Golden visa scams usually show the same signs: a promise of guaranteed approval, no written engagement letter, a request to pay into a personal bank account, no bar number or agent licence you can check, and pressure to sign quickly. Some sell programmes that have already closed. Check every name on an official register before you pay.
This guide was checked against official programme sites, registers and legislation on 25 September 2026. The links are in each section and in the source list at the end.
Common golden visa scams to avoid
Most losses come from one of five patterns. Each can be checked against an official source before any money moves.
- Selling a programme that no longer exists. Spain's Golden Visa ended on 3 April 2025, when Organic Law 1/2025 repealed the investor-residence articles of Law 14/2013. Malta's citizenship-by-investment route (MEIN) is closed: the EU Court of Justice struck it down on 29 April 2025. Anyone taking a fee for either is selling something you cannot get.
- Selling a route that no longer qualifies. Buying property no longer qualifies for the Portugal Golden Visa: Lei 56/2023 removed the real-estate routes for new applications from 7 October 2023. A "Portugal property golden visa" offer is working from old rules.
- An agent who is not allowed to file. Every Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programme requires the application to be filed by a government-authorised agent. St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica also publish lists of blacklisted agents (Dominica list).
- Payment diversion. A message, often from a lookalike email address, says the firm's bank details have changed. The money goes to the fraudster, not the firm.
- Invented government charges. A "security bond" or "priority fee" that does not appear in the authority's published fee schedule. Portugal's AIMA publishes its fee table, and Residency Malta publishes the MPRP fees.
The 7 red flags before you hire a lawyer
1. They guarantee approval
No lawyer or agent controls a government decision. Programme authorities run their own due-diligence checks: Residency Malta describes a multi-tiered due-diligence process for every MPRP application, and Grenada's Investment Migration Agency says approval is subject to satisfactory due diligence. A guarantee means the adviser is either misleading you or promising something outside their control.
Ask instead what could lead to a refusal in your case, such as source-of-funds gaps or a past visa refusal, and how the firm would handle a request for more evidence.
2. There is no written engagement letter
A legitimate firm puts the scope, fees and terms in writing before you pay. The letter should state what is included, what is excluded, which government fees you pay directly, how dependants are priced, what happens if you withdraw, and who handles the file day to day.
Without it you have no record of what you bought, and a professional complaint is much harder to make. Do not accept a WhatsApp message or a verbal promise instead.
3. They ask you to pay into a personal bank account
Professional fees should go to the firm's business or client account, in the firm's name. A request to pay a named individual, a third-party company or a new account "for this month only" is a warning sign.
Before any transfer, confirm the account details by calling the firm on a number you found yourself, such as its bar-register entry or official website, not a number given in the same email. Treat any change of bank details as suspicious until confirmed the same way.
4. You cannot check their licence
A lawyer should give you their full name, bar or law-society number and the jurisdiction where they are admitted. A licensed or authorised agent should give you the licence number issued by the programme authority. Check the number yourself on the official register listed in the table below.
Titles such as "immigration consultant", "legal adviser" or "golden visa specialist" are not licences. In Portugal, representing clients as a lawyer (the mandato forense) is reserved to lawyers and solicitors, and practising it without registration is a crime under Lei 10/2024.
5. They create false urgency
"The programme closes on Friday" or "prices rise next week, sign today" is designed to stop you checking. Real programme changes are published by the government, usually with a date and a transition rule.
If an adviser cites a deadline, ask for the official source and read it yourself. A legitimate lawyer will give you time to verify their credentials and get a second opinion.
6. They cannot explain the process, or they get the facts wrong
A competent adviser names the route, the qualifying amount, the authority, each stage and what could delay it, and puts that in writing. Wrong facts are as much a warning sign as vague ones.
For example, an adviser who offers a Portugal Golden Visa through a property purchase, or promises a residence card within a few months, is working from out-of-date rules. Property no longer qualifies. The main route is a €500,000 investment in a qualifying fund (AIMA). Portugal has a 90-day legal decision period once the in-person stage is done (Lei 23/2007, art. 82), but in practice applicants should expect about 18 to 24 months or longer from application to the first residence card (practitioner reports, mid-2026). AIMA publishes no official end-to-end average.
7. They have no track record you can verify
Ask how many applications the firm has handled for your programme and route, how recent they are, and whether you can speak to a past client. Firms protect client confidentiality, so you may get anonymised examples rather than names, but a firm that can describe none of its work in your programme is not a safe choice.
Contact any reference through details you find yourself. Be wary of a claimed "100% success rate": no firm controls government decisions (see red flag 1).
How to verify a golden visa lawyer or agent
Check the person, not just the firm's website. Search the register yourself and compare the name, number and office address with what you were given.
| Programme or country | Who may file or represent | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal | Lawyers and solicitors for legal representation (Lei 10/2024) | Ordem dos Advogados lawyer search |
| Greece | Lawyers registered with a Greek bar association | Athens Bar Association members |
| Italy | Lawyers entered on the national register | Consiglio Nazionale Forense lawyer search |
| Malta MPRP | Applications must be submitted through a Licensed Agent | Residency Malta list of agents |
| St Kitts and Nevis CBI | Only Authorised Agents may submit applications | CIU authorised agents and blacklisted agents |
| Dominica CBI | Applications must go through a Government-Authorised Agent | CBIU notice, 10 September 2026 and authorised agents |
| Grenada CBI | Only Local Agents submit; international marketing agents refer cases | IMA approved agents |
| Saint Lucia CBI | A licensed Authorised Agent must submit | CIP Saint Lucia FAQs |
| Antigua and Barbuda CBI | Applications are made through an authorised agent | Citizenship by Investment Act 2013 |
| United States (EB-5) | Only attorneys or accredited representatives may represent you before USCIS | USCIS: avoid scams |
Golden Visa Lawyers explains how it checks listed firms and lawyers in its verification methodology. A listing is a starting point: still check the register entry for the person handling your file.
What to do if you think you have been scammed
- Stop paying. Do not send further money, including "release fees" to recover what you paid.
- Call your bank now. Ask it to recall the transfer and flag the receiving account. Speed matters for any recall.
- Keep everything. Save emails with full headers, messages, invoices, contracts and payment receipts, and take screenshots of the website.
- Report the person. Complain to the bar association or programme authority named in the table above. For Caribbean programmes, report the agent to the citizenship-by-investment unit.
- Report the crime. File a fraud report with the police where you live and, if different, where the firm claims to be based.
- Check your real status. Ask the immigration authority directly, using contact details from its official website, whether an application was ever filed in your name.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if a golden visa offer is a scam?
Check five things before paying: the programme is still open on the government's own site, the adviser's bar number or agent licence appears on the official register, the fee is in a written engagement letter, payment goes to the firm's own account, and nobody promises approval. A failure on any one is reason to stop.
Can a lawyer guarantee golden visa approval?
No. The government authority makes the decision after its own due-diligence checks. A lawyer can prepare a complete, accurate file and respond to requests for more evidence, but cannot promise the outcome or the date.
Can I still apply for a Spanish golden visa?
No. Spain's Golden Visa ended on 3 April 2025, when Organic Law 1/2025 repealed the investor-residence articles of Law 14/2013. Existing permits stay valid for their term. Treat any new Spanish golden visa offer as a warning sign.
Can I still buy property to get a Portugal golden visa?
No. Lei 56/2023 removed the real-estate routes for new applications from 7 October 2023. The main current route is a €500,000 investment in a qualifying fund. Existing holders and renewals keep the old rules.
Is it safe to pay a golden visa lawyer into a personal bank account?
No. Pay only into an account in the firm's name, and confirm the details by phoning the firm on a number you found yourself. Treat any email that changes bank details as suspicious until you have confirmed it the same way.
Can a consultant or marketing agent file my application?
It depends on the programme. Malta's MPRP must be filed through a Residency Malta Licensed Agent, and Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programmes require a government-authorised agent. A marketer who is not on the official list cannot file your case. Our golden visa lawyer vs consultant guide explains the difference.
Choose a lawyer you can verify
Before you sign, ask for the adviser's register number, a written engagement letter and a timeline that separates preparation, filing, decision and card delivery. GVL Match can help you compare lawyers for your country and programme. For what legal work usually costs, see golden visa lawyer fees by country.
Sources and review date
Checked on 25 September 2026. Next scheduled review: 25 December 2026.
- BOE: Organic Law 1/2025 (end of Spain's Golden Visa)
- CJEU press release 52/25, Commission v Malta (C-181/23)
- Lei 56/2023 (Portugal real-estate routes removed)
- Lei 23/2007, consolidated (Portugal 90-day decision period)
- AIMA ARI programme page and AIMA fee table update
- Lei 10/2024 (acts reserved to Portuguese lawyers and solicitors)
- Residency Malta MPRP legal framework and list of agents
- St Kitts and Nevis CIU application process
- Dominica CBIU authorised-agent notice
- Grenada IMA enquiries
- CIP Saint Lucia FAQs
- USCIS: avoid scams
This article is general information, not legal advice.