Most clients treat an initial meeting as exploratory: bring a passport, ask questions, and expect options. The Siyah consultation checklist reframes that meeting: bring the evidence of your situation, not just your questions, and a 60‑minute call can become an implementable decision path.
Why this matters now
Clients who arrive with primary documents receive recommendations you can act on. Those who arrive empty‑handed get safe, generic options that postpone decisions, cost time and money, and often miss hidden risks in tax, ownership or family law.
Siyah consultation checklist — the evidence you must bring
Below are the high‑priority document groups that convert theory into a plan. For an overview of the routes we assess, see Siyah’s route summaries on Siyah Agents programmes.
Identity and civil documents (what to bring, redaction guidance)
Bring valid passport(s) and national ID, certified birth and marriage or civil‑union certificates, and any children’s birth or adoption papers that affect family inclusion. Certified copies or redacted originals are acceptable for the first call; certified originals only if requested. If you prefer, show originals on a secure video line and upload certified copies afterwards.
Practical redaction tips: black out account numbers on non‑essential pages, replace transaction descriptions with “See full statement on secure upload” and keep name, dates and balances visible when they establish ownership or residency ties.
Family and dependency evidence (why family records matter for route sequencing)
Family composition directly affects which residence and citizenship routes are feasible, whether schooling or health coverage must be planned, and which dependants can be included on an application. Bring marriage and children’s documents (with translations if not in English) so we can map family inclusion, dependency classes and likely sequencing.
Financial and source‑of‑fund evidence that makes advice implementable
Banking and liquid assets
Several months of bank statements (redacted if necessary) reveal cash flow, recurring liabilities and the genuine liquidity you can commit. For initial triage, redacted statements that show bank name, account holder and closing balances are usually sufficient; full transaction history is requested only after an engagement or via a secure upload channel.
Corporate and entrepreneurial evidence
Bring incorporation documents, shareholder registers, audited accounts or management accounts, VAT registration, and recent payroll runs. These documents let us test ownership claims and identify whether funds are corporate distributions, dividends, or salary — each carries different tax and immigration implications that affect sequencing and structure.
Long‑form asset titles and transaction records
If your route depends on an asset transfer or title — for example, an ownership‑based residence route in some jurisdictions — bring land‑registry extracts, notarial deeds and escrow receipts. Advisers will check registry names against identity and corporate structures to confirm clean title and traceability. If you later mention specific national programmes tied to asset evidence, advisers will consult official registry guidance before recommending sequence or funding structures.
Legal, tax and background checks that advisers cannot skip
Tax filings and planning history
Provide recent tax filings and any tax‑residency certifications where available; if you cannot provide them, tell us why — that gap is itself material and will shape advice. Tax history reveals exposure to double taxation risks, outstanding liabilities, and whether a residence move is sensible or likely to attract compliance scrutiny.
Police/criminal records and previous immigration refusals
Some programmes require criminal‑record checks and full disclosure of prior refusals. Portugal’s ARI portal requires applicants to upload identity, criminal‑record and health‑insurance documents; AIMA accepts qualified electronic signatures and digital submissions, so those documents may be uploaded digitally. (aima.gov.pt)
If you have unresolved tax audits or immigration refusals, bring the correspondence — an early red flag saves wasted costs.
Documents specific to common routes (how to bring evidence without accepting a programme claim)
For quick orientation to the set of routes Siyah covers, consult our route summaries before you prepare documents.
Portugal ARI — documentation examples
Portugal’s ARI portal requires applicants to upload identity, criminal‑record and health‑insurance documents; AIMA accepts qualified electronic signatures and digital submissions, and the portal lists the specific file types and supporting papers to attach. Bring certified copies of IDs, recent police certificates, and evidence of private health insurance or national coverage so we can test eligibility precisely. (aima.gov.pt)
Greece investor residence (property‑linked route)
Greece’s investor residence procedure is submitted digitally and requires proof of ownership and the notarial certificate described on the Ministry registry; the registry lists supporting documents. If you are considering a property‑linked route, bring notarised title deeds, the land‑registry extract and the notarial purchase confirmations. (en.mitos.gov.gr)
UAE long‑term residence
The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity (ICP) administers long‑term residency and provides the official Smart Services application channels; applicants and advisers use the ICP Smart Services portal for applications and guidance. For an initial triage, bring passport pages, evidence of professional qualification or investment, and company documentation that shows the economic link the residency claim will rely upon. (icp.gov.ae)
Türkiye investment evidence
Türkiye’s official investment guide describes the property‑and‑investment documentation and registry steps advisers will check at a consultation; bring land‑registry records, proof of purchase payments, and corporate investment documentation where applicable so we can verify title, encumbrances and holding conditions. (invest.gov.tr)
U.S. investor planning and treaty considerations
For U.S. investor‑planning, the State Department describes the documentary evidence required to show an enterprise and an investment meet statutory criteria; nationality status is decisive for treaty‑based investor routes, so bring passports that show current nationality and any second citizenships alongside full business documentation. (travel.state.gov)
How Siyah assesses your documents in a consultation
During the consultation we perform a diagnostic triage: confirm identity, validate ownership and corporate claims, surface tax and immigration red flags, map sequence (what must precede what), and deliver a gap list with next steps. If you want to pre‑compare routes before or after the call, use our comparison tool: Compare Residency and Citizenship Programs.
What the triage produces
The output is a short road‑map memo that lists which originals are essential, sequence items that must be closed before application, specific evidentiary gaps and suggested forensics (for example, registry checks or certified translations), and a practical note on cost and time sensitivity. We do not predict approvals; we clarify the documentary pathway and exposure points.
Illustrative before/after scenario
- Before: A founder brings only a passport and asks about Türkiye and Portugal. Without company registers or bank statements the adviser can outline only generic routes and request follow‑up documents.
- After: The same founder brings the shareholder register, several months of corporate bank statements and the notarial deed for an asset. The adviser confirms ownership, traces legitimate source of funds, identifies a likely sequence (secure title → resolve corporate distributions → prepare certified translations), and issues a road‑map memo with specific document steps and a clear “stop” if a tax audit exists.
That difference is practical: one meeting becomes actionable; the other invites costly follow‑ups.
Practical rules for document handling and privacy
Siyah operates a two‑tier evidence approach:
- Tier 1 (initial triage): redacted bank statements, certified ID copies and corporate registers with sensitive transaction details masked.
- Tier 2 (scoping assessment): full documents uploaded to our encrypted portal after an NDA.
We accept secure uploads only through our client portal and provide an NDA before requesting bank or tax files. Do not email unredacted financial documents. Use password‑protected PDFs or our secure link; request the upload link and NDA before sending sensitive files.
Ask for the secure upload link and an NDA before sending bank or tax documents.
Next steps — preparing for the consultation and what to expect
Printable checklist — priority tiers
- Tier 1: must bring to the initial call
- Valid passport(s) and certified ID copies
- Marriage and children’s certificates (redacted as needed)
- Redacted bank statements showing balances (recent)
- Corporate registration extract and shareholder register
- Tier 2: helpful for a scoping assessment
- Notarial deeds and land‑registry extracts
- Audited accounts or management P&L
- Tax returns and evidence of filings (recent)
- Police certificates or immigration refusal letters
- Tier 3: bring if available or when requested
- Full bank transaction histories
- Escrow receipts and purchase contracts
- Detailed proofs of source of funds (sale contracts, inheritance docs)
Bring what you can to the first meeting. If you cannot share full files, bring the redacted versions listed above; the adviser will tell you which originals will be essential later.
Siyah diagnostic invitation
If you are weighing residency or citizenship for your family and business, Siyah Agents can run a targeted diagnostic that maps realistic route fit, the documentary gaps you must close, and the sequencing that reduces cost and legal exposure — request a targeted diagnostic and secure upload via our free assessment to get a personalised document gap list and route‑fit memo.
Executive summary
A productive consultation is evidence‑driven: the right documents convert a high‑level call into a validated plan. This Siyah consultation checklist tells you which papers produce implementable advice — identity, civil records, corporate registers, redacted bank statements, tax filings, notarial deeds and police checks — and why each matters for residency, investment and family inclusion. We explain practical redaction, a two‑tier evidence approach (minimal redacted packet for triage; full files after an NDA and secure upload), and route‑specific documentary expectations for Portugal (see official guidance), Greece, UAE, Türkiye and U.S. investor planning using official government sources. A short before/after scenario shows how corporate and bank evidence transforms a speculative meeting into a clear sequence and gap list. Request Siyah’s diagnostic scoping assessment to receive a personalised document checklist and a secure upload pathway so your next consultation delivers actionable legal and operational steps rather than open‑ended questions.