Testimonials
“We cannot recommend Raquel and Lighthouse Consulting enough. We are at the beginning of our move to Portugal and Raquel has consistently been available to answer our many questions. She is thoughtful and knowledgeable and we truly appreciate her expertise involving all aspects of our move. She is prompt, accurate, and has patiently listened to all of our concerns. Talking with her via video chat feels like we are talking to an old friend. We are looking forward to continuing our journey to Portugal with Lighthouse Consulting by our side!” – Kristie Contreras
“Raquel at Lighthouse Consulting is a true asset for anyone navigating the complexities of freelancing & tax in Portugal. Her expertise, dedication, and personable approach make her a guiding star in the consulting world. I wholeheartedly recommend Raquel to anyone seeking a reliable and supportive partner in their freelance journey.” – Samuel Rowe
“Raquel’s help was invaluable in our process of getting set up as freelancers in Portugal. She helped us brain storm the most financially efficient routes to take and spent time ensuring we understood how to use the financial portal here. She’s always on the end of the phone for questions and it has really given us that peace of mind we are on track! Reliable, and knowledgable, Raquel is a problem solver and an empowering advisor.” – Merryl
“Since moving to Portugal 1,5 years ago I have purchased a house, a car, employed a housekeeper and navigated the at times tremendously overwhelming burocracy incolved in such acrivities here in Portugal. I can say wholeheartedly that I would not have managed to accomplish any of these things without Raquel. She is without a doubt the most effective, knowledgeable, responsive and heartfelt lawyer I have ever worked with. (And in the last 12 years I have moved to four countries, bought/rented 6 houses and dealt with numerous lawyers) At this point I would not even think of signing any contract no matter what it entails without checking in with Raquel first. I cannot recommend her enough!” – Elisse Wassibauer
“Raquel has been a god send to my business and overall experience in Portugal. Her expertise in opening and running a business and how to do taxes has been tremendously helpful to my overall growth and ability to make a living in Portugal. Raquel is an expert and I know this because all of the advice she has provided has been data driven and thorough which resulted in my business succeeding time and time again because of her knowledge and dedication to her clients. I HIGHLY recommend her as a business consultant and to help you move to Portugal to open a business. She is truly amazing and I’m so thankful our paths crossed when they did. Thank you Raquel for all of your help!”
“Also, I have enjoyed your existing on-line course which functions like a digital first consultation. The ability to replay parts of the recordings adds value to the consultation. Normally, people would pay the same amount for a Zoom call that would result in a few handwritten notes and a lot of forgotten information. That is why I really enjoyed the “gift” at the end of the course!” – Steve H
“Raquel at Lighthouse Consulting is a true asset for anyone navigating the complexities of freelancing & tax in Portugal. Her expertise, dedication, and personable approach make her a guiding star in the consulting world. I wholeheartedly recommend Raquel to anyone seeking a reliable and supportive partner in their freelance journey.”
Sam – Freelance Graphic & Packaging Designer, UK
“Raquel is a breath of fresh air in the business world in Portugal. She’s resourceful, efficient, and very well in-tune with the needs of foreigners.
I was in dire need to incorporate asap and there was no way to do in less than 3 months as per the usual routes. Not only did she help me incorporate within a few days, she helped simplify the whole process afterwards.”- Jennifer Nava
“I would highly recommend using Lighthouse Consulting, they were an absolute godsend in advice when setting up a business, not just for cutting through the Portuguese bureaucracy, but pointing me in the right direction of unknown loopholes that would take years to find organically. They specifically focused on what I needed and put me in touch with the right people to give me the best possible start. They gave me advice on the best business structures and setups for potential grants and the optimal tax benefits. Not only did they help me with my business and very kindly educated me in the Portuguese culture and gave me great tips for unknown beaches and restaurants. I am a person who actually tackles business duties in my own hands, however using Lighthouse Consulting was the best decision, it saved me hours of work setting up the company and with the advised business structure it will save me thousands in the future.” – Alec Morris
“Raquel of Lighthouse Consulting has been an incredible contact and resource for me as I transition my life and business endeavors to Portugal. As a seasoned business owner and professional in the US I knew right away that Raquel had expansive knowledge of the legal necessities and best business practices in order to succeed in Portugal which is even hard to come by with consultants in America let alone a new country. She has an amazing reputation in Portugal and her friendly and energetic personality is an added bonus to her professionalism. Raquel is an expert in many fields and I look forward to working with her for years to come.” – Daine White
“In a realm where Portuguese people often don’t understand how things work, and even accountants disagree with each other, I am delighted to have found Raquel Batista of Lighthouse Consulting.
This remarkable woman, and incidentally busy mum, daringly quit the corporate world a couple of years ago and now uses her considerable experience in law and finance to help foreigners create and grow businesses. “I know from my own experience that starting and running a business is hard here in Portugal,” she says. “I love helping people get money-making ideas off the ground and onto the right tracks. I have even written a step-by-step guide on how to do it. If you want to take the leap yourself, I am here for you, just a phone call or email away!” In Portugal’s fiscal rabbit-hole, you need this sort of help. Going it alone is not for the faint-hearted. And resist employing a ‘cheap’ accountant as this can create an awful false economy in the long-term. Chances are, if they don’t charge you very much, you’re not going to get much value.”
Carl Munson“Thank you for taking the time to introduce us today and all that! (…) seems great and we are super excited to get everything up and running! We truly are so grateful to have met you 😁” – Chad Henson
“Raquel was amazing, quick, reliable, and communicative. She made sure we were taken care of and understood all the nuances involved with doing business in Portugal” – Zain Lakhani
“It was a great pleasure working with Raquel! She is very kind and considerate with her clients. Raquel went out of her way to be flexible and coordinate Skype calls that were outside her regular working hours due to our busy schedule and the difference in time zone. I would definitely recommend her to anyone I know!” – Susan Evans
“I would say a big thanks to Raquel for all her help and great expertise she shared! With her assistance I would be able to open my business online, navigate through Finance Portal to learn various options related to taxation. She also helped me to apply for my NHR, NISS, and gave lots of tips and priceless advices. Raquel is not only professional and patient but also a fun person, making her exceptionally easy to communicate with. She is very committed to get things done successfully, always ready to dedicate extra time to providing answers via email or organizing additional Zoom sessions.
I would highly recommend Raquel and Lighthouse Consulting LDA for those who needed help with starting businesses and getting things done right from the beginning in the new country.
It would never happen without her help! Thank you again Raquel! It was a great experience!” – Tatyana Platitza
“Raquel, that conversation helped me immensely. I can’t thank you enough for your time, generosity, thoughtfulness, candor and professional information! I now understand what is it I need to do and the process and parameters and my options! Muito obrigada! I have been feeling so ill and upset over all of this… I think I’ll drink a sagres now to celebrate having this effective, productive and enlightening moment thanks to you❣️I love making progress and intelligence and understanding things.😊🍺 🇺🇸🇵🇹🙏”
“Raquel has saved me endless hours of trial and error navigating the confusing Portuguese online portals and tax system.” – Kevin Swindels
“Also, I have enjoyed your existing on-line course which functions like a digital first consultation. The ability to replay parts of the recordings adds value to the consultation. Normally, people would pay the same amount for a Zoom call that would result in a few handwritten notes and a lot of forgotten information. That is why I really enjoyed the “gift” at the end of the course!” – Steve H
“Raquel at Lighthouse Consulting is a true asset for anyone navigating the complexities of freelancing & tax in Portugal. Her expertise, dedication, and personable approach make her a guiding star in the consulting world. I wholeheartedly recommend Raquel to anyone seeking a reliable and supportive partner in their freelance journey.”
Sam – Freelance Graphic & Packaging Designer, UK