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City in Portugal

Sintra

Sintra is a town and municipality in Greater Lisbon with 385,654 residents at the 2021 Census. AIMA counted 98,652 foreign residents there at the end of 2025, the second-most in Portugal after Lisbon, runs two stores in the municipality, and an American international school is based at Linhó. [G1] [M4] [M1] [Sintra S1]

Country
Portugal
Region
Lisboa
Population
385,654 in 2021. Sintra municipality (concelho): Census 2021 resident population, as printed on Wikipedia (the INE municipal release could not be opened). [G1]
Settings
By the sea [G1]
Weather
Mild, never too hot [Sintra W1] [W2]

Why it is here

Why Sintra is on the list.

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

  • AIMA counted 98,652 foreign residents in Sintra at the end of 2025, the second-most of any municipality after Lisbon. The 2021 Census counted 38,207 foreign nationals there, 9.91% of residents. [M4] [M2] [M3]
  • AIMA runs two stores in the municipality: Cacém (Praceta Duque de Saldanha 17, Agualva-Cacém) and Queluz (Rua 9 de Abril 24). [M1]
  • Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL), at Linhó in Sintra, has taught an American education since 1956 and has over 700 students. [Sintra S1]

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 Sintra.

How big is Sintra?

A reference site (Wikipedia, secondary) gives Sintra municipality 385,654 residents at the 2021 Census; Fernshore could not open INE's own release. It describes Sintra as a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region, on the Portuguese Riviera.

Sintra, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026

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How many foreigners live in Sintra?

AIMA counted 98,652 foreign residents in Sintra at the end of 2025, the second-most of any municipality after Lisbon. The 2021 Census counted 38,207 foreign nationals, 9.91% of residents. 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 stores in Sintra?

AIMA lists two stores in Sintra municipality: Cacém at Praceta Duque de Saldanha 17, Agualva-Cacém, and Queluz at Rua 9 de Abril 24. 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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Is there an American school near Sintra?

Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL), at Linhó in Sintra, has taught an American education since 1956 and says it has over 700 students. Fees, places and other schools are unknown here.

Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL), Carlucci American International School of Lisbon. Checked 15 October 2026

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What is the weather like in Sintra?

Fernshore has no climate normals for the town of Sintra. The nearest IPMA stations give daily highs of 14.3 to 21.9 °C at Cabo da Roca, about 10 km west, and 15.3 to 29.0 °C at Lisbon's Tapada da Ajuda, about 20 km south-east.

Climate normals 1991–2020, Cabo da Roca, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera); Climate normals 1991–2020, Lisboa / Tapada da Ajuda, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 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. [G1] Sintra, Wikipedia (secondary). Checked 15 October 2026. Non-official source for the population: says the municipality had 385,654 residents at the 2021 Census (the INE municipal release for Sintra could not be opened on 15 October 2026, the INE site timing out). Also says Sintra is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region, on the Portuguese Riviera, with scenic beaches.
  2. [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 98,652 foreign residents in Sintra at the end of 2025, the second-most after Lisboa (200,073). Report dated September 2026; pages 8 and 9.
  3. [M1] Lojas AIMA (AIMA stores), Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA). Checked 15 October 2026. Lists Cacém (Loja de Cidadão) at Praceta Duque de Saldanha 17, 2735-330 Agualva Cacém, and Queluz (Loja de Cidadão) at Rua 9 de Abril 24, 2745-286 Queluz; both places are parishes of Sintra municipality.
  4. [Sintra S1] Carlucci American International School of Lisbon (CAISL), Carlucci American International School of Lisbon. Checked 15 October 2026. The school's own site: an American international school whose story began in 1956, on one campus at Rua António dos Reis 95, Linhó, 2710-301 Sintra; says it has grown from 9 students to over 700.
  5. [Sintra W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Cabo da Roca, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Nearest IPMA station on the coast (about 10 km west of the town), not the town's own. Highs 14.3 to 21.9 °C; mean temperatures differ by 7.1 °C across the year: mild.
  6. [W2] Climate normals 1991–2020, Lisboa / Tapada da Ajuda, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Nearest IPMA station inland (about 20 km south-east), not the town's own. Highs 15.3 to 29.0 °C; mild.
  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. Sintra: 38,207 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. Sintra: 9.91% 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. [Portugal W1] Climate normals 1991–2020, Braga / Merelim, IPMA (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera). Checked 15 October 2026. Braga, the main city for Portugal's climate grade. Monthly highs 14.1 to 28.7 °C; April to September are 18 to 30 °C with under 150 mm of rain (6 comfortable months).
  11. [Portugal 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).
  12. [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.
  13. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 7th of 31 countries.
  14. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Portugal ranks 11th of 31 countries.
  15. [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.
  16. [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.
  17. [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.
  18. [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.
  19. [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.
  20. [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.
  21. [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.
  22. [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'.
  23. [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).
  24. [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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