Hi all - We are currently working with Henley and of course, they are pricey. Wondering if others may have used less costly options with good outcomes & excellent service. Any feedback much appreciated!
Never felt the need for an agency, just hired a lawyer. No regrets.
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Same. Went with a lawyer.
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I used a golden visa agency and really question their value-add. The only thing that they really did was open a Portuguese bank account on my behalf and introduce me to my lawyer. Otherwise, I’ve never heard from them again since my initial biometric appointment. I just deal with my lawyers and bank relationship manager on all things related to my GV. Save yourself some money and find one of the reputable law firms mentioned on this forum.
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I went with henley would have rather just went direct with IAS
Thanks, all. We are considering going the donation route and I’m wondering if a law firm could facilitate that in terms of connecting us with one of the approved charities. Any insights appreciated.
Same. I invested with a fund that allowed me to transfer money directly to them. No Portuguese bank account needed. The whole process was quite simple, there’s really no need for an agency.
Don’t go the donation route. You’ll have no recourse. As you’ll find browsing the forums, the GV is increasingly a scam, with 4-5 year wait times to get your visa, and soon to be 10 years to apply for citizenship, with a further 4 year wait to get that processed. I highly recommend you invest in a liquid fund that you can sell at any time, because otherwise you will end up trapped with no recourse. @ohbee used the donation option and not only did he never get a residence card, the charity he donated to won’t respond or speak to him.
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Wow, that’s pretty awful. At this point, I’m not sure that we will be doing either of the Portugal GVs- waiting for the final outcome on the citizenship vote, but at this point it’s looking bleak. And even if it squeaks through this time, my fear is that it won’t next time. Sinking money into the Portugal GV- particularly money that we can’t recover if things go south- is looking increasingly like a very bad bet.
I wouldn’t, if I could do it over again. It’s turned out to be one of the biggest financial mistakes of our lives. Considering a D7 is effectively free and substantially faster, it’s a far better option, if you actually want to live in PT.
The D7 is definitely cheaper and may cut the wait by a year or so, but when the baseline wait is ten years for citizenship, it no longer feels like much of an advantage unfortunately. I think we may be starting from scratch and looking at all the options out there, including Malta.
That’s true. If your ultimate goal is citizenship then Portugal is probably not the best option anymore. The D7 only makes sense if your goal is to live in Portugal and citizenship isn’t a high priority for you. If your aim is citizenship then other countries offer quicker timelines. 5 years in Germany for example.
Portugal advertised themselves as Temu Malta: cheaper for same result. Just like Temu, buyer beware 
I suggest you talk to Kurran at Valerio Partners. He helped me find a lawyer to work with, helped me select funds that match my goals and risk profile, saved me money on setting up a bank, get all the apostilles, and more. His background is in finance, but he really understands the whole bureaucratic mess. He answered questions for me on a Zoom for nearly an hour with absolutely no commitment.
I finished my application in April, but I still talk with Kurran regularly on WhatsApp asking his opinion about the changes in the GV that are currently being discussed in the PT legislature.
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I have a similar experience wit Kurran Sachdeva. You do not need any ‘agency’. The reasonable fees you pay him get more than made up with his advice and suggestions. These help save on avoidable expenses. At one stage, unexpected fees were charged by the bank. When the bank refused to reverse the fees, he reimbursed the amount to me personally.
He is now a friend to me and no longer a ‘consultant’.