About Movingto

Residency and citizenship support for global families

Movingto is a full-service immigration, residency, and citizenship firm. For Portugal, our in-house licensed immigration lawyers and dedicated Case Leads manage the process end to end.

Lisbon street scene used for the Movingto about page
Lisbon is home to Movingto's Portugal team and many of the professionals who support its clients.
Founded2021

Family-owned, built after Dean and Ana Fankhauser moved their own family across several countries.

ModelManaged

For Portugal, every immigration client works with a dedicated Case Lead and a licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer from Movingto's in-house legal team.

US clients90%

US documents, source-of-funds records, tax questions, and retirement-account issues are familiar territory.

CoverageGlobal

Europe, UAE, and Caribbean options, with Portugal as a major specialty.

Who we help

For families choosing their next base

The work starts before forms: choosing the right route, checking trade-offs, and getting documents and advisers lined up.

Second residency and citizenship

Compare Portugal, wider Europe, UAE, and Caribbean options by family, capital, timeline, and tax context.

US-aware planning

Most clients are US-based, so US paperwork, retirement accounts, source-of-funds records, and reporting questions are built into the workflow.

One accountable process

A dedicated Case Lead keeps lawyers, advisers, banks, funds, and the client moving in the same direction.

Advice boundaries

Clear advice boundaries

For Portugal, the dedicated Case Lead manages the wider process, including evidence, documents, deadlines, and communication. Movingto's in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyers handle legal advice, filings, representation, appeals, and authority responses. Tax and investment advice remain separate regulated scopes.

Portugal immigration legal workHandled by a licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer from Movingto's in-house legal team within the agreed scope.
Wider case teamA dedicated Case Lead manages route comparison, evidence, documents, deadlines, case tracking, and client communication.
Tax and investment specialistsAdvise on tax, reporting, retirement-account, or investment questions.
Client choiceClients choose funds or advisers after suitability review with the right adviser.

Why clients choose Movingto

Why Movingto

Residency cases usually get stuck because of poor route fit, weak documents, or slow handoffs. Movingto is built around those pressure points.

Route fit first

If a route is not ready, we fix the gap or choose another path before filing work begins.

Global comparison

Portugal, wider Europe, UAE, and Caribbean routes can be compared before a client commits.

US documentation depth

US clients often need extra care around source of funds, retirement accounts, tax questions, and reporting materials.

No investment pressure

Fund information is organized for adviser review. Suitability is reviewed by the client and their adviser.

In-house legal team

Clients know who is responsible for legal work before that work proceeds.

Support after filing

Support can continue through renewals, family steps, banking, insurance, and citizenship planning.

What makes Movingto different

What changes for the client

Compare before committing

The first decision is which route fits the client, family, capital, timeline, and documents.

Build a cleaner file

Document readiness comes early, before the case team, an adviser, or an institution has to chase avoidable gaps.

Keep handoffs visible

Clients can see what is waiting on them, on a professional, or on an institution.

Stay supported after approval

Residency work can continue into renewals, family planning, banking, insurance, settlement, and citizenship preparation.

The team

The people behind the work

Movingto is family-owned, with a team across Lisbon and Sydney. The people below include its founders, operations leaders, and in-house licensed immigration lawyers.

Director

Dean Fankhauser

Dean leads strategy, product, professional-scope coordination, and client service standards.

His own relocation experience shaped Movingto's focus on clear process and case visibility.

COO and Co-Founder

Ana Fankhauser

Ana leads operations, product execution, and client delivery standards.

Her work makes complex moves easier for families to manage.

Immigration Lawyer, Funds and Real Estate

David Simoes Fitas

Portuguese lawyer admitted to the Portuguese Bar Association, licence no. 67185P.

David works on Portuguese residency, Golden Visa, fund-route, and real estate matters.

Immigration Lawyer, Portugal

Paulo Moura

Portuguese lawyer admitted to the Portuguese Bar Association, licence no. 71517P.

Paulo works on Portuguese residency matters, including D7, Digital Nomad, and family reunification pathways.

The fund platform

Fund comparison for investment routes

Some routes involve a qualifying investment. For Portugal fund routes, funds.movingto.com organizes published fund information for clients and advisers.

It covers eligibility documents, fees, liquidity terms, and investor materials. It does not recommend funds or decide suitability.

Visit funds.movingto.com
Fund strategy and eligibility
Fees and liquidity terms
Published documents and reporting materials
US investor materials where available
Retirement-account documentation requirements

Service standard

The service standard clients should expect

Response timeTarget response within one business day
Legal messagesRouted to the relevant lawyer or case team
UpdatesMilestone updates and delay notices
Document QCChecklist and review before filing work proceeds
Formal follow-upProper-channel follow-up with institutions
Case visibilityStatus and document tracking through the client process

Our story

Why Dean and Ana built Movingto

Dean and Ana founded Movingto in 2021 after relocating their own family across the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Australia.

They saw the problems clients still face: unclear fees, slow replies, contradictory advice, and too many loose handoffs.

For Portugal, Movingto was built to keep the process under one roof: route strategy, an in-house licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer, a dedicated Case Lead, and help with the practical steps around the filing.

Portugal remains a major specialty. The work is broader: Europe, UAE, and Caribbean routes for families planning their next residency or citizenship option.

Learn more

Check the model before you book

Ready to check fit?

Book a free route-fit assessment.

Tell us who needs to be included, where you are considering, and your timeline. We will map the likely route, next steps, and professional advice needed.

No obligation. No fund lock-in.
Check Your Route Fit
Schedule a call

Before you go

Still deciding which route is right for you?

Tell us where you want to move. We’ll help you understand your options and the next step.

Schedule a free call