Concerns that Portugal's citizenship law changes would scare Americans off appear to have been short-lived. Open Media, the company behind the long-running "Living in Portugal" seminar series, has reported that its September roadshow beat expectations, drawing 455 attendees across San Francisco, Seattle and Scottsdale — roughly 150 per city and enough to fill every seminar session.
It's a notable turnaround. Back in May, events in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Chicago saw registrations dip below expectations after Portugal announced reforms to its citizenship rules. CEO Bruce Hawker credits the September rebound to a candid marketing strategy: rather than dodge the law changes, the campaign tackled them head-on, pointing out that residency rules are untouched and that most movers are content with a residence card anyway — which comes with visa-free travel across the Schengen area — without ever pursuing citizenship.
The pitch clearly landed. Each event packs in specialists covering the practical hurdles of a transatlantic move: choosing between the D7 and other D visas or the Golden Visa's investment route, plus real estate, shipping household goods, health insurance and tax. Digital partner Dengun also sharpened the ad targeting, Hawker said.
Venue choice played its part too. San Francisco's session returned for a fifth time to the Palace Hotel, a Marriott Luxury Collection landmark with a BART station at the door. Seattle used the Fairmont Olympic, another Historic Hotels of America property, while the Phoenix edition deliberately skipped downtown in favour of the W Scottsdale — a car-friendly pick for an affluent suburb where nobody arrives by light rail.
The series has been running since 2022, with more than 60 events held across 15 US cities plus stops in Brazil and South Africa. Demand now looks strong enough to keep the schedule busy: a Golden Visa-only roadshow starts this month in Dallas and Atlanta, moves on to Charlotte and Boston in November, adds three more US events in January, and the next full "Living in Portugal" tour is booked for April 2027. Details are at portugalseminars.com.
For anyone weighing a move, the takeaway is simple: the seminars are free intelligence on how Portugal's visa routes actually work post-reform, and attendance figures suggest you'll be in plenty of company.
