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Moving guides

From Portugal to Thailand

What changes in tax when you move from Portugal to Thailand: what you pay today, what you would pay there and the rules Portugal applies when you leave.

What you would save

With €150,000 a year in dividends or foreign income, compared as a genuine resident of each country.

Today in Portugal€42,000
In Thailand€0
Yearly difference+€42,000

Full guide: Thailand →

Leaving Portugal

  • More than 183 days in any 12-month period. You are resident if you spend more than 183 days in Portugal, consecutive or not, in any 12-month period starting or ending in the tax year.
  • Habitual residence. With fewer days, you are still resident if at any time in that 12-month period you have a home in Portugal in conditions suggesting you intend to keep and use it as your habitual residence.
  • Part-year residence. Since 2015 residence normally starts on the first day of stay and ends on the last day, so a year can be split into resident and non-resident periods, with some exceptions.

Rules that can follow you after leaving

  • Portuguese nationals moving to a blacklisted territory stay resident 4 more years. Portuguese nationals who move tax residence to a territory on the government blacklist remain Portuguese residents in the year of the move and the four following years, unless they prove valid reasons such as temporary work.

Exit tax in Portugal

No general exit tax for individuals

Leaving Portugal does not trigger tax on unrealised gains on ordinary shares or property. Specific exceptions: gains previously deferred on tax-neutral share exchanges or on transferring a sole-trader business into a company can become taxable on loss of residence, and loss of residence is treated as a disposal of crypto-assets (since 2023).

Exit tax → · Am I still resident? →

Arriving in Thailand

Personal income: On remittance · Company tax: 20%

Long-term visa (LTR, Privilege) or work permit.

180 days a year to be tax resident.

Foreign income is taxed if you bring it into Thailand, at progressive rates up to 35%. Income earned before 2024 is excluded. An exemption for money brought in the same or next year has been discussed but is not in force.

Living there

Monthly cost for one person, rent included
Bangkok€1,100–1,500
Chiang Mai€750–1,050
Climate
Tropical; hot 30-35°C year-round, rainy season June to October.
Direct flights to
London, Paris, Frankfurt, Dubai, Singapore
Safety
Medium
International schools
Many
Fixed internet
280 Mbps

Steps to residency

  1. 1 weeksChoose visa: LTR, Destination Thailand Visa or Non-B with Thai company
  2. 3 weeksGather proof of income or assets and apply online (e-Visa)
  3. 2 weeksVisa approval and entry
  4. 4 weeksWork permit and 90-day reporting setup

About 10 weeks in total

Official websites: Tax authority · Immigration

Approximate figures that change often; check them before deciding.

Other destinations from Portugal