Recently, there has been a growing interest from foreigners who want to settle in Portugal in Montijo, a municipality on the Setúbal peninsula near Lisbon. According to the Pordata portal, more than 6,663 foreign nationals lived here in 2022. If you are considering Montijo for a move, this article will help you navigate the practical aspects of living there.
Administrative division of Montijo
The municipality of Montijo is part of the subregion of the Setubal Peninsula, which in turn is part of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The municipality has an area of 348.6 square kilometers, a population of 55,682 and a density of 159.7 persons per square kilometer (according to the 2021 Census).
The municipality consists of 5 districts, which are divided into 2 territorially groups, which is quite atypical for Portugal.
The main, western part, where the main town of the municipality is located, is the smallest (56.3 km²) and is bordered to the north and east by the municipality of Alcochete, to the southeast by Palmela, to the south by Moita and to the west by the Tagus River. The eastern part, about 15 km from the western part, is surrounded by the municipalities of Coruche, Montemor-o-Novo, Vendas Novas, Palmela and Benavente.
The population of the neighborhoods, according to the 2021 Census, is distributed as follows:
Western part
- Montijo e Afonsoeiro - 41,404 people,
- Atalaia e Alto Estanqueiro-Jardia - 5.379,
- Sarilhos Grandes - 3,243.
Eastern part
- União das Freguesias de Pegões - 4,090 people,
- Canha - 1.566.
As we can see, the population is not evenly distributed over the area at all, so the population density in the western part should be much higher than in the eastern part.
Immigration assistance
The local migrant assistance center, CLAIM, provides consultations on the following issues: legalization (settlement of migration situation), obtaining citizenship, family reunification, access to health care, education, employment, social and legal support, enrollment in SEF, etc.
The center is located in the City Hall of Montijo, in the Divisão de Desenvolvimento Social e Promoção da Saúde department, at Rua José Joaquim Marques n.º 124, 2870-348.
Learning Portuguese
The Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA) course is free of charge and has the advantage that it results in a certificate that can be used as proof of language proficiency when applying for citizenship. The program includes 2 levels: A1+ A2 and B1+B2. The program used to be called Português para todos.
PLA programs can usually be found in general education schools and employment offices. These courses are published on the Oferta formativa and IEFP website. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, neither of these sites had anything for Montijo. A Google search led to the website of the Escola Secundária Poeta Joaquim Serra de Montijo Senior Comprehensive School in Afonsoeiro. To enroll, it is suggested to visit them in person at their address or leave an application online. Apparently, CLAIM used to offer these courses as well.
If you don't need a language certificate and willing to take a fee-based course, private schools that teach Portuguese as a foreign language to adults can be found by Googling "português língua estrangeira Montijo".
Employment
The municipality is home to no less than three thousand companies, the lists of which can be easily found on the Internet. Let's take a look at the 5 largest industries in Montijo, according to Info Empresas.jn.pt.
- Retail trade - 1,585 companies,
- Construction - 1.169,
- Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and similar - 916,
- Hospitality Industry - 855,
- Manufacturing - 854 companies, of which food manufacturing companies are the most numerous (217).
In general, Montijo boasts companies that are known throughout the country and are present on the world market. These companies operate in the following sectors: pig farming, slaughtering and processing of meat, cork production, floriculture and, of course, winemaking.
Naturally, these lists are only intended to give you an initial idea of the sectors where there are likely to be vacancies in the municipality. If you have no idea about employment in Portugal.
Judging by the lack of information on the municipality's website, the mayor's office does not provide additional employment services and does not encourage foreign direct investment. Jobs can be sought through employment centers (IEFP), various outsourcing agencies and specialized web resources.
Buying or renting real estate
Who is interested in Portuguese real estate may already know from our other article (about the cheapest real estate in Portugal) that Montijo is among the five cheapest districts of the Lisbon agglomeration in terms of average cost per square meter.
In this material, we are going to give examples of the lowest prices for renting and selling houses and apartments. In July 2024, the Idealista.pt website published 56 rental ads and 1,535 ads for houses and apartments for sale. To give you an example, let's take a look at the cheapest livable options offered.
722 euros a month
House of 75 square meters. 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Rent with equipped kitchen. District Montijo e Afonsoeiro.
880 euros a month
The apartment is 89 square meters. Freshly renovated. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. District Montijo e Afonsoeiro.
900 euros a month
The apartment has an area of 92 square meters. Renovation 2019. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom. District Montijo e Afonsoeiro.
Listings start at 57,000 euros for a plot of land with ruins, but we are not interested in that. The most affordable option to sell for your own permanent residence is the following
90.000 euros
Microscopic studio house, only 18 square meters. 1 bathroom. Freshly renovated. District Atalaia e Alto Estanqueiro
125.000 euros
The house is 69 square meters. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom. The house was built in 2002. District of Pegões.
When compared to another Setubal municipality, Barreiro, the prices of the cheapest real estate options are higher in Montijo. However, the difference can also be explained by seasonality. To buy an apartment or house in Portugal, you should take into account many nuances, so it is recommended to contact an experienced real estate agent in Montijo, who will help you avoid all the pitfalls.
Health care
There is only one public hospital in the municipality, Hospital do Montijo. Of the well-known private network clinics, there is the CUF, as well as several local non-network clinics.
The municipality has 5 public polyclinics, the addresses of which can be found on the website of the health system of the region.
Public transportation
River terminal
Montijo's river terminal Cais do Seixalinho connects the city with the Cais do Sodré river station in Lisbon. You can check the schedule on the website of the transportation company Transtejo e Soflusa. The terminal is located in the city of Montijo, near airbase 6. It is connected to the Carris Metropolitana bus stop and there is also a cab rank.
By bus from the terminal you can reach Afonsoeiro, Alcochete, Alto Estanqueiro, Atalaia, Bairro do Esteval, Passil, Samouco, São Francisco and Sarilhos Grandes without transfers.
Buses
The municipality is served by 32 routes of Carris Metropolitana, which serves the entire Lisbon agglomeration. To find out how to get from Montijo to any place in the Lisbon region, see this page.
Suburban trains
The railroad connects the Pegões district in Montijo with the Sete rios station in Lisbon. According to the timetable on the Portuguese Railways website, it is not the most convenient form of transportation. There is one trip per day in one direction. The journey takes 50 minutes and the ticket costs 9.45 - 12.15 euros.
Navegante passes
The Navegante system operates on all public transportation in the Lisbon agglomeration, including Montijo. You can buy a cardboard ticket on which you load a balance, which you can then spend on trips. With these tickets, you can pay for different modes of transportation within the same trip at a discounted rate (this system is called zapping). You can find out how much it will cost to combine different modes of transportation on the Navegante website.
It is also possible to order a personal plastic card on which to load monthly passes. There are different tariffs for these passes:
- Navegante® metropolitano (40 euros per month) is valid on all public transportation in all 18 municipalities of the Lisbon metropolitan area. There are discounts for children, pensioners and low-income families.
- Navegante® +65 (€20 per month) for people over 65, pensioners and those who receive other benefits from the state. It also provides transportation on any municipal public transportation in Greater Lisbon.
- Navegante® municipal (30 euros per month) is valid only in one municipality selected by the user. Discounts are available for children, pensioners and low-income families.
Air service
The center of Montijo is 26 km from Lisbon Airport. The journey takes about 24 minutes by car or 1.5 hours by public transportation with transfers.
For example, the Pegões district, located in the eastern part of the municipality, is 72 km from Lisbon Airport. It takes at least 50 minutes to get there by car and at least 3 hours by public transportation.
Parking lots
It is common in large Portuguese cities to have paid parking zones with special conditions for residents of nearby buildings. The City Hall is responsible for organizing the whole process. Unfortunately, on the website of the Montijo City Hall, the information is presented only with documents from 2002-2004. I would venture to assume that nothing has changed globally since then.
Parking meters installed in time-limited parking lots are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., except holidays. Except for these periods, parking in time-limited parking lots is free of charge and is not subject to time-of-stay restrictions.
Local residents whose status is confirmed by a special sticker can park within their zone for free and without time limit.
A resident sticker can be obtained only for the area of one's permanent residence and in the absence of one's own parking space. A car covered by the resident status may be owned or leased by the resident, or may be used by the resident for professional activities under an employment contract.
The sticker must be renewed once a year. It always expires at the end of the calendar year, unless a renewal is requested by the holder one month before the expiration date.
In addition to municipal parking lots, there are also commercial parking lots, such as this parking lot where you can leave your car for a maximum of 24 hours, which will cost 6.9 euros. And on this website you can find the nearest parking lot and see at a glance what restrictions on use it has.
Urban gardens and parks
Lovers of relaxation among the greenery will feel great in Montijo, as there are 5 parks.
Carlos Hidalgo Gomes de Loureiro City Park
Nice green area and one of the oldest gardens in the heart of the Montijo neighborhood with large lawns, cafes, sports and children's playgrounds.
Parque Urbano das Piscinas
Located next to the municipal swimming pool, it has a spacious green area, sports, playground and mini golf.
Corredor Verde da Mundet
Located in a large area between the counties of Montijo and Afonsoeiro, this green corridor will make you feel in nature outside the big city. There is a waterfall.
Сад Praceta do Minho
It's in an urban area. In addition to greenery, there is a playground. There is a bicycle path nearby.
Сад Parque do Saldanha
The garden is by the Quinta do Saldanha estate and has a children's playground in addition to extensive plantings. The Ermida de Nosso Senhor Jesus dos Aflitos, a Catholic monastery, is located here.
Sports activities
The municipality has a well-developed infrastructure for sports activities:
- 2 pavilions for basketball and soccer, about 20 multipurpose stadiums,
- 2 swimming pools,
- 5 soccer fields,
- Bicycle lanes and more.
Educational institutions
Kindergartens
According to the Carta Social website, Montijo has at least 20 public and private daycare centers for a total of 934 children. Of these, 17 are located in the western part of the municipality and only 3 in the eastern part. It should be mentioned here that these are kindergartens for the youngest children, which do not include school preparation.
Comprehensive schools
Secondary education in Portugal is divided into the following stages:
- Ensino básico (1º CEB - 1st - 4th grade, 2º CEB - 5th - 6th grade, 3º CEB - 7th - 9th grade),
- Ensino secundário (grades 10-12),
- Ensino profissional - vocational courses (may be taught in high school).
Each of these stages and substages can take place in a different school. Usually, in Portugal, most schools have junior classes, but there are also many schools with only junior classes (cycle 1º CEB) and school preparation (pré-escolar). The older a child gets, the fewer schools that correspond to their cycle. Montijo is no exception here. Public schools are distributed by district in this way:
Western part of the municipality
Montijo e Afonsoeiro
- Schools with at least one ensino básico cycle - 12,
- Schools with ensino secundário - 2,
- Schools with school preparation - 8.
Atalaia e Alto Estanqueiro-Jardia
- Schools with at least one ensino básico cycle - 1,
- Schools with school preparation - 3.
Sarilhos Grandes
- Schools with at least one ensino básico cycle - 2,
- Schools with school preparation - 1.
Eastern part of the municipality
União das Freguesias de Pegões
- Schools with at least one ensino básico cycle - 6,
- Schools with school preparation - 3.
Canha
- Schools with at least one ensino básico cycle - 1,
- Schools with school preparation - 1.
All school addresses and contacts can be found on the municipality's website.
There are few private comprehensive schools in Montijo, all of which seem to be concentrated in the western part.
Vocational education
Only one Escola Profissional de Montijo offers professional courses. But of the institutions of higher education in Montijo there is only a representative office of Universidade Aberta, where all education takes place online. In other words, there are no traditional universities in our understanding in Montijo.
School transportation
Why, when describing the situation with schools, did we pay so much attention to the part of the municipality in which this or that district is located? As we wrote earlier, the western and eastern parts are not adjacent to each other, but are at least 15 kilometers apart. And if the western part is quite compact, the territory of the eastern part is quite extensive. Therefore, if someone with children of preschool or school age is planning to settle in the eastern part, you need to decide at once in what proximity to schools you want to live. Well, and also accept the fact that to study in high school, your child will have to cross the municipality's borders by bus every day.
For such cases, the transportation company Carris Metropolitana offers a handy tool. If you want to understand which buses go to your school, you just need to select the municipality (Montijo) and the school cycle. A list of schools with this cycle will automatically be generated.
When you select a school from the list, you will see it on the map, the location of bus stops nearby and a list of routes that stop there. You can also read the details of each route by clicking on it.
In addition to buses, there is also special transportation for students who have to wait more than 45 minutes for public transportation or whose trip to school takes more than 60 minutes one way. The application for such transportation is submitted by the parent or other relative responsible for the child's education (encarregado de educação). The form can be downloaded from the City Hall website and can also be found in school canteens. You must apply every year.
Scholarships for students
Pupils and students from families in difficult economic situations can apply for a scholarship from the municipality. To qualify, the applicant must be at least 25 years old, have Portuguese citizenship or residence permit and have lived in Montijo for at least 1 year. Scholarships are awarded in the amount of €450 for high school students and €750 for university students (universitário, politécnico), and will be paid in two installments of 50 percent of the respective value, in February and April. More information on how to apply for the scholarship can be found on the municipality's website.
Clubs and sections for children
The best place to start your search is on the internet, using Google maps. For example, let's look for music schools for children. To do this, enter the query "Montijo escola de música crianças" in Google Maps and check out those organizations that have a website or social media presence and where they definitely teach music to children:
- Conservatório Regional de Artes do Montijo,
- Sinfonia e Eventos - Escola de Artes,
- Sociedade Filarmónica 1.º de Dezembro,
- MaisDança - Escola de Artes,
- BEEP.
It should be noted that relying entirely on online resources is not always effective. In order to get the most complete and accurate information, it is also worth contacting teachers and parents at your school. They may be able to provide helpful suggestions and share information about available activities in your area that may be difficult to find online.
Classes for pensioners
Montijo City Hall is trying to create conditions to promote the concept of active, healthy and integrated aging among the residents of the municipality. People over 50 have the opportunity not only to keep themselves physically fit, but also to develop intellectually. The Universidade Sénior, Academias Sénior and Gabinete Sénior projects host more than 1,500 participants each year. This is not surprising, as Portugal is among the European leaders in terms of population ageing.
Universidade Sénior (University for the Elderly)
The aim of this project is to keep older people active and interested in different areas of knowledge, to increase their self-esteem and enjoyment of lifelong learning. At the university it is possible to study various disciplines, go to creative workshops, performances, go on excursions, etc. A folk dance group and a music group have been established at the University of Montijo.
Tuition at the university is paid. The university is located in the city of Montijo, in the Saldanha estate.
Academia Sénior (Academy for Older People)
The main focus is on combating social isolation of the elderly through the provision of necessary services and involvement in weekly activities: home entertainment, classes on decorative arts and handicrafts, theater group, folk dance group, music group, supportive gymnastics and health care, improvement of computer literacy, remote assistance. Joint walks, trips to the beach, etc. are also organized.
The Academy is located in the Sarilhos Grandes neighborhood.
Junto de Si project
The aim of this project is to organize recreational and educational activities aimed at the elderly population of the rural parishes of the municipality (Canha, Pegões and Atalaia e Alto Estanqueiro/Jardia).
There are weekly gymnastics classes, sewing and embroidery classes, macramé and other decorative arts classes, group book reading, music and theater groups, Portuguese classes, introduction to modern technology and computer science instruction, etc.
There are also extracurricular activities that involve different generations. There are also talks on topics relevant to society, such as safety in old age, health, environment, etc. Educational tours are also organized to raise awareness of the heritage, culture and gastronomic traditions of the municipality as well as neighboring municipalities.
The project operates in 2 academies:
- Academia Sénior de Pegões e Canha (in the neighborhood of Pegões, the exact address cannot be found on the map, so here are the contacts: juntodesi.pegoes@mun-montijo.pt, tel. 265 898 196),
- Academia Sénior de Atalaia, Alto Estanqueiro e Jardia (in Alto Estanqueiro neighborhood, exact address impossible to find on map, juntodesi.estanqueir@mun-montijo.pt, tel. 212 301 076).
Projeto Saudável 65
The project aims to combat sedentary lifestyles through the organization of physical activity. Currently, there are hydro gymnastics classes at the city swimming pool and gymnastics for the elderly at the Afonseiro Neighborhood Council.
Boccia for seniors
Boccia is a ball game for people with limited mobility. In Montijo, it is offered to all interested persons aged 60 and over. Classes are organized by technicians from the City Hall:
- Municipal Pavilion #2: Monday/Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Tuesday/Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m;
- Afonsoeiro Neighborhood Council - Wednesday - 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Participation is free of charge. For more information, please contact: desporto@mun-montijo.pt.
Discounts for seniors
Cartão Municipal Sénior (Municipal Senior Citizen Card) is a document provided by the Montijo City Council to support pensioners (or people over 65 in general) living in Montijo who have an income below the national minimum wage.
The card allows you to receive:
- A discount on the water bill based on the range of consumption;
- 50% discount on the use of municipal swimming pools;
- Exemption from registration fees at Universidade Sénior do Montijo and a 50% discount on monthly fees.
To obtain the card, contact the Montijo City Hall at Rua José Joaquim Marques, Nº 124, 2870-348 Montijo (Divisão de Desenvolvimento Social e Promoção da Saúde).
Participation in the life of the municipality
Montijo has volunteer projects in the following areas:
- Promoting active aging through teaching or other collaborations,
- Volunteer activities for the benefit of older adults that are not included in any active aging project,
- youth volunteering within the framework of youth activities carried out by the department of culture, libraries, youth and sports,
- occasional volunteering for specific initiatives or tasks to be promoted by any organic unit, such as food drives or other donations, information or awareness campaigns, etc.
You can find out about the regulations of volunteering, the procedure for volunteering and download the application form on the City Hall website.
Montijo is territorially divided but socially integrated!
We hope that for those who are thinking about moving to a municipality, this article has given you a more or less in-depth understanding of it. Geographical specifics make it necessary to choose a place of settlement particularly carefully. Nevertheless, wherever you find a new home and whatever your family size, the municipality will take care of everyone.
If you are inspired to purchase a condo or house, why not contact a professional real estate agent in Montijo through our website?
If you want to learn more about living in Portugal, visit the other sections of the WithPortugal.com immigration blog. Find useful information, tips and guides for a successful move and comfortable life in Portugal.
