Your First 30 Days in Lisbon: A Week-by-Week Playbook

Tailored for Lisbon

A tactical timeline for founders who just landed in Lisbon. Currency: EUR. What to do in week 1, 2, 3, and 4 to hit the ground running.

Before You Land

Your first 30 days in Europe will set the tone for everything. The founders who thrive are the ones who treat the move like a sprint — with clear goals for each week. Here's your pre-arrival checklist.

•Book 2 weeks of temporary housing (Airbnb or coliving trial)
•Get a Revolut or Wise card for instant EUR spending
•Download Citymapper, Google Translate, and your city's transit app
•Join 2–3 local Slack communities or WhatsApp groups before arriving
•Schedule 5+ coffee chats with founders already in your target city
•Print key documents: passport copies, proof of income, insurance cards

Week 1: Land, Register, Settle

Week 1 is pure logistics. Your goal is to get legally established and physically comfortable. Don't try to network or build yet — focus on the admin.

•Arrive, check into temporary housing, get a local SIM (NOS, MEO, Vodafone, or Lycamobile)
•register at your junta de freguesia; for residency permits, contact AIMA (formerly SEF) — this unlocks banking, contracts, and visa steps
•Revolut or N26 work for EUR. ActivoBank, Moey, or N26 are popular with expats
•Start viewing permanent housing — coliving spaces, flat shares, or apartments
•Explore your neighborhood on foot. Find your coworking space, gym, grocery store, and go-to café

Week 2: Build Your Routine

By week 2 you should have a roof, a bank account, and a SIM card. Now build the daily routine that keeps you productive.

•Lock in a coworking space or café rotation — consistency matters more than the perfect spot
•Set your work schedule and protect it — the novelty of a new city will tempt you to explore all day
•Cook at home 4–5 days a week — grocery stores are great and eating out adds up fast (budget in €)
•Start going to 1–2 meetups or events per week — Luma and Meetup.com are your best sources
•Set up your health insurance and register with a local GP if staying 3+ months

Week 3: Network Intentionally

Week 3 is when you shift from surviving to thriving. You know the city now — time to build your network with purpose.

•Attend your first proper tech event or founder meetup — introduce yourself to at least 5 people
•Reach out to 3 local VCs or angels for informal intro calls (not pitching, just relationship-building)
•Visit a local accelerator or incubator — even if you're not applying, the community is valuable
•Post on X/Twitter about your move — the 'just moved to Lisbon' post always gets engagement
•Join a coworking community or hacker house for deeper connections beyond events

Week 4: Evaluate and Commit

By the end of week 4, you should have enough signal to make a decision: is this city right for you? If yes, go deeper. If not, you've learned what matters.

•Audit your first month: How productive were you? How's the cost of living? Do you like the people?
•If staying: sign a longer-term lease, commit to a coworking membership, and set 90-day goals
•If uncertain: extend your temporary housing by 1 month and give it more time
•If leaving: no shame — the best founders iterate on location just like they iterate on product
•Either way: write down what you learned. Your experience will help other founders following the same path