Magalí Páez and Gonzalo Aguilar, a couple from Jujuy, Argentina, decided in June 2022 to leave their home country for Europe. According to Páez, the decision came suddenly after a conversation one night. The next day they began selling their belongings and preparing for the move.
Their initial plan was to settle in Spain due to the language similarity, but after spending a month in Barcelona and facing difficulties finding work because of paperwork issues, they moved on to Portugal. “It was that or keep spending our savings or try our luck somewhere else. And we came without knowing anything,” they said.
Upon arriving in Porto, Portugal, they found it easier to regularize their immigration status through what was then called a “manifestação de interesse” process. “In the first week we could already work legally,” they explained. Páez initially worked washing dishes at a restaurant before moving on to other roles; both now have stable jobs at a call center serving Spanish-speaking customers for a French company.
The couple described adapting to life abroad as both rewarding and challenging. They appreciated opportunities such as traveling across Europe—visiting France, Italy, Germany, Poland and London—and even taking their mothers to Paris. However, high living costs were an issue: “Rent represents almost 70% of one salary,” they said.
Cultural adjustments included missing Argentine food—especially beef—and maintaining traditions like drinking mate with friends while also trying local cuisine such as codfish dishes popular in Portugal. They noted that learning Portuguese has been slow since many locals speak Spanish due to tourism.
Reflecting on nearly three years abroad, Páez is inclined toward staying longer and growing professionally while Aguilar considers returning home: “I want to go back. I always thought so—I wanted to understand how things really are outside.” Their experience continues as an ongoing conversation about future plans.
