M R.
Posted
I’d like to enthusiastically recommend…
I’d like to enthusiastically recommend StartAbroad. My wife and I are white collar professionals, who most deem as having above average intellect and capabilities. We looked at the requirements for a D-7 visa to Portugal and thought how tough could this be for us to complete, especially with the Internet! However, we had multiple family and property issues we were working on so we decided to use a company that facilitated the process. I left it up to my wife to choose the company. After a lot of research, which included Facebook, ex-pat blogs and websites, she chose StartAbroad. She liked their back story. StartAbroad seemed like they would oversee the process, provide us guidance and at a reasonable price compared to other companies. Due to our multiple projects, we decided to choose the higher end Concierge service, which at the time, seemed like it might be overkill, but the price was very reasonable. This turned out to be the best decision we made regarding our immigration plans. While the laws and process seemed fairly straightforward, little if anything was. The time zone difference (especially when in our place on the west coast of the U.S.) and not speaking Portuguese were bigger obstacles than we had anticipated Timing was also a factor. We chose a difficult time to start the process as Portugal was changing requirements on what seemed a weekly basis. As an example, an apostille for the criminal background check which needed to be no more than six months old would need to be provided when meeting with the initial application screeners. Shortly before our appointment, which would fall within the 6 month window, the requirement was changed without notice or warning to less than 90 days. Anna and StartAbroad sent out an advisory alert. While we barely had time to get the background check re-apostilled in time for our meeting, thanks to the alert, we didn’t show up in San Francisco with a document that would have been rejected and have to start the process all over again. There were other changes and challenges more significant which I suspect most won’t encounter but Startabroad handled them either directly, or through a Third Party at no additional charge. From banking, to appointments with AIMA, to securing rental agreements and utilities, which in hindsight, are all things we wouldn’t have known how to arrange, StartAbroad handled. As I write this, we’re holding our D-7 Visas in our hands, effective May 1, 2026. We’re currently wrapping up things domestically and looking forward to leaving the U. S., and starting life over in Portugal. I can say unequivocally, without StartAbroad we’d have thrown in the towel by now. Or we’d still be struggling through the process with no end in sight. Should you choose StartAbroad, you’ll have made the best decision for a successful transition.