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Is it over for the UK?
Portugal visas, residency and taxes: a practical conversation
I keep hearing that the West is dying. But is it really that bad? To find out, I went to London and met with Zeev Fisher. He runs an international law firm helping expats with tax and residency, and is licensed to practice law in four countries. Personally, Zeev spent 10 years in the UK before moving...
I keep hearing that the West is dying. But is it really that bad? To find out, I went to London and met with Zeev Fisher. He runs an international law firm helping expats with tax and residency, and is licensed to practice law in four countries. Personally, Zeev spent 10 years in the UK before moving to Portugal, where he has now lived for six years. In this video, he shared why having a second passport matters more than ever, the tax secret only rich Europeans know about, and what Europe still does better than Asia. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:50 Is Europe Really Dying?
02:57 How Europe Has Changed in 15 Years
04:29 Europe vs Asia and the Middle East
05:35 Is London Really Unsafe?
07:51 Portugal’s Immigration Problem
09:45 Why He Loves Living in Portugal
11:36 English, Lifestyle and the Best Things About Portugal
12:54 Cost of Living in Portugal for a Family
14:41 Why Portugal Feels More Stable Than the Rest of Europe
18:13 Is Portugal Still a Poor Country?
19:25 Portugal Golden Visa and the New 10-Year Citizenship Rule
22:47 Which Portugal Visa Is Right for You?
25:08 Why Entrepreneurs Move to Portugal for Tax
29:09 How Max’s YouTube Business Could Be Taxed in Portugal
30:54 What Happens After the 10-Year Tax Benefit
31:49 D7, D3 and D8 Visas Explained
35:30 How the Portugal Golden Visa Investment Works
37:05 Why Tax Planning Matters Before You Move
39:18 How a 5-Day Trip Turned Into Moving to Portugal
41:18 Why Everyone Needs a Plan B
42:10 How a Second Passport Changed His Life
44:09 Watch the Full Portugal Residency & Tax Guide
This channel features raw conversations about wealth, global mobility, and mastery.
I sit down with founders, investors, operators, experts, and outliers navigating the biggest shifts of our time, many of them based in or connected to Asia. We talk about money, leverage, relocation, power, tradeoffs, and the real decisions shaping what’s next, not as theory, but from lived experience.
Some conversations happen inside billionaire homes. Some happen remotely with experts shaping global systems. All of them focus on signal over noise.
If you care about where to build, where to live, how to make better decisions in uncertain times, and what the future demands, you’re in the right place.
Max Chernov interviews Zeev Fisher in London about life in Europe and Portugal, immigration and residency options, housing costs, and tax planning. Fisher describes his move from the UK to Portugal and explains how the Golden Visa differs from routes that require relocation. They also discuss language, a pandemic-era stay in Madeira, and why he values having a second passport.
I keep hearing that the West is dying. But is it really that bad? To find out, I went to London and met with Zeev Fisher. He runs an international law firm helping expats with tax and residency, and is licensed to practice law in four countries. Personally, Zeev spent 10 years in the UK before moving to Portugal, where he has now lived for six years. In this video, he shared why having a second passport matters more than ever, the tax secret only rich Europeans know about, and what Europe still does better than Asia. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:50 Is Europe Really Dying?
02:57 How Europe Has Changed in 15 Years
04:29 Europe vs Asia and the Middle East
05:35 Is London Really Unsafe?
07:51 Portugal’s Immigration Problem
09:45 Why He Loves Living in Portugal
11:36 English, Lifestyle and the Best Things About Portugal
12:54 Cost of Living in Portugal for a Family
14:41 Why Portugal Feels More Stable Than the Rest of Europe
18:13 Is Portugal Still a Poor Country?
19:25 Portugal Golden Visa and the New 10-Year Citizenship Rule
22:47 Which Portugal Visa Is Right for You?
25:08 Why Entrepreneurs Move to Portugal for Tax
29:09 How Max’s YouTube Business Could Be Taxed in Portugal
30:54 What Happens After the 10-Year Tax Benefit
31:49 D7, D3 and D8 Visas Explained
35:30 How the Portugal Golden Visa Investment Works
37:05 Why Tax Planning Matters Before You Move
39:18 How a 5-Day Trip Turned Into Moving to Portugal
41:18 Why Everyone Needs a Plan B
42:10 How a Second Passport Changed His Life
44:09 Watch the Full Portugal Residency & Tax Guide
This channel features raw conversations about wealth, global mobility, and mastery.
I sit down with founders, investors, operators, experts, and outliers navigating the biggest shifts of our time, many of them based in or connected to Asia. We talk about money, leverage, relocation, power, tradeoffs, and the real decisions shaping what’s next, not as theory, but from lived experience.
Some conversations happen inside billionaire homes. Some happen remotely with experts shaping global systems. All of them focus on signal over noise.
If you care about where to build, where to live, how to make better decisions in uncertain times, and what the future demands, you’re in the right place.
Max Chernov speaks with Zeev Fisher, who says he spent 10 years in the UK before moving to Portugal. They discuss changes in Europe, comparisons with Asia, safety in London and Lisbon, and Portugal’s immigration system. Fisher describes living costs, the role of English and Portuguese, several visa routes, and tax planning. He says a five-day holiday in Madeira during the pandemic led his family to stay and buy a home after flights to the UK were cancelled. The conversation closes with his experience obtaining Romanian citizenship for his family and holding a British passport, and his view that a second passport can provide more options.
Max Chernov interviews Zeev Fisher in London about life in Europe and Portugal, immigration and residency options, housing costs, and tax planning. Fisher describes his move from the UK to Portugal and explains how the Golden Visa differs from routes that require relocation. They also discuss language, a pandemic-era stay in Madeira, and why he values having a second passport.
An interview about life in Portugal, visa and residency options, housing costs and taxes, and the guest’s move from Madeira to Portugal.
Portugal visas, residency and taxes: a practical conversation
5:19 When visiting a place, Ziv says spending time with someone local is the best way to see more. He also recommends travelling with teenage children, saying shared trips strengthen the relationship.
6:19 Ziv describes London as generally safe like other big cities but advises avoiding certain areas. He says Lisbon also has areas to avoid at night, while describing it as generally very safe.
11:45 Ziv says you can get by in Portugal with only English, but he thinks you cannot thrive without Portuguese. He recommends picking up the language over time, while noting that it takes a long time to learn.
13:23 Ziv says Portugal rents vary widely, giving a range of 1,500 to 20,000 euros and noting the north is about 20–30% cheaper. Compare locations and property types before setting a housing budget.
23:47 Choose a Portuguese visa based on whether you intend to move: Ziv describes the Golden Visa as offering residency without relocation, while D7, D8 and other work or income routes require moving to Portugal.
35:39 Ziv says Portugal’s Golden Visa involves an investment of half a million euros, usually in a regulated fund, that cannot be accessed for five years. He says maintaining permanent residency requires an average of seven days in Portugal each year.
37:56 Before moving to Portugal, plan tax eligibility from the beginning: Ziv says missing the scheme’s qualifying criteria in the first year can mean losing it permanently. He stresses planning tax properly from day one.
5:19 When visiting a place, Ziv says spending time with someone local is the best way to see more. He also recommends travelling with teenage children, saying shared trips strengthen the relationship.
6:19 Ziv describes London as generally safe like other big cities but advises avoiding certain areas. He says Lisbon also has areas to avoid at night, while describing it as generally very safe.
11:45 Ziv says you can get by in Portugal with only English, but he thinks you cannot thrive without Portuguese. He recommends picking up the language over time, while noting that it takes a long time to learn.
13:23 Ziv says Portugal rents vary widely, giving a range of 1,500 to 20,000 euros and noting the north is about 20–30% cheaper. Compare locations and property types before setting a housing budget.
23:47 Choose a Portuguese visa based on whether you intend to move: Ziv describes the Golden Visa as offering residency without relocation, while D7, D8 and other work or income routes require moving to Portugal.
35:39 Ziv says Portugal’s Golden Visa involves an investment of half a million euros, usually in a regulated fund, that cannot be accessed for five years. He says maintaining permanent residency requires an average of seven days in Portugal each year.
37:56 Before moving to Portugal, plan tax eligibility from the beginning: Ziv says missing the scheme’s qualifying criteria in the first year can mean losing it permanently. He stresses planning tax properly from day one.
0:00 Opening question about Europe
2:57 How Europe has changed
4:29 Europe compared with Asia
7:51 Portugal’s immigration changes
9:45 Everyday life in Portugal
12:54 Housing costs for families
14:41 Portugal’s economic outlook
19:25 Golden Visa and citizenship changes
22:47 Choosing a Portugal visa
25:08 Tax incentives for newcomers
31:49 Portugal’s D7, D3 and D8 visas
35:30 Golden Visa investment details
37:05 Tax planning before moving
39:18 How a short trip became a move
41:18 Why keep a backup plan
0:00 Opening question about Europe
2:57 How Europe has changed
4:29 Europe compared with Asia
7:51 Portugal’s immigration changes
9:45 Everyday life in Portugal
12:54 Housing costs for families
14:41 Portugal’s economic outlook
19:25 Golden Visa and citizenship changes
22:47 Choosing a Portugal visa
25:08 Tax incentives for newcomers
31:49 Portugal’s D7, D3 and D8 visas
35:30 Golden Visa investment details
37:05 Tax planning before moving
39:18 How a short trip became a move
41:18 Why keep a backup plan
max chernovPortugal visasPortugal residencyGolden VisaPortugal tax planningliving in PortugalPortugal cost of livingsecond passportCan you get by in Portugal with only English?
Ziv says it is possible to survive with only English, but he does not think you can thrive without Portuguese; he says learning it takes a long time.
What is the main difference between Portugal’s Golden Visa and D7 or D8 routes?
The guest says the Golden Visa is designed for people who want residency options without moving. He describes D7 as a passive-income visa and D8 as a digital-nomad visa; those routes require relocation.
What passive income does the guest estimate a family of four needs?
He gives an estimate of about 1,500 euros per month, while saying the immigration team can confirm the exact figure.
How long must a Golden Visa fund investment remain untouched?
He says the investment cannot be touched for five years; after that, the money can be withdrawn, depending on how the underlying assets perform.
How many days a year does he say someone needs to be in Portugal for permanent residency?
He says the average is seven days in Portugal each year.
What does he say happens after the tax benefit period?
He says the special 10-year period ends and progressive tax applies, with rates reaching 48%.
Why did the guest stay in Madeira after a short trip?
He says the family first visited for a five-day holiday during the pandemic. When flights to the UK were cancelled and they expected a long lockdown, they bought a holiday home and later stayed.
