ARTSOFT CONSULTING: reviews & investigation
They promise Spanish residency in 30 days with a "guaranteed" business plan approval. Their domain was registered in September 2024. The company says it's been around since 2022. One of those statements is false. We checked.
Who is ARTSOFT CONSULTING and what do they do
ARTSOFT CONSULTING is a Valencia-based consultancy that helps people relocate to Spain, primarily through the Startup Visa and Digital Nomad Visa programs. The company was founded by Arthur Zakirov (Artur Zakirov in Russian), a former IT security entrepreneur from Russia who himself relocated to Spain in 2023. He's publicly identified and has published personal accounts of his own relocation process.
Services: Spanish residency permits (Startup Visa, Digital Nomad, No Lucrativa, Student Visa, Investment Visa), business plan writing, company registration, housing search, bank account opening, document preparation
Location: 46001 Valencia, Spain (no street address published); UK entity at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London
Founded (claimed): 2022 (contradicted by all verifiable registration data)
Spanish entity registered: November 28, 2023 (ARTSOFT SIEM SL, NIF B56742752)
UK entity registered: December 27, 2024 (ARTSOFT CONSULTING LTD, Company ID 16152318)
Phone: +34 655 70 78 11
Email: [email protected]
Website: artsoftco.com
Domain registered: September 10, 2024
Key fact: The Spanish entity ARTSOFT SIEM SL is registered under CNAE code 62.01 (Programming), not as a legal services or immigration consulting firm. This raises direct questions about licensing to provide paid immigration advice in Spain.
Trust Score
Based on 1.5/5 from verified data points. ScamAdviser rates artsoftco.com at 61/100.
Who's behind ARTSOFT CONSULTING: checking the paperwork
The Spanish entity
The primary Spanish company is ARTSOFT SIEM SL, NIF B56742752. It was registered on November 28, 2023, at Calle Xabia 9, 5, 10, 46001, Valencia. The CNAE activity code is 62.01: Computer Programming Activities. That's software development, not immigration consulting or legal services. Arthur Zakirov is listed as the founder.
Providing immigration advice for payment in Spain typically falls under legal services. Practitioners are expected to hold registration with a bar association (Colegio de Abogados) or be licensed as a Gestor Administrativo. No such license or membership has been found for this entity. That's either an oversight on their website or a gap that should concern you before signing a contract.
The UK entity
ARTSOFT CONSULTING LTD was registered on December 27, 2024 with UK Companies House (Company ID 16152318). Its registered address is 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London. That specific address is one of the UK's most-used mass-registration virtual office locations. Hundreds of companies share it. The current director is Artem Makeev, who took the role on December 18, 2025 (previously Arthur Zakirov held the directorship). SIC codes cover management consulting and other auxiliary business activities, not immigration law.
The domain timeline
The domain artsoftco.com was registered on September 10, 2024, through GoDaddy.com. The Web Archive shows the first snapshot of the site was captured on that same date. The site expiry is September 10, 2027. There is no archived version of artsoftco.com before September 2024, making the "founded 2022" claim impossible to verify. It's possible Arthur Zakirov was doing informal consulting before 2024, but there's no paper trail to support it.
Additional domains
The company also operates artsoft.es (used for corporate email), artsoft.consulting (a mirror of the main site), and artsoftsiem.com (a cybersecurity project connected to the founder). The use of multiple domains is common for marketing purposes but adds some complexity when identifying which entity you're actually contracting with.
ARTSOFT CONSULTING risk analysis: 5 things to know
| Area | Risk | What we found | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | medium | Published rates: basic document package from €1,000; business plan from €3,500; family member prep from €250; bank account opening from €500. Full price list isn't on the site. | At least one client (ReloHub, May 2025) reported extra charges appearing after the initial payment. Confirm the total "all-in" cost before signing anything. |
| Contract | high | No sample contract is publicly available. The Spanish entity is registered as a programming company, not a legal or immigration services firm. It's unclear which entity you're actually contracting with. | Demand a written contract before any payment. Have an independent Spanish lawyer review it. Confirm which entity (Spanish or UK) is signing and why. |
| Timelines | high | Website promises residency in 30 days. Spain's ENISA review for Startup Visa applications officially takes up to 3 months. One complaint cited delays. The 30-day figure doesn't reflect standard government processing times. | Plan for 3-6 months minimum. Get any specific timeline commitment in writing, including what happens if the government takes longer. |
| Risks | high | No Spanish immigration or legal license found. Spanish entity registered under CNAE 62.01 (programming). UK entity at a virtual office. Founding claim (2022) contradicts all verifiable registration data. ScamAdviser: 61/100. | If something goes wrong, your legal recourse depends on which entity you contracted with and whether they hold a license to provide the service. Check before paying. |
| Refunds | high | Company claims "full money-back guarantee" on visa denial. Exact conditions are not published anywhere. One documented complaint involved unexpected additional fees after initial payment. | Get the refund policy in writing, in Spanish, with specific trigger conditions. A verbal promise of "guaranteed refund" has no legal weight. |
ARTSOFT CONSULTING: red flags and green lights
| ✅ | Public leadership. Arthur Zakirov and Artem Makeev are publicly identified and not hiding behind anonymous ownership. Zakirov has published personal accounts of his own relocation to Spain. |
| ✅ | Corporate email domain. They use [email protected] on a proprietary domain, not Gmail or a free service. That's a basic but real indicator of a working business operation. |
| ✅ | Not in scam databases. No hits found in baxov.net, plohotron.online, moshennik.eu, telltrue.net, or proverj.com at the time of this review. |
| ✅ | Registered legal entities in two countries. ARTSOFT SIEM SL in Spain and ARTSOFT CONSULTING LTD in the UK are both officially registered companies (though registration alone doesn't confirm licensing). |
| ⚠ | Spanish entity registered under "Programming" (CNAE 62.01). This is the activity code for software development, not immigration consulting or legal services. The company provides paid immigration advice under a programming company license. |
| ⚠ | Hidden fees complaint on ReloHub. A verified client review from May 29, 2025 describes unexpected additional charges after initial payment, as well as delays and insufficient communication during the process. |
| ⚠ | ScamAdviser rates artsoftco.com at 61/100. Risk factors cited: hidden domain owner, low traffic, and recent domain registration. Not a red alert, but well below comfortable levels for a financial transaction. |
| ❌ | Founded 2022 claim has no supporting evidence. Domain registered September 10, 2024. Spanish entity registered November 28, 2023. UK entity registered December 27, 2024. The 2022 claim appears to be marketing fiction. |
| ❌ | "Guaranteed" visa approval is not how immigration works. Spain's immigration authority makes the final call on every application. Promising guaranteed approval is a classic high-pressure sales tactic in immigration consulting. No legitimate licensed lawyer makes this claim. |
| ❌ | UK entity at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London. This is one of the UK's best-known mass-registration virtual office addresses. It's used by thousands of companies. Listing it as a business address provides essentially no information about where the company actually operates from. |
| ❌ | No verified Spanish immigration or legal license. No record found of registration with the Colegio de Abogados (Bar Association) or as a Gestor Administrativo. Without this, their legal basis for charging for immigration advice in Spain is unconfirmed. |
| ❌ | All client reviews appear on platforms where the company controls or influences the content. Their own website, Taplink (self-presentation), VKontakte group. No presence on Trustpilot, Google Reviews, or Glassdoor. The one independent platform (ReloHub) includes a negative complaint. |
ARTSOFT CONSULTING vs competitors: which is better value
The highlighted column is the company under review. best means strongest result in that row. worst means weakest. mixed means it depends on your situation.
| Parameter | ARTSOFT CONSULTING ★ | Balcells Group (Spain immigration law firm) | DIY (self-filing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | From €1,000+ (unclear total) mixed | From €2,000+ (published) | €73.26 government fee only cheapest |
| Timelines | Claims 30 days (not realistic) misleading | 2-4 months (honest estimate) | 3-6 months (no support) |
| License | Not verified unconfirmed | Licensed Spanish lawyers verified | N/A |
| Guarantees | "100% guarantee" (conditions unpublished) | Transparent process, no false promises | None |
| Physical office | Valencia (no street address) unverified | Barcelona office (verifiable) confirmed | N/A |
| Public pricing page | No missing | Yes | Government fee schedule is public best |
Competitor data based on publicly available information. Contact firms directly for current pricing.
What to check before paying ARTSOFT CONSULTING
- Contract: Request a complete written contract before any payment. Verify it specifies the exact services included, the timeline, what's not covered, and the total final cost. Vague scope descriptions are how hidden fees get added later.
- License: Ask for their Spanish license number for legal or immigration consulting. Check it against the Colegio de Abogados directory or the Gestor Administrativo registry. If they can't provide a license number, ask a licensed Spanish lawyer to handle your application instead.
- Payment: Get the full "all-in" price in writing before transferring any money. Ask directly: "Are there any fees not included in this quote?" Get the answer in email, not on a call.
- Refund terms: The "money-back guarantee" on denial needs to be in your signed contract with specific trigger conditions, timelines for the refund, and the exact amount you'd get back. A verbal promise has no legal weight in Spain.
- Legal entity: Confirm which legal entity you're contracting with: ARTSOFT SIEM SL (NIF B56742752, Spain) or ARTSOFT CONSULTING LTD (Company ID 16152318, UK). Verify the Spanish entity in the Registro Mercantil. Ask why the UK virtual office company is involved.
- Timeline: If they promise "30 days," get it in your contract. Ask what happens contractually if the government process takes 3 or 4 months instead. Spain's ENISA review alone can take up to 3 months.
- References: Ask for the contact details of 2-3 past clients you can call or message directly. Testimonials on their own website aren't independent verification.
- Founding date: Ask them directly when the company was established and request supporting documentation. The domain went live in September 2024. Their Spanish entity was registered in November 2023. The 2022 founding claim needs an explanation.
Frequently asked questions about ARTSOFT CONSULTING
Is ARTSOFT Consulting legit or a scam?
ARTSOFT Consulting is a registered business with legal entities in Spain and the UK. Their leadership is publicly identified. But several serious problems came up in this investigation: the domain launched in September 2024 while the company claims a 2022 founding; the Spanish entity is registered as a programming firm, not an immigration consultancy; the UK entity sits at a well-known London virtual office address; and no Spanish immigration license has been verified. One independent client on ReloHub complained about hidden fees. That's not enough to call it a scam, but it's enough to call it high-risk.
What Spanish visas does ARTSOFT Consulting handle?
They claim to assist with five categories: Startup Visa (for entrepreneurs with an innovative business concept approved by Spain's ENISA), Digital Nomad Visa (for remote workers with an income source outside Spain), No Lucrativa Visa (for financially independent applicants), Student Visa, and Investment Visa. Beyond visa processing, they offer business plan writing, company registration (autónomo setup), housing search, and bank account opening. Whether all of these services are offered under a proper license in Spain is a question you should ask directly before paying.
How much does ARTSOFT Consulting charge for a Spanish residency permit?
Published figures: basic document package from €1,000; business plan from €3,500; family member document preparation from €250; bank account opening assistance from €500. A full price list isn't on their website. At least one client reported being charged more than originally quoted. Before signing, ask for a complete written breakdown of all fees for your specific case, including any fees payable to third parties or the Spanish government (the government TASA fee is €73.26, paid separately).
Did ARTSOFT Consulting really start in 2022?
No verifiable record supports it. The domain artsoftco.com was registered on September 10, 2024. Their Spanish company (ARTSOFT SIEM SL, NIF B56742752) was registered on November 28, 2023. Their UK company (ARTSOFT CONSULTING LTD, Company ID 16152318) was registered on December 27, 2024. It's possible founder Arthur Zakirov did informal consulting before forming a legal entity, but the "founded 2022" claim on their website has no documentation to back it up. Ask them for proof before trusting any other figures they cite about their track record.
Does ARTSOFT Consulting actually guarantee visa approval?
No immigration consultant can legally guarantee a visa outcome. Spain's immigration authority (and ENISA for Startup Visas) makes the final decision on every application. ARTSOFT claims a full money-back guarantee if the application is denied, but the exact conditions, exclusions, and refund timeline are not published anywhere publicly. Get those terms in a signed contract, reviewed by an independent Spanish lawyer, before you pay a single euro. "We guarantee results" is a marketing line, not a legal commitment, unless it's written into your contract with specific conditions.
Can I apply for Spanish residency without speaking Spanish?
Spanish language proficiency is not a formal requirement for the Startup Visa or Digital Nomad Visa. You don't need to pass a language test. But most government forms, official letters, and in-person appointments happen in Spanish, so having a bilingual consultant handle the paperwork is genuinely useful. The question is whether your consultant holds the right credentials to do so legally.
Where can I leave a review about ARTSOFT Consulting?
You can share your experience on migration.us.com and proverj.com. Independent client reviews are also collected on ReloHub.org. Writing an honest account, positive or negative, helps other people make better decisions before committing money to an immigration service.
Expert verdict on ARTSOFT CONSULTING
I've been working in immigration business since 2011, first with Russian-speaking communities in the US and later across Europe. I've seen dozens of consultancies launch on the back of a founder's personal relocation story. Some of them turn out fine. Others take your money and disappear. ARTSOFT sits somewhere in the gray zone, but leaning toward the risky end.
The founding date issue bothers me more than most red flags. It's not a technicality. When a company claims to have been around since 2022 but their domain didn't exist until September 2024 and their Spanish entity wasn't registered until late 2023, that's a deliberate misrepresentation. It's designed to make them look more established and trustworthy. If they're willing to fudge that, what else is approximate?
What concerns me most here is the licensing gap. In Spain, charging clients for immigration advice is regulated activity. You need either a bar admission or a Gestor Administrativo license. The Spanish entity ARTSOFT SIEM SL is registered under CNAE 62.01, which is programming. That code doesn't authorize immigration consulting. I couldn't find any license or bar registration for them. That's a serious problem. If they're not licensed and something goes wrong with your application, you may have limited legal recourse.
The UK entity sitting at 71-75 Shelton Street in Covent Garden is the other piece that stands out. That address is notorious in company formation circles. Every serious immigration practitioner I know either has a physical office or explains clearly why their registered address is virtual. No such explanation appears here.
On the positive side: Arthur Zakirov is publicly named and has published his own migration story. The company hasn't appeared in any known scam databases. And some clients on ReloHub report genuinely positive experiences. They appear to be doing real work for some clients. The question is whether the business structure, licensing, and contract terms protect you adequately.
My recommendation: if you're seriously considering using ARTSOFT, first ask them to produce a Spanish license number for immigration services and verify it independently. If they can't, hire a licensed Spanish lawyer for the legal parts of your application and use ARTSOFT only for the non-legal logistics (housing, banking) if you trust them for that. Don't pay for anything, especially a €3,500 business plan, without a signed contract that spells out exactly what you get if the application is denied.
Don't get burned
Marketing promises about "guaranteed" visas and 30-day processing don't always match reality. Read what real clients have to say before committing thousands of euros.
Read real reviews about ARTSOFT CONSULTING