Residence permits in Europe are in high demand for a variety of reasons, the main one being the high level of prosperity and security in the vast majority of European jurisdictions. Added to these advantages are freedom of movement within the Schengen area, tax breaks, and unique career and business opportunities.
Every year, thousands of foreign citizens choose suitable immigration routes to move to Europe. Fortunately, there are many grounds for granting a European residence permit to an immigrant. For example, investment in the country’s economy (Golden Visa), the opportunity to work remotely for a foreign employer (Digital Nomad Visa), employment in a European company (Skilled Worker Visa), marriage to a foreigner (Spouse Visa), study (Student Visa) and many other reasons.
A European residence permit allows immigrants to freely cross the borders of 29 jurisdictions that are part of the Schengen Agreement. And if you become a resident of a European Union country, your immigration status will allow you to live and work in any country in the union without any restrictions.
A residence permit in Europe is necessary for those who plan to move abroad permanently. Modern European countries attract immigrants with their high level of comfort and security, as well as economic and political stability. A European residence permit is also obtained in order to have a “safe haven”.
People often go to Europe to get a good, modern education at the best world-class educational institutions,or to give their kids that chance. Once your whole family has permanent resident status, you can apply for free tuition at universities in Germany, Denmark, and Sweden.
High-quality and affordable healthcare is another compelling reason to apply for a residence permit in Europe. Wealthy elderly foreigners move to European countries so that, if necessary, they can receive modern and qualified medical care in the best clinics in the EU and Switzerland.
Although there are no offshore zones in Europe, the lenient tax regime of some jurisdictions allows new residents to save on taxes completely legally by taking advantage of special benefits, legislative features or double taxation agreements. European countries are also chosen by wealthy foreigners to legally restructure their inherited assets.
As a resident of one of the European jurisdictions, it will be easier for you to conclude a service agreement with one of the major international banks. Working with modern European banks means not only convenient financial instruments, favourable conditions for opening deposit accounts and access to international payment systems, but also the opportunity to take out a loan at relatively low interest rates.
There are currently many companies in Europe that are leaders in their market segment. Foreign specialists seek employment with European corporations in order to earn good salaries and significantly improve their professional skills.
Entrepreneurs obtain a European residence permit to start a business abroad, bring their idea or product to a large solvent market, and take advantage of tax breaks.
Long-term residence in the country combined with deep integration into European society makes it possible to obtain permanent residence. After a certain period of time, immigrants with permanent resident status apply for citizenship in order to take advantage of all the opportunities offered by their second homeland.
In order to attract additional investment, some European countries run immigration programmes for wealthy citizens of countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Participants in such programmes are granted privileged immigration status and a residence permit in exchange for investing in the economy. The second name for this immigration category is the “Golden Visa”.
As a rule, one of the conditions for obtaining a “Golden Visa” is to maintain the investment for a period of at least 5 years. If a foreign investor applies for a residence permit to move to Europe, the next step is to obtain a permanent resident card.
The purchase of real estate to obtain a European residence permit is essentially the same as an investment. If such an opportunity is provided by any jurisdiction in Europe, the mechanics of the investment programme usually provide for the possibility of saving money if the investor buys real estate in sparsely populated areas or in a historic building, which will then be restored at their own expense.
In this immigration route, a residence permit in Europe is granted for investments in a business – either your own, started from scratch, or an existing one, through the purchase of its assets.
In the first case, an enterprising immigrant is granted a business visa, and their investment is the funds spent on developing their own company. A good example of this category is the British Innovator Founder visa . In the second case, a residence permit may be granted either to an entrepreneur who has purchased a ready-made business with all its assets or to an investor who has acquired shares in a local company.
Marriage to a citizen of one of the European countries, subject to a number of conditions, allows you to legally live and work in Europe. A strong family relationship with a European, long-term cohabitation in the country, and common children are compelling grounds for obtaining permanent residence.
Family members of foreigners who have moved to Europe on long-term visa categories are entitled to apply for a residence permit so that the family can be reunited. The key condition for this route is the financial solvency of the host party. The sponsor must earn enough to invite relatives to live with them and have rented or owned accommodation to comfortably house them.
Modern Europe is experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, so an employment contract with a European company and work in a sought-after profession are common reasons for obtaining a residence permit. European Union countries have developed separate immigration categories for foreign specialists, such as the EU Blue Card, which is usually granted for up to 4 years. In the UK, the Skilled Worker visa is usually used to invite a foreigner to work.
Foreigners who have a permanent source of income abroad but do not plan to work or do business directly in the country of their stay can also obtain a residence permit in Europe.
These may be pensioners or wealthy citizens of non-European countries, or specialists who are self-employed or work remotely for a foreign company. For the latter group of immigrants, a category known as the Digital Nomad visa has been created.
A student visa entitles foreign students to live and study at numerous European higher education institutions. As European education is highly regarded throughout the world, a student visa remains a very common way to obtain a residence permit in Europe.
In some countries, promising university graduates are given the opportunity to stay by applying for an internship visa or a work visa.
If the course of treatment you plan to undergo in one of the European countries takes more than 1 year, you will need a long-term medical visa. And although a trip to Europe for treatment can hardly be called a full-fledged move, because such a stay in the country does not lead to citizenship through naturalisation, in essence, such a foreigner is also granted a residence permit.
Greece grants residence permits to spouses of citizens, foreign specialists coming to work on a long-term employment contract, students, financially independent persons, digital nomads and investors.
The easiest and most convenient way to obtain a residence permit is to participate in the Greek Golden Visa programme. The minimum participation threshold for a foreign investor is €250,000.
The Golden Visa is granted for 5 years. You can extend your immigration status if you maintain your investment.
The most common visas allowing third-country nationals (not related to the EU/EEA/Switzerland) to obtain a temporary residence permit in Spain are:
Long-term work visa – for skilled workers who have signed an employment contract with a Spanish company.
Work visa for freelancers and self-employed persons – do not confuse this category with the digital nomad visa! Here, immigrants can take on work from Spanish clients.
Student visa – for foreign students enrolled in full-time programmes at Spanish universities.
Digital nomad visa – suitable for foreign freelancers and employees of foreign companies whose employer allows them to work remotely. There are minimum income requirements.
Visa for financially independent persons without the right to work. For the application to be approved, the applicant must show that they have at least €28,800 in their bank accounts.
In Spain, there are several other ways to obtain a residence permit, including various types of family visas and the EU Blue Card.
You can obtain a residence permit in Portugal by applying for one of the long-term visas. The most popular immigration routes are:
D1 Work visa – for long-term employment of a foreign specialist in Portugal for a period of more than 1 year.
D4 Study visa – granted for long-term (more than 1 year) study in the Portuguese Republic for foreign schoolchildren and students.
D6 Visa for family reunification.
D7 Visa for pensioners or financially independent persons with foreign passive income.
D8 Digital nomad visa. It differs from the previous category in that the applicant must confirm their active income of at least €3,280 per month, which they regularly receive from a foreign employer or clients.
D9 Portugal’s Golden Visa is granted to foreigners for investments in the national economy. To participate in the programme, investors must invest at least €250,000. Holders of an investment residence permit are not required to stay in Portugal for more than 7 days per year. Holders of other immigration statuses must reside in the country for most of the year in order not to lose their residence permit.
Latvia There are several legal ways to obtain a residence permit (RP) in Latvia. Schematically, they can be divided into temporary RP (usually issued for 1–5 years with the possibility of extension) and permanent RP (available after 5 years of residence).
Purchase of real estate — from €250,000 (plus a state fee of 5% of the cost).
Investment in company capital — minimum €50,000 (if the company has ≤50 employees and a turnover of up to €10 million) or €100,000 (for larger companies).
Investment in a Latvian bank — deposit of €280,000 for a minimum term of 5 years (without the possibility of early withdrawal).
Purchase of government bonds — from €250,000.
Residence permits for investment are usually granted for 5 years, with renewal depending on the preservation of investments.
Conclusion of an employment contract with a Latvian employer.
The employer must prove that there is no suitable candidate on the local market (except for professions in short supply).
The residence permit is issued for the duration of the employment contract (usually 1–2 years) and can be renewed.
Registering a company in Latvia and conducting real business activities.
The authorised capital must be at least €2,800.
The business must generate income and pay taxes.
The founder receives a residence permit as a business owner.
Enrolment in an accredited educational institution in Latvia.
A residence permit is issued for the duration of the studies.
Part-time work is permitted for up to 20 hours per week.
Marriage to a Latvian citizen or EU resident.
Reunification with family members (spouse, children, parents).
The duration of the residence permit depends on the circumstances (usually 1–5 years).
In some cases, you can obtain a residence permit by proving that you own real estate and have sufficient income to live without working.
A residence permit in the Republic of Malta can be obtained by applying for a long-term visa. The most common visas for long-term stays in the country are:
Work visa – for those who have found employment in the country for a period exceeding one year.
EU Blue Card – for inviting a qualified foreign specialist to work in the Republic.
Student visa – for foreign students enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s degree programme at one of Malta’s universities.
Family visa for family reunification.
Foreign pensioner visa.
The Digital Nomad Visa is granted to freelancers and remote employees of foreign companies. It is valid for one year, but can be extended if necessary. In order for an application for a Maltese Digital Nomad Visa to be approved, the applicant must provide information about the amount of personal savings sufficient to cover the cost of living in the country.
An investor visa is issued to participants in the immigration programme who are applying for citizenship of the Republic of Malta “for exceptional merit through investment”.
The programme offers several options for investing in the country’s economy, including renting or purchasing real estate, donating to charity, and making a non-refundable contribution to the state development fund. If your non-refundable donation is €600,000, you can apply for EU citizenship after 3 years, and if you donate €750,000 to the Malta Development Fund, you can apply for citizenship after one year.
The Malta Global Residence Programme (GRP) is a special tax residency scheme created by the Maltese government to attract wealthy foreign citizens from countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland. It is aimed at investors, entrepreneurs and high-income individuals who want to obtain favourable tax status in a stable European jurisdiction.
The key advantage of the GRP is a reduced tax rate of 15% on foreign income transferred to Malta, with a minimum annual payment of EUR 15,000. Income that remains outside the country and is not transferred to Maltese accounts is not subject to tax. This makes the programme particularly attractive to those who earn income abroad but wish to enjoy the tax advantages and high standard of living in Malta.
In addition to preferential taxation, programme participants receive the right to reside in Malta and the ability to move freely within the Schengen area. To maintain this status, certain requirements must be met: purchase or rent property on the island, make a minimum annual tax payment, and confirm sufficient financial resources for living expenses.
Thus, the Malta Global Residence Programme combines tax optimisation, flexibility and access to European standards of living, making it one of the most sought-after tax residency programmes in the region.
To reside in the Republic of Cyprus, a citizen of a country that is not Switzerland or part of the EU/EEA can apply for:
Temporary residence permit.
Permanent residence permit.
Immigration permit.
A temporary residence permit is suitable for employees, students and family members of permanent residents and citizens of Cyprus.
A permanent residence permit is suitable for immigrants who have already lived on the island for more than 5 years. Foreign investors can also apply for this type of permit on an expedited basis (within 3 months) if:
they purchase real estate in the country for at least €300,000;
they freeze €30,000 in a Cypriot bank account for 3 years;
they can confirm an annual income from foreign sources of at least €30,000;
they undertake not to engage in paid work in Cyprus.
Immigration permits are issued to six categories of foreign citizens, ranging from agricultural workers to foreign pensioners.
The French abbreviation VLS-TS refers to visas for long-term stays in the country. VLS-TS visas are intended for various categories of immigrants:
foreign spouses of French citizens and permanent residents;
spouses of foreign citizens who have a French residence permit;
trainees;
workers invited from abroad with fixed-term and permanent employment contracts;
financially independent individuals who have sufficient funds at their disposal to ensure a comfortable life in the country without the need to find employment.
The latter category is the most convenient way to obtain a French residence permit, as it is not burdened with a multitude of requirements. However, applicants for such a visa must rent or buy accommodation in France and also demonstrate sufficient personal savings (from €30,000 in bank accounts) or regular income from foreign sources (from €1,800 per month).
Germany grants residence permits to a large number of categories of foreign citizens. There are separate visas for students, family members of German citizens, foreign specialists with higher or professional education, skilled workers and their family members, graduates of German higher and professional educational institutions, self-employed persons and entrepreneurs, specialists in the digital industry, and even e-sports players.
The entry into force of a new citizenship law, which reduced the length of residence in the country for those planning to obtain citizenship through naturalisation from 8 to 5 years, was good news for immigrants in Germany.
There are several types of residence permits in Albania:
non-renewable, issued for a fixed term;
unique, with the right to renewal and the possibility to enter and leave the country;
permanent;
renewable and permanent Albanian equivalents of the “blue card”, intended for qualified specialists in sought-after professions.
The conditions for obtaining an Albanian residence permit are the same as in the rest of Europe: work, business, study, marriage to an Albanian, family reunification, etc.
Albania has an immigration programme for enterprising foreigners, who are granted a residence permit in exchange for investment. The amount of investment required is not regulated by law and is negotiated separately with the Albanian authorities in each case.
Located between France and Spain, the tiny Principality of Andorra attracts foreign entrepreneurs and investors with its favourable tax regime. To take advantage of the beneficial tax resident status, most Andorran immigrants must be present in the country for at least 183 days a year.
Andorra has residence permit programmes for:
Investors. A residence permit is granted in exchange for an investment of at least €600,000 in the country’s economy.
Entrepreneurs. You will need to register a company and invest at least €50,000 in your business.
Foreign employees.
Even after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, residents of the country still have the opportunity to travel to Europe without a visa.
There are currently no immigration programmes for investors in England. However, there are many other visa categories that allow immigrants to stay in the country for a long time. Here are just a few of them:
Skilled Worker visa.
Innovator Founder visa.
Global Talent visa.
Student visa.
Spouse visa.
To obtain a residence permit in the United Kingdom within the time limits established by law, without additional costs and bureaucratic red tape, use the services of consultants at the London law firm Imperial & Legal.
The Republic of Serbia grants temporary residence permits to foreign citizens who plan to spend more than 180 days in this picturesque country. The most common reasons for obtaining a Serbian residence permit are:
work;
study;
professional training;
medical treatment;
family reunification.
A temporary residence permit is valid for one year and can be extended if necessary. Permanent resident status in Serbia can be obtained after five years of residence in the country. If the permanent residence permit is obtained by the wife of a Serbian citizen, the application can be submitted after three years of cohabitation.
An advantage of the Republic of Turkey is the possibility of obtaining a residence permit for investing in residential property, which can then be used for personal residence or rented out. A minimum amount equivalent to $200,000 is set for the purchase of investment property. An investment residence permit is issued for a period of up to 2 years, after which it can be extended.
For more generous investments in the economy (over $400,000), the Turkish government grants citizenship.
A residence permit in the Swiss Confederation allows immigrants to cross the borders of Schengen countries without a visa. Depending on the validity period, there are three types of Swiss residence permits:
valid for 1 year;
valid for 5 years;
permanent.
The grounds for obtaining a Swiss residence permit are generally the same as in the rest of Europe: study, work, marriage, family reunification, etc. There are separate immigration routes for financially independent individuals and investors. The minimum investment for a foreign investor to obtain a residence permit in Switzerland is at least CHF 250,000 (approximately $302,600) per year, which is paid in the form of a lump sum tax.
Each European jurisdiction has its own rules for the submission of documents by applicants, so we will only indicate the basic minimum:
Application for a residence permit (instead of the application form, you can use the online form on the government website if you are applying for a residence permit remotely).
The applicant’s passport. If the country you plan to move to does not have an electronic visa, your passport must have blank pages for a visa sticker.
Other documents of the applicant, such as their tax number, birth certificate, marriage certificate, documents for children.
Police certificate of no criminal convictions.
Medical insurance or receipt for payment of medical fees.
Receipt for payment of the registration fee (if the application is submitted at a visa centre or by post).
Bank statement with information about your deposit account.
Documents for your residential property or a rental agreement in the country where you plan to move (if required).
Any documents that can confirm that you meet the requirements of the immigration category you are applying for and are eligible for a residence permit.
All your documents must be accompanied by a certified translation into the language of the country granting you a residence permit. Usually, the rules allow all translations and originals to be certified with an apostille.
The most common reasons for refusal are mistakes and omissions on the part of the applicant, who provides insufficient documents, applies for an immigration category that is not suitable for them, does not attach a certified translation to documents in a foreign language, etc.
You will save time and money if you consult with our company’s staff during the preparation process. Even if you have already been refused when you tried to apply for a visa on your own, we can help you obtain a residence permit in Europe.
Yes, this is possible. But you have nothing to fear if you:
you did not attempt to mislead the immigration authorities when applying for a visa;
you do not break the law while living in Europe;
use your residence permit for its intended purpose and comply with all the conditions for obtaining it.
To make the right decision, you will need to study not only the requirements for obtaining a residence permit in a particular European jurisdiction, but also understand what conditions are in place in the country for immigrants like you.
If you need to obtain a residence permit in Europe fairly quickly, take advantage of the investment immigration programmes offered by Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Portugal.
If you are used to counting your money, invest in a Turkish residence permit or a Greek Golden Visa.
Digital nomads will appreciate the conditions and friendly professional communities of like-minded people in countries such as Greece, Malta, Spain, and Portugal.
Ambitious entrepreneurs planning to enter large markets with their offerings should consider countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, as well as Spain, Portugal and Malta will definitely be of interest to parents who want to give their children a quality education that will help them build a brilliant career in the future.
Sign up for a preliminary consultation with Imperial & Legal staff so that we can find the most suitable European country for you and help you organise your move!
Much will depend on the immigration route you choose and the residence permit you are granted. Some types of long-term visas in Europe do not lead to permanent resident status and a citizen’s passport. For example, Global Business Mobility is such a route in the UK. The time spent by a foreign employee in the UK on one of the visas of this type is not counted towards the period of residence for naturalisation.
The average length of residence in an EU jurisdiction required to obtain permanent resident status is 5 years. There are exceptions to this rule. For example, foreign spouses of EU nationals are usually eligible for permanent residence in the European Union after 3 years of residence in the country.
Investment in real estate (from €250,000).
Business registration or investment in a company’s capital.
Employment contract with a Latvian employer.
Studying at an accredited university.
Family reunification.
We will work with you to find a customised solution for your immigration, second citizenship, business, tax and other needs.
Residence by investment programs
Visas to the UK
UK Skilled Worker Visa