8 Do’s & Don’ts to Choose a Trustworthy Portugal Immigration Agency

By /
| The Golden Portugal

When it comes to choosing the right immigration agency for your Portugal Golden Visa or D visa application, I’ve heard too many horror stories—and lived through a few myself.

Clients who lost time, money, or worse—hope—because they trusted the wrong person, followed advice from a random Facebook group, or believed “a friend of a friend” who turned out to be completely unqualified.

So, let’s get this straight.

Here are 10 brutally honest do’s and don’ts when choosing a reliable agency to support your Portugal immigration journey. Learn from others’ mistakes before they become your own.

1. DO: Choose a specialist—not a generalist!

You want an agency that lives and breathes Portugal immigration law.
Not a relocation company. Not a logistics coordinator. Not someone who “also does immigration on the side.”

Why it matters: Immigration law changes fast. D7 rules, Golden Visa funds, biometric booking windows—these require real-time updates. Relocation firms can help with school searches and utility bills, but they’re not equipped to protect your legal status.

Bonus Insight:  Also, avoid working with tax lawyers or accounting firms on immigration.

Just like I don’t give tax advice (we refer our clients to a tax specialist if they need tax advice), a tax lawyer shouldn’t be giving immigration advice. Yes, anyone who is a member of the Portuguese Bar associates can act on your behalf to submit your application. But, someone who has done 10 cases is different from someone who has done 100 cases. Even though we’ve handled hundreds of cases, we’re still learning because policies change constantly. Someone who is not doing this day in and day out wouldn’t have the latest updates. 

Specialization exists for a reason. Immigration law is its beast—especially in Portugal.

2. DON’T: Work with agencies that outsource your file

We get it—sometimes, clients want to speak to someone local. But in immigration? Local doesn’t mean qualified.
What you need is a team on the ground in Portugal—where the tax ID gets issued, the bank account gets opened, the investments are made, and the biometrics are booked. Only a Portuguese-licensed lawyer can represent you for your Portugal Golden Visa application. 

During the first couple months of the application process, we are in contact with our customers weekly, sometimes daily.  That’s why we don’t work with overseas agents. We’d rather lose a few clients than compromise the quality of service.

And those ‘global’ brands? They mostly operate through partnerships—more like a franchise than a firm. A key weakness of the franchise model is that service quality depends entirely on the local partner. Even if the brand looks strong, the client experience might not match.

You’re essentially dealing with two separate entities: the brand and the franchisee. That often leads to unclear pricing, add-on services, or inflated fees.  

3. DO: Demand direct access to your lawyer 

I’ve seen clients stuck in limbo because their agency didn’t understand the process well enough and gave no contact point of their ‘Portuguese lawyer’. You’d be surprised how many people go through an entire visa process without ever speaking to their actual lawyer.

I’ve worked with clients who switched to us after their first firm ghosted them post-payment. No fund manager introduction. No lawyer access. Just a local agency with zero accountability.  We understand that agencies outside of Portugal want to keep their role as the middleman (since they don’t have any other value to offer otherwise), but as a client, you don’t need a gatekeeper.  Find someone that speaks your language and works with you directly—without middlemen!

That’s not guidance. That’s gatekeeping.

4. DON’T: Trust Facebook “experts.”

Please do not base your life-changing decision on someone who’s done it once and now runs a Facebook or WhatsApp group.
I’ve met clients who trusted one of these influencers, who introduced them to their lawyer and some fund investments… Guess what, problems arose and the introducer would never follow up.  After all, the introducer only ‘introduce the service provider’, but there wasn’t any proper agreement for them follow up your case.

How to differentiate the amateur?

1.  They don’t run a real company on immigration. 

2.  Most of them have many gigs.  Since they are not focus enough nor expert enough to live on just doing one thing, they have many other gigs going on, most commonly like real estates, or events, getting paid on referral basis.

5. DO: Check for transparency.

Can they introduce you directly to fund managers? bank managers?  
This goes back to point 3.  You need transparency throughout your whole process.  You should be able to deal with your bank manager directly.  The same goes to fund managers.  

This not only ensures you are 100% informed.  It also makes it much easier shall you want to change lawyer or agency later on.  We’ve had cases where a previous lawyer refused to release client documents, and we had to resolve it legally..

6. DON’T: Assume “good intentions” equal expertise.

Your real estate agency may “also help on immigration” or “know an expert lawyer on immigration.”, Your friend’s cousin may have “done this before.” 
That doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing.

When I first moved here, I used a friend-of-a-friend lawyer. She was “experienced,” but didn’t even know the basics. And the worst part (maybe it’s the best part)?  She ghosted me after my too-direct email (Note: many Portuguese can’t take criticism nor confrontation).  And the outcome?  My criminal record expired. I didn’t make my SEF appointment within the 3 months that I was supposed to (She didn’t know the rules, and neither did I). And I was fined by SEF. 

Lesson learned — ‘introduction by a friend’ is not a qualification.

7. DO: Verify reviews and referrals.

Google, Trustpilot, real client referrals.

Look for patterns, not perfection.

One glowing review won’t save you. Ten real ones probably will.

8. DO: Watch out for fake brands.

We’ve encountered two companies trying to copy our name, One called themselves ‘Portugal Dourado’ (literally means “Golden Portugal” in Portuguese).

Other than ‘fake’ brands, some firms were founded just this year or last.

We only operate under one name: The Golden Portugal. Our official site is www.thegoldenportugal.com, and our only office (as of Q1 2025) is in Lisbon.

Pro Tip: Know Your Lawyer’s Role

Your lawyer can confirm eligibility, but they shouldn’t be your investment advisor.
If you wouldn’t ask a lawyer for portfolio advice back home, don’t start now.

The Golden Portugal has more than 5 years in guiding clients through investments for the Portugal Golden Visa and works with the top investment fund managers.  We have on-the-ground experts to guide clients according to their interests, risk profiles, and objectives. 

We also work with the client’s own financial advisor, if needed, who has worked with the client for ages and understands their situation.

Final Words 

If this feels like a rant, it is.

Because I’ve seen what happens when people trust the wrong agency—it derails not just an application but a dream. And it just adds so much unnecessary frustration and stress to your already hectic everyday life and world chaos. 

Recently, we are getting many help calls from clients that had chosen the wrong agencies (with their horrific experiences) and are new looking for someone to take their hands on next journey of their golden visa renewals and citizenship application.

So if you’re about to take this step, please choose a real immigration specialist who understands Portugal inside and out.

If you’re unsure, reach out. We don’t promise perfection, but we promise truth, transparency, and a team that’s right here in Portugal—with you every step of the way.  

We have helped more than 500 families on their Portugal Golden Visa journey. 

We are also the pioneer firm to help clients to invest through funds back from 2020 until now. Come talk with us.

Book a consultation with us
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