How do I make friends in Portugal?
Making friends in a new country takes time anywhere. In Portugal, as elsewhere, friendships usually grow from doing the same thing with the same people every week, and even basic Portuguese opens more doors than you might expect.
In 30 seconds
- Expect a busy start, then a dip a few months in when the paperwork is done and the UK feels far away
- Language exchanges, free Portuguese classes, local clubs (associações and colectividades), volunteering and your children’s school parents’ association are the usual ways in
- Mainland Portugal and Madeira keep the same time as the UK all year, which makes regular calls home easy; the Azores are an hour behind
The first-year curve
Many people describe the same pattern. The first weeks are full of appointments: AIMA, the tax office, the health centre, the bank. Then there’s a dip: colleagues and neighbours go home to their own families, weekends feel long, and you miss birthdays at home. It usually eases as routines form. Knowing the dip is normal makes it easier to push through it rather than read it as a sign the move was wrong.
- Say yes to every invitation in the first six months
- Suggest a specific plan (“coffee on Saturday at 11?”) rather than “we should meet up”
- Learn some Portuguese early, even if colleagues speak English. It changes how quickly you’re included at the school gate, in shops and with neighbours
- Be patient: people often have family and long-standing friends nearby, so new friendships can grow slowly from regular contact
Where friendships start
| Where | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Language exchanges | You practise Portuguese with someone who wants to practise English, over a coffee or at a regular meetup. You meet locals and other newcomers at the same time |
| Portuguese classes | Free, certified Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) courses are run by public schools, IEFP job centres and Qualifica centres. A class puts you with the same people every week. See The partner at home |
| Local clubs (associações and colectividades) | Towns and neighbourhoods have long-running culture, recreation and sports associations, from football and folk dancing to choirs and walking groups. A national confederation (CPCCRD) represents them. Most welcome new members for a small fee |
| Sport | Running, cycling, surfing, padel, hiking and sailing groups meet at fixed times and welcome beginners |
| Volunteering | The Bolsa do Voluntariado lists opportunities posted by charities and organisations. English-speaking groups such as Safe Communities Portugal, a crime prevention and civil protection association, also look for volunteers |
| School parents’ association | Most schools have an associação de pais. The national confederation, CONFAP, brings them together. Ask at the school office how to join and offer to help at one event. See How do schools work in Portugal? |
| Work | Join lunches and after-work plans early, but don’t rely only on work |
Different places, different rhythms
Social life varies with where you live, so avoid judging the whole country by your first neighbourhood. In bigger cities such as Lisbon and Porto there are usually more meetups, classes and groups in English; in smaller towns and villages, the local association, the café and the parish events matter more, and Portuguese matters more too. Madeira and the Azores are autonomous regions with their own traditions and festivals. Wherever you are, the town hall (câmara municipal) and parish council (junta de freguesia) websites list local events and associations.
Groups for British people
Online groups for English speakers in each area are useful for tips in your first weeks. Treat advice in them as opinion and check rules on official sites. They work best as a bridge to local friendships, not a replacement. If you meet people from online groups or apps, meet in a busy public place and tell someone where you’re going.
Keeping in touch with home
Mainland Portugal and Madeira use the same time as the UK, and both change their clocks on the same dates: in 2026 the clocks go back on 25 October. The Azores are one hour behind the UK all year. A regular call slot is easy to keep. For your UK number and calls, see How do I get a SIM, internet and call home? and What people wish they’d known.
What to do next
- Find a language exchange or a PLA Portuguese class that meets weekly
- Ask your children’s school how to join the parents’ association
- Agree a weekly call time with family in the UK
Keep going
- CPCCRD: Portuguese Confederation of Culture, Recreation and Sport Associations
- Bolsa do Voluntariado (Portuguese volunteering exchange)
- Safe Communities Portugal: crime prevention and civil protection association
- CONFAP: National Confederation of Parents’ Associations
- UNHCR Help Portugal: Free certified Portuguese language courses (PLA)
- Wikipedia: Time in Portugal
- GOV.UK: When do the clocks change?
- Observador: SNS 24 psychological counselling line has answered almost half a million calls in six years (1 Apr 2026)
- E-Konomista: Psychological support lines in Portugal