Family-owned, built after Dean and Ana Fankhauser moved their own family across several countries.
About Movingto
Residency and citizenship support for global families
About Movingto: Dean and Ana Fankhauser founded Movingto in 2021 to handle residency and citizenship moves for families, with Portugal as its main specialty. For Portugal, in-house Portuguese immigration lawyers, in-house tax counsel and a dedicated Case Lead run each case, and Movingto has worked with more than 50 Portugal Golden Visa clients.
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.
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 documents, source-of-funds records, tax questions, and retirement-account issues are familiar territory.
Europe, UAE, and Caribbean options, with Portugal as a major specialty.
Movingto in figures
The fee, government costs, timeline and lawyer registrations clients ask about most, each with its source.
| Fact | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Movingto Golden Visa service fee (fund route) | €6,000 flat | Movingto pricing page, updated 16 October 2026 |
| Minimum Golden Visa fund investment | €500,000 in qualifying Portuguese investment funds | AIMA residence permit for investment (ARI) page, checked 16 October 2026 |
| AIMA Golden Visa fees per applicant, first permit | €6,946.30 (€632.10 analysis + €6,314.20 permit) | AIMA fee table, applied from 1 March 2026, checked 16 October 2026 |
| AIMA Golden Visa fees per applicant, each renewal | €3,789.90 (€632.10 analysis + €3,157.80 renewal) | AIMA fee table, applied from 1 March 2026, checked 16 October 2026 |
| Golden Visa timeline | 12 to 24+ months from submission. Across 13 Movingto cases submitted from September 2025 to September 2026, AIMA scheduled biometrics a median 11.7 months after submission. | Movingto case observations, 16 October 2026 |
| Movingto's in-house Portuguese lawyers | Inês Cabral Almeida (61676P), David Simões Fitas (67185P) and Paulo Moura (71517P), each listed as Activo | Ordem dos Advogados lawyer register, checked 16 October 2026 |
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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
A Case Lead is the Movingto team member who manages your evidence, documents, deadlines and updates, while a licensed Portuguese immigration lawyer from Movingto's in-house legal team handles legal advice, filings, representation, appeals and authority responses. Movingto's in-house tax counsel advises on Portuguese and cross-border tax; your US CPA files PFIC/Form 8621 and FBAR, and we brief them. Regulated investment advice remains a separate scope.
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.
Dean Fankhauser
Dean leads strategy, product, professional scope, and client service standards.
His own relocation experience shaped Movingto's focus on clear process and case visibility.
Ana Fankhauser
Ana leads operations, product execution, and client delivery standards.
Her work makes complex moves easier for families to manage.
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.
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.
Movingto may receive commissions from some funds. How that works is published at funds.movingto.com/how-we-get-paid.
Visit funds.movingto.comFund 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
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
Why Choose Movingto
How Movingto compares with common alternatives.
Frequently Asked QuestionsProcess, pricing, and service questions.
PricingService fees by route, separate from government and third-party costs.
Processing TimelinesHow long each residency route typically takes, stage by stage.
Client ReviewsClient feedback by route and situation.
Fund Comparison PlatformCompare funds where a fund route is relevant.
Our TeamTeam and in-house legal profiles.
How It WorksThe steps from first call to residence card.
Case StudiesClient cases by route and situation.
Compare MovingtoSide-by-side comparisons with other firms.
Movingto vs Henley & PartnersA Portugal-first firm compared with a global residency adviser.
Movingto vs Global Citizen SolutionsHow the two Golden Visa services differ.
Movingto vs Edge International LawyersAn immigration firm compared with a full-service law firm.
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.