The Secretary of State for Tourism, Commerce and Services, Rita Marques, believes that 2023 will be a very positive year in terms of attracting digital nomads, but emphasises: the attraction that is desired is to bring people from all over the world to live and work in Portugal, but also to bring Portuguese people back, even if they are employed abroad.
Rita Marques participated a few moments ago in a panel at the Web Summit on digital nomads, where the central theme was, of course, the recurring election of our country as one of the best, or the best depending on the source, place for digital nomads in the world.
Speaking of an effort of “public policies that try to convey a message in a very transparent way, which has had impressive results”, the Secretary of State also explained the phenomenon with Portugal’s natural attractiveness and several private initiatives.
On the governmental side, the highlight was the D7 Visa: “we have had a D7 visa valid for expatriates, retirees and digital nomads for some time, but we wanted to do more and created the digital nomad visa that came into force a few days ago”, she stressed, explaining that it is valid for anyone who wants to apply, as long as they have a minimum income of 2800 euros per month.
About the objectives of this and other policies, Rita Marques reiterated: to attract people from all over the world, bringing renewal and economic and also demographic dynamics; and to attract Portuguese who left a few years ago, “Portuguese who work in American or Canadian companies and can return to Portugal and work from here” for their companies, she stressed.
About the polemics raised by these programs in cities, such as several Portuguese cities, where the cost of housing is already at almost unaffordable levels, the secretary admitted: the cost of housing is growing and the government has to be attentive, quickly creating “public policies that make sense. And she gave an example: the digital nomad visa, in the future, may benefit those who go to more interior or not so central regions of the country.
Marques also announced that, within the Digital Nomads Program, the Government wants to create in hospitality schools a digital nomad program for those who want to come to Portugal but are not sure if it is the right place and will be guided, something to be launched in several schools. According to the governor, if the right conditions are created, the digital nomad movement may grow, also because, she stressed, after the pandemic “our priorities have changed” and remote work “is here to stay”.
News by Jornal de Negócios
