I’m starting the process of getting residency in Portugal by the fund investment option. I just talked to a firm that I found through Google that takes you through the whole process but I’m going to guess they’re a little pricey for the white glove treatment. Their legal fees were estimated to be about 35,000 euros. I feel like with the information on this forum I should be able to do much of the process myself. Can anyone recommend a good immigration lawyer to assist with the rest? Thanks!
2 Likes
Wow, €35K is high. Is that just legal fees or does that include government fees? If it includes the government fees then it is more reasonable.
1 Like
Last year I purchased a property in Lisbon in order to qualify for a Golden Visa. I was represented by Francisco Salgueiro, who’s a Senior Partner at Edge International Law firm. Francisco and his team assisted me with getting my tax id number, opening a Portuguese bank account, negotiating my purchase agreement for the property, and every aspect of the GV application process, including accompanying me to my visa interview. They also act as my fiscal agent in Portugal for my required tax filings. Everyone in the firm speaks perfect English, they are incredibly responsive, they have extensive experience representing foreign investors, and always find practical solutions to the unforeseen hurdles and the bureaucracy. When one bank was slow in opening my bank account, they quickly found another one and were able to open my bank account in a number of days. Despite the pandemic, they were able to file my Golden Visa application quickly, get me an interview in a smaller city which cut the waiting time in half, and I had my GV in hand within 9 months of filing. They were extremely professional and provided the highest caliber of legal support. The legal fees were transparent, reasonable, and there were no surprises. I have worked with lawyers and law firms in over 40 countries and Edge International Law, and Francisco and his associate, Ana Abreu, are some of the best I’ve ever worked with. I am extremely pleased with their services and they have earned my trust. Since they are a full-service law firm, I intend to use them in the future for any future legal needs. I highly recommend them.
Edited by moderator: Please don’t post email addresses publicly.
9 Likes
Totally second that.
Thank you for the recommendation, I’ll look him up!
Hi I recently got a quote from LVP Advogados - a firm of lawyers in Lisbon they emailed me detailing their services and quoted 2900 euros for the first main applicant and 1400 for the second and subsequent applicant eg spouse etc. The lady who contacted me was Manuella Sena, who is one of their immigration consultants - website is in English and has useful info on there re all sorts of things including the “Golden Visa” Only thing I would say is that they quoted 200 Euros for the obtaining the NIF - I am using NIFonline which I found on here and they charge 73 Euros - including the necessary tax representation you need if you’re not resident…I haven’t actually got it but so far seem very efficient, and they have already scheduled a zoom meeting to ID me and my signature! I wonder if your quote is so high because you are applying for the GV???
2 Likes
Hi @trumanellis, I agree with @sjswarts - that’s super expensive. Are you looking just for yourself or for your entire family?
Dear all,
I would kindly ask kind of the similar question. I am about to start GV process - gathered tons of information, spoke to different lawyers. Prices vary significantly - and I don’t know how to choose. My understanding is that good trusted lawyer/firm is very important for the process as lots of money (investment) at stake. So for me the full pack of services/guidance is needed. Have not decided regarding real estate or fund path yet.
I would kindly appreciate any personal experience share (here or in private message) - whether good or negative.
Many thanks.
Alexei
P.s. any recommendation for real estate agency would be also much appreciated.
1 Like
I would note that, for the fund route, a lawyer is not adding a ton of value. they’re rubber stamping some forms, and handholding you through SEF. Anyone who’s done a few hundred visas can probably handle it just fine. For a real estate purchase, there’s no doubt a lot more involved.
1 Like
We were considering doing most of the paperwork ourselves. I probably need to research this board to see who else has gone that route. We did all our own immigration paperwork for the USA.
Hello! Also in contact with same firm. Pursuing GV and their fees seem in line (if not a bit cheaper) than others. I like that they have been responsive. Others not so much.
Still doing some diligence on other firms….
Hi
thanks for the email - FYI I have just contacted another lawyer who I came across as part of my NIF online application. I liked the price from these you have mentioned however it was “a package price”, and much of it I can do myself, so I would rather just pay for what I need - Ill let you know when I get a response, as i believe you cant post actual email addresses here and at the moment that’s all I have!
Thanks for the info!
It’s very confusing and there is a lot of information available and sometimes you get lost.
I spoke to many firms and I engaged with EDGE Lawyers. I am very happy I have to say. Very responsive and sure know what they are talking about.
Im in the same stage. Would appreciate any inputs on how to stat the process for PGV, especially which are the best lawyers
Has anyone tried doing the process through the fund investment themselves? If yes, please share your experience! Thank you!
1 Like
I heard EDGE is one of the most professional law firm in Portugal with long history, which lawyer you work for ?
The general recommendation is that you don’t try it yourself. This is not a D7 where the path is well laid down by others (and even then it’s a little fraught, it seems). It’s theoretically possible but it will be so fraught and messy that you will wish you had spent the 5-10k on a lawyer. The key here is that you have to have an interview with a SEF official who has the power to say “no” if you piss them off, and they may not even speak anything but Portuguese. Whereas generally if you have a lawyer reports are that they do a fair bit of the talking and grease the skids and make sure your paperwork is right and it just goes smoothly.
One might complain it is a rigged system designed to grease lawyer’s pockets (though I don’t think so at all, it’s just what it is), but complaining that it should be efficient and easy will get you nowhere.
Now you can get lawyers who charge less because they do less; you do all the fund paperwork themselves and they merely represent you to SEF and push a few buttons. Or you can pay for white glove. That’s just market choice.
1 Like