About Us
About us
Making your international relocation as smooth and efficient as possible
We launched StartAbroad because we know from experience how overwhelming international moves can be. We’ve been there. We get it. Let us manage the details so you can focus on your next adventure.
Our story
The world has changed. With the rise of remote work, growing political unease, and more concerns than ever about cost of living, international relocation has never looked so good. At the same time, more and more countries – think Costa Rica, Panama, Spain, and Portugal – are implementing affordable visas that make the dream of living in a beautiful, exotic locale attainable.
But moving internationally isn’t as easy as it is sometimes made out to be. Making the move can be an overwhelming amount of work. Some people have reported sinking hundreds of hours into the process, and then making an expensive mistake anyway!
After experiencing the challenges of relocating 12 times between them, co-founders Anna and Zach launched StartAbroad in 2021 to serve as trustworthy experts truly representing clients’ interests. At StartAbroad, our goal is to make moving internationally a smooth, efficient, and joy-filled process.
Not sure how to get started?
Speak with an international relocation specialist for free
How we work
End-to-end support throughout the relocation process
StartAbroad serves as the “general contractor” of your relocation. We offer solutions for every aspect of your relocation, including: immigration, vehicle purchase, real estate, rental search, airport pickup, tax planning, and much more.
Understand
You will receive detailed checklists to keep you on track, and have consistent checkpoints with your dedicated relocation specialist, to understand all of your options
Decide
StartAbroad will match your goals with its expertise to create tailored recommendations on how you might move forward
Act
StartAbroad will act as your “boots on the ground” to implement as many aspects of your relocation as possible, including providing connections to best-in-class service partners
Adapt
Adjusting to a new country always comes with some ups and downs. StartAbroad will be available to support clients for up to 30 days after a move.
Why StartAbroad?
No two relocations are the same. So why should the support you receive be?
The most hands-on, tailored international relocation support on the market
We recognize that every relocation is different. We get to know our clients so that we can tailor our support to each individual situation. We achieve this by assigning a dedicated relocation specialist to each client, scheduling one-on-one kick-off calls at the beginning of the process, and holding regular touchpoints.
Professional expertise you can count on
StartAbroad has over 20 years experience working internationally and has helped over 200 individuals and families move all over the globe. We have local experts on the ground in each destination, and work with tried-and-true partners with expat expertise.
Comprehensive, end-to-end support
StartAbroad offers solutions for every aspect of the relocation. Whether you are in the investigative phase, moving next week, or you’re already here, StartAbroad has got you covered. We can serve as your central point of contact so that you do not need to waste time finding various service providers and managing many relationships.
You don't have to make the move on your own
When you work with StartAbroad you get access to StartAbroad. We assign each client a dedicated international relocation specialist. Clients get unprecedented access to experts via a dedicated client line and Concierge Client Whatsapp line, which ensures that you will get a response to your question quickly. With StartAbroad, you won’t have to make the move on your own.
Save time, money, and stress
Moving abroad should be a joyous experience, but many expats report that the relocation process turns negative because they sink hundreds of hours into research, get taken advantage of, and/or make expensive mistakes. StartAbroad clients report saving tens of thousands of dollars by saving time and avoiding expensive mistakes.
Our Team
Zachary Gerth
Zach has a background building and scaling programs in developing country contexts. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, he became country director for Courts for Kids in the Dominican Republic. He got his MPA from Columbia University, then served as One Acre Fund’s Agroforestry Lead, where he oversaw the scaling of an innovative system of tree production and distribution, culminating in over 100 million trees distributed across eight countries.
Anna Sosdian
Anna has a background and expertise in international HR, an MBA with a focus in entrepreneurship, and experience leading a division of 100+ employees. After graduating from the University of Virginia she worked as a teacher in a British boarding school, spent five years in Kenya overseeing HR for a large international NGO, and set up HR for a tech startup working across 20 countries, before getting her MBA from IE University in Madrid. She has overseen the international moves of hundreds of employees and clients in her career.
Angelica Guzmán Rendón
Administration
Master of Laws (LL.M.), Universität des Saarlandes; 6+ years in legal and administrative operations
Jimena Quirós Alfaro
Relocation Manager
Law graduate, Universidad de Costa Rica; 3.5+ years in Costa Rican immigration law
Luther Santana
Client Operations
Law graduate & postgraduate researcher in Civil Law, Universidade de Lisboa
Mariana Vilhena Henriques
Relocation Manager
MSc in Migrations & Transnationalism, Universidade Nova de Lisboa; 2.5+ years in Portuguese immigration advisory
Our Approach
In each market we operate, we build a local team of legal and administrative professionals — including licensed attorneys, official government-recognized translators, registered real estate agents, and experienced relocation specialists — to ensure every application meets local requirements. StartAbroad guides 500+ clients through international moves every year.
Costa Rica
StartAbroad handles the full spectrum of Costa Rican immigration pathways, including digital nomad visas, temporary residencies (inversionista, pensionado, and rentista), residency through marriage or birth, permanent residency, and citizenship applications. Our applications are led by an experienced immigration professional who trained at one of Costa Rica’s top immigration law firms, and all submissions are made by or in partnership with licensed attorneys. Official government-recognized translators are integrated into our process for every client.
Portugal
We assist clients with the digital nomad visa, D7, D2, and CRUE (for EU passport holders) visas, as well as residency renewal processes. Portugal’s visa landscape is complex and document-intensive, and our team has developed a rigorous preparation process built on years of experience navigating its requirements. Because most Portuguese visa applications require clients to attend appointments in their home country, our role is comprehensive preparation and guidance — ensuring every application is complete, accurate, and well-supported before submission. For in-person AIMA appointments, we accompany clients with experienced legal and immigration professionals who know the process inside out.
Spain
StartAbroad handles the digital nomad visa and the non-lucrative visa in Spain. For digital nomad visa applications submitted from within Spain, we work with registered legal professionals as required under Spanish law. For applications prepared for submission in clients’ home countries, we provide thorough end-to-end preparation and guidance. Official government-recognized translators are part of our standard process for all Spanish applications.
Panama
We assist clients with the Friendly Nations visa, pensionado visa, and qualified investor visa. As required by Panamanian law, all applications are handled in partnership with a vetted, experienced licensed attorney.
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