Lisbon law firm
RUA EÇA DE QUEIROS 22
46680 Lisbon (Portugal)
Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, called the “city of seven hills”, or the “city of colours”, is a friendly, dynamic and innovative city. It is both old and new, and always surprising, having gradually become one of the most vibrant and welcoming cities in Western Europe.
Its beautiful and ancient architecture is stunning, being one of the oldest cities on the planet that, according to mythology, would have been founded by Ulysses himself when he fled from Troy.
The Lisbon metropolitan area only occupies 3% of the total area of Portugal, but a quarter of the population lives there. Lisbon experienced very important growth in the 1970s due to rural migration and the return of many migrants who had left the country in the 50s and60s, because of the very difficult living conditions by that time.
In the 1980s, numerous companies were reprivatized. The city’s economy is characterized by the significant weight of technological and pharmaceutical industries, although services is the predominating sector of activity, employing three quarters of the workers. Tourism and commerce have played an essential role in the modernization of Lisbon, stabilizing a traditionally negative balance of payments.
Modern Lisbon retains an air of its classical and historical past but was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 1994, and the 1998 World’s Fair was the city’s largest renovation project since the reconstruction that followed the 1755 great earthquake. Much of its transport infrastructure is due to the celebration of this event, as well as the port area that was rebuilt and is currently an important leisure space, with a modern urban landscape in clear contrast with the Lisbon of the hills.
Lisbon, “Menina y moça”, the heart of the so-called “Latin Switzerland” always offers space for innovation and never misses an opportunity to reinvent itself. The light, the river, the mixture of cultures, the kindness and hospitality of the Portuguese, the gastronomy, the culture, the beaches and the city dimensions do the rest to convey that unmistakable air one falls in love with and that Portugal definitely needs to attract “highly qualified talent “ from abroad to its labour market, as well as to limit the drama of the demographic crisis that the country is experiencing.
It is an easy country to emigrate and reside in and installation is greatly simplified: a variety of visa options, tax exemptions, a desirable quality of life and the advantages of the European Schengen. Thus, the number of foreign citizens residing in Portugal in 2020 reached a record figure of over 600,000: “Teleworking paradise, tax red carpet and a coffee at 0.60 euros”.