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36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

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Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#21

Post by yodsanklai »

As other pointed out, it's very difficult to answer as we're not you...

Ideally, I'd try to talk to people who made similar decisions (e.g. Turkish migrating to Portugal or similar) so you can perhaps add new information to your options.

Regarding the financial weight: this money is lost already, so shouldn't be taken into account for the decision.

Living abroad is aways a valuable experience. On the other hand, if you have a low income and little opportunity for growth, this can be a frustrating on the medium term. If you go that path, maybe try to think ahead to see what will be your next step. Suppose you don't like Portugal, could you fall back to your option B after 2 years?

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#22

Post by muzani »

yodsanklai wrote: post #19
aristofun wrote: post #14

It’s wiser to invest in independence of any external circumstances. To get some valuable skill, for example. To be flexible enough to relocate. Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”. You go there to get out of your comfort zone, to grind, to prove yourself, to learn etc. unless you’re already rich you’re going to struggle in one way or another for a while. Only your kids born there will…

> Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”. Why not?

Something about the grass being greener on the other side.

Many of the former colonial superpowers collapsed but never found their way back up again. The core problem might not be fixed.

But people still evaluate them as if they own half the world. In terms of GDP (per capita), quality of life, healthcare, they're not much better than the countries they once colonized.

Then again, Turkey is one of those countries, so OP might have better luck elsewhere.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#24

Post by keiferski »

I wouldn't do the Portugal option unless you have a path toward it growing in the future. Otherwise you may find yourself at age 46, making 1500 euros a month, and basically unable to actually set yourself up for a life.

Maybe that means getting citizenship in 5-7 years, then moving elsewhere in the EU. Maybe it means something else.

In your situation, I would probably stay in Turkey and build up a career / wealth, with the specific point of picking something that's portable. Not sure if Turkish CPA requirements are portable, or how well they convert to EU/USA/etc. standards. Then in 5-10 years, think about moving to the West, if you still desire to do so.

The money you've invested now is a sunk cost and is irrelevant in the long term.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#25

Post by mstaoru »

Health insurance? Remote role taxed where? Would it even count for Portuguese PR?

Spent €10k on visa consultants?.. What did they do exactly?

I wouldn't also fully assume that Portugal is more stable than Turkey. EU is not what it used to be 10 years ago.

...

I would stay in Turkey.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#26

Post by Slaboli »

keiferski wrote: post #24

I wouldn't do the Portugal option unless you have a path toward it growing in the future. Otherwise you may find yourself at age 46, making 1500 euros a month, and basically unable to actually set yourself up for a life. Maybe that means getting citizenship in 5-7 years, then moving elsewhere in the EU. Maybe it means something else. In your situation, I would probably stay in Turkey and build up a career / wealth, w…

Thanks for your comment! You’re right that Portugal is full of "maybes." On one hand, having a job offer makes it feel within reach, but I worry about spending months with no professional or financial growth. However, I’m confused because I know millions in Turkey would love to be in my position.

Regarding my career, my CPA technical capacity is portable. I can convert it to US or UK equivalents with just a couple of written exams.

I definitely do not want to be 46 years old, holding onto a menial job or worse, being laid off and forced into call center work in Portugal.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#27

Post by Slaboli »

yodsanklai wrote: post #21

As other pointed out, it's very difficult to answer as we're not you... Ideally, I'd try to talk to people who made similar decisions (e.g. Turkish migrating to Portugal or similar) so you can perhaps add new information to your options. Regarding the financial weight: this money is lost already, so shouldn't be taken into account for the decision. Living abroad is aways a valuable experience. On the other hand, if y…

It is indeed a very personal decision. However, hearing others' opinions is helpful to challenge my logic and highlight any gaps I might be overlooking. Thank you for chipping in!

The situation is that while Portugal seems great for the short term, I don't believe the long-term job prospects and career growth will match what I have at home.

On the other hand, I try to remind myself that no one knows the future and that I should take it one step at a time. But at 36, this is highly taxing, as I feel way behind my peers regarding being rooted and starting a family and raising kids.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#28

Post by Slaboli »

codebitdaily wrote: post #18
Slaboli wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you! So in my situation, would this look like getting my CPA license in Turkey and then weighing my options for geographic mobility afterward? I initially need to commit to one path, as legally (and location-wise) I’m unable to pursue both at the same time.

That is a tough but classic strategic bottleneck. If I were in your shoes, I would view the CPA license as a 'foundational asset' rather than just a local permit. Even if you don't stay in Turkey long-term, having a specialized certification often signals a high level of discipline to future international employers. However, the legal inability to pursue both paths simultaneously is the real constraint. My advice? Co…

Great advice, thank you sir!

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#29

Post by Slaboli »

mstaoru wrote: post #25

Health insurance? Remote role taxed where? Would it even count for Portuguese PR? Spent €10k on visa consultants?.. What did they do exactly? I wouldn't also fully assume that Portugal is more stable than Turkey. EU is not what it used to be 10 years ago. ... I would stay in Turkey.

Thanks for the advice! The position is taxed in Portugal. Tt's a US company with a local base, (paying 1100 monthly lol) so everything is legally compliant regarding taxes and residency. I spent 10k EUR in total, including my stays in Lisbon, just to handle the paperwork (it took six months for them to process my residency card)

That is precious insight about stability. You're saying Portugal, while in a better position, isn't significantly more stable than Turkey in the long run. For EU, I agree that it probably won't improve much over the long term.

Re: 36yo: Career at home vs. Simple life abroad?

#30

Post by Slaboli »

muzani wrote: post #22
yodsanklai wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also you don’t go to another country for a “better living standards”. Why not?

Something about the grass being greener on the other side. Many of the former colonial superpowers collapsed but never found their way back up again. The core problem might not be fixed. But people still evaluate them as if they own half the world. In terms of GDP (per capita), quality of life, healthcare, they're not much better than the countries they once colonized. Then again, Turkey is one of those countries, so…

Thanks for your input! I think I overvalued the prospect of Portugal from the start. I see now that it’s an ideal place for wealthy Western retirees who want to enjoy the weather, beaches, and EU mobility. For someone like me who isn't poor but isn't wealthy either it doesn't offer much in terms of career growth.Even for the Portuguese themselves.

When you say "better luck elsewhere" I assume you mean both Portugal and Turkey?

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