StartAbroadReviews of startabroad.com

When they said we’ll help you every step along the way, they really mean it! Every time we had a question or need more explanation on the process and even working through last minute emergency problems, they we right there to help! We were able to get our visas and all required documents with ease. Doing this process ourselves would’ve have been a nightmare are and the team made it so much better!

My husband and I used StartAbroad for our move to Portugal. We researched several companies and ultimately decided that StartAbroad had the most encompassing service for our relocation. We went with the Concierge plan and highly recommend it! We especially appreciated the unlimited coaching calls and help with utilities. Mariana was our point person. She was extremely kind, knowledgeable and supportive. All of the partner relationships through StartAbroad have been excellent. 10/10! That means something coming from two Virgo’s.

Super excited about my recent Visa approval to Portugal! I have been in contact with this organization back in 2023 exploring Costa Rica and sought them again to make it a reality in Portugal. They have the staff and the resources to guide you in every step of the Visa process journey.

After successful process of moving to Costa Rica a year ago, this time around StartAbroad helped me with digital visa renewal process a year later. Everything went really smooth again. Jimena even found a cheap online insurance at the last notice for me, translated it to Spanish and moved the appointment to desired location just a day in advance. All the document were done for me correctly. I am already planning to use their service in the future for temporary residency. I enjoy not having to worry about anything or spend time researching this things

Moving to a new country is exciting and a little scary. The paperwork alone is daunting. The experts at StartAbroad made everything so easy. They walk you through every step and make sure you always have everything you need. They promptly answer questions and are very knowledgeable about the immigration process. I can honestly say we wouldn’t have been able to navigate this move on our own. We would absolutely recommend them.

We are so glad we used Start Abroad to help us navigate our D7 Portugal visas. Mariana was kind and helpful answering every email and question we had quickly. Their portal that you upload documents for review by their lawyers & team was easy to use, and helped keep us on track. They got our visa appointment for us in Houston and all the paperwork was in order when we went. We left there feeling confident . We got our visas approved & back in 40 days which is unheard of! Now they are helping us get our AIMA appointment for when we arrive and will meet us at that appointment. I would 100% recommend them to our family and friends. We are so glad we used this team!

Start Abroad, and especially Mariana who I primarily worked with in Portugal, was fantastic. I had a lot of things that needed to be sorted out, computer issues an illness and a few other things life seemed to dish out. Everything got sorted, including last minute housing, last minute VFS appointment, and now I have my Visa! Also the AIMA appointment is set and they will be there for me for the appointment. I could not have done this without them! 10 out of 10. Obrigata Mariana and all of Start Abroad!!!!!!!

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.