How Movingto works: a named lawyer from our in-house legal team and a dedicated Case Lead take your residency application through 10 steps, from a free 30-minute consultation to your residence card and renewals. For a Portugal Golden Visa, plan on 3 to 5 months of preparation and then 12 to 24+ months from submission to your first residence card.
A Case Lead is the Movingto team member who manages your documents, deadlines and updates from the first call to your residence card; the legal analysis, strategy and filings on a Portugal case sit with a lawyer from our in-house legal team.
Movingto is a Portugal-first immigration firm that puts a named, Bar-registered lawyer from its in-house legal team on your case and publishes its fees.
Here is exactly what happens at each stage.
Who Does What
Movingto assigns one case team. For Portugal cases, Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer leads immigration legal work while the dedicated Case Lead manages evidence, documents, deadlines, banking steps and client communication. Other market scopes are confirmed in writing before engagement.
What You Do (The Client)
- Provide personal documents (passport, criminal records, proof of address)
- Provide financial documents (bank statements, tax returns, source-of-funds)
- Make the qualifying investment (fund, donation, or business)
- Obtain health insurance
- Attend any required in-person appointments; travel requirements vary by program
- Respond to document requests on time
- Meet minimum stay requirements
What the Movingto Case Team Does
- Initial route-fit intake and case planning
- Dedicated Case Lead and in-house Portuguese immigration lawyer assignment for Portugal cases
- Personalised document checklist
- NIF registration
- Bank account opening
- Investment-process support via funds.movingto.com; regulated investment advice remains a separate professional scope
- Apostilles, translations, legalisation
- Milestone & deadline tracking
- Weekly updates, same-day urgent replies
- Biometrics scheduling
- Renewal and citizenship workflow support
- Escalation tracking and preparation for lawyer-led authority responses
What Movingto's In-House Licensed Portuguese Immigration Lawyers Do
- Portuguese immigration legal eligibility assessment
- Portuguese immigration document-sufficiency review
- Prepare and file Portuguese immigration applications
- Portuguese immigration legal representation
- Review the Portuguese immigration-law implications of investment evidence
- Portuguese immigration authority correspondence and responses
- Portuguese immigration-law analysis for family inclusion
- Portuguese immigration renewal and citizenship legal work
For Portugal cases, an in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer at Movingto is part of the assigned case team and is responsible for Portuguese immigration legal analysis, strategy, filings, representation, appeals, and authority responses within the agreed scope. The dedicated Case Lead manages evidence, documents, deadlines, banking steps, and client communication. Tax advice, regulated investment advice, accounting, employment, and family-law advice remain separate professional scopes.
How Long Does the Movingto Process Take?
The stages below show a typical workflow. Timing and required steps vary by route, consulate, authority capacity and document readiness.
Step 1: Free Initial Consultation (30 min)
We discuss your background, goals, family situation, nationality and timing, then outline likely route fit, next steps, indicative costs and timing. No obligation and no fee.
Step 2: Engagement & Case Team Assignment (Within 1 week)
You are assigned a dedicated Case Lead and receive a personalised case plan and document checklist. For Portugal cases, the assigned team includes an in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer at Movingto responsible for the Portuguese immigration legal scope. Other market scopes are confirmed in writing before engagement.
Step 3: NIF & Bank Account
We arrange your Portuguese NIF (tax number) and prepare your bank-account application with you. Account approval and timing remain with the bank, including its AML/KYC checks. For the Portugal Golden Visa, NIF and bank account opening are included in the €6,000 flat fee; on its own, a Portuguese NIF costs €199 including one year of tax representation.
Step 4: Document Preparation
You provide personal and financial documents. We arrange apostilles, certified translations and document legalisation. For Portugal cases, Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer reviews documents for Portuguese immigration legal sufficiency within the agreed scope. Allow 2-4 months for document preparation, including FBI background checks for US applicants.
Step 5: Investment Execution
Your Case Lead helps you compare the operational requirements of qualifying funds using funds.movingto.com. Regulated investment advice and investment-document review are separate professional scopes. Your Case Lead collects the subscription and transfer evidence the immigration file needs. Movingto may receive commissions from some funds; how Movingto gets paid explains this.
Step 6: Application Submission
For Portugal cases, Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer prepares and submits official immigration filings within scope. The wider team completes an evidence and document quality-control pass before filing.
Step 7: Government Processing
The immigration authority verifies your application and conducts due diligence. For Portugal cases, Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer handles legal authority correspondence and responses; the Case Lead tracks status, evidence deadlines and client communication. Processing times vary by program: for the Portugal Golden Visa, expect 12 to 24+ months from submission to the first residence card, and AIMA publishes no official average (why Golden Visa processing takes this long).
Step 8: Biometrics Appointment
Where the route requires biometrics, your Case Lead books the appointment and prepares the documents with you. Travel and appointment rules depend on the program.
Step 9: Residency Card Issued
Your residence card confirms the rights attached to your status in the issuing country. It generally permits short-stay travel within Schengen subject to applicable rules; it does not by itself grant the right to live or work in every Schengen country.
Step 10: Ongoing Support — Renewals and Post-Approval Workflow
Post-card support can include permit-renewal workflow, minimum-stay tracking, family additions and citizenship workflow support within the written scope. For Portugal cases, Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer handles Portuguese immigration legal work. Tax advice is a separate professional scope. Renewal timing depends on the route and card.
Realistic Timeline Summary by Program
| Program | Preparation | Authority stage | Official threshold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal Golden Visa | 3-5 months (NIF, bank, fund, documents) | 12-24+ months from submission to first card | €500,000 qualifying fund; AIMA fees €6,946.30 per person |
| Portugal D7 (passive income) | 2-4 months | Consulate visa, then AIMA appointment and card: about 5-10 months | €920 a month passive income (2026 minimum wage) |
| Portugal D8 (digital nomad) | 2-4 months | Consulate visa, then AIMA appointment and card: about 4-8 months | €3,680 a month (4 x minimum wage) |
| Spain Non-Lucrative Visa | 2-4 months | Consulate 2-3 months, then TIE card 6-10 weeks | €2,400 a month (400% of IPREM) |
| Greece Golden Visa | 1-3 months | 6-9 months typical; 12+ months in busy Attica offices | €800,000 / €400,000 property; €250,000 conversions only |
These are Movingto's planning estimates, not official processing times. Individual timelines vary with document readiness, nationality, consulate and authority capacity. Route guides: D7 visa, D8 digital nomad visa and the Portugal Golden Visa guide.
Your Case Dashboard
Every client has access to a personalised case view for documents, milestones and case-team communication. For Portugal cases, the assigned team includes an in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer at Movingto.
Document Checklist: Track each document's status — Approved, Under Review, or Pending. Your checklist is personalised to your program and situation.
Application Status: Real-time progress through each milestone (Engaged → NIF → Docs → Fund → Filed → Review → Bio → Card). You never have to ask where things stand.
Communication: Direct messaging with your assigned case team, with the full conversation history in one place.
What Documents Do You Need for Each Program?
Requirements vary by program. Your Case Lead provides a personalised checklist tailored to your nationality, family, and situation.
Portugal Golden Visa
Personal:
- Valid passport (minimum 6 months validity)
- Criminal record certificates (country of nationality + countries of residence, past 5 years)
- Portuguese NIF (tax number), arranged by Movingto
- Health insurance valid in Portugal
- Two passport-sized photographs
- Proof of address in current country
Financial:
- Bank statements (6 months)
- Tax returns (2-3 years)
- Source-of-funds documentation
- Proof of qualifying investment (fund subscription confirmation)
Family (if applicable):
- Marriage certificate (spouse)
- Birth certificates (children)
- Proof of dependency (adult children / parents)
- Criminal record + health insurance for each family member
All non-Portuguese documents require certified translation and apostille. We arrange both through our translation and apostille providers.
Portugal D7 (Passive Income Visa)
Personal:
- Valid passport
- Criminal record certificates
- Portuguese NIF, arranged by Movingto
- Health insurance valid in Portugal
- Proof of accommodation in Portugal (a lease, deed or host declaration; many consulates expect a 12-month lease)
- Two passport-sized photographs
Financial:
- Proof of passive income (minimum €920/month for the main applicant, the 2026 Portuguese minimum wage; MNE means-of-subsistence page, checked 17 October 2026)
- Bank statements (6-12 months)
- Tax returns (2-3 years)
- Pension statements, rental income, or investment income evidence
Family (if applicable):
- Marriage certificate, birth certificates, dependency proof
- Additional income proof (+50% for spouse, +30% per child)
Portugal D8 (Digital Nomad Visa)
Personal:
- Valid passport
- Criminal record certificates
- Health insurance valid in Portugal
- Proof of accommodation in Portugal
- Two passport-sized photographs
Financial / Professional:
- Employment contract with company outside Portugal, or freelance/self-employment proof
- Income proof meeting minimum threshold (€3,680/month, 4x the 2026 Portuguese minimum wage; Decreto Regulamentar 4/2022, checked 17 October 2026)
- Bank statements (3-6 months)
- Tax returns from current country of residence
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Personal:
- Valid passport
- Criminal record certificate (apostilled)
- Medical certificate
- Private health insurance — full coverage, no co-pays
- Proof of accommodation in Spain
Financial:
- Sufficient financial means (€2,400/month for main applicant — 400% of 2026 IPREM)
- Bank statements (12 months)
- Pension, investment income, or savings evidence
All documents must be apostilled and translated to Spanish by a sworn translator.
Greece Golden Visa
Personal:
- Valid passport
- Criminal record certificate
- Health insurance
- Two passport-sized photographs
Financial:
- Proof of qualifying real estate investment: €400,000 (regional areas) to €800,000 (Athens, Thessaloniki, major islands) for standard property purchases. €250,000 minimum applies only to commercial-to-residential conversions or heritage building restoration.
- Bank statements confirming investment transfer
- Source-of-funds documentation
- Tax returns
All documents must be apostilled and officially translated to Greek.
Our Service Standards
Service standards for the stages included in your written scope:
- Case Lead Response: Within 1 Business Day — Urgent queries handled same-day
- In-House Lawyer Communication: Portal responses follow the response standard in your written scope
- Milestone Updates: Proactive + Weekly — Notification at every milestone, weekly status as standard
- Document QC: Dual Review — Wider-team evidence check before Portuguese immigration legal review for Portugal files
- Authority Response: Lawyer-Led — Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer leads Portuguese immigration legal submissions and authority responses; the dedicated Case Lead tracks evidence and deadlines
- Continuity: One Case Record — Your documents and conversation history remain in one place across the services in scope