Moving to Zimbabwe from Portugal
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Portugal to Zimbabwe — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Portugal to Zimbabwe, and you’d need to navigate life in Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Portugal and Zimbabwe stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Portugal performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Portugal generally does better on environment, though Zimbabwe leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
Portugal performs better than Zimbabwe across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
Portugal generally does better on employment & economy, though Zimbabwe leads in top income tax rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Portugal performs better than Zimbabwe across all family life metrics.
Data: Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lisbon | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 61°/48°F (16°/9°C) | 79°/59°F (26°/15°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/56°F (22°/13°C) | 75°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 82°/59°F (28°/15°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lisbon | Harare |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C) | 79°/60°F (26.2°/15.8°C) |
| Feb | 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C) | 79°/60°F (26.0°/15.7°C) |
| Mar | 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C) | 79°/58°F (26.2°/14.5°C) |
| Apr | 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C) | 78°/54°F (25.6°/12.5°C) |
| May | 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C) | 75°/49°F (23.8°/9.3°C) |
| Jun | 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C) | 71°/44°F (21.8°/6.8°C) |
| Jul | 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C) | 71°/44°F (21.6°/6.5°C) |
| Aug | 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C) | 75°/47°F (24.1°/8.5°C) |
| Sep | 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C) | 83°/53°F (28.4°/11.7°C) |
| Oct | 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C) | 84°/58°F (28.8°/14.5°C) |
| Nov | 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C) | 82°/60°F (27.6°/15.5°C) |
| Dec | 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C) | 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.8°C) |
Data:
Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera,
Meteorological Services Department
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Portugal and Zimbabwe. To live, work, or study long-term in Zimbabwe, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Zimbabwe's immigration authority.
Portugal passport holder visiting Zimbabwe
Visa on Arrival
Zimbabwe passport holder visiting Portugal
Visa RequiredData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Zimbabwe?
With 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Zimbabwe can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Portugal and Zimbabwe.
Is Zimbabwe safe for expats?
Portugal performs better than Zimbabwe across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Zimbabwe is 6.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Portugal.
How is healthcare in Zimbabwe compared to Portugal?
Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Zimbabwe leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Zimbabwe, compared to 57.7 in Portugal. Zimbabwe scores 55 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Portugal: 88).
What's the weather like in Zimbabwe compared to Portugal?
The average high temperature in Harare is 78°F, compared to 69°F in Lisbon. Harare receives around 33.1 in of rainfall per year, while Lisbon gets 29.6 in.
What language do they speak in Zimbabwe?
The official languages in Zimbabwe are Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zimbabwean Sign Language. In Portugal, the official language is Portuguese.
Compare further: Portugal vs. Zimbabwe
At a Glance
PT
|
ZW
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,242,081 | 15,121,004 |
| Currency | Euro (€) | Zimbabwean Dollar (ZWL) |
| Languages | Portuguese | Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Khoisan, Ndau, Northern Ndebele, Shona, Sotho, Tonga, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zimbabwean Sign Language |
| Driving side | Right | Left |
| Calling code | +351 | +263 |
| Time zones | 2 | 1 |
| Emergency number | 112 | 999 |