International Living Community

The much-awaited Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) visa has been relaunched with new terms and conditions. We've just posted an update on our website: https://internationalliving.com/malaysias-mm2h-relaunch-what-expats-need-to-know/

Welcome John, it’s great to have you!

In this forum you’ll find helpful posts on different countries. Our Portugal section is a place dedicated to navigating life in Portugal with valuable insight, tips, and shared experiences which you may find useful for your journey!

Again, welcome to the Community! 👏 🎉

Thanks for the interest and for a great idea. I have a few suggestions that may help. with the third and fourth week.

First take a look at the type of climate you want to live in, Italy is mostly a mediterranean climate but parts of Italy are considered sub-arctic and some parts are very hot and very dry. ....

Second look at the type of topography you want to live in! Mountains, seashore, valley, it is all here. Tuscany is rolling hills but Italy has a lot more and many places that are a lot less expensive. Umbria, Abruzzo and Le Marche come to mind immediatly for the small village, that very homey feeling with fresh local food and a sense of community,. But much of |Italy has that in its small towns. That is why I stressed finding the topography and the climate you want first.

Finally for your last two weeks, I would rent a car and travel. and try to get lost. Italy has so much to offer that traveling might open your eyes to new things. Book BnBs or hotels on the fly and I have found that not using the standard BnB website can save you as much as 30% a night.

You are definately in for a lot of fun... enjoy and I hope this helps make your journey even more successful. Chip Stites, Italy Correspondent, International Living Magazine.

Hi @MARKASHIRAZI Thanks for getting in touch.

My recommendation would be to check out Warren and Julie's YouTube page. They're colleagues of ours and have spoken at our online events. They have expertise in the area and should be able to offer the information you need.

Here's a link to their YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsMbJWT2e-3CRhy8LJOa7_g

Hi @DAVIDOSTON Thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Ted Baumann, our Global Diversification Expert, to get an answer to your question. This was his response,

As with most countries, Portuguese immigration bureaucracy can be difficult to decipher. It's not uncommon to hear of Wildly different timelines for approval of visa applications. There are many variables, including the embassy or consulate where you made your application, the nature of the supporting documentation and evidence that you provided, whether you used a service provider to help with the application and even the temperament of individual bureaucrats. In general, the best approach is always to go with an experienced immigration consultant. Not only can they ensure that your application is done right the first time, they often know individuals within the bureaucracy who they can contact to expedite matters. In my experience, the charges they levy for these services are more than worth it.