# Moving to Portugal from the USA

> Relocating to Portugal from the United States — sea-freight costs, transit times, EU customs relief and Portuguese residency routes (D7, Digital Nomad D8, Golden Visa).

Canonical: https://www.portunusai.com/moving-from-usa/portugal
Direction: USA → Portugal
Data last reviewed: 2026-06-15

## Typical moving costs

- Studio: $2,584–$4,080
- 1 bedroom: $3,944–$6,120
- 2 bedrooms: $5,304–$8,500
- 3 bedrooms: $7,820–$12,240
- 20ft container: $3,910–$5,980
- 40ft container: $6,460–$9,880

## Transit times

- New York → Lisbon: 14–22 days
- Miami → Lisbon: 16–26 days
- Los Angeles → Leixões: 30–42 days

## Customs & import notes

- Portugal is in the EU: used household goods enter duty/VAT-free under transfer-of-residence relief.
- Generally requires you lived outside the EU 12+ months and owned/used the goods 6+ months.
- A detailed inventory and Portuguese residence documentation are required at import.
- New items, alcohol/tobacco over limits and vehicles have separate rules.

## Visa & residency options in Portugal

- D7 (passive income) visa: For those with stable passive income such as pensions, rentals or dividends.
- Digital Nomad Visa (D8): For remote workers/freelancers above an income threshold.
- Golden Visa: Investment route — rules changed in 2023–24 (real-estate options removed); verify current criteria.
- Student / job-seeker routes: For study or to seek qualifying employment.

## Moving companies serving this route

- SDC International Shipping — Sea freight, Door-to-door overseas (https://www.sdcinternationalshipping.com/)
- International Van Lines — Best overall, Full-service moves (https://www.internationalvanlines.com/)
- Crown Relocations — Premium, Corporate relocation (https://www.crownrelo.com/)
- Seven Seas Worldwide — Budget, Small moves & students (https://www.sevenseasworldwide.com/)
- PSS International Removals — Worldwide shipping, Part & full loads (https://www.pssremovals.com/)
- Sirelo (compare multiple movers) — Compare several quotes at once (https://www.sirelo.com/)

## Related resources

- [Moving to the USA hub](https://www.portunusai.com/moving-to-usa)
- [Moving from the USA hub](https://www.portunusai.com/moving-from-usa)
- [Site-wide llms.txt](https://www.portunusai.com/llms.txt)