We are rushing to get our Portugal GV application in before the end of May 2023. We have a handle on most other documents and have decided to go via the fund (IMGA) route for investment. We are US citizens.
What is the quickest way to get this account setup besides showing up in person? Thanks!
Show up in person, it’s much faster
Otherwise, hassle people over phone and email
Reach out to Nuno at Bison while you get your NIF from Bordr. They can also help you get your documents certified for Bison. Both are very helpful and fast.
Agree with @garrett - I did it remotely and it was a hassle.
Filled in all the paperwork, DHL’d it to them, and they turned around and said my signatures didn’t match my passport sig.
Had to sit at the kitchen table with my passport and practice signing over & over & over until I had it nailed. Even then, I had 5 copies of each sheet with all but the sigs filled in. Then I signed each sheet one by one comparing to the passport. Threw away a bunch of misses - one gets self conscious - before i had all signed.
This time, I scanned it, sent the PDF to Nuno and asked him to confirm with his compliance team that the sigs were good. Only then, when he said it was good, did I re-DHL the forms to them.
And all of this under a tight turn-around window (late Q4-2021). The turn-around on the DHL was about 7 days. So the initial misfire caused quite a bit of angst.
Thanks everyone, we will try to meet Nuno in person.
Do you have a email or phone # for Nuno, I also am trying to get bank account set up.
Is Bison bank the only bank that Americans can use for GV funding? I heard we could use Big as well but its no longer taking customers. Has anyone used any other bank?
Thank you!
DM me your email address and I’ll do the intro. He’s great. After receiving all the necessary certified documents it took 4 days to open our account.
Banco Atlantico also deals with FATCA for US reporting and you can open an account remotely via their app. However, they are limited in the funds they can purchase of you’re going that route.
can I ask how long ago this was? Our contact a Bison told us that after receiving the paperwork it would be 2-3 weeks for the bank account to actually be opened!
Hi all, if I am going to portgual to open a Bison account, is any special documentation required (beyond the obvious like Passport, NIF etc)? Ie what would need to be procured in the US before leaving?
Its best to get in touch with Nuno at Bison bank and get the list of required docs. We just did that. He is very responsive.
Also, we were told that it wouldn’t help too much to open the account in person as the long poll is the compliance checks and approvals.
This so true! I went with setting up a company and never have gotten my signature rejected so many times.
Nuno is your man! Phone Bison direct and you will find him. Please note Bison is an Investment Bank and later you will need an account with a high street bank for day to day transactions
Another vote for Nuno at Bison Bank; have been working with him since 3/2022 with our GV turistic renovation investment and he has been fabulous, patient, polite, responsive and just the best. Now, if only he were in charge of SEF… 
Yes. Nuno! 10/10.
Can someone provide me with a direct phone number or email address to Nuno?
Thanks to everyone who reached out to directly. I’m all set.