WithPortugal.com continues to explore the cities in Portugal that attract foreigners. This article focuses on the municipality of Oeiras, which, according to the latest data, is home to more than 11,780 residents who have migrated from abroad (Pordata, 2021). If you have just moved to Oeiras or are planning to do so, this material will provide you with useful information about the city that can help you navigate and adapt to your new environment.
Administrative division of Oeiras
Oeiras is part of the metropolitan agglomeration and adjoins the municipality of Lisbon from the northwest. It also has access to the ocean, although the coastal area is only 9 km long. Oeiras borders the municipalities of Sintra and Amadora to the north, Lisbon to the east, Cascais to the west and Almada to the south (across the river). It is divided into 5 districts (freguesias in Portuguese).
The population of the municipality (171,802 according to the 2021 census) is distributed as follows:
- Algés, Linda-a-Velha e Cruz Quebrada-Dafundo district - 47,936 people,
- Barcarena neighborhood - 14.451,
- Carnaxide e Queijas neighborhood - 36,079,
- Oeiras e São Julião da Barra neighborhood, Paço de Arcos e Caxias - 58.094;
- Porto Salvo neighborhood - 15,098 people.
Immigration assistance
For advice and assistance, immigrants can go to one of the offices of the Local Migrant Assistance Center, CLAIM:
- CLAIM de Carnaxide
Rua Professor Delfim Santos, 9, 2790-199 Carnaxide Тел.: 214 160 565
- CLAIM Móvel
Centro Comunitário do Alto da Loba
Instituto Conde Agrolongo 39, 2770-062 Paço de Arcos Тел.: 21442046
Learning Portuguese
The main courses that you can study for free are called Português Língua de Acolhimento (PLA). They are also the most popular, as they provide a certificate that can be used as proof of language proficiency when applying for citizenship. The program is taught at 2 levels: A1+A2 and B1+B2.
Free PLA courses can be found on this website. Currently, only Agrupamento de Escolas de Paço de Arcos has published a recruitment announcement, but other schools may announce recruitment at a later date.
Courses can also be taken at the Employment and Vocational Training Centers (IEFP). You can find out which courses are currently on offer and apply on the IEFP website. In the search box, enter Português língua, select Ofertas de formação in the drop-down list in the center, and Oeiras in the drop-down list on the right. There are currently no offers on this site.
You can also find private schools offering Portuguese courses for foreigners in Oeiras. Type "português língua estrangeira Oeiras" in a Google search and you will be presented with suitable adult education options.
Employment
There are at least 30,000 companies in the municipality, lists of which can be easily found on the Internet. Here is an example of such a list.
Let's take a look at the top 5 industries in Oeiras according to the source Infoempresas.jn.pt.
- Retail trade - 4,898 companies,
- Consulting, scientific activities and the like - 4,645,
- Wholesale - 3,891,
- Construction - 3,271,
- Real estate operations - 3.008 companies.
Of course, this list can only serve as a guideline for understanding in which areas you are most likely to find a job in Oeiras. Whatever the skills of a person planning to settle here, there is bound to be a business where they will be in demand - even if not in Oeiras itself, then in neighboring Lisbon.
The topic of hiring foreign employees in Portugal is not easy and has many nuances. In Oeiras, you can seek employment through the IEFP job center, outsourcing agencies specializing in recruitment, or on popular job search websites.
Entrepreneurship
There are several business parks and industrial zones in the municipality of Oeiras. The most notable of these are the following three.
Taguspark is the largest innovation hub in Oeiras, providing a unique environment for business and scientific research. It offers various modern offices and commercial spaces adapted to the needs of different companies and sectors. The park has a capacity for up to 16,000 visitors per day and has plots available for new construction.
Location Av. Prof. Dr. Cavaco Silva, 2740-122. For more information on spaces available for rent, visit the park's website.
Lagoas Park is a business park known for its harmonious atmosphere and high level of infrastructure. In an area of 300,000 square meters you can find not only offices and retail space, but also gardens with lakes. It is located at 2740-268 Porto Salvo. Learn more about the buildings and office layouts here.
Quinta da Fonte is part of the Oeiras Valley project. The site has 22 buildings and more than 80,000 square meters of leasable space. There are also 3,800 parking spaces, some with charging stations, and seven restaurants, making the park a convenient and attractive place to work and meet. The park is located at 2770-071 Paço de Arcos. Read more about rental opportunities here.
For those who want to build a business around a new idea, business incubators are available.
Oeiras Hub - Fábrica de Startups. The incubator provides flexible opportunities for new companies by offering physical offices, co-working spaces and virtual workstations. Innovators are supported through the idea development phase, product testing and preparation for market launch. In eight years of operation, the incubator has helped more than 4,000 entrepreneurs and 700 startups launch their projects. Fábrica de Startups works in various industries, from finance and energy to telecommunications. You can find out more about the offer on the company's website.
The Taguspark incubator combines science, technology and sustainable development. The services provided to startups are preincubation, incubation and subsequent business growth. In addition to standard office spaces, there are also laboratories for developing innovations in biotechnology, medicine and renewable energy. You can read more about the conditions for participation and apply here.
Buying or renting a real estate
Regular readers of our real estate columns can get an idea of Oeiras from the quarterly Lisbon reports on our portal.
Idealista.pt is the most popular resource for finding accommodation for foreigners living in Portugal. Currently (October 2024) there are 433 rental offers and 1,907 options for buying apartments and houses. Let's take a look at the most available offers for an example.
700 euros a month
One-room house of 35 square meters after major renovation. 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. Rent unfurnished but with an equipped kitchen. Energy efficiency class E. District Carnaxide e Queijas.
750 euros a month
Studio apartment of 60 square meters on the first floor. 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. Rent unfurnished, kitchen without appliances, apparently. Energy efficiency class E. District Linda-a-Velha.
Listings start at 95,000 euros for options where there are tenants. The most affordable option to sell for your own permanent residence is the following
140.000 euros
Studio of 29 sqm on the eighth floor in a house with an elevator. Energy efficiency class C. Paço de Arcos.
150.000 euros
Studio apartment of 40 square meters on a semi-basement floor with access to sunlight. Recent renovation. Energy efficiency class D. District Carnaxide e Queijas.
Real estate in Oeiras impresses with its high prices. According to the website Idealista.pt, according to the cost per square meter of housing in the Lisbon agglomeration, Oeiras ranks 3rd after Lisbon itself and Cascais.
If you are interested in buying an apartment or house in this suburb, WithPortugal.com can help you find an experienced real estate agent in the municipality of Oeiras who will help you organize your search and supervise the purchase process every step of the way.
Medicine and health care
Here we will list mainly public institutions, and of the private ones we will designate the largest ones.
The public hospitals are run by the Unidade Local de Saúde de Lisboa Ocidental (ULSLO). They are Hospital Santa Cruz and Hospital São Francisco Xavier. The addresses of both hospitals can be found on the website.
Of the most famous private hospitals, there is Hospital da Luz.
There are at least 15 public polyclinics in the municipality:
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Damião de Góis
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Lusa
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Linha de Algés
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Linda-a-Velha
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Carnaxide
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Jardim dos Plátanos
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Dafundo
- Unidade de Cuidados na Comunidade Cuidar +
- Unidade de Cuidados na Comunidade Saudar
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Quinta das Lindas
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Conde de Oeiras
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Oeiras
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar Delta
- Unidade de Saúde Familiar S. Julião
- Serviço de Atendimento Complementar Paço de Arcos
Public transportation
Suburban trains
You can get to Lisbon and other cities in the region by commuter train. In the municipality of Oeiras there are 6 train stations on the Lisbon-Cascais line: Algés, Cruz Quebrada, Caxias, Paço de Arcos, Santo Amaro and Oeiras.
Trains run on it every day with an interval of about 20 minutes. Traffic on the route starts at 5 am and ends after 1 am.
Train schedules can be found on the Portuguese Railways website. A full ticket costs 2.10 euros. Travel time from Cais do Sodré station to Oeiras station is 24 minutes.
Buses
Transportation in Oeiras, as in most municipalities in Greater Lisbon, is provided by Carris Metropolitana. Route planning between two stops in this municipality is available on the website.
There is also a bus service between Paço de Arcos train station and the Taguspark, Lagoas Park and Quinta da Fonte business parks. Travel is free of charge. Special Oeiras Valley Shuttle buses run every 20 minutes on weekdays from 7:00 to 19:00.
Navegante system
For bus and train travel, the Navegante ticketing system is available. For those who use transportation occasionally, there are disposable cardboard tickets with the option to load the balance. Regular users can get a monthly pass on a plastic card. If it is necessary to visit other municipalities in Greater Lisbon, the same tickets can be used for the metro and some other public transportation.
There are 3 monthly pass rates:
- "navegante® metropolitano" costs 40 euros per month and provides access to all public transportation in 18 municipalities of Lisbon;
- "navegante® +65" is for people over 65 and costs 20 euros;
- "navegante® municipal" costs 30 euros and is only valid in one selected municipality.
Air service
Oeiras is located 25 kilometers from Lisbon Airport. Depending on where exactly you start, the journey will take from 23 minutes by car or 1 hour by public transportation.
Parking lots
Street parking
In Oeiras, street parking is regulated through a system of time-limited zones, or ZEDLs, where different rates are applied depending on the intensity of demand:
- Brown zone: parking is only allowed for short periods of time (maximum period of 2 hours) to allow for a high rotation of cars.
- Red Zone: up to 4 hours of parking in areas with high commercial activity.
- Green space: longer parking in residential areas with moderate vehicle rotation.
- Orange zone: parking from one to seven days at a reduced rate at transportation hubs (rail and bus stations).
- Coastal areas have a seasonal blue rate that adjusts depending on the time of year and the popularity of the sites.
Information on parking fees in these zones can be found on the website.
Special permits are also available for residents, businesses, and other users who need long-term parking.
Residents of Oieras can obtain a special resident badge (dístico residente) that allows them to park without a time limit on the streets in the areas where they live. The resident badge is issued for 1 year and costs:
- 6 euros for the first car,
- 12 euros for the second one,
- 20 euros for the third,
- 40 euros for the 4th and following.
A resident permit is issued to residents who prove residency and have up-to-date car documents. If the documents do not fully comply with the requirements, a temporary permit can be issued for three months, which is not renewable.
Companies have the option of requesting a special badge entitling them to park within a specific zone so that employees can leave their cars unobstructed. Affordable rates:
- 30 euros a month,
- 250 euros a year.
A municipal monthly or yearly pass is also available for those who have to move frequently between zones, which is especially convenient for employees who need to park in different parts of the city. This pass provides more freedom and reduces the need to find short-term parking solutions. Available rates:
- 45 euros a month,
- 350 euros a year.
Each parking badge has data about a specific parking zone (ZEDL), expiration date and vehicle registration number. It is associated with a specific owner, tax address or office and is assigned to a specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to other persons or used on a vehicle besides the one for which it was issued.
You can apply for a parking pass on the Parques Tejo website by selecting the type of pass and parking zone, then providing personal details, including proof of residence and vehicle details. You can find out which zones are available for parking and their maps on this page.
Parking lots
There are nine parking complexes operating in Oieras, each with different conditions. The rotation mode allows users to park one vehicle in any available space for a set hourly fee. Long-term parking is offered on a monthly subscription with different tariff plans: 24-hour, daytime (from 08:00 to 20:00) or nighttime (from 20:00 to 08:00). In some cases, users can conclude a special contract with allocation of an individual space.
Access cards are provided for users who choose the subscription mode, and license plate reading access is also possible.
Below we list all the Oeiras parking complexes and give examples of the cost of season tickets at them.
Centro Cívico Carnaxide
Underground parking for 196 cars. Subscription for a month and access 24 hours a day costs 50 euros. Location: Rua Cesário Verde
Mercado de Queijas
Underground parking lot with 122 spaces. A monthly subscription with 24-hour access costs 50 euros. There are cheaper options with limited hours per day. Located near the Mercado de Queijas market.
Sra das Graças
Underground parking for 139 cars. A month's subscription with 24-hour access costs 50 euros. There are cheaper options with a limit of hours per day. Located on Rua General Ferreira Martins.
Estacionamento Parque dos Poetas
Underground parking lot with video surveillance system. Capacity - 321 parking spaces. A monthly subscription with 24-hour access costs 75 euros. There are cheaper options with a limit on hours per day. Address: Rua Carlos Vieira Ramos.
Parque dos Navegantes
Covered parking lot for 56 cars, equipped with video surveillance system. A month's subscription with 24-hour access costs 65 euros. Located on Avenida Senhor Jesus dos Navegantes, Paço de Arcos.
Parque da Piscina Oceânica
Covered parking lot with a capacity of 80 cars, located on Estrada marginal - Praia da Torre. There is no information about the cost of season tickets.
Estacionamento Avenida
The street parking area with a barrier has 188 parking spaces and is equipped with a video surveillance system, a flood warning system and a lighting system with motion sensors powered by wind energy. A monthly subscription costs 15 euros for a resident and 30 euros for a company.
The parking lot is located at 1495-067 Algés.
Parque do Passeio Marítimo de Algés
Outdoor parking area with a barrier for 350 cars with video surveillance, lighting with motion sensors, powered by wind energy. A monthly subscription is 15 euros.
Location at Avenida Brasília.
Parque da Misericórdia
Street parking area with a barrier for 370 cars with video surveillance and lighting. A monthly subscription for a resident costs 15 euros, for a company 30 euros.
Located at R. Cândido dos Reis.
Gardens and parks
Oeiras is proud that green areas make up 15% of the municipality's area. In total, we can count 58 gardens and parks of different sizes. Below we will list the most famous of them and show the location on a map.
The Algés neighborhood is home to:
- Jardim Municipal De Algés
- Jardim Do Palácio Anjos
- Parque Urbano Da Quinta De Santo António
- Parque Urbano De Miraflores - Professor Francisco Caldeira Cabral
In the Barcarena neighborhood:
Carnaxide disposes:
In Caxias can be found:
- Jardim Do Murganhal
- Jardim Das Palmeiras
- Jardim Das Ondas - Forte De São Bruno
- Quinta Real De Caxias
- Jardim Da Cascata Da Quinta Real De Caxias
Cruz Quebrada has:
In the Linda-a-Velha neighborhood:
In the Oeiras neighborhood:
- Jardim Municipal De Oeiras
- Jardim Da Quinta Dos Sete Castelos
- Jardim Do Ultramar
- Jardim Do Palácio Do Marquês De Pombal
- Parque Dos Poetas
In Paço de Arcos:
In the Porto Salvo neighborhood:
The Queijas neighborhood is home to:
Sports activities
The management of the municipality is committed to developing and supporting widespread physical activity and sport. This is done to create conditions for improving the quality of life of residents. In a special section of the municipality's website, you can easily familiarize yourself with all available sports and choose an institution for practicing any of them.
You just need to fill in at least one of the fields at the top of the page: neighborhood of Oeiras (Local), type of sport (Modalidade), age (Escalão), gender (Género). Below you will find a selection of establishments that meet these criteria.
The offer is truly huge: surfing, chess, acrobatic gymnastics, ballroom dancing, badminton, capoeira... The list is long!
Educational institutions
There is an extensive network of educational institutions in Oeiras: 21 kindergartens, 29 elementary schools (grades 1-4), 10 second cycle schools (grades 5-6), 13 third cycle schools (grades 7-9) and 8 high schools (grades 10-12). All their contact details are available on the municipality's website.
Vocational schools are available for teenagers: Val do Rio and InforPreparação.
There is also a wide range of universities to choose from:
- Escola Náutica Infante D. Henrique specializes in maritime training,
- FMH, Faculty of Human Motility, University of Lisbon,
- Instituto Superior Técnico, Higher Institute of Technology of the University of Lisbon,
- Instituto Universitário Atlântica, which offers a limited range of specialized undergraduate and graduate programs and has its own business school
- Escola Superior de Saúde Atlântica, Graduate School of Public Health,
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa - Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, offers master's and doctoral programs in chemistry and biology.
Clubs and sections for children
To give you an example, let's look for music schools for children. To do this, let's enter the search term "aulas de música crianças Oeiras" on Google Maps. If we select only institutions with active websites, we will find 7 music schools in Oeiras with classes for children:
- Crescendo,
- Compasso divertido,
- Arte dos sons,
- Ars Hominis Servitum,
- Academia de Guitarra, Música e Tecnologia,
- Os Músicos,
- Creative, Music & Arts.
In Oeiras you can find many activities for children, including sports and creative clubs. However, it is advisable not to limit your search to the internet, but to talk to teachers and parents at your school. This will help you find out about additional opportunities that may be lesser known but useful for your child's development and interests.
Activities for older people
Given the high rate of aging in Portugal, many municipalities are focusing on supporting older people, not only in the context of helping them survive difficulties, but also in the context of improving their quality of life. In Oeiras, older people have the opportunity to both strengthen their bodies and broaden their horizons.
The FitSenior program offers seniors (65 and older) exercise classes: functional training, yoga, Pilates, dance, hydrotherapy and programs to improve osteoarthritis of the knee. Classes run twice a week from September through June and can be supplemented with a third day if desired. Group schedules are available on the website.
To participate in the FitSenior program, you must register and pay the annual fee, which is 30 or 75 euros depending on your family income. Exemption from the fee is possible in case of proven financial need. Contacts for enrollment: Divisão de Desporto, tel: 214 408 540, email: ddesporto@oeiras.pt
The University for Senior Citizens (USO) offers numerous educational courses, such as creative writing, foreign languages, Portuguese as a foreign language, history, etc. Creative classes are also organized: music, dance, photography, handicrafts, etc. Participants can study both face-to-face and distance learning.
To become a USO student, you must apply on the university's website or in person. You can find information about course schedules and tuition fees on the website.
Oeiras is a green city for all ages
Oeiras is a place where people of all ages and interests can live comfortably. The municipality is well-known for its modern business parks, providing opportunities for business development and employment. There are many green areas for recreation and walking, creating a harmonious blend of urban environment and nature. For students, the city offers excellent educational prospects. For the elderly, Oeiras offers active and balanced recreational programs that promote health and well-being.
It has everything you need to live life to the fullest!
If you are interested in purchasing real estate here, feel free to contact a real estate agent in Oeiras through our website.
Well, if you want to know more about life in Portugal, stay on WithPortugal.com, where there is a lot of useful information on any topic.
