How times have changed in a few fractious years! An alarming number of once prosperous Portuguese have joined the so-called “embarrassed poor,” unable to afford even basic food needs and dependant on handouts.

Severe austerity measures and high unemployment have caused the steady disintegration of middle class society. Poverty has become rife and it continues to spread.

To celebrate 23 years of successful business in the Algarve, Domus owner Simon Zwart has decided to stay busy by offering customers a 23% Spring discount and throw in FREE labour for customers wanting to install underfloor heating, or add heat mats to existing floors without the mess of digging them up.

Zwart commented "with the economy still in recession I am keen to do business and provide solutions and upgrades for houses that suffer from wintertime cold."

The office space associated with the British Honorary Consulate in Oporto will close on 31 August 2013. The closure of this office space in Oporto does not change the consular services delivered to British nationals in the North of Portugal.

Both Ms Zilda Gomes, Pro Consul and Mr Johnny Symington, Honorary Consul in Oporto will retire at the end of August 2013. The Embassy is extremely grateful for all the work, support and assistance that Zilda and Johnny have provided both to the Consulate and to the many British nationals over the last 8 years and wish them well in their new ventures.

A change in official procedures means that it is now simpler for Brits to get married in Portugal.  As from 1 August 2013, British nationals living in Portugal or planning a wedding here no longer need to produce a Certificate of No Impediment. This applies to marriages both between couples of the same and the opposite sex.

Accidents can happen to anyone at anytime. In this modern and ever changing world, technology, training and procedures help to make it a safer place. Sentinel Alert Services (SAS) realise this and we make it our priority to stay ahead of the field. Personal Emergency Response Systems or PERS are fast becoming a cheap and effective way to ensure real peace of mind and ultimate assistance when you need it most.

Fantastic 10% discount on all Air Conditioning, Underfloor Heating, Pool Heating and Solar Panel installations. With 25 years of experience and and "know how" serving customers here in the Algarve Euro Cooling get the job done with speed and efficiency. Based in the central Algarve we cover the whole of the Algarve and the rest of Portugal when needed.