Moving to Portugal, from the US.
An American moving to Portugal in 2026 pays 48% income tax on $1M in Lisbon with the US federal floor applied, against 43% in New York, and still files a US return. The engine puts Lisbon first in Portugal for a US citizen leaving New York.
In short, current to October 2026
- For a US citizen leaving New York on $1M a year, the Patrician.ch engine ranks Lisbon first in Portugal, number 33 of the 83 places outside the 50 states. It weighs tax with the US floor applied, the route in, safety, schools, sun, cost and the flight home.
- In Lisbon, income tax on $1M for a US citizen comes to 48% with the federal floor applied, against 43% in New York, $55K a year more than New York.
- The local rate in Lisbon on $1M, 48%, is above the US federal 32%, so the local tax is the figure that applies and the US credit covers the federal share.
- For a US passport, the route into Lisbon is a straightforward permit. The flight from New York is 7h 10m to 7h 20m.
- Portugal has a regime for new arrivals: IFICI, the successor to NHR, gives qualifying new residents a 20% flat rate for 10 years. Whether it applies depends on the income and the person, and the US federal floor applies to a US citizen either way.
Each address on this page was last checked against its official sources between and . The sources for each are named on its page.
Source: the Patrician.ch board, an original ranking of 100 residence addresses across 47 countries and territories. Tax rates, thresholds and routes are sourced. Cost, safety, schools, sun and beauty are Patrician.ch editorial indices. Figures current to October 2026. Updated . Cite as: Patrician.ch, Moving to Portugal from the US 2026: tax, visa and 3 places, patrician.ch/answers/moving-to-portugal-from-the-us/, October 2026.
