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City in Portugal

Porto

Porto is Portugal's second-largest city, with 252,687 residents in the municipality (2024) and 1.8 million in its metropolitan region. AIMA counted 60,351 foreign residents there at the end of 2025, the third-most of any Portuguese municipality, and runs two stores in the city. [N1] [G3] [M4] [M1]

Country
Portugal
Population
252,687 in 2024. Porto municipality (concelho): INE resident population estimate for 2024. [N1]
Settings
In a city, By the sea [N1] [G1]
Weather
Mild, never too hot [W1]

Why it is here

Why Porto is on the list.

A city is listed when there is evidence that people move there. This is the evidence.

  • Porto is the next-largest place in Portugal after Lisbon (231,800 in the 2021 Census), and its metropolitan region (INE NUTS III Área Metropolitana do Porto) has 1,818,217 residents. [G3] [N1]
  • AIMA counted 60,351 foreign residents in Porto at the end of 2025, the third-most of any municipality. The 2021 Census counted 14,497 foreign nationals there, 6.25% of residents. [M4] [M2] [M3]
  • AIMA runs two stores in Porto: Porto I (Avenida de França 316) and Porto II, SEIVA (Rua Calouste Gulbenkian 176). [M1]

The Fernshore Index

How it grades, factor by factor.

Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.

The country

More on Portugal.

Cities

Other cities in Portugal.

Questions about Porto.

How big is Porto?

Porto municipality had 252,687 residents in 2024 (INE) and its metropolitan region 1,818,217. In the 2021 Census, Porto was Portugal's next-largest place after Lisbon, at 231,800.

Municipal statistics: Porto (December 2025 release), Statistics Portugal (INE); O que nos dizem os Censos sobre os lugares estatísticos (Census 2021), Statistics Portugal (INE), Censos 2021. Checked 15 October 2026

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How many foreigners live in Porto?

AIMA counted 60,351 foreign residents in Porto at the end of 2025, the third-most of any municipality. The 2021 Census counted 14,497 foreign nationals, 6.25% of residents, against 5.24% for Portugal as a whole. The two counts come from different sources and years.

Relatório de Migrações e Asilo 2025 (Migration and Asylum Report 2025), Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA); Population of foreign nationality (No.) by geographic location at the census date (series 1890-2021), Statistics Portugal (INE), Census; Proportion of resident population of foreign nationality (%) by place of residence, Census 2021, Statistics Portugal (INE), Census 2021. Checked 15 October 2026

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Where are the AIMA offices in Porto?

AIMA runs two stores in Porto: Porto I at Avenida de França 316 (Edifício Capitólio) and Porto II, SEIVA, at Rua Calouste Gulbenkian 176. Which office handles your case, if any, depends on your visa and permit, so check with AIMA first.

Lojas AIMA (AIMA stores), Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026

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What is the weather like in Porto?

Porto's average daily highs run from 14.0 °C to 24.8 °C (IPMA normals, 1991–2020, airport station). From April to October, monthly highs are 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm of rain; from November to March, highs are under 18 °C.

Climate normals 1991–2020, Porto / Pedras Rubras, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026

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How much is rent in Porto?

One advert seen on 4 October 2026 asked €850 a month for an equipped 46 m² one-bedroom in Constituição, third floor with a lift. The deposit, furniture and bills were not stated. One asking rent is not an average. Other Porto living costs are unknown.

Constituição rental, ERA Portugal (private listing). Checked 4 October 2026

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Sources

Where each figure comes from.

Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.

  1. [N1] Municipal statistics: Porto (December 2025 release), Statistics Portugal (INE). Checked 15 October 2026. Resident population estimate 252,687 for 2024 in the Porto municipality (concelho); NUTS III Área Metropolitana do Porto: 1,818,217. INE annual estimates of resident population.
  2. [G3] O que nos dizem os Censos sobre os lugares estatísticos (Census 2021), Statistics Portugal (INE), Censos 2021. Checked 15 October 2026. After Lisbon (545,142), Porto (231,800) is the largest place in Portugal.
  3. [M4] Relatório de Migrações e Asilo 2025 (Migration and Asylum Report 2025), Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026. AIMA counted 60,351 foreign residents in Porto at the end of 2025, the third-most after Lisboa (200,073) and Sintra (98,652). Report dated September 2026; pages 8 and 9.
  4. [M1] Lojas AIMA (AIMA stores), Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists Porto I – Avenida de França at Avenida de França 316 (Edifício Capitólio) and Porto II – SEIVA at Rua Calouste Gulbenkian 176.
  5. [G1] Porto, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. Says the western part of Porto's urban area extends to the Atlantic coastline.
  6. [W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Porto / Pedras Rubras, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. The IPMA station for Porto, at the airport north of the city. Highs 14.0 to 24.8 °C; April to October are 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm of rain (7 comfortable months); mean temperatures differ by 10.0 °C across the year.
  7. [M2] Population of foreign nationality (No.) by geographic location at the census date (series 1890-2021), Statistics Portugal (INE), Census. Checked 15 October 2026. Porto: 14,497 residents of foreign nationality at Census 2021 (both sexes), read from the INE data API (indicator 0014407) on 15 October 2026.
  8. [M3] Proportion of resident population of foreign nationality (%) by place of residence, Census 2021, Statistics Portugal (INE), Census 2021. Checked 15 October 2026. Porto: 6.25% of residents were of foreign nationality at Census 2021 (Portugal as a whole: 5.24%), read from the INE data API (indicator 0012314) on 15 October 2026.
  9. [C1] Price level index (GDP), Portugal, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 60.37 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  10. [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 163 countries (score 1.427).
  11. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal: 83 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO Global Health Observatory API on 15 October 2026.
  12. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 31 countries.
  13. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 11th of 31 countries.
  14. [K1] Residence visa documents: remote work and retirement or passive income, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists remote work (digital nomads) with proof of average monthly income over three months of at least four times the monthly minimum wage, and a fixed residency for retirement or passive income; no age minimum, job offer or deposit is stated. The page gives no euro figure and no validity period.
  15. [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 45.24 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  16. [R1] Request a permanent residence permit (who can ask), Portuguese Government (gov.pt), service of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026. Page updated 1 September 2026: holders of a temporary residence permit for at least 5 years; the page warns it may be out of date and points to the AIMA portal.
  17. [F1] EF English Proficiency Index 2025: Portugal, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 612, global ranking #6; the 2026 edition was not yet published on 15 October 2026.
  18. [K3] Temporary stay documents: remote work, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Temporary stay visa for remote work: work contract, employer declaration or service contract, fiscal residence, and income of four times the monthly minimum wage averaged over three months; no age minimum stated. The page gives no stay length.
  19. [V1] Guaranteed monthly minimum wage 2026, Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). Checked 15 October 2026. €920 a month from 1 January 2026 (Decree-Law 139/2025); four times is €3,680. The 2027 figure is expected to rise, so the test needs reconfirming for 2027.
  20. [V2] Euro foreign exchange reference rate, US dollar, European Central Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 15 October 2026: 1.1208 US dollars per euro (14 October 1.1195); €44,160 is about US$49,500.
  21. [V3] Visa information, Embassy of Portugal in Washington, D.C.. Checked 15 October 2026. US applicants: the list of national visa forms includes 'Resident Visa - Retirees, Living on Income and Religious Purposes' and 'Resident Visa - Remote Work'.
  22. [V4] Residence visa in Canada, Consulate General of Portugal in Toronto. Checked 15 October 2026. Canadian applicants served by Toronto: residence visas include digital nomads and retirees or people living on passive income (D7).
  23. [V5] Where should you lodge a visa application, Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Australia: Consulate General in Sydney or Embassy in Canberra; New Zealand: Embassy in Canberra.

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