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Moving from South Africa to Porto (possibly)

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Hi there,

My husband and I are seriously considering moving to Portugal or Spain. At this stage we are considering either Porto or Mataro in Spain. Here's the thing, I have A THOUSAND questions and nobody to ask. Would someone kindly take the time to fill this ignoramus in? If you do, you'll have your homework cut out for you ;)

1. I know nothing about either of these cities - no judgement please. We're trying to give our kids a good future so we're not sure what we're currently doing, we just want to move soon. Can anyone tell me if Porto is a good place for kids? One teen and one soon-to-be 30 year old (she's actually nine years old). I don't want them to be miserable in a boring town.

2. Visa: Myself and the kids have Portuguese passports, however, my husband is a SA citizen only. I understand we need to apply for a Family Regrouping visa when we get there. Does anyone know how long it takes and if my may my Non-EU partner work while waiting on his visa?

3. Work: I'm an Advertising Copywriter and my husband is an Industrial Designer. Neither of us speaks Portuguese (Duolingo is our friend). Firstly, finding work as English speakers, is it difficult?

4. Cost of living vs salary? What is considered a good salary to support a family of four? Bearing in mind that we are looking to put money away too.

5. How much would you say we should leave SA with?

6. Medical doctors and facilities: I am on prescription meds. Where do I find out if a local doctor can prescribe my medication? And, medical facilities?

7. Transport: Good transport routes? Are the costs decent?

8. Christian churches?

I may very well wake up tomorrow morning and have a dozen more questions. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

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