The country has ranked eighth out of 31 destinations in the 2026 Expat Insider survey by InterNations, performing particularly well in personal finances, settling in, and overall quality of life.

But when the same foreign residents were asked about working in Portugal, the results changed dramatically.

Portugal ranked 29th out of 31 countries in the Working Abroad Index and came last for both the local job market and whether moving to the country had improved respondents’ career prospects.

Only 19% of expats rated the Portuguese job market positively, compared with a global average of 38%. Portugal also performed poorly for job security and overall job satisfaction.

There was one brighter spot: work-life balance, where Portugal ranked 16th.

The results continue a pattern seen in previous editions of the survey. In 2025, Portugal ranked 40th among 46 destinations for working abroad, while still ranking in the top 10 for quality of life.

Lifestyle remains Portugal’s strength

Away from work, the picture for 2026 is considerably more positive.

Portugal ranked fourth for personal finance and seventh for ease of settling in, while its quality of life placed 11th.

More than three in five foreign residents surveyed rated the cost of living positively, while around three-quarters said their disposable household income was sufficient to live comfortably.

Climate, air quality and personal safety also continue to make Portugal attractive to international residents.

The country’s bureaucracy remains a source of frustration, however. Just 20% of respondents said dealing with local authorities was easy, compared with 38% globally.

Portugal’s results also need to be considered alongside the profile of the people surveyed.

Around 20% of respondents in Portugal said retirement was their main reason for relocating, compared with just 4% globally, while 21% moved in search of a better quality of life. Only 11% cited a job-related reason.

Some 41% of the expats surveyed in Portugal were retired, almost three times the worldwide average of 14%.

That helps explain an apparent contradiction in the results: a country can score poorly as a place to pursue a career while remaining highly attractive to people whose income does not depend on the Portuguese employment market.

Portugal has also improved significantly in the overall ranking, moving from 15th in 2024 and 17th in 2025 to eighth this year. Comparisons between years should be treated with caution, however, as the number of destinations qualifying for the survey fell from 53 in 2023 to 46 in 2025 and to 31 in 2026.

For those moving for sunshine, safety and lifestyle, Portugal continues to score highly. For expats arriving in search of local salaries and career progression, the experience appears considerably less favourable.