Desenrascanço: How the Portuguese ‘McGyver moment’ can make your life in Portugal easier
Desenrascanço - The Portuguese art of problem-solving
When nothing goes as planned in Portugal
You live in Portugal, maybe you have just completed your move – and you realise: many things work differently than in your home country. The handyman arrives later than agreed, a form is missing, the electricity provider suddenly asks for yet another document, and the tax office website is once again “em manutenção”.
In moments like these, you might ask yourself: “How am I supposed to organise my daily life like this? Why is everything so improvised here?”
This is where you encounter a very typical Portuguese concept: Desenrascanço – roughly translated as “somehow getting yourself out of a tricky situation”. It is a kind of Portuguese superpower. With creativity, calmness and a bit of improvisation, a solution is eventually found.
In this article, I show you how Desenrascanço works, why it is important for your life in Portugal – and how we as a relocation service can help you not to despair over this mentality, but to benefit from it.
What does “Desenrascanço” actually mean?
Literally and in everyday life
“Desenrascanço” literally means something like “freeing yourself from a difficult situation”. In everyday life, it describes the ability to
find solutions with very few resources,
react spontaneously,
bypass obstacles creatively,
and get a result despite the chaos.
A Portuguese friend might say: “Calma, vamos desenrascar” – “Relax, we’ll sort it out somehow.”
Why this can be irritating for expats
If you come from a country where processes are strictly planned and structured, this attitude can be annoying at first:
Appointments are handled flexibly.
Plans change at short notice.
Written confirmations arrive late or not at all.
You feel like you are not in control. At the same time, Desenrascanço contains exactly what many people love about life in Portugal: flexibility, humanity and a strong will to find a solution in the end.
Desenrascanço in everyday life: typical situations
Example 1: Registering at the town hall
You want to register and have carefully prepared all the documents – or so you think. At the counter you are suddenly told: a document is missing or expected in a slightly different form. In many countries, the appointment would end there: new appointment, new waiting period.
In Portugal, you often experience something different:
The staff member calls a colleague.
Someone makes a quick phone call, prints an additional form.
You are asked to sign a simple declaration.
And suddenly it works out. This is Desenrascanço in action: not perfect, but pragmatic.
Example 2: Handymen and home repairs
Your boiler breaks down. The first installer can only come in three weeks. A Portuguese neighbour says: “Don’t wait, let’s ask my cousin/friend/neighbour.”
What might happen then:
A handyman shows up the very same evening.
Temporary solutions are found (provisional repair, temporary workaround, alternative heating).
Permanent spare parts are installed later.
Again: not always according to strict “DIN standards”, but often surprisingly quick and very practical.
Example 3: School or daycare
You receive short‑notice information from the school in Portuguese, which you barely understand. It is about changed times, materials or a school trip.
Instead of waiting for an official translation:
Other parents (Portuguese or expats) quickly help in the WhatsApp group.
The teacher explains in person at pick‑up what really matters.
With Desenrascanço, a network of mutual help emerges – a bit chaotic, but very human.
How to deal better with “Desenrascanço”
1. Adjust your expectations
The most important step for relaxed living in Portugal: accept that not everything follows perfectly structured processes.
Instead of thinking: “Why is everything so unprofessional here?”
you might ask yourself: “How can we still find a solution together?”
Helpful mindsets:
Flexibility instead of perfection
Solution focus instead of blame
Trust that things will fall into place over time
2. Build a clear foundation – then stay flexible
You do not have to take everything “lightly”. Good preparation is still important:
Scan important documents and keep them available digitally.
Record appointments and agreements in writing (email, WhatsApp).
Note deadlines in your calendar.
But: At the same time, expect plans to change – and keep some buffers in your schedule. This way, you combine your familiar structure with the Portuguese mentality.
3. Proactively ask for solutions
If something does not go as planned, feel free to ask:
“How can we solve this practically now?”
“Is there another option?”
“What would you do in my situation?”
Many Portuguese people will automatically switch into “desenrascanço mode” and suggest paths you would never have thought of on your own.
Conclusion: Life in Portugal – structure plus Desenrascanço
If you come from a very structured country, Desenrascanço can feel like pure chaos at first. Over time, however, many expats realise: it is precisely this ability to find solutions where there are officially none that makes life in Portugal so human and enjoyable.
The art lies in
bringing your own structure with you,
understanding the Portuguese mentality,
and combining both wisely.
This way, frustration about “disorder” gradually turns into calmness – and real integration.
How a relocation service helps you use Desenrascanço – without drowning in chaos
Living in Portugal means embracing new structures – and also a creative way of dealing with obstacles. But you do not have to figure everything out on your own.
An experienced relocation service helps you
develop realistic expectations towards authorities, landlords and providers,
prepare important processes in a structured way (documents, deadlines, forms),
understand typical “desenrascar” approaches that make everyday life easier,
avoid cultural misunderstandings (“Why does nobody call me back?”),
and keep your life in Portugal relaxed in the long term.
We know the cultural particularities of Portugal and, from experience, we know when it is worth insisting on a formal solution – and when a pragmatic Portuguese path will get you to your goal much faster.
As an experienced relocation service in Lisbon, we support you personally, explain the Portuguese mentality, prepare your appointments and help you turn Desenrascanço into your ally – instead of your main source of stress.
Book a free initial consultation and let us find out together how we can make your start and your life in Portugal simpler, more relaxed and easier to plan.