Moving to Portugal from North Korea

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Korea to Portugal — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from North Korea to Portugal, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Lisbon averages 69°F vs 60°F in P'yongyang, making it significantly warmer.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from North Korea to Portugal, and how the trend has changed.

Living there in 2020
82 ↑ 12% vs 2015

people born in North Korea live in Portugal · UN DESA

Who's moving to Portugal?

Top countries of origin for Portugal's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How North Korea and Portugal stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

KP
36.7
PT
57.7
Health coverage index United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access

KP
68
PT
88

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Portugal leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

KP
86.0
PT
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

KP
2.5t
PT
3.3t

North Korea generally does better on environment, though Portugal leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

KP
27.7%
PT
12.3%
Electricity per capita World Bank, 2023

annual consumption — reflects grid capacity

KP
830 kWh
PT
5,146 kWh

Portugal performs significantly better than North Korea across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

KP
3.0%
PT
6.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

KP
$1,700
PT
$41,700

North Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Portugal leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

KP
71.8 yrs
PT
81.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

KP
22.2
PT
2.5

Portugal generally does better on family life, though North Korea leads in literacy rate.

Data: The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

P'yongyang Rain: 37.0 in/yr (940 mm)
60° / 42°F

Avg. annual high / low

Lisbon Rain: 29.6 in/yr (751 mm)
69° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months P'yongyang Lisbon
Jan–Mar 38°/20°F (4°/-7°C) 61°/48°F (16°/9°C)
Apr–Jun 72°/52°F (22°/11°C) 71°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 81°/65°F (27°/18°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/31°F (10°/0°C) 65°/53°F (18°/12°C)
View all months
Month P'yongyang Lisbon
Jan 31°/13°F (-0.8°/-10.7°C) 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C)
Feb 36°/18°F (2.4°/-7.8°C) 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C)
Mar 48°/29°F (8.9°/-1.8°C) 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C)
Apr 63°/41°F (17.1°/4.9°C) 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C)
May 73°/52°F (22.6°/10.9°C) 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C)
Jun 80°/62°F (26.7°/16.5°C) 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C)
Jul 83°/69°F (28.6°/20.7°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Aug 84°/69°F (28.9°/20.5°C) 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C)
Sep 76°/58°F (24.7°/14.3°C) 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C)
Oct 65°/44°F (18.2°/6.7°C) 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C)
Nov 49°/31°F (9.4°/-0.3°C) 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C)
Dec 35°/19°F (1.7°/-7.2°C) 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C)

Data: Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between North Korea and Portugal. To live, work, or study long-term in Portugal, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Portugal's immigration authority.

North Korea passport

North Korea passport holder visiting Portugal

Visa Required
North Korea passport holders need a visa to enter Portugal.
Portugal passport

Portugal passport holder visiting North Korea

Visa Required
Portugal passport holders need a visa to enter North Korea.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from Portugal?

Working remotely from Portugal's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in North Korea and Portugal.

How is healthcare in Portugal compared to North Korea?

North Korea generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Portugal leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 36.7 in North Korea. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (North Korea: 68).

What's the weather like in Portugal compared to North Korea?

The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 60°F in P'yongyang. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while P'yongyang gets 37.0 in.

What language do they speak in Portugal?

The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In North Korea, the official language is Korean.

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At a Glance

KP PT
Population 25,955,138 10,242,081
Currency North Korean Won (KPW) Euro (€)
Languages Korean Portuguese
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +850 +351
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112