Looking for feedback from others currently going through the Portugal Golden Visa process, especially around the biometrics/AIMA stage.
My law firm recently informed me of an additional €300 charge for accompaniment at the biometrics appointment. Their explanation is that, due to the current volume of AIMA appointments, they have needed additional legal/administrative resources and therefore require this payment in order to guarantee accompaniment.
What concerns me is that my original package already appeared to include representation/accompaniment at AIMA appointments (“dislocation to AIMA within Lisbon district” was specifically listed as an included service). From my perspective, this feels like an extra charge for something that was already part of the package.
Also, there is nothing expedited or unusual about my case:
no fast-track request,
no remote AIMA office request,
and about a one-year wait from filing to biometrics, which seems fairly standard currently.
So I’m curious whether others have experienced similar post-contract accompaniment/admin charges for standard applications, and whether this is now considered normal practice in the current AIMA environment.
Have others encountered this? Were these fees disclosed upfront, or did they arise later in the process?
It is well documented in this forum that the entire GV process is a money grab. If you are worried about a 300 euro upcharge, you aren’t even remotely prepared for what will hit you in the next 10-13 years.
As Kevin Bacon aptly put it in the movie Animal House, you should be prepared for repeating the phrase “Obrigado, o Senhor! May I have another?”
I’m not sure what you’re driving at with the sarcasm. I’m not questioning that the GV process has costs — I’m asking something specific about whether this type of post-contract “included service” becoming separately charged is actually common practice. That’s the part I’m trying to understand from people who’ve gone through it.
It might be a flippant response, but it’s not sarcastic. I am being serious. I answered your question in a manner to drive the point home. The practice is not just common, it’s endemic. And by the way, as you describe your contract, the practice you mention isn’t even as you describe it.
It should not be normal. It’s a contract and they should keep to their terms. The question is whether you are willing to go so far as breach-of-contract etc and switch lawyers.
Some PT context - this is very normal culturally. You need to push back at least two times (first reference the contract, second time say this isn’t good for the long-term relationship).
If the lawyer still insists on the fee, then you know (1) he is serious and (2) you need to go with a more well known firm where fees are not a surprise.
Keep in mind that this was always a 7-9 year process (now a 12-15 year process), so fees will unfortunately go up over time. The “cash grab” comment is because all promises have been broken at this point, invest funds are the no longer the correct number of years, AIMA isn’t delivering, lawyers are redoing and redoing work, and we (investors) are caught in the middle.
Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts and experience. My biometric appointment is indeed in Lisbon btw, so there is no special circumstance of any kind. When we started the process, we interviewed a few firms and chose one that was fairly well reviewed and well represented, hoping to avoid situations like this.
If my center comes outside Lisbon, they told me in advance that they will charge 450 extra with VAT. (although in the original contract - the amount was not specified- it was mentioned as “additional charges”)