Investment Immigration looks at Portugal's Economic Advantages: Currently, there are up to 750 French companies operating in Portugal, with 400 of them collaborating with the Franco-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie Luso-Française), creating a total of 40,000 jobs. Additionally, two new studies have reported that Portugal is one of the preferred countries for French retirees.
Bernard Chantrell, the president of the Franco-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, stated that the reason Portugal has become the preferred choice for French retirees is due to the continuous increase in French investment in Portugal. According to data provided by the Portuguese Trade and Investment Agency, France is the second largest foreign investor in Portugal's financial sector. Over the past five years, France has invested approximately 6.3 billion euros in Portugal each year.
French corporate investment in Portugal has involved sectors such as telecommunications and aviation, but in fact, French investment in the Portuguese-speaking market began 40 years ago. The real estate sector is another key area of investment by French companies, not only due to Portugal's Golden Residence Permit policy but also because of the tax exemption policies on pensions offered to eligible foreign professionals in Portugal.
Spokesperson Quinta da Palmeira also stated: “Portugal has been regarded as a tax haven by French retirees. At this time, France is facing a very unstable situation, and approximately 15 million pensioners are planning to invest in Portugal.” Portugal's main advantage is a policy announced and implemented in January 2013, which provides tax exemptions on pensions received in Portugal for certain eligible European retirees.
This means that French residents can generally receive about 1,600 euros in pension after retirement, and living on this amount in Portugal is evidently more comfortable than in France. In 2014, France accounted for 16% of the 23,000 properties sold in Portugal's real estate investment.
A survey published by a French daily showed that among 911 French seniors aged between 50 and 70, 18% would choose Portugal as their place of residence. They value Portugal's favorable climate and continuously increasing purchasing power as the two main advantages, along with the relatively lower cost of living and prices compared to France.
In the list of the best countries for retirement, Portugal far surpasses Spain and Morocco, with other favored countries including Mauritius, Thailand, and Switzerland.
