EUexpat

Moving to Europe? Compare before you commit.

Which European country should you move to?

EUexpat is a country-comparison guide that scores eight European countries on the seven factors non-EU movers ask about most, and shows every score with the reason behind it.

It is built for movers from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. Scores are our editorial judgements, rated 1 to 5, and every fact behind them is sourced.

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Last reviewed: 25 September 2026 · Reviewed by EUexpat

Interactive tool

Country chooser

Pick your situation, because tax rules depend on it. Then rate each factor from 0 (ignore) to 5 (deal-breaker). The chooser ranks countries by weighted average score. Everything runs in your browser.

Your situation
How much does each factor matter?
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Your ranking

Weighted average out of 5.

  1. 1Portugal4.3
  2. 2Greece3.7
  3. 3Spain3.6
  4. 4Germany3.1
  5. 5Netherlands3.1
  6. 6Ireland3.0
  7. 7France2.9
  8. 8Italy2.9

Top match: Portugal with 4.3 of 5, for a skilled professional with equal weights.

Show your working

The scorecards: every score and why

Each score is an editorial judgement from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong), comparing these eight countries with each other. The highlighted tax row follows the situation you pick in the chooser, and the cards reorder to match your ranking.

  1. PortugalMild, safe, accessible

    4.3Rank 1

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)5IFICI: 20% flat on qualifying income for 10 years; most foreign income exempt.
    Visa accessibility5D7 from €920 a month of passive income, D8 from €3,680 a month of remote income.
    Cost of living4Cheaper than Northern Europe; Lisbon and Porto rents have climbed fast.
    Climate5Mild Atlantic winters, long dry summers.
    English spoken4Widely spoken in cities and among younger people.
    Path to citizenship210 years since May 2026; 7 for EU and CPLP nationals, including Brazilians.
    Safety57th in the 2025 Global Peace Index.

  2. GreecePensions and low costs

    3.7Rank 2

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)3Standard rates, with some incentives for relocating workers.
    Visa accessibility4Digital nomad visa and a passive-income residence permit.
    Cost of living5The lowest costs in this group outside Athens and busy islands.
    Climate5Long hot summers, mild coastal winters.
    English spoken3Good in Athens and tourist areas.
    Path to citizenship37 years' legal residence as standard.
    Safety3Low crime in most areas; petty theft in central Athens.

  3. SpainSun and big cities

    3.6Rank 3

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)4Beckham Law: 24% flat on Spanish employment income up to €600,000, for 6 years.
    Visa accessibility4Established passive-income and digital nomad visas.
    Cost of living4Similar to Portugal; Madrid and Barcelona cost more.
    Climate5Hot summers, mild winters on the coast and in the Canaries.
    English spoken2Spanish is close to essential outside expat hubs.
    Path to citizenship210 years' legal residence as standard; shorter for some nationalities.
    Safety4Generally safe; pickpocketing in tourist cities.

  4. GermanyJobs and stability

    3.1Rank 4

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)2Standard progressive rates and no special regime for newcomers.
    Visa accessibility3Job-led: EU Blue Card works well; few passive-income options.
    Cost of living3Moderate; Munich and Frankfurt are expensive.
    Climate2Four seasons, with cold, dark winters.
    English spoken4Common at work; German needed for bureaucracy.
    Path to citizenship45 years since the fast track ended in 2025, plus German skills.
    Safety4Low crime and strong public services.

  5. NetherlandsSalaries and English

    3.1Rank 5

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)430% ruling for recruited skilled migrants, but the salary cap is being reduced.
    Visa accessibility3Strong with a skilled job offer; a treaty route for self-employed Americans.
    Cost of living2Severe housing shortage and high rents.
    Climate1Grey, wet and windy much of the year.
    English spoken5Near universal; many jobs run in English.
    Path to citizenship35 years, but you usually give up your other nationality.
    Safety4Low crime in most areas.

  6. IrelandEnglish-speaking and safe

    3.0Rank 6

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)2High marginal rates; SARP relief helps some assignees.
    Visa accessibility2Mostly employer-sponsored permits; no digital nomad visa.
    Cost of living1Acute housing shortage; very high Dublin rents.
    Climate1Mild but wet, grey and windy.
    English spoken5An English-speaking country.
    Path to citizenship55 years' reckonable residence within the last 9 years.
    Safety52nd in the 2025 Global Peace Index.

  7. FranceCulture and five-year citizenship

    2.9Rank 7

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)2High rates and social charges; an impatriate regime helps some recruits.
    Visa accessibility3Visitor visa for passive income; talent passport for skilled roles.
    Cost of living3Paris is expensive; the provinces are affordable.
    Climate3Sunny south; grey, cool north.
    English spoken2French needed almost everywhere.
    Path to citizenship45 years' residence and proof of sufficient French.
    Safety3Generally safe; petty crime in larger cities.

  8. ItalyFor very high earners

    2.9Rank 8

    FactorScoreWhy
    Tax (Professional)3An inbound-worker regime exists, with conditions.
    Visa accessibility3Elective residence and digital nomad visas, applied strictly.
    Cost of living3Milan is expensive; the south is far cheaper.
    Climate4Warm Mediterranean south; colder, wetter winters in the north.
    English spoken2Limited outside tourism; Italian needed for admin.
    Path to citizenship210 years' legal residence for non-EU nationals.
    Safety3Safe day to day; petty crime in major cities.

Tax score by situation

Special regimes decide the tax gap; scores of 4 or 5 are highlighted. Where no regime fits, standard rates apply and a country scores 2.

Editorial tax scores, 1 to 5
CountryProfessionalRemote workerRetireeInvestor
Portugal5222
Spain4222
Italy3225
Greece3254
Netherlands4222
France2222
Germany2222
Ireland2222
The front runner

Why Portugal so often comes out on top

Tax: IFICI rewards qualifying professionals

IFICI, often called NHR 2.0, sits in Article 58-A of the Tax Benefits Statute. It taxes qualifying Portuguese employment and self-employment income at a flat 20% for up to 10 consecutive years. Standard rates run up to 48%.

Most foreign dividends, interest, capital gains on securities, royalties and rental income are exempt, unless they come from a blacklisted jurisdiction.

To qualify, you must not have been Portuguese tax resident in the previous five years, and you need a qualifying activity. Routes include research and university teaching, highly qualified roles in companies with at least 50% exports, R&D posts, and qualifying roles at certified Portuguese startups (Law 21/2023). You apply by 15 January of the year after you become resident.

Founders who plan to build or fund a company in Lisbon can read how Ventures.eu, a Lisbon-based early-stage venture capital firm, describes the Portuguese startup scene.

Expatico, a Lisbon-based IFICI specialist, publishes eligibility guides by nationality. Americans can start with Expatico's IFICI guide for US expats, and British movers with the version written for UK citizens.

Visas at income levels most people can reach

The D7 passive-income visa needs €920 a month for a single applicant or €1,380 for a couple, plus 12 months of that income saved in a Portuguese bank. The D8 remote-work visa needs €3,680 a month from foreign employers or clients. If you are unsure which route matches your income and tax plans, compare Portugal's visas by their tax and IFICI outlook before you book a consulate appointment.

Cost, climate, safety and English

Portugal costs less than Northern Europe, although rents in Lisbon and Porto have risen sharply. Winters are mild and summers long and dry. Portugal ranked 7th in the 2025 Global Peace Index, and widespread English makes the first year easier than in Spain, Italy or France.

20%IFICI flat rate on qualifying income
10 yrsMaximum IFICI period
€920D7 monthly income, single applicant
€3,680D8 monthly income, single applicant
7thGlobal Peace Index 2025
15 JanIFICI deadline, year after residence starts
Being straight about it

Where other countries win

Portugal leads on balance, not on every factor. If one of these fits you, set that factor to 5 in the chooser. For tax alone, a regime-by-regime comparison of IFICI, Beckham, the 30% ruling and the Italian flat tax goes deeper than our scores.

  • Sun and big cities

    Spain

    Madrid and Barcelona offer big-city careers on a scale Lisbon cannot match. The Beckham Law taxes Spanish employment income at 24% up to €600,000 for six years.

  • Salaries and English

    Netherlands

    Salaries are higher and English is near universal. US citizens can set up a business under the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, with a minimum investment of €4,500 for most business forms. The trade-off: scarce, expensive housing.

  • Very high earners

    Italy

    Italy's flat tax of €300,000 a year on all foreign income, for up to 15 years, suits very wealthy people living on foreign income. They often do not qualify for IFICI because they have no qualifying activity in Portugal.

  • Retirees on pensions

    Greece

    Greece taxes foreign pensions at a flat 7% for 15 years, where Portugal taxes them at normal progressive rates. Investors can pay a €100,000 annual lump sum on foreign income instead. Living costs are low.

  • Faster citizenship

    Germany and France

    Both start naturalisation at 5 years, with language requirements. Germany's job-led visas work well if you hold an offer.

  • English and safety

    Ireland

    Ireland is English-speaking, ranked 2nd in the 2025 Global Peace Index and offers citizenship after 5 years of reckonable residence. Housing is scarce and expensive, and the weather is wet.

Moving to Europe from

Notes by home country

United States
US citizens file US returns on worldwide income wherever they live. A European regime lowers your local bill; your US filing duty stays.
UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa
Standard non-EU rules apply, to UK citizens too since Brexit. Your income type matters more than your passport.
Brazil
As a CPLP national, you can naturalise in Portugal after 7 years instead of 10, and you already speak the language.
Read this before you book flights

Honest downsides of Portugal

  • AIMA backlogsThe immigration agency has well-documented delays with permit appointments and renewals. Plan in months, not weeks.
  • Citizenship now takes 10 yearsSince 19 May 2026, counted from the date your residence permit is issued, plus a new civic knowledge requirement. You can map your own years from first permit to passport before you commit.
  • IFICI excludes many moversPensioners, remote employees of foreign companies with no qualifying Portuguese activity, passive-only investors and former NHR users generally miss out.
  • Local salaries are lowThe minimum wage is €920 a month. Portugal works best with income from abroad or a qualifying role.
  • Housing in Lisbon and Porto is tightExpect strong competition for good rentals. Smaller cities give more for your money.
  • Bureaucracy runs in PortugueseEnglish gets you through daily life, not most government offices.
A plan, not a hunch

How to decide in five steps

  1. Pin down your income type. It decides both your visa and your tax.
  2. Run the chooser with honest weights. Set deal-breakers to 5.
  3. Check the visa threshold for your household on the official consulate portal.
  4. Check tax eligibility before you move. For IFICI, confirm your role qualifies and note the 15 January deadline.
  5. Plan the first year. Tax number, bank account, housing, residence permit. For Portugal, expatico.eu's relocation page sets out the steps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best country in Europe to move to?

It depends on your income and priorities. In our chooser, Portugal ranks first at default settings for skilled professionals and remote workers. Retirees on pensions often do better in Greece, very wealthy investors in Italy, and people chasing salaries in the Netherlands.

What is the easiest European country to relocate to from the US?

Portugal is one of the most accessible: the D7 visa needs €920 a month of passive income for a single applicant, the D8 €3,680 a month of remote income. Americans starting a business can also use the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty in the Netherlands.

Do Americans still pay US tax after moving to Europe?

Yes. US citizens file US returns on worldwide income wherever they live. The foreign tax credit and foreign earned income exclusion reduce double taxation, but only if you file.

Does IFICI apply to retirees or remote workers?

Generally no. Foreign pensions are taxed at normal progressive rates, and remote employees of foreign companies with no qualifying Portuguese activity generally do not qualify.

How long does it take to get Portuguese citizenship?

Since 19 May 2026, most nationals need 10 years of legal residence, EU and CPLP nationals 7, counted from the date your residence permit is issued. Applications submitted earlier follow the old rules.

Which European country has the fastest path to citizenship?

Of the eight we score, the Netherlands, France, Germany and Ireland all start at 5 years of residence. Germany abolished its 3-year fast track in 2025. Each adds conditions, such as language skills in France and Germany.

How are the chooser scores calculated?

Each country has an editorial score from 1 to 5 per factor, shown with its reason in the scorecards. The chooser multiplies each score by your weight, adds the results and divides by the total weight: a weighted average out of 5.

Sources

Facts checked on 25 September 2026.