Heather is an extremely organized and responsive consultant. She answered my many questions and guided us through the entire process. She is a natural problem-solver (my favorite type of person). She was able to craft unique solutions to the issues that popped up along the way which we had no idea how to address. She has a can-do, get-it-done personality which is vital to those who need that type of reassurance. I would highly recommend her.

As a retired business owner, familiar with reading, comprehending and fulfilling contracts and document requirements, I felt that I had both the time and experience to tackle the needs and demands of VFS and Portuguese immigration. I thought I was ready, but as time approached for my appointment, I recognized there were a number of loose ends. I felt uneasy and thank goodness followed the advise of someone who had been in my shoes previously and contacted Heather. I gave her very little time as I only had three days until the appointment but Heather took one look at my assembled package and got to work. And work she did! Non stop flurry of emails, rewrites, pdfs, scans and printing. I'm not sure if or when she sleeps. As I left for DC I had a professional, totally prepared package that I felt confident with. Even the interviewer at VFS looked at my paper work and commented on how well prepared I was. If not for Heather, I have no doubt that I would have left DC frustrated and unsuccessful. Heather is personable, professional, extremely knowledgeable and competent. We will absolutely and without hesitation be working together on other pieces of my immigration to Portugal. My advice is don't do as I did and wait to the last minute. Contact Boots On The Ground as early as possible in the process and get it done right the first time and take away the stress. From my personal experience, you will not be disappointed. Five stars, thumbs up. Thank you Heather and Boots On The Ground. You're the greatest.

When we decided to retire to Portugal we researched a couple of relocation specialists, and the best decision (besides retiring to Portugal) was hiring Heather with Boots on the Ground. Of course, we read all the necessary tasks required to obtain our temporary Visa and it 'seemed' easy enough, until you begin to realize all the details and complexities required. During our first consultation with Heather she explained her process as well as what she does for her clients and the various packages, she also took the time to get to know us. Heather has an excellent team, she is extremely knowledgeable, resourceful, the rules here can change and she consistently researches any and all updates that occur in the process. Applying for the VISA is extremely overwhelming and stressful plus takes time, Heather is there for you every step of the way when you start to freak out, and gave us her time and the space to breathe through her guidance, kindness and availability. She truly cares about your success, she and her team work diligently to make the process as smooth as possible, by creating a system that makes what we need to do and when coherent and detailed. We have been in Lisbon for 6 months now and received our 2 year Visa-this would not have been possible without Heather to guide us every step of the way. Sara, who speaks fluent Portuguese was /is extremely helpful talking to people for me on the phone about utilities and supplies - thank you. We highly recommend Heather and her team at Boots on the Ground for the thorough, efficient, caring and successful experience. We just can't thank you all enough.

Heather and her team saved me! There's no way I would have been able to work through my visa and AIMA appointments without her help organizing my documents and encouraging me along the way. Thanks, Heather!

Heather and her team are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They were always there whenever we had questions to answer an email. Their organization walk through for the Visa appointment was spot on. Piece of cake! I highly recommend using Boots on The Ground to save yourself a lot of angst and headache.

I was unable to move forward in the visa process due to my qualifications unfortunately, but throughout the entire research process, Heather was incredibly helpful and resourceful. Very responsive to emails and full of the knowledge you need to know in order to move forward. If I were to one day qualify, I would absolutely work with Boots on the Ground.

I hired Heather and her Team to help me with the process of applying for a visa. I can honestly say I would have never been able to do it myself and without her knowledge and assistance. The process may sound and read easy and straightforward, but I can tell you it is not. There are many intricacies and details you must be aware of and a timeline you must adhere to, and it can be a very fluid situation as the rules and requirements and state of affairs may change. Therefore, I highly recommend BOTG to alleviate the stress and guide you through every step of the way what can feel like and be at times an overwhelming and never ending maze. Heather is small business and takes great pride in what she does. She works tirelessly and is very prompt. She will give you her all and truly cares and tries her best to deliver. I prefer to do business with someone like Heather who takes an interest in me and what I am trying to accomplish rather than feel like I am just another number and customer and to get it over with. It is teamwork and rewarding when you accomplish the many tasks involved over the long drawn out process. Many thanks to Heather and Team for all the progress we have made thus far.

Had a discovery call with Heather to explore moving to PT in the future. She was very knowledgeable about the entire process and was extremely gracious with helpful information. She followed up immediately with some promised resources. We will definitely be in touch when we are ready.

Heather and her team have been fantastic! I definitely would not have wanted to try to do all this myself. It's stressful enough under the best of circumstances, so having someone who knows the system and keeps up with all the latest changes was a real lifesaver. Most highly recommended!

Super responsive, practical service that meets clients where they are at with their relocation needs and questions. We loved the flexibility of the support.

Heather and her team were very helpful thru the whole process. It took a lot of stress out of the situation of moving and getting our visas knowing they were on top of things and would make sure we had correct paperwork. She was available everytime we needed help or had questions!

Heather and her team made my dreams a reality by facilitating the entire visa process to move to Portugal. The process has a lot of tedious and complicated aspects, that I would not have been able to figure out on my own. But that wasn't enough, I have now been in Portugal for 6 months and Heather and her team have continued to offer me support in every step of the way from getting my residency card, to my health number, and to providing me with resources and mental health support. I recommend them to everyone I meet!!

This is my 2nd review of Boots on the Ground. My partner & I began our process nearly 2 years ago. Thanks to Heather & Sara our initial attempt at getting D-7 Visas went smoothly & quickly. I ultimately received my residency in April 2023. Unfortunately, my partner developed serious health issues, precluding him from making the flight from the U.S. He was not cleared for the trip until September 2023. Heather & team picked up where thay had left off, without additional cost to us. They once again walked us through every step along the way. It was necessary to apply for a new Visa, which was granted in January 2024. His new appointment was today (April 18 2024). Sara accompanied us to Lisbon for the appointment. We were surprised to find hoardes of people outside the AIMA building. Because we had an appointment, we were able to skip the lines & proceed to the appropriate stations. Within approximately 30 minutes a residency document was produced and we were on our way. Heather & Sara are meticulous about collecting the necessary documents to help assure a positive result. We had heard that AIMA was now requiring you to produce a NISS. I tried multiple times online to apply, only to get rejection emails, without explanation of what was wrong on the application. Sara completed the applications with positive results in 2 days time. She even retrieved the NISS documents for us. Boots On the Ground is a full-service company. They do what they say they will do. They produce results. As stated in my earlier review, we have not been easy to deal with. Some instructions just don't sink in as they should. Heather & Sara are knowledgeable, patient (to a fault) and determined to get you to the finish line in good shape. We are grateful beyond words & happy to finally be Portuguese residents in our beautiful new home.

The Boots on the Ground team is definitely the best expat services provider in Portugal! They have a wide range of experience and connections to help with many different needs, and you can count on them to follow up and help you get things done amid the complexity of Portuguese bureaucracy. Most recently, Heather helped me with exchanging my US drivers license with a Portuguese one, a process so mired in confusing bureaucratic steps in both the US and Portugal I thought it might be an impossible mission. But Heather provided solutions each time I encountered an obstacle in the process. Her support has saved my sanity!

Heather is so nice, friendly, and easy to talk to. She is generous with her time and willing to help. Thank you!

She has the knowledge, expertise, and caring disposition to help you through this process that is otherwise daunting and overwhelming without her help. Her extraordinary resourcefulness and experience will take the stress and confusion out of the visa process and make your transition to living in a new country manageable. Begin your journey to Portugal through her! Thank you, Heather!

The team at Boots on the Ground were absolutely the best professionals I’ve encountered in my move to Portugal. The response was very quick, they took time to understand my situation and handled everything seemlessly. Moving to a new country is full of challenges and surprises. It is so important to have accurate information and guidance. It saved me time, stress and money!!

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Heather and her staff are incredible. We did it on our own. It SUCKED!! So many rules to decipher and understand with a government we didn't understand and agencies that don't work the way our own countys do. It's been a trial! Two years later, we're not done. "But we did it on our own!" Bloody hell, to do it again I wouldn't do it in my own! Heather gave us a totally free consultation on video and never asked another question except to know if iwe were progressing. Those questions weren't to troll for busines, it was because we had a connectoin and she cared. They will compile, organize, and package your documents so that the government has nothing to do but approve you. Boots-on-the-Ground Portugal had been a friend, resource, and consultant, every bit their time and advice has been worth it! Their time and the relationship built since then has been without ability to quantify. Heather and "Boots on the Ground" gives confidence and experience. I cannot express enough how valuable their unique and personal services will be to you.

It's interesting that I see a lot of opinions on the internet on whether one should use a service (Like Boots on the Ground) to help them with the Visa / Residency process or not. And yes, one can always do it alone and get through it. But what we found out is that the process (filled with lots of little steps / forms / proper timing, etc.) can be a little scary and/or intimidating and like any other government-dictated process can change at any moment. Heather and her company provide an invaluable service of confidence and caring at a very reasonable cost. During our Visa and Residency meetings, forms and policies DID change...some last moment. Having Heather and her team be on the constant look-out for this ensured that we were ALWAYS prepared and helped us feel comfortable and confident heading into our meetings. I count Heather as a friend now and am thankful for her (and her team) insight and caring and dedication of time that it took in order to help us successfully get through the process. Using her service is a no-brainer...go for it!

We just completed the last step in our journey to become residents of Portugal from the U.S. There are many, many 't's to cross and 'i's to dot when dealing with governments, and Heather and her team guided us through all of it. They are very knowledgeable, trustworthy and just very nice people. I would recommend them without reservation.