcare, visas, and the rest.
Living
Your first 72 hours in Barcelona
Land, get connected, dodge the pickpockets, and book the one appointment everything else waits on.
5 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
NIE and TIE in Barcelona, step by step
The foreigner ID number and residence card every expat needs. And how to win the cita previa game.
4 min read · Updated Updated this week
Housing
Renting in Barcelona without getting burned
How the market really works, what the fianza and aval mean, and where the scams hide.
3 min read · Updated Updated this week
Healthcare
Healthcare in Barcelona: CatSalut and private
How Catalonia’s public system works, who qualifies, and the private cover most expats add.
3 min read · Updated Updated this week
Living
Best neighbourhoods for digital nomads
Grà cia to Poblenou compared on rent, noise, Wi-Fi, and how far you are from the beach.
3 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
Which Spanish visa do you actually need?
Digital nomad, non-lucrative, work or student. The overview, and the rare good news about applying from inside Spain.
6 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
Taxes in Spain: the expat basics
The Beckham regime, what autónomos really pay, and the foreign-asset form with the scary fines.
6 min read · Updated Updated this week
Compare & choose
Bank accounts
A Spanish IBAN for rent, nómina and direct debits.
4 banks · Checked June 2026
Home internet
Gigabit fibre is cheap here. Watch the contract lock-in, not the speed.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Gym memberships
Municipal pools to boutique studios. The Barcelona spread.
4 gyms · Checked June 2026
Health & travel insurance
What actually covers you as a newcomer. And what just looks cheap.
4 plans · Checked June 2026
Where to live
Six districts compared on rent, noise, Wi-Fi, and beach access.
6 areas · Checked June 2026
Mobile providers
A working number and data. Prepaid or monthly.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Dubai
City overview →How-tos
What to bring, how long it takes, what it costs, and which provider we would pick.
Get your residence visa & Emirates ID
1–3 weeks end to endThe document pair everything else in Dubai hangs off.
AED 1,500–4,000 (often employer-paid)
Get a UAE SIM card
10–20 minA working number in 10 minutes. Even at the airport.
AED 50–125
Get a Nol card
5 minMetro, tram, buses, and water taxis. One tap-everything card.
AED 25 (incl. AED 19 credit)
Open a UAE bank account
30–60 min · card in 2–5 daysFor salary via WPS, rent cheques, and everything the apps can't do.
Free (with salary transfer)
Sort your health insurance
1–3 days to compare and buyCover is legally required in Dubai. And tied to your visa.
AED 700–6,000+/yr
Register your tenancy (Ejari)
15 min online · same dayThe RTA registration that makes your lease officially exist.
AED 120–220
Set up DEWA (electricity & water)
10 min online · power same dayTen minutes online once you have your Ejari number.
AED 130 activation + AED 2,000/4,000 deposit
Set up home internet
15 min to order · 2–7 days to installYour building decides the provider. The rest is easy.
AED 300–400/mo
Convert your driving licence
1 hour at RTA (direct swap)~50 countries swap directly. Everyone else goes to driving school.
AED 870 approx
Find a flat and sign the lease
1–3 weeks of huntingCheques, the RERA calculator, and the chiller question. Keys without surprises.
~15% of annual rent in fees + deposits
Get a freelance permit (sponsor yourself)
1–3 weeks end to endThe permits that turn "remote worker on a visit visa" into a legal Dubai resident with clients.
AED 7,500–20,000/yr depending on route
Editorial guides
Longer reads on housing, healthcare, visas, and the rest.
Living
Your first 72 hours in Dubai
Land, get connected, learn the cheque-and-chiller vocabulary, and let the visa machine start turning.
5 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
Residence visa and Emirates ID, explained
The two documents everything else in Dubai hangs off. And the routes to get them, employed or not.
4 min read · Updated Updated this week
Housing
Renting in Dubai and the Ejari system
Cheques, agent fees, DEWA, and why your tenancy has to be registered to count.
3 min read · Updated Updated this week
Healthcare
Health insurance in Dubai is mandatory
Why you legally need cover, what employers provide, and how to top it up.
3 min read · Updated Updated this week
Living
Where to live in Dubai as a newcomer
Marina, JVC, Downtown or the older neighbourhoods. Compared on rent, commute and life.
3 min read · Updated Updated this week
Bureaucracy & Visas
Dubai taxes: zero isn't the whole story
No income tax, yes. But home-country rules, the new corporate tax, and the pension you're not building all need a plan.
6 min read · Updated Updated this week
Compare & choose
Bank accounts
You need a chequebook for rent. Choose accordingly.
4 banks · Checked June 2026
Home internet
Your building picks the provider. You pick the plan.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
Gym memberships
From AED 99 big-box gyms to AED 1,000 clubs with ice baths.
4 gyms · Checked June 2026
Health insurance
Cover is mandatory in Dubai. Here's what each tier actually buys.
4 plans · Checked June 2026
Where to live
Six areas compared on annual rent, commute, and daily life.
6 areas · Checked June 2026
Mobile providers
Two networks, three brands. And tourist SIMs at the airport.
4 providers · Checked June 2026
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