Hello Move: reviews & investigation
Hello Move launched in 2019 with a pitch that sounded solid: help people move to Europe without the bureaucratic nightmare. Founders appeared in Forbes. The Dutch legal entity is real. But the complaints tell a different story. Clients report 100% upfront payments, timelines that slipped from weeks into months, and refunds that either didn't come or arrived at half the promised amount. So is this a real immigration service, or are you paying for a very expensive PDF?
Who is Hello Move and what do they actually sell
Main services: EU residency permits (ВНЖ), Digital Nomad visas, startup visas, business immigration consulting, self-relocation guides
Countries covered: Portugal, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Latvia, France, Hungary
Founded: 2019 (confirmed by domain RDAP: registered November 18, 2019)
Main legal entity: Hellomove B.V., Netherlands (KvK: 76261948)
Russian entity: OOO "POGNALI" (INN: 7708438210), registered June 26, 2024
Spanish entity: HELLO MOVE, S.L. (Madrid)
Phone: +7 (495) 127-07-38
Email: [email protected]
Website: hello-move.com
Pricing: from €500 (self-relocation guide) to €7,000+ (full startup visa package)
Key fact: Hello Move markets itself as a full-service immigration platform. But contract language reviewed by clients suggests you may actually be paying for "access to information and guides," not for legal representation with guaranteed results. That distinction matters enormously when things go wrong.
Trust Score: 1.75 / 5
Score based on 1.75/5 from aggregated client complaint data, legal entity review, and contract analysis
Who's behind Hello Move: checking the paperwork
The Dutch entity
The main legal entity is Hellomove B.V., registered in the Netherlands in 2019 (KvK: 76261948, VAT: NL860565920B01). The listed CEO is Olga Leonova. The company is active and in good standing as of this review. Founders Yury Vilensky and Natalya Semina are public figures and have been covered by Forbes.
The Hague office address cited by the company belongs to a business center that rents virtual offices. It's not a physical workspace where you can walk in and talk to someone. That's not automatically a red flag for a digital-first service, but it does matter if you're trying to resolve a dispute in person.
The domain
hello-move.com was registered on November 18, 2019, through GoDaddy. DNS runs through Cloudflare. It expires November 18, 2026. The registration date matches the company's claimed founding year exactly.
The Russian entity (which raises questions)
A Russian entity, OOO "POGNALI" (INN: 7708438210, OGRN: 1247700455397), was registered on June 26, 2024, with its director listed as Paulyus V.A. And here's where it gets odd: the primary business code for this entity is 11.07.2, which means "production of non-alcoholic beverages." Nothing to do with immigration, relocation, or consulting.
By 2025, four arbitration claims totaling 417,000 rubles had been filed against OOO "POGNALI." You can check the Russian arbitration database at kad.arbitr.ru using the INN number. A company registered as a beverage producer that's been sued four times in its first year of existence is not a minor footnote.
The Spanish entity
Hello Move also operates through HELLO MOVE, S.L. in Madrid. Clients dealing with Spanish immigration programs may find their contract routed through this entity. Verify which legal entity you're actually contracting with before paying, and check whether that entity is in good standing in Spain's official business registry.
Payments go through Latvia
Despite being registered in the Netherlands, Hello Move routes client payments through a corporate bank account in Latvia. That's legal, but the mismatch between registration jurisdiction and payment jurisdiction can complicate any dispute. Your contract is governed by Dutch law, but your money sits in a Latvian bank. If you need to recover funds, you're dealing with two different jurisdictions before you've even started.
Hello Move risk analysis: 5 things to know before you pay
| Area | Risk | What we found | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | high | Services range from €500 (self-relocation guide) to €7,000+ for full startup visa packages. A Slovakia residency permit was quoted at €7,000. Pricing is not transparently published on the website. | Request a full written cost breakdown before signing anything. Ask specifically about government fees, notary costs, and apostille charges, which are often listed separately and surprise clients. |
| Contract | high | Multiple client reports indicate contract language describes the service as "access to an information platform and guides" rather than legal representation with a guaranteed outcome. This limits the company's liability significantly. | Have an independent lawyer read the contract before signing. Confirm explicitly whether you're paying for legal representation or for a subscription to guides. These are very different products. |
| Timelines | high | Hello Move has advertised processing times of 2-4 weeks in marketing materials. Actual government processing for EU residency permits typically runs 3-6 months. Multiple clients report Hello Move missing its own internal deadlines by months, in some cases making it impossible to file applications at all. | Get specific milestone deadlines written into your contract with penalties for delays. Verify the official government processing time for your specific visa type and country independently before accepting any timeline estimate. |
| Risks | high | Four arbitration claims filed in 2025 against the Russian entity OOO "POGNALI." The Hague office is a virtual address. The Russian entity's primary business code is "non-alcoholic beverage production." Founders publicly claimed the negative reviews were an "information attack by scammers" in a 2021 video. | Disputes go through Dutch law. For most clients outside the Netherlands, that means hiring a European lawyer. Contact their team directly to ask about dispute resolution procedures before you're in a dispute. |
| Refunds | high | Marketing claims 100% refund if the application is denied. The actual policy reportedly offers only 50% or a free resubmission. Multiple clients report refund delays of 6 months or longer, with some stating refunds never arrived at all. | Do not rely on verbal refund promises. Get the exact refund conditions in writing, including the specific timeline for when refunds will be processed. Ask what happens if Hello Move misses its own deadlines (as opposed to the government rejecting your application). |
Hello Move: red flags and green lights
| ✅ | Real Dutch legal entity: Hellomove B.V. (KvK: 76261948, VAT: NL860565920B01) is registered and active in the Netherlands since 2019. This is verifiable through the Dutch Chamber of Commerce and rules out a purely anonymous operation. |
| ✅ | Public founders: Co-founders Yury Vilensky and Natalya Semina have public profiles and have been featured in Forbes ("30 Under 30"). Real people are accountable in ways anonymous operators are not. |
| ✅ | Domain age matches founding claim: hello-move.com was registered November 18, 2019, exactly when the company says it launched. Some companies claim founding dates that predate their domain registration by years. That's not the case here. |
| ✅ | Verified successful client cases: Real clients have posted verified accounts of successful EU residency permits obtained through Hello Move for Estonia, Portugal, Spain, and Latvia. The service works for some people, and those outcomes are documented. |
| ✅ | Corporate email domain: The company uses [email protected] rather than a free Gmail or Yandex address. Basic credibility indicator, but worth noting. |
| ⚠️ | No migration-specific licenses disclosed: The company does not publicly list any state-issued immigration consulting licenses or legal accreditations for the countries it operates in. Some EU jurisdictions require licensing for paid immigration advice. Contact their team directly to ask what authorizations they hold. |
| ⚠️ | Latvian bank account for a Dutch company: Client payments go to a corporate account in Latvia, not the Netherlands where the company is registered. This is legal but creates jurisdictional complexity in any dispute. |
| ⚠️ | Trustpilot rating is two years old: The 4.4/5 score on Trustpilot dates to November 2022. Complaint volume on other platforms increased significantly after that date. The score may not reflect the current client experience. |
| ⚠️ | Virtual office in The Hague: The listed Dutch office address belongs to a business center that provides virtual office services. No physical walk-in office exists at that address. |
| ❌ | Contract framed as "information access," not legal services: Client reports consistently describe contract language that limits Hello Move's obligation to providing guides and platform access, not to achieving a specific immigration outcome. When applications fail or deadlines slip, the company can point to this clause. |
| ❌ | Marketing vs. actual refund policy contradiction: Ads say 100% refund on denial. The real policy offers 50% or a free resubmission. That gap is not a rounding error. It's a 50-percentage-point difference that clients only discover after paying. |
| ❌ | Systematic timeline violations: Multiple independent complaints describe the same pattern: promised 1-2 months, missed deadlines, applications delayed so long that consulate windows closed. This appears to be a structural problem, not individual bad luck. |
| ❌ | Refund delays up to 6+ months: One documented case shows a client waiting over six months for a refund after Hello Move's own delays made it impossible to file. The refund still had not arrived when the complaint was filed. |
| ❌ | Russian entity with mismatched business code: OOO "POGNALI" (connected to Hello Move) is registered under business code 11.07.2, which covers "production of non-alcoholic beverages." Four arbitration claims were filed against it in 2025, totaling 417,000 rubles. Using a legally misclassified entity for client-facing operations in Russia is a significant concern. |
| ❌ | 100% prepayment required: The standard payment model demands full payment before work begins. Reputable immigration services use milestone-based payments. Full upfront payment shifts all risk to the client with no financial leverage if performance falls short. |
Hello Move vs. competitors: who gives you more for your money
The highlighted column is Hello Move. best = best value in row. worst = highest risk or cost. mixed = depends on case.
| Parameter | Hello Move ★ | Fragomen (Global Law Firm) | DIY + Local Lawyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | €500 to €7,000+ mixed | €3,000 to €15,000+ expensive | €500 to €2,000 (gov fees + lawyer) cheapest |
| Payment structure | 100% upfront worst | Milestone-based billing | Pay-as-you-go best |
| Timeline accuracy | Frequently violated worst | Generally reliable, formally documented | Depends on lawyer; government delays apply equally |
| Refund policy | 50% actual vs. 100% advertised worst | Fee agreements are specific; no universal refund | Pay only for work done best |
| Physical office | Virtual office in The Hague virtual only | Real offices in 50+ countries best | Depends on the local lawyer you choose |
| Licensed immigration lawyers | No publicly disclosed licenses | Fully licensed in each jurisdiction best | Yes, if you hire a licensed local attorney |
| Contract transparency | "Information access" framing worst | Scope of work clearly defined | Retainer agreement with clear scope |
Competitor data reflects publicly available information as of February 2026. DIY costs assume you find a qualified local immigration lawyer in the target country. Government fees are not included in any column and apply to all options equally.
What to check before paying Hello Move anything
- Contract scope: Read the exact language describing what you're paying for. If the contract says "access to an information platform" or "guides and consulting," you are not buying legal representation. You're buying content. Clarify this in writing before any payment.
- Payment structure: Push back on 100% upfront payment. Propose milestone-based payments tied to specific deliverables: document collection, application submission, appointment booking. If they refuse any milestone structure, treat that as a signal.
- Refund conditions: Get the refund policy in the contract, word for word. Confirm whether the 100% refund applies if the government rejects your application, if Hello Move misses its own deadlines, or both. Ask what the refund timeline looks like and who authorizes it.
- Which legal entity you're contracting with: Confirm whether your contract is with Hellomove B.V. (Netherlands), HELLO MOVE, S.L. (Spain), or OOO "POGNALI" (Russia). The jurisdiction determines where you'd need to pursue a dispute. For most clients, Dutch or Spanish courts are not realistic options without significant cost.
- Realistic timelines: Look up the official government processing time for your specific visa type and target country independently. If Hello Move quotes you a timeline shorter than the official government minimum, ask them to explain exactly how that's possible in writing.
- Licensing: Ask what authorization Hello Move holds to provide paid immigration advice in your target country. Some EU jurisdictions require specific licenses or bar membership for this work. Document their answer.
- References: Request contact details for three recent clients who completed the same specific program you're interested in. Not testimonials on their website. Actual contact information for people you can call or email independently.
- Additional costs: Get a written itemization of every cost in your case: consular fees, notary charges, apostille costs, translation fees, document delivery. These are often quoted separately and can add €500 to €2,000 to the total cost.
Frequently asked questions about Hello Move
Is Hello Move a legitimate company or a scam?
Hello Move operates through a real Dutch legal entity (Hellomove B.V., KvK: 76261948) with publicly named founders, one of whom appeared in Forbes. That rules out classic anonymous fraud. But "legitimate" and "reliable" are different things. Documented complaints about systematic timeline violations, refund delays of 6+ months, and contract language limiting liability to "information access" rather than results put this service in a high-risk category. Some clients got their visas. Others are still waiting for refunds after a year.
What does Hello Move actually guarantee when you sign a contract?
Marketing materials promote 100% money back if your application is denied. The actual contract reportedly limits this to a 50% refund or a free resubmission. Multiple clients report that even these terms were not honored in practice. Read the contract text yourself and have an independent lawyer review it before paying. Contact their team directly for the current version of the refund clause.
How long does it actually take to get an EU residence permit through Hello Move?
Hello Move has advertised timelines as short as 2-4 weeks for some programs. Actual government processing for EU residency permits runs 3-6 months depending on the country and visa type. Multiple client complaints describe Hello Move missing its own internal preparation deadlines by months, in some cases preventing clients from filing at all during an open application window. Budget at least 6 months and treat any shorter estimate with skepticism until you see it confirmed by the official government website for your target country.
Why does Hello Move require full payment upfront?
The company's standard model requires 100% prepayment before work begins. Reputable immigration services typically split payments across milestones tied to specific deliverables. Full upfront payment puts all financial risk on the client. If deadlines slip or the application fails, recovering funds has been documented as a multi-month or even year-long process. Push for milestone-based payment. If they won't negotiate on this, factor that into your risk assessment.
What is OOO "POGNALI" and why does it matter?
OOO "POGNALI" (INN: 7708438210, OGRN: 1247700455397) is a Russian legal entity connected to Hello Move, registered June 26, 2024. Its primary business activity code is 11.07.2 ("production of non-alcoholic beverages"), which has nothing to do with immigration consulting. By 2025, four arbitration claims totaling 417,000 rubles had been filed against it. Using a legally misclassified entity for client-facing work in Russia creates regulatory and legal risk for both the company and its clients.
Can Hello Move's Trustpilot rating of 4.4 be trusted?
That 4.4 out of 5 on Trustpilot dates to November 2022. It's over two years old. The volume and severity of complaints on ru.otzyv.ru and vse-otzyvy.ru increased significantly in 2022-2023. On one platform, Hello Move's model was described as "a scheme close to fraudulent" based on contract terms. Cross-check reviews across multiple platforms and pay close attention to the dates. A rating built during the company's early growth period may not reflect current operations.
Where can I leave a review about Hello Move?
You can share your experience on migration.us.com, which collects independent reviews of immigration and relocation services. Other platforms include proverj.com, Trustpilot, and ru.otzyv.ru. Honest reviews help other people make better decisions before committing thousands of euros upfront.
Expert verdict on Hello Move
I've been in the immigration business since 2011. I've built a network of 50+ offices, and I've seen this model before. Hello Move sits in a specific and uncomfortable category: not a fake company, but one where the business model creates structural problems for clients.
What concerns me first is the contract framing. When a service describes itself as an "information platform" rather than immigration legal services, that's a deliberate legal choice. It's not an accident of phrasing. If you pay €6,000 for "access to guides and a case manager" rather than "legal representation with defined obligations," your options when things go wrong become very limited very fast.
The 100% upfront payment requirement is a second concern. I run businesses. I understand cash flow. But milestone payments exist specifically to protect clients in long-duration, high-stakes processes. Refusing milestone payments is a negotiating position. It's not an operational necessity. Any legitimate service should accept at least a two-part payment structure (on signing and on application submission).
The Russian entity situation is genuinely strange. An immigration company operating through a legal entity classified as a beverage producer, which then accumulates four arbitration claims in its first year, is not a compliance oversight. It's a structure that someone chose deliberately. I won't speculate why, but I'd want an answer before giving that entity any money.
On the positive side: the Dutch entity is real, the founders are real, and some clients clearly got their visas. The service has worked. The question is whether the operational and contractual structure gives you enough protection if it doesn't work in your case. Based on what I've reviewed, the answer is no.
My advice is simple. If you're considering Hello Move, hire an independent immigration lawyer in your target country for a one-hour consultation first. That €150-€300 investment will tell you whether the program you're being sold is right for your situation, what the realistic timeline looks like from the government's side, and whether the contract Hello Move is offering you is worth signing. Don't skip that step.
Don't get burned
Marketing promises about fast EU visas and 100% refund guarantees don't always survive contact with the actual contract. Read what real clients say about Hello Move before you commit thousands of euros upfront.
Read real reviews about Hello Move