Good morning, Lisbon. It's Friday, March 27, and we're looking at 18°C with sunshine and a few clouds rolling in from the Atlantic. The teachers went quiet, the students got loud, and today the city smells like specialty coffee. Let's get into it.
🌬️ AIR QUALITY: 28 (Good). Light breeze keeping things fresh ahead of the weekend.
🗞️ TOP STORY
THE AMERICAN WAVE KEEPS BUILDING
The numbers are getting hard to ignore. There are now more than 25,000 US citizens living in Portugal, a jump of over 500% since 2020 and a 36% increase in 2024 alone. The Wall Street Journal is calling it the "Donald Dash," with at least 180,000 Americans leaving the US last year amid political uncertainty and rising living costs.
But here's where it gets interesting. A new survey from Portugalist.com, published last week, found that 49% of Americans either planning a move to Portugal or already living here would consider renouncing their US citizenship once they secure a Portuguese passport. Nearly 30% said yes outright. Only 45% said they'd definitely keep it.
This isn't lifestyle migration. The survey's author, James Cave, put it bluntly: this is "values-based migration." Over 35% said they don't expect to ever move back, a figure that jumps to 44% among those already settled here.
The irony? The US recently slashed the renunciation fee from $2,350 to $450, but 75% of respondents said the cost had no bearing on their decision. This is emotional, not financial.
For expats already here, the practical impact is real. AIMA data shows the American community grew from about 14,000 in 2023 to over 19,000 in 2024, and anecdotal evidence suggests 2025 and 2026 have accelerated further. That means more pressure on an already backlogged immigration system, more competition for housing in Lisbon and Cascais, and a bigger, more visible English-speaking community in neighbourhoods that were majority Portuguese five years ago.
The big catch for Americans: Portugal is simultaneously making citizenship harder to get. The naturalisation timeline is being pushed from five to ten years, and AIMA processing delays mean even routine residence permit renewals can take months.
Bottom line: If you're already here with residency sorted, your timing looks increasingly fortunate. If you're mid-process, patience is less optional.
⚡ QUICK HITS
Teachers' strike hit hard yesterday. FENPROF's 24-hour walkout on Thursday shut public schools across the country. The union is demanding full restoration of frozen service time by 2027 and higher wages. In recent actions, participation rates have been climbing, with some Lisbon schools seeing 11 out of 14 teachers walk out. Schools reopen today, but the broader trend of rolling strikes across Portugal's public sector shows no sign of slowing.
Students marched too. Hundreds of university students filled the streets on Tuesday, marching from Rossio to parliament on National Student Day to protest tuition fees and unaffordable housing. The Education Minister responded by defending fee increases to keep pace with inflation and calling tuition "a relevant form of financing." He did promise 14,000 new residence beds by September, but acknowledged it won't solve the crisis. A room in Lisbon or Porto still runs €400-500 a month.
Coffee Market opens today. Lisbon Coffee Week wraps up with its biggest event: the Coffee Market at 8 Marvila, running Friday to Sunday. Expect 40 brands, unlimited tastings, latte art throwdowns, cupping workshops, and a talk on sustainability in Portuguese coffee production. Tickets from €8 at the door. Sunday morning closes out with a dance party and all-you-can-drink coffee. Naturally.
March for Life attack: suspect in custody. Police have arrested a 39-year-old man who threw a Molotov cocktail into a crowd of around 500 people, including families with children, outside parliament during the March for Life on March 21. The device hit the ground but failed to ignite. Police say the suspect has links to activist groups known for similar disruptions. The Patriarch of Lisbon called the attack "absolutely unacceptable." No injuries were reported.
🍽️ SPOT OF THE DAY
If you've walked up the hill towards Mouraria and seen a crowd spilling out of a tiny doorway, you've found O Velho Eurico. It's been one of Lisbon's toughest reservations since opening in 2019, and the hype hasn't faded because the food backs it up.
This is the neo-tasca at its best: blackboard menu, rustic atmosphere, elevated Portuguese classics. The kitchen rotates daily but regulars know what to order. The octopus lagareiro is the best version in the city, full stop. Bacalhau a bras, arroz de pato, migas d'alheira: everything reads traditional but lands with a precision that separates this place from the tourist tascas downhill.
The wine list is short, Portuguese, and well-chosen. Service is fast once you're seated, which is the hard part.
Largo de Sao Cristovao 3, Mouraria. Open for lunch and dinner. Reservations exist but expect to queue regardless. Best strategy: arrive before 7:30pm for dinner. Cards accepted. Expect to pay €20-30 per person with wine.
Insider tip: The booking system is famously unreliable. Showing up early and waiting with a beer on the street is the real reservation system. Weekday lunches are the path of least resistance.
📅 WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND AND BEYOND
Coffee Market (Fri-Sun, March 27-29) 8 Marvila. 40 brands, tastings, workshops, competitions. From €8. The big event of Lisbon Coffee Week.
Harry Potter in Concert (Sat March 28) Sagres Campo Pequeno, 8:30pm, from €25. Full film, live orchestra. Family-friendly.
Portugal vs Mexico (Sat March 28) Estadio Banorte (formerly Azteca), Mexico City. Friendly. Ronaldo out with hamstring injury. 8:30pm ET / 1:30am Lisbon.
Portugal vs USA (Tue April 1) Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta. Friendly. Another World Cup warm-up without Ronaldo.
Hans Zimmer Live (Tue March 31) MEO Arena. Cinematic scores performed live. One of the biggest shows of the spring.
Tame Impala (Sun April 5) MEO Arena. The Australian psychedelic rock act's first Lisbon show in years.
📜 ON THIS DAY
March 27, 1977. On a fog-shrouded runway in Tenerife, two fully loaded Boeing 747s collided, killing 583 people in what remains the deadliest accident in aviation history. A KLM flight attempted take-off while a Pan Am jumbo was still taxiing on the same runway. The disaster, caused by a chain of miscommunications and poor visibility, transformed aviation safety worldwide. It led to standardised phraseology in cockpit communications, crew resource management training, and the principle that no aircraft moves without explicit controller clearance. Every time you hear a pilot read back a clearance at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport, Tenerife is the reason why.
See you tomorrow morning.
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