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Services · Licences, permits and complianceSettling in, without the runaround
Approval is not the finish line. Once you arrive there is a driver’s licence to get, an ID card and a tax number, perhaps a farm to register, a business to license or a rental property to manage, and then tax returns and company filings every year after that. Our local team in each country takes care of all of it, so you can get on with living there.
The paperwork does not stop at approval
Every office has its own forms, its own queue and its own idea of which documents count. Forms are often only in the local language, the rules can differ from one office to the next, and one missing stamp or an expired certificate can send you back to the start.
Our local team lives in these countries and deals with these offices every week. They know what each one actually asks for, prepare your file before you arrive, book the appointments and come with you on the day. What takes a newcomer weeks usually takes us a visit or two.
Licences, permits and the rest
Tell us what you need. If it involves a government office in one of our countries, we can almost certainly take care of it.
Driving
Getting on the road legally, without days lost in queues.
- Converting your foreign licence, or getting a local one
- Medical and other certificates booked for you
- Vehicle registration and transfers
Land and farming
For clients who buy rural property, farm or ranch.
- Rural property and farm registrations
- Livestock and agricultural registrations
- Land use and building permits
Business licences and permits
Everything a company needs to trade, beyond the formation itself.
- Municipal operating licences
- Trade licence renewals
- Sector permits, such as food, import and export or tourism
- Employer and social security registration
Personal admin
The things that make day to day life work in a new country.
- National ID card and local tax number
- Utilities, internet and phone in your name
- Health insurance and school enrolment
Property management
For investment property, whether you rent it long term or short term on platforms like Airbnb.
- Finding and vetting tenants, leases and rent collection
- Short term listings, guests, cleaning and turnovers
- Maintenance and repairs, with regular reports
- Rental licences and tax on rental income kept in order
Keeping things current
Licences and cards expire. We make sure nothing lapses.
- Residency cards, ID cards and licences renewed on time
- Every deadline in your client dashboard
- One team that already holds your file
Firearms licences
Where the law allows residents to hold one, for example in Paraguay, we can even assist with the documentation.
- Eligibility checked before you start
- Documents prepared, and the medical, psychological and training certificates arranged
- Registration and renewals tracked
Something else to sort out?
If it involves a government office, a licence or a property in one of the countries we work in, ask us. We will tell you honestly whether our local team can take care of it.
Fully compliant, every year
A new residency, a company abroad and accounts in several countries each come with their own filings and deadlines. Miss one and the fines, frozen accounts or lost tax status can undo much of what you set up. The licensed accountants in our local team keep all of it in order, for you personally and for your companies.
You personally
- Personal tax returns in your country of residence
- Tax on rental income from your property
- Tax residency certificates
- Exit filings when you leave a country
- Deadlines tracked and flagged well in advance
Your companies
- Annual returns and company tax filings
- Bookkeeping and accounts
- Registered agent, licence and fee renewals
- Keeping each structure in good standing
Every country we work in
For our residency and citizenship clients, and for anyone already living in one of these countries.
Questions about settling in
Do I need to be an Astute Expat client already?
No. Most people who use this service came to us for a residency or citizenship, but we also help anyone already living in one of the countries we work in.
Which countries do you cover?
All twelve countries where we run residency and citizenship programs. What is available differs by country: a firearms licence, for example, is only possible where the law allows residents to hold one.
Do I have to be there in person?
Sometimes. Some offices need you there for a photo, fingerprints, a test or a signature. We book those appointments, prepare everything beforehand and have someone from our local team with you on the day. Everything else we handle without you.
Can you file my tax returns every year?
Yes. The licensed accountants in our local team prepare and file your personal tax returns, and your companies’ annual returns, accounts and bookkeeping, in the countries we work in. We track every deadline and tell you what is coming well before it is due.
How much does it cost?
Each task has a fixed fee, quoted in writing before we start. Government fees are passed on at cost. Yearly tax and compliance work is quoted as one fixed annual fee.
Is Astute Expat a law or accounting firm?
No. The licensed lawyers and accountants in our local team give the legal and tax advice and sign the filings that require them. We run the process for you from start to finish.
How it works
- 01
Tell us what you need
A licence, a permit, a registration or your yearly filings. One task or a whole list.
- 02
Requirements and a fixed fee
We confirm exactly what is required, how long it takes and our fixed fee, in writing.
- 03
We prepare and go with you
Our local team prepares the documents, books the appointments and comes with you wherever you need to be there.
- 04
Done, and kept current
The licence or permit is issued in your name, and every renewal and filing date goes into your client dashboard.
Astute Expat is not a law firm or an accounting firm. Legal advice, tax returns and filings that require a licence are handled by the licensed lawyers and accountants in our local team in each country. Fees are fixed and quoted in writing before we start; government fees are passed on at cost.
Get settled properly
Tell us where you live, or where you are moving, and what you need sorted. We will tell you exactly what it involves.
No cost and no obligation. Just a clear next step.