FREE SEATTLE EVENT · SEPT 23, 2026

Could Moving to Portugal Be Your Plan B?

Name: Free 'Moving to Portugal' Seminar in Houston
Start: 2026-02-03T10:30
End: 2026-02-03T18:00
Location: St. Regis Houston, Texas

Even after the changes to citizenship laws, discover why Portugal remains one of Europe’s most attractive choices for Americans looking to relocate, invest or retire.

Portugal relocation seminars trusted by thousands

Join the largest and most established Portugal relocation events in the United States and get expert, face-to-face guidance on the Golden Visa, D7 and Digital Nomad visas, property, tax, healthcare and more.

We are the publishers of the Portugal Resident newspaper, established since 1989. Our events are free to attend and are not sales presentations.

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Our practical guides to living in Portugal

Property, healthcare, residency and the cost of living, explained for foreign residents.

The complete guide to international schools in Portugal

The Ultimate Expat Shopping Guide to Portugal

Why Portugal remains popular with Americans despite changes to citizenship law

Complete guide to Portuguese residency in 2026

Healthcare in Portugal explained for foreign residents

The complete guide to private hospitals in Portugal

Moving to Portugal in 2026? Here’s what life really costs

Buying property in Portugal: everything you need to know in 2026

Testimonial: Mike and Neidre from Houston

What You’ll Learn

Step-by-step guidance for relocating to Portugal

How Portuguese taxation and residency laws apply to US citizens

Visa programs like the D7 Visa and Golden Visa (Residency by Investment), and more

How to buy property safely in Portugal

Insight into the current Portuguese real estate market

Information about healthcare and health insurance

Meet our expert speakers one-on-one

Top 5 Benefits of Living in Portugal

The world’s 7th safest country

Low cost of living

Inclusive and welcoming

Great weather

Affordable health insurance

“Housing prices, political divisions, high cost of living, the rise of remote work, crime rates in some U.S. cities… these are among the reasons experts mention to explain the wave of Americans relocating to Europe.”

— Forbes “Americans Moving to Europe: Portugal Still Top Place for Expats”

Meet the Experts

All under one roof you will have the chance to listen to live presentations by experts in the areas of residency, taxation, legal matters, healthcare, real estate, and many other aspects of life in Portugal.

You’ll also get time before and after each session to connect, ask questions, and get tailored advice.

**Bruce Hawker - CEO - Open Media Group / Event host**
Bruce has lived in the Algarve most of his life, having moved to Portugal from the UK as a child when his family relocated in the late 1970’s. His career has been mostly in publishing, as founder and CEO of the Open Media Group; publishers of the Portugal Resident newspaper and Essential Algarve magazine amongst other titles.
Whilst continuing in his role at Open Media, Bruce also has interests in real estate. Alongside his business activities, he is also a member of the board of directors of the Lisbon based British Portuguese Chamber of Commerce. Bruce is the host and a speaker at the Living in Portugal and Living in the Algarve events.

**Luis Duarte -** **Chief Sales Officer - Global International Relocation**
Luís joined Global International Relocations in 2008, just 8 months after the company started trading. At the time he had just returned from the US and was settling in Portugal, a move that he considers to be the best one of his life. 14 years later he reflects on an exciting journey and continues to learn more and more about relocating international clients to Portugal from all around the world.
Today, GIR employs over 100 people with three offices and is the number 1 mobility company in Portugal. The company offers high-quality services in the areas of international moving, relocation, immigration, property services, special transport of pets and artworks, excess baggage service, storage and management of business archives.

Gonçalo lEAL — **Gonçalo Mendes Leal -** **Founding Partner - NSMLawyers**
Gonçalo co-founded NSMLawyers and, with a team of expert lawyers, crafted thousands of golden visa applications in Portugal. A work with more than 10 years of experience that changed many lives.
In the last decade, NSMLawyers has become a top immigration law firm in Portugal. Recognized worldwide, the firm specializes in crafting residency visas. They have assisted clients from more than 80 nationalities seizing the opportunity of both investing and enjoying a Golden Country.

**Calvin S Mazlumyan -** **Managing Director / Founding Partner - Plan-B Outbound Migration Consultancy**
Calvin is a California-licensed U.S. immigration attorney and a seasoned migration consultant specializing in both Caribbean Citizenship by Investment and European Golden Visa programs. He holds a California Realtor/Broker license with a focus on global real estate markets and is a licensed Investment Advisor Representative. Mr Mazlumyan graduated from UCLA with College Honors and Departmental Highest Honors, and has pursued a career in Private Banking both in investment and lending areas prior to focusing on immigration and global migration matters. Mazlumyan holds a Master of International Management degree with a concentration on global wealth migration patterns and is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Investment Migration Council.

**Zoie Hawker - Managing Partner - Fine & Country Algarve Estate Agents**
Zoie holds both British and Portuguese citizenship and has lived in Portugal for over 45 years, working as an estate agent for more than 20 years. In 2013, she co-founded the Algarve operation of Fine & Country, a UK-based real estate brand with a head office on Park Lane in London and over 300 offices in 22 different countries worldwide.
Zoie is based in the Algarve, where she heads up a multi-lingual team of real estate professionals advising clients from all over the world with a sharp focus on the US market.
As a speaker and exhibitor at our events, Zoie offers seasoned advice on all aspects of real estate, both in the Algarve and elsewhere in Portugal.

**Brian Bernal -** **Director of Business Development - Currencies Direct**
Brian helps set the standards in the foreign exchange industry by delivering the best and most comprehensive services to clients. His passion for financial markets and helping clients achieve their objectives has helped Brian establish close relationships with clients and partners. His knowledge of foreign exchange, financial markets, global banking, investments, securities, and global marketplaces is extensive while his hands-on experiences super exceed the textbook written norms.
Founded in 1996, Currencies Direct has grown to become the leader in the FX industry with regards to transfers for property purchases and immigration. With over 20 global offices across 5 continents, including Portugal and the US, Currencies Direct is well equipped to assist with your foreign exchange and international transfer needs.

Pedro lino — **Pedro Lino - CEO - Optimize Investment Partners**
Pedro Lino holds the position of CEO in Optimize Investment Partners, a Portuguese and independent Asset Management Company, where he is also the Co-Chief Investment Officer of the Portugal Golden Opportunities fund, Golden Visa eligible. His interest in financial markets began at an early age. At 9 years old, he was already checking stock quotes on television, and he began investing in financial markets at the age of 16. In 2002, at the age of 26 he acquired a stake in a Portuguese broker company, that he sold in 2021.
Pedro Lino is a member of the Order of Chartered Accountants, the Order of Economists, a founding member of Portuguese Observatory of Compliance and Regulatory Association, and a member of the Portuguese Diaspora Council, founded under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic. He graduated in Economics from Nova School of Business and Economics in 1998 and writes opinion articles and participates in television, radio, and digital platforms, discussing economic and financial topics.

**Francisco Martins - Managing Partner - ActiveCap**
Francisco has over 17 years of experience in private equity, asset management and capital markets in Europe, the US and Africa. Francisco is a Managing Partner at ActiveCap, a Portuguese reference private equity firm investing in companies with a growth-oriented strategy. ActiveCap’s team track record over the years has enabled the firm to become a trusted partner for Institutional Investors and High Net Worth Individuals across multiple geographies. He started his career investing in small and medium capitalizations in Portugal at F&C Investments, a leading UK asset manager. Previously, he was a Director at ThirdWay Partners, an investment and advisory firm, and worked at the Global Funding department at American Express, in New York.

Partners

Investment Management: Optimize Investment Partners, Iberis Capital, BlueCrow
Migration/Citizenship: Plan-B Outbound Migration Consultancy
Developers/Realtors: Fine & Country Portugal, Martinhal Group
Relocation Logistics: Global International Relocation
Foreign Exchange: Currencies Direct
Legal: NSMLawyers, Prime Legal
Education: Edu Lisbon Hub
Insurance: Medal

Your First Step to a Safer, Better Life Abroad Starts Here

Seats are free, but space is limited. Reserve yours now and start planning your future in Portugal.

Moving to Portugal from Los Angeles

Testimonial from an Expat

Adrienne Salermo tells us about how she moved from California to Portugal with hew family and now runs her own wine business Terra Doce.

Organisers

The Open Media Group is Portugal’s leading publisher of foreign language media with print and online publications such as the Portugal Resident newspaper in English (established 1989) and Barlavento in Portuguese (established 1977). Our magazines include Essential Algarve, the Algarve’s luxury lifestyle magazine (established 2000) and associate publications Essential Lisboa, Essential Madeira and Essential Business, as well as Inside Carvoeiro and Inside Lagos, Clubhouse Algarve and Vivre le Portugal magazines.