French citizen Christine Paris decided to move to Portugal, seduced by an income tax exemption the country is now offering foreign pensioners. <br /><br />Pensioners like her, who haven’t been residents in Portugal in the past five years, can move to the country and enjoy their pensions tax free for 10 years. <br /><br />The tax regime for so-called non-regular residents was created in 2009, but its impact is only being seen now, with a wave of foreigners taking up the offer.<br /><br />“I found it a really interesting scheme, and for a country where there’s sun, a pleasant quality of life, it’s a plus, comparing it to the difficult conditions we have in other countries. In France, for example, taxes have increased a lot in the last two years,” Christine Paris told euronews.<br /><br />With relatively low property prices Portuguese estate agencies are getting more and more clients like Christine. <br /><br />Estate agent Pascal Gonçalves says the number of foreign pensioners looking to buy houses in Portugal shot up by 40 percent in 2013: “The biggest increase in demand is among the French, but there are also a lot of Swedes who feel the need for a life in the sun. We’re also seeing an increase in demand from the UK, and we think that the Germans will soon turn towards this market.” <br /><br />In this edition of Reporter Filipa Soares speaks to some of those who have been lured to Portugal by the generous tax regime and the prospect of a life in the sun. <br /><br />But how can the Portuguese government justify giving tax breaks to foreigners while raising the tax burden on its own people? Watch the video and find out.
