If you are hiring help to get a golden visa, the first thing worth knowing is that the best-known agencies are not law firms, and they do not all charge the same way. This guide compares five of them, Get Golden Visa, La Vida, Astons, AnchorLess, and Movingto, on the things that actually decide the choice: what kind of firm each one is, how it prices its work, how deep it goes on the Portugal Golden Visa, and whether it covers your tax side. The goal is to show which fits which reader, and when going direct or hiring a lawyer is the better call. Every fact about a firm here comes from its own public pages, retrieved in July 2026.
[DISCLOSURE] Roots Global operates in the same market as the firms compared here. This comparison is based on each firm's public data with the retrieval dates shown, not on any client or commercial relationship with them, and any firm named here is welcome to send corrections. [/DISCLOSURE]
How to choose a golden visa agency: the criteria that matter
The right agency for you comes down to a handful of practical questions: what kind of firm it is, whether it publishes its price, how deep it goes on the Portugal Golden Visa, and whether it covers your tax side. Get those straight and the shortlist sorts itself. The list below is also, deliberately, the set of columns in the master comparison table further down.
- The model. Is it an advisory firm, a broker or referral agent, a relocation platform, or a real-estate agency? Match that to what you actually need.
- Fee transparency. Does it publish a fixed price, or quote only on request? This is the sharpest single difference between the five.
- Portugal Golden Visa depth. Is the program a dedicated service, or thin coverage bolted onto a general relocation menu?
- Jurisdictions covered. One country, or a broad multi-program catalog across EU residency and Caribbean citizenship?
- Public review standing. Is there a verifiable independent score, or none you can confirm? Several here have no score we could verify.
- Your US-tax side. Does anyone here file your US taxes? Preview: no, not one of them.
- In-house lawyers versus a referral network. Who is legally accountable for your file, and who actually holds the legal relationship?
Getting help with this Comparing golden visa agencies means weighing them on model, fee transparency, Portugal GV depth, and whether your tax side is covered. A confident, organized reader can vet and coordinate providers alone, reading each firm's reviews and asking for fees in writing. In practice, the value of help is a like-for-like comparison and, for US clients, making sure the US-tax side is not left in a gap. Roots Global advises on residency and citizenship by investment and builds US-tax coordination into every application, drawing on deep US cross-border tax experience and giving clients direct access to that expertise rather than a gap to fill on their own.
For the full framework we use to weigh any provider, see how to choose a golden visa advisor.
What a golden visa agency actually does (and doesn't): agency vs law firm vs DIY
A golden visa agency coordinates your application and points you to the right people; in these five cases, it does not act as your law firm. That is the single most important thing to understand before you pay one. Each of the five says so in its own words, and the distinction changes who is accountable if something goes wrong.
None of the five is a law firm, on each firm's own description. Get Golden Visa calls itself an "independent residency and citizenship advisory firm" working through "a network of independent legal professionals." La Vida describes itself as "investment migration specialists." Astons presents as an "investment immigration company" that engages licensed local attorneys per jurisdiction. AnchorLess states plainly that it "is not a bank, accountant, tax advisor, investment advisor, or law firm" and that it acts "as an intermediary." Movingto says it "coordinates the process" while "licensed lawyers, tax advisers, and investment professionals give regulated advice directly." The common thread: the agency organizes, and a separate professional carries the legal file.
So when does an agency earn its fee? When it saves you real time on a multi-country comparison, runs the document and source-of-funds workflow, and coordinates appointments and AIMA milestones you would otherwise chase yourself. And when is going direct or hiring a lawyer cheaper? On a single-country file, a straightforward fund route, or when you are comfortable with paperwork and would rather pay a lawyer directly than add a coordination layer. Both routes are valid. For the full decision framework, see lawyer vs agency vs DIY.
The five golden visa agencies compared
Here are the five agencies side by side, then a short, honest profile of each, with who it suits and one thing to weigh before you commit. The order below is presentational, not a ranking. Every cell traces to the firm's own public pages, retrieved in July 2026.
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| Firm | Model / entity type | Founded / track record | Jurisdictions | Portugal GV depth | Fee transparency | Public review standing (as of July 2026) | US-client capability | In-house lawyers vs referral |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get Golden Visa | Independent advisory firm (partner network); not a law firm | Founded 2014; London-primary, offices in Lisbon, Athens, Istanbul | Multi-region: EU, Caribbean CBI, US EB-5, Hong Kong | Dedicated Portugal GV service | Quote only | No public review score located | English-first; US business-hours calls | Routes to a network of independent legal professionals |
| La Vida Golden Visas | Investment-migration specialist and broker; not a law firm | Brand since 2012 (UK entity since 2002); London HQ | Widest catalog here (18+ programs) | Dedicated Portugal GV service | Quote only | No verifiable review score located | US office and US phone line | Refers the legal file to a separate firm |
| Astons | Investment-immigration company and real-estate agency; not a law firm | "35+ years" (founded London 1989, per secondary sources) | 15+ programs; strongest in Greece | Dedicated Portugal GV service | Quote only | Very small, largely vendor-supplied base; live figure | Fort Lauderdale office; US-client Greek GV track record | Engages licensed local attorneys per country |
| AnchorLess | All-in-one relocation platform / intermediary; explicitly not a law firm | Founded 2021; Portugal-based | Portugal, Spain, Italy | Supporting services; thinner GV depth | Publishes fixed prices | "Excellent"-band Trustpilot corpus, unverified by direct load | English-first; strong US content (firm says "2,000+ Americans") | 10+ external partner lawyers |
| Movingto | Residency and GV coordination platform + content operation; not a law firm | Founded 2021; Lisbon and Sydney | Portugal flagship plus Spain, Italy, Greece, UAE, Grenada | Dedicated Portugal GV fund-route product | Publishes fixed prices | Thin, conflicting review base, unverified by direct load | Heaviest US skew (firm says "US clients 90%") | Fronts named, bar-registered lawyers who advise directly |
Get Golden Visa
Get Golden Visa describes itself as an "independent residency and citizenship advisory firm," founded in 2014, London-primary with offices in Lisbon, Athens, and Istanbul. It runs a broad multi-program catalog spanning EU golden visas, Caribbean citizenship, and the US EB-5 route, with a dedicated Portugal Golden Visa page. It does not publish its own service fee, so you request a quote, and it courts US investors with video calls scheduled in US business hours. Best for: investors who want a broad, multi-program advisory front door with US-hours access and are comfortable asking for a quote. One honest limitation: no public review score could be located as of July 2026, and its own service fee is not published.
La Vida Golden Visas
La Vida calls itself "investment migration specialists," a brand operating since 2012 (its UK entity, La Vida Europe Limited, dates to 2002), with a London HQ and offices listed in the USA, Hong Kong, and Portugal. It markets the widest catalog here, more than 18 programs, with a dedicated Portugal Golden Visa page and a US office and phone line. Its own service fee is quote only. As a broker, it refers your legal file to a separate firm rather than holding it in-house. Best for: shoppers who want the broadest program catalog under one roof with a US contact line. One honest limitation: no verifiable public review score could be located as of July 2026, and its scale figures ("100,000+ clients") are the firm's own unaudited numbers.
Astons
Astons presents as an "investment immigration company" and a real-estate agency, citing "over 35 years of experience" (secondary sources place its founding in London in 1989). It runs a multi-jurisdiction operation with a Fort Lauderdale office and a Cascais office in Portugal, markets 15+ programs, and is visibly strongest in Greece. It has a dedicated Portugal Golden Visa page, and its own service fee is quote only. Because it is also a real-estate agency, it can source property inside a golden visa file. Best for: clients who want property-inclusive golden visa sourcing, Greece especially, from a firm that is also a real-estate agency. One honest limitation: its independent review base is very small and largely vendor-supplied, and its own service fee is quote only.
AnchorLess
AnchorLess is an all-in-one relocation platform that states plainly it "is not a law firm" and acts "as an intermediary," working with "10+ partner lawyers." Founded in 2021 and Portugal-based, it also covers Spain and Italy. It is one of only two firms here that publishes fixed prices: its services are positioned at "up to €999," with a 60-minute immigration consultation at €249 and a Portuguese income-tax filing product at €359. Its US-facing content is strong. Best for: budget-conscious movers who want fixed, published prices for the Portugal-side admin (NIF, bank account, D7 and D8 visas) and a low-cost lawyer consultation. One honest limitation: its Golden Visa depth is thinner than the specialist advisories, it is an intermediary rather than a law firm, and its live review score could not be verified by direct load.
Movingto
Movingto is a residency and Golden Visa coordination platform fused with a large content operation, founded in 2021 by Dean and Ana Fankhauser and described as family-owned, with work split across Lisbon and Sydney. Portugal is its flagship, alongside Spain, Italy, Greece, the UAE, and Grenada. It is the other firm here that publishes fixed prices: a €6,000 coordination fee on the Portugal Golden Visa fund route, and €1,760 on the D7 and D8 visas. It fronts named, bar-registered lawyers who deliver the regulated advice directly. Best for: US clients who want a fixed-price, published-fee coordination platform for the Portugal golden visa fund route. One honest limitation: it is not a law firm (the separately engaged lawyer is accountable for the legal file), its independent review base is thin and conflicting, and its "100% approval" figure is a firm self-claim we do not verify.
What golden visa agencies cost: fee transparency compared
Two of the five publish fixed prices; the other three quote only on request. That is the single clearest difference in how these firms handle cost. AnchorLess and Movingto put numbers on the page. Get Golden Visa, La Vida, and Astons ask you to request a quote. Neither model is a red flag on its own, but knowing which is which saves you time.
The table below shows the published figures where they exist, and what each fee leaves out. Read the "note" column carefully, because a headline price is rarely the all-in cost.
| Firm | Own service fee | Published figures (from firm pages) | What it excludes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AnchorLess | Published, fixed | "Up to €999" overall; immigration consultation €249 (from €299); Portuguese income-tax filing €359 | Its own Golden Visa service fee is not itemized; it shows the third-party government and legal GV cost as roughly €5,000 to €8,000 |
| Movingto | Published, fixed | Golden Visa fund route €6,000 (coordination fee); D7 and D8 €1,760; Spain DNV €1,895 and NLV €1,750; Italy €2,500 | Coordination fee only; legal fees, the fund investment, government fees, and third-party costs are billed separately |
| Get Golden Visa | Quote only | Own fee not published | Its Portugal page shows a general third-party legal estimate (around €15,000 for a family of four), not its own fee |
| La Vida Golden Visas | Quote only | Own fee not published | Pricing page shows program investment minimums plus a "request a quote" prompt |
| Astons | Quote only | Own fee not published | Publishes program thresholds and some government fees; directs you to "contact Astons" for current service fees |
The honest read is simple. The two published figures are not like-for-like. AnchorLess's "up to €999" covers relocation admin, while Movingto's €6,000 is Golden Visa fund-route coordination only, with the lawyer's fee, the fund investment, and government fees on top. So the comparison worth making is published versus quote-only transparency, not "which is cheapest." Whatever the model, the agency's service fee sits on top of the government, legal, and investment costs. On the Portugal Golden Visa specifically, the qualifying-fund route runs through a minimum subscription of €500,000. For the program's own numbers, see Golden Visa cost breakdown.
Red flags: how to avoid overpaying a middleman
The main way people overpay is by using an agency as a middleman for something they could arrange directly, or by not checking what the fee actually includes. None of this means agencies are bad value; a good one saves real time. It means you should ask a few pointed questions before you sign. The checklist below is generic buyer guidance, not an accusation against any named firm.
- A referral markup you could avoid. If the agency simply introduces you to a developer, fund, or lawyer, ask what you save by going to them directly.
- The "not a law firm" gap. None of these five is a law firm, so confirm who is legally accountable for your file, and engage independent counsel where the money is large.
- Guaranteed-approval or "100% success" claims. No honest provider can guarantee a government outcome. Treat any such marketing as an unverified self-claim, not a promise.
- Quote-only opacity. If a firm will not give a written, itemized fee, ask what is fixed versus a percentage, and which third-party costs are separate.
- Pressure to buy a bundled property or fund. The agency may earn on what it sells you, so get an independent view of the asset.
- Unclear inclusions. Confirm in writing what the service fee covers and what is billed on top: government, legal, translation, and courier costs.
For the full vetting method, go back to how to choose a golden visa advisor.
Golden visa agencies for US clients: the tax gap none of them fills
Every one of these five works in English and several court American clients hard, but not one of them files your US taxes, so you will still need a separate US accountant. That is the one gap a US reader should plan around from the start. It is not a knock on any firm; it reflects the normal division of labor across investment-migration providers.
The US-facing strengths are real. Movingto has the heaviest US orientation of the group, stating that most of its clients are US-based. AnchorLess runs a dedicated "moving to Portugal from the USA" webinar and heavy US content. Get Golden Visa schedules calls in US business hours. La Vida lists a US office and a US phone line. Astons runs a Fort Lauderdale office and shows a track record of US clients securing Greek residency. All five are English-first.
The shared gap is straightforward. None of the five offers in-house US federal tax filing, the FBAR, FATCA, PFIC reporting, and Form 1040 expat returns that a US person still owes. Where these firms list "tax" services, they are destination-country tax; AnchorLess's "IRS" product, for example, is Portuguese income tax, not US. This is worth confirming directly with any provider you consider, and pairing with a US cross-border accountant, because a foreign fund or account brings US reporting the agency does not file for you. The full US journey, and where tax fits, is in Golden Visa for Americans.
See also
- best immigration lawyers in Portugal for the full comparison hub.
- how to choose a golden visa advisor for the criteria framework.
- lawyer vs agency vs DIY for the decision framework.
- If you want a law firm instead of an agency: Henley & Partners review and Global Citizen Solutions review.
- Golden Visa cost breakdown for the program's own costs.
Frequently asked questions
Are golden visa agencies worth it, or should I go direct? It depends on complexity. An agency can save real time and coordinate a multi-country file, running the document and source-of-funds workflow and appointment scheduling for you. On a single-country file or a straightforward fund route, going direct or hiring a lawyer is often cheaper. Weigh your time against the coordination fee. See lawyer vs agency vs DIY.
Do I still need an independent lawyer if I use an agency? Often, yes. None of these five is a law firm, and several recommend engaging separate counsel. The agency coordinates the process; the lawyer is accountable for the legal file. Where the investment is large, an independent lawyer protects your interests in a way a coordination platform cannot. See how to choose a golden visa advisor.
How much do golden visa agency fees add on top of government and legal costs? It varies, and only two of the five publish a figure. AnchorLess and Movingto post fixed prices; Get Golden Visa, La Vida, and Astons quote on request. Whatever the model, the agency's service fee sits on top of the investment, government, and legal costs, which are billed separately. See Golden Visa cost breakdown.
Are golden visa agencies regulated or licensed? They are businesses, not regulated law firms. Some hold program-agent appointments for specific citizenship or residency schemes, but the regulated legal and tax advice comes from the licensed professionals they engage, not from the agency itself. Verify the lawyer who will actually carry your file separately, and confirm their bar registration.
Can a golden visa agency guarantee approval? No. No honest provider can guarantee a government outcome, so treat any "100% approval" or "never rejected" marketing claim as an unverified self-claim rather than a promise. Approval depends on your documents, your source of funds, and the authority's own review. A good agency improves your file; it cannot guarantee the decision.
Do golden visa agencies handle US taxes? No. All five are English-first, but none offers in-house US federal tax filing such as FBAR, FATCA, or PFIC reporting. Their "tax" services, where they exist, cover destination-country tax. A US person pairs the agency with a separate US cross-border accountant so the reporting is planned from the start. See Golden Visa for Americans.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Firm facts are sourced from each company's public data as of July 2026 and may change; verify current figures and fees with the firm directly before acting. Last updated: July 2026.
About the author
Vanessa Mororó is Head of Legal, Portugal at Roots Global, where she advises HNWI and US cross-border clients on Portuguese nationality, residency, and immigration matters, including the Golden Visa investment route. Connect on LinkedIn.
