{"id":3896,"date":"2026-06-04T09:21:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:21:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/?p=3896"},"modified":"2026-06-04T09:30:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T09:30:25","slug":"moving-to-portugal-it-job-software-engineer-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/expat-stories\/moving-to-portugal-it-job-software-engineer-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Moving to Portugal as a Software Engineer: Peter\u2019s Relocation Story"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 6<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n\n\n<p>Back in 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/peter-falope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Peter Falope<\/a> started the process of moving to Portugal on a Digital Nomad visa. He didn\u2019t finish the process. \u201cDue to some other things coming up, I didn\u2019t follow through with the plan,\u201d he told me. \u201cI guess better late than never.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said this because, a few years later, he made the move anyway. This time as a Software Engineer at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.catawiki.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Catawiki<\/a>, the Dutch curated auction marketplace that has been growing its Lisbon engineering team. The relocation package handled his work visa and the apartment hunt that followed.<\/p>\n<p>But in 2026, moving to Portugal has changed a lot compared to 2022, the year Peter first tried to relocate. AIMA replaced SEF as the immigration agency in 2023 and is still working through a major backlog of pending cases (for some time now, it turns down any residence-permit request that isn\u2019t fully complete when you submit it, according to many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/PortugalExpats\/comments\/1owra2s\/aima_incompetence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Redditors<\/a>). Also, the Digital Nomad pathway Peter once considered is changing: it\u2019s being overhauled presently, and thus it\u2019s currently on hold. So in 2026 the cleaner route to Portugal is to land a job with a company that sponsors your visa and hands the paperwork to a relocation specialist.<\/p>\n<p>That goes double if you\u2019re moving with family or want a predictable timeline. That\u2019s the route Peter ended up taking, and it\u2019s the one Catawiki has built out for the engineers it brings to its Lisbon office.<\/p>\n<p>We talked about why he chose Portugal, what Catawiki\u2019s hiring process looked like, and what\u2019s surprised him most since arriving. Here\u2019s our conversation.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Peter\u2019s background<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Home country:<\/strong> Nigeria \ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddec<\/li>\n<li><strong>Current role:<\/strong> Software Engineer at Catawiki (Lisbon)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Previous role:<\/strong> Senior Android Engineer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Peter spent the years before his move building Android apps in Nigeria before he joined Catawiki\u2019s growing Lisbon office. Catawiki opened its Portugal headquarters in February 2024, and the engineering team there is one of the company\u2019s hiring priorities for 2026.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3897 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image1-2-768x1024.png\" alt=\"Peter Falope\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image1-2-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image1-2-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/image1-2.png 1086w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>What made you choose Portugal as a work abroad destination?<\/h2>\n<p>Portugal felt like a natural choice because at some point in 2022, I started the process of moving to Portugal but due to some other things coming up, I didn\u2019t follow through with the plan so I guess better late than never! I am here now and I am happy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>You\u2019re now working at Catawiki as a Software Engineer. Why did you choose Catawiki?<\/h2>\n<p>I chose Catawiki because I felt ready for a new challenge in my engineering journey and Catawiki provides the challenge.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 If you want a deeper look at the company itself (tech stack, benefits, leadership, the full relocation package), read <a href=\"https:\/\/relocateme.substack.com\/p\/meet-catawiki-europes-leading-curated\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meet Catawiki, Europe\u2019s Leading Curated Auction Marketplace, Now Hiring in Portugal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>How many interview stages did you go through to get this job? How much time passed between the first interview and the job offer?<\/h2>\n<p>It took about 6 weeks from the first meeting with the recruiter to my offer and I had 4 interviews excluding the interviews with the recruiter.<\/p>\n<p><em>My notes:<\/em> Catawiki\u2019s process is well documented. It runs as a recruiter screening call, a technical round with two developers on CoderPad, and a final stage with one behavioural and two technical interviews. System design (using Miro for diagrams) is part of it, and the rounds depend on the role you\u2019re up for: Backend, Frontend, Android, and so on.<\/p>\n<h3>By the way, do you need to know Portuguese to work at Catawiki?<\/h3>\n<p>I didn\u2019t need to know Portuguese to join Catawiki, it is an English-speaking company which is impressive because we have people from all over the world.<\/p>\n<p><em>My notes:<\/em> This is one of the most common questions I get from engineers eyeing a move to Lisbon. The short answer: no, you don\u2019t need Portuguese (nor Dutch, which is a valid concern considering Catawiki is from the Netherlands). With more than 60 nationalities on staff, English is the working language at Catawiki. If you eventually want Portuguese citizenship via the naturalisation route, you\u2019ll need to learn the language for that step, but not to get hired or settle in. Heads up: Portugal\u2019s revised Nationality Law was signed by the President in May 2026 and extends the residency requirement from 5 to 10 years for most non-EU applicants.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>By the way: Catawiki is actively hiring software engineers in Portugal<\/h2>\n<p>Catawiki is a Dutch auction marketplace founded in 2008. Every month, 14 million people visit the platform to bid on vintage watches, rare comics, classic cars, and fine art. The company opened its Lisbon office in February 2024 and has been growing it quickly. Portugal is Catawiki\u2019s hiring priority for 2026, and they plan to grow the Lisbon tech team from about 10 to 40 people across engineering, product, UX, and data.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of Catawiki\u2019s open tech roles with relocation to Lisbon:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Browse the latest tech roles on Relocate.me: <a href=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/companies-hiring\/catawiki\">relocate.me\/companies-hiring\/catawiki<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Browse open roles in Lisbon directly: <a href=\"https:\/\/catawiki.careers\/location-Lisbon-Office\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">catawiki.careers\/location-lisbon-office<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3898\" src=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74_Catawiki_4X5-Web-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"Catawiki\" width=\"1024\" height=\"819\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74_Catawiki_4X5-Web-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74_Catawiki_4X5-Web-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74_Catawiki_4X5-Web-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/74_Catawiki_4X5-Web.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>How was the move to Lisbon, and what can you tell us about Catawiki\u2019s relocation assistance?<\/h2>\n<p>The move to Lisbon was relatively smooth, I arrived in December and it was much more colder than it usually is at that time of the year so it was a \u201cWow, this is really cold\u201d kinda moment, some time passed and I have gotten used to it given I relocated from a much warmer climate. Catawiki relocation assistance was good, they hired a company to handle the whole process from Visa application to renting an apartment.<\/p>\n<p><em>My notes:<\/em> The partner Peter is talking about is probably <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eresrelocation.com\/?ref=relocateme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Eres<\/a>, a Lisbon-based firm that helps expats with things like permits, visas (for you and your family), dealing with the local municipality, and even picks up your resident permit on your behalf (this depends on the firm, but this is typically what you\u2019ll receive). Just for your information, on top of the services that partners provide, Catawiki also covers a temporary stay of up to one month at a designated hotel in Lisbon, helps you find an apartment, and offers a session to walk you through local schools if you\u2019re moving with kids aged 4 to 18. All this I covered in the Catawiki article.<\/p>\n<h3>A note regarding the cost of living in Lisbon (and where to actually live)<\/h3>\n<p>Lisbon is more affordable than <a href=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/cost-of-living\/netherlands\/amsterdam\">Amsterdam<\/a> or most Western European capitals, but users online usually explain it\u2019s not as cheap as it used to be. Actually, there\u2019s a kind of dissonance in the relationship between the <a href=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/cost-of-living\/portugal\/lisbon\">cost of living in Lisbon<\/a> versus the Portuguese average wage. But the good news is that Lisbon is a genuinely walkable, well-connected city, and you don\u2019t need to live right in the centre. For example, Sintra in particular is a popular landing pad.<\/p>\n<p>Peter mentioned that taxes surprised him, and that\u2019s worth holding onto. Portugal\u2019s social security and income tax brackets can take you by surprise if you haven\u2019t done the math beforehand. This reminded me of a time we were putting together Portugal tax guides, and we were caught off guard with how Portuguese brackets were actually more complicated than France\u2019s (and that\u2019s something!)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>What do you enjoy most about living in Lisbon?<\/h2>\n<p>I enjoy the weather and scenery, in my country, the sun is usually yellow or orange due to the atmosphere but in Portugal, it is white which gives a whole different look to things, it always still impresses me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>What surprised you most about working or living in Portugal that you didn\u2019t expect?<\/h2>\n<p>What surprised me? The weather, scenery and taxes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>Is it true that many digital nomads choose Lisbon?<\/h2>\n<p>As in 2022, this was true but I don\u2019t know if this is still the same, I was also going to move to Portugal on a Digital Nomad visa in 2022 but I think since then, things have changed, immigration laws and the changes in the Portuguese law in relation to migrants or immigrants.<\/p>\n<p><em>My notes:<\/em> Peter\u2019s read is right. Portugal\u2019s Digital Nomad Visa is changing, and the rules and the broader visa framework have shifted since 2022 (including how the regime for <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Non-Habitual_Resident\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">non-habitual residents<\/a> now treats incoming residents). If you\u2019re seriously considering Portugal as a destination, you can consider going through an employer that sponsors a proper work visa.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>What advice would you give to other software engineers thinking about relocating to Portugal or Europe for work?<\/h2>\n<p>Take the leap, you won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"content__item\">\n<h2>If you\u2019re interested in following Peter\u2019s path and relocating to Portugal, find a job first.<\/h2>\n<p>Peter\u2019s story shows how much smoother the move is when you land the right job before moving abroad. A position with a company that hires internationally and offers proper relocation support (visa, hotel for the first weeks, help with the rental market, paperwork for taxes) turns the move into something manageable rather than something that eats your savings.<\/p>\n<p>For tech professionals looking to move to Portugal, Relocate.me connects software engineers with companies like Catawiki that hire internationally and guide new hires through every step of the move. Browse <a href=\"https:\/\/relocate.me\/international-jobs?country%5B0%5D=Portugal\">tech jobs with relocation to Portugal<\/a>, or jump straight to <a href=\"https:\/\/catawiki.careers\/location-Lisbon-Office\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">open Catawiki roles in Lisbon<\/a> if Peter\u2019s path sounds like one you\u2019d like to follow.<\/p>\n<p>Also, subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/relocateme.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Global Move<\/em><\/a>, the internet\u2019s best resource for relocation-friendly jobs for software engineers. I share a curated list of jobs with relocation every week. I hope I can interview you one day!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 6<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Back in 2022, Peter Falope started the process of moving to Portugal on a Digital Nomad visa. He didn\u2019t finish the process. \u201cDue to some other things coming up, I didn\u2019t follow through with the plan,\u201d he told me. \u201cI guess better late than never.\u201d He said this because, a few years later, he made [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3897,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expat-stories"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3896"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3904,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3896\/revisions\/3904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocate.me\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}