For a non-EU citizen, living in Europe legally comes down to qualifying for one residence route. Most people fit one of eight broad categories, each covering several countries: income visas, start-up visas, digital nomad visas, student visas, residency by investment, the EU Blue Card, skilled worker permits, or a claim through family and ancestry.
Which one fits depends on your income, your work, and whether you have a European relative. The routes differ sharply on cost and difficulty, and several once-popular investment programs have closed or changed since 2023, so some options you may have read about no longer exist. A residence permit is usually the starting point rather than the goal: most routes lead to permanent residency after about five years, and citizenship some years after that.
EU Residency – Income Visas
If you have a pension, investment income, or another steady source of money from outside the country, several EU states will grant residency on the strength of that income alone. You cannot usually take a local job on these permits, and each country sets its own income floor. The figures below are 2026 minimums for a single applicant; most rise for a spouse and each child, and consulates often want to see more than the stated minimum.
| Country | Visa | Income (2026) | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Non-Lucrative Visa | ~€28,800/yr (400% IPREM) | Passive income only; no work; 183-day stay to renew |
| Portugal | D7 Passive Income | €920/mo (~€11,040/yr) | Passive income; remote work accommodated in practice |
| Ireland | Stamp 0 (Independent Means) | €50,000/yr + lump sum | Lump sum enough to buy a home; renewed yearly, not settlement |
| Cyprus | Pink Slip (Temp. Residence) | ~€24,000/yr (~€2,000/mo) | Foreign income; no work; 1-year renewable |
| Austria | Settlement (no employment) | ~€23,000/yr | Quota-limited to a few hundred places, allocated early January |
| France | Long-Stay Visitor (VLS-TS) | ~€1,450/mo (~€17,300/yr) | SMIC-linked; no work, including remote work |
| Greece | Financially Independent (FIP) | €3,500/mo (~€42,000/yr) | Passive income; must spend 6+ months/yr in Greece |
| Italy | Elective Residence | ~€31,160/yr | Passive income only; strictly no employment or remote work |
All of these require private health insurance. Spain reinstated a minimum stay to renew, and Greece requires at least six months a year in the country, so check the presence rules as well as the income figure before you choose.
EU Start-up Visas
If you want to start or run a business in Europe, several countries offer a residence permit built around that plan rather than around a job offer or passive income. Each one wants to see a credible business, evidence you can fund it, and enough money to support yourself while it gets going. Most are assessed on the strength of the business rather than a fixed income figure.
| Country | Program | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | Dutch Startup Visa | Work with a recognized facilitator; one-year permit to build the business |
| Estonia | Startup Visa | Business validated by a government committee; fast processing, digital-first |
| France | Talent – porteur de projet | Serious business project and proof of self-support; up to four years |
| Finland | Startup Entrepreneur Permit | Business Finland endorsement of the plan |
| Portugal | D2 / StartUP Visa | Viable business or incubator acceptance; lighter stay requirements |
| Spain | Startup visa (Startups Law 2023) | Innovative business endorsed as such by ENISA |
| Italy | Self-Employment / Innovative Startup | Innovative startup approved by a committee |
| Ireland | Start-up Entrepreneur (STEP) | €50,000 minimum funding; innovative, high-potential business |
| Sweden | Self-employment permit | Relevant experience, control of the company, ~2 years of funds |
| Austria | Red-White-Red Card (founders) | Points test: funding, innovation, incubator or accelerator backing |
The Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland are generally the quickest to process. Ireland is the main one with a fixed capital requirement.
EU Remote Work Visas and Digital Nomad Visas
Most EU countries now offer a permit built specifically for people who work online for employers or clients based elsewhere. The common thread is that your income must come from outside the country, and each one sets a monthly income floor well above its ordinary cost of living. Figures are 2026 minimums for a single applicant.
| Country | Visa | Income (2026) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Digital Nomad Visa | ~€2,849/mo (200% SMI) | Up to 5 years; access to the Beckham flat-tax regime |
| Italy | Digital Nomad Visa | ~€28,000/yr | Launched 2024; some consulates still finalizing procedures |
| Latvia | Digital Nomad Visa | ~€2,800/mo | Lower income bar; rules being restructured, so confirm current |
| Hungary | White Card | ~€3,000/mo | Remote work for a foreign employer only |
| Malta | Nomad Residence Permit | ~€3,500/mo | Strict: income must be fully from outside Malta |
| Greece | Digital Nomad Visa | €3,500/mo | Apply at a consulate before travel (as of early 2026) |
| Croatia | DN residence permit | €3,622.50/mo | Up to 18 months; income exempt from Croatian tax |
| Portugal | D8 | €3,680/mo (4× minimum wage) | Leads toward PR after 5 years and citizenship after 10 |
| Estonia | Digital Nomad Visa | ~€4,500/mo | Indexed to average salary; confirm the current figure |
| Germany | Freelance visa (Freiberufler) | No fixed figure | Must show viable freelance income and German client demand |
Two countries handle remote workers differently. The Czech Republic has no dedicated nomad visa; freelancers typically use the long-term business visa built around a živnostenské oprávnění (a Czech trade license), known as the Zivno visa, which involves more paperwork since you register as a sole trader. Greece appears here and in the income-visa section above at the same €3,500 figure, but they are separate visas: the FIP is for passive income, while the digital nomad visa is for active remote-work income.
European Student Visas
Many European countries offer student visas to non-EU nationals accepted onto a recognized course, and several let you stay on afterward to look for work through a post-study work permit. That combination, study followed by a job search, is one of the more accessible ways into long-term residence for younger applicants.
Countries with well-established student visa and post-study work routes include Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden.
Two things matter before you treat study as a residence strategy. First, you generally need to prove you can support yourself for the duration of the course, and the required amount varies by country. Second, time spent on a student visa often counts only partially, or not at all, toward permanent residency and citizenship, so it is rarely the fastest route to a passport. It works best when the degree leads into skilled work that does count.
EU Residency by Investment
A handful of EU countries still grant residence in exchange for a qualifying investment. Two things are true of every option below. First, these are residency programs, not shortcuts to a passport. Citizenship, where it comes at all, follows each country’s standard naturalization timeline, and investors often struggle to meet the physical-presence rules that naturalization requires. Second, this is the part of European immigration that has changed most since 2023. Several once-popular programs have closed or been restructured, so some options you may have read about no longer work the way they did.
The programs below are open to new applicants in 2026. If you are weighing an investment route, you can book a free consultation for investment visa advice with Jason Swan, a senior partner at Holborn Assets.
Portugal Golden Visa
Real estate was removed as a qualifying investment in October 2023. The main route now is a subscription of at least €500,000 into a qualifying Portuguese investment fund regulated by the CMVM, with other routes for cultural or heritage support, scientific research, and job creation. The permit requires very little physical presence, around seven days a year on average. Permanent residency is possible after five years and citizenship after ten (seven for citizens of EU and Portuguese-speaking countries) under the 2026 nationality law. Processing through AIMA currently runs slowly, so factor in a long wait.
Greece Golden Visa
Greece overhauled its program in 2024. Real estate is now tiered by location: €800,000 in high-demand areas such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, and Santorini; €400,000 in most other regions; and €250,000 only for properties converted from commercial use or for restorations of listed buildings. The €400,000 and €800,000 routes require a single property of at least 120 square meters, and short-term letting of the property is banned. There is also a €500,000 financial route through Greek company shares, bonds, or funds. The permit is valid for five years and renewable, with no minimum stay to keep it.
Italy Investor Visa
Italy offers four routes: €250,000 in an innovative Italian startup, €500,000 in an Italian limited company, €1 million as a philanthropic donation, or €2 million in Italian government bonds. There is no real estate option. The permit runs for two years and renews in three-year increments while you hold the investment, with no minimum-stay requirement on the permit itself. Italy pairs well with its flat-tax regime for new residents, which is a common reason applicants choose it.
Hungary Golden Visa
Hungary relaunched its program in 2024 as the Guest Investor Program. Two routes qualify: €250,000 into an approved real estate investment fund, or a €1 million donation to a higher-education trust. Direct property purchase is not a qualifying route. The residence permit is valid for 10 years and renewable, with no minimum stay, which makes it one of the more flexible options currently open.
Programs that have closed or changed
If you have read older guides, note that several European investment routes are no longer available:
Spain closed its Golden Visa to new applicants on April 3, 2025. Existing holders can still renew, but property investment no longer buys residency. If Spain is your goal, the Non-Lucrative Visa or the Digital Nomad Visa are the routes that remain open.
Malta’s citizenship-by-investment scheme was ruled unlawful by the EU Court of Justice in April 2025. No EU country now offers a direct route to citizenship through investment. Malta retains a residency-by-investment option, but it does not lead to a passport the way the old program was marketed to.
Ireland closed its Immigrant Investor Programme to new applicants in February 2023.
Bulgaria abolished its direct citizenship-by-investment route in 2022 and cancelled the fast-track option. A residency-by-investment program exists, but it leads to citizenship only through standard naturalization, not on an accelerated timeline.
For Latvia and Cyprus, the investment-residency rules are in flux: Latvia’s routes are under active legislative review in 2026, and Cyprus ended its citizenship-by-investment program in 2020 and now offers only a residency route. If either interests you, confirm the current requirements with a qualified immigration lawyer before committing any money.
EU Blue Card
The EU Blue Card is a work permit for highly qualified professionals that operates across most EU countries. It is aimed at people with a university degree or equivalent professional experience who have a qualifying job offer from a European employer, and it carries a faster route to permanent residency than most ordinary work permits.
A 2021 EU directive, which member states put into effect over 2023 and 2024, made the Blue Card more accessible. It lowered the salary bar in many countries and, in some, opened the card to experienced IT specialists without a formal degree. Each country sets its own minimum salary, usually pegged to its national average gross salary and revised annually, so the figure depends on where you plan to work. As a guide, Germany’s 2026 threshold is €50,700 a year for standard roles and €45,934 for shortage occupations, while Spain’s is about €41,356. Denmark and Ireland do not take part in the Blue Card scheme.
Because the thresholds change each year and vary widely between countries, check the current figure for your destination before relying on it.
EU Residency for Skilled Migrants (Work Permits)
Alongside the Blue Card, most EU countries run their own national work permits for skilled migrants. Requirements differ by country, but the common starting point is a job offer for a role you are qualified to fill, often one an employer could not readily fill locally. These permits are usually tied to a specific job and employer at first, with more flexibility once you have been in the country for a while.
Countries with well-used skilled-worker routes include Austria, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Germany also runs the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), introduced in 2024 to replace the old job-seeker visa. It is a points-based permit that lets qualified non-EU professionals move to Germany for up to a year to look for skilled work without a job offer already in hand, with part-time work allowed while they search. You need a recognized degree or vocational qualification, basic German or English, proof of funds of about €13,092 for the year, and at least six points on a scale that counts qualifications, experience, language, and age. Once you find a qualifying job, the card converts into a standard work permit or Blue Card.
Family and Ancestry
If you have European family, it is often the fastest and cheapest way in. But two routes get confused here, and they are completely different.
Family reunification
Family reunification gives you residence through a relative. If your spouse, partner, or a close family member is an EU citizen or legal resident, most EU countries let you join them. Your right to live, and usually to work, is derived from their status. This is residence, not a passport: you become a resident because of your relative, and you follow the normal path to permanent residency and citizenship from there. Rules vary, and some countries extend reunification to children and dependent parents.
Citizenship by ancestry
Citizenship by ancestry is a different thing entirely. Many European countries grant citizenship to the descendants of their nationals, a principle called jus sanguinis. If you qualify, you are recognized as a citizen, often without ever having lived in the country, which means an EU passport rather than just residence. How far back you can claim varies by country, and several routes have narrowed recently.
| Country | How far back | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Grandparent | One Irish-born grandparent qualifies via the Foreign Births Register. The most accessible route. |
| Italy | Parent or grandparent | Law 74/2025 ended great-grandparent claims for new applicants. |
| Poland | No fixed limit | Needs an unbroken citizenship chain to an ancestor who held Polish citizenship (post-1920). |
| Portugal | Grandparent | Standard grandchild route open; the separate Sephardic route is now restricted. |
| Spain | Category-specific | The Democratic Memory Law’s grandchild window has closed; remaining routes are narrow. |
| Others | Varies | Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece, Slovakia, and Germany offer descent routes with their own conditions. |
Nationality law is technical and changes often, so confirm your specific case with a specialist before relying on it.
The Schengen Area and Schengen Visa
Twenty-nine countries belong to the Schengen Area, which has abolished routine passport checks at its internal borders. You clear immigration once on entry, then move between member countries without further border controls.
The Schengen visa covers short visits of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Any member country can issue it, and it lets you travel freely across the whole area for that time.
A residence or work permit works differently. If you hold one from a Schengen country, you can usually travel within the area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a separate visa, but your right to live and work applies only in the country that issued the permit. A Spanish work permit does not let you work in Germany, and a Portugal D7 permit does not let you settle in Spain.
The 29 Schengen countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Choosing your route
The right route depends on your situation more than on any single country. If you have income without work, look first at the passive-income visas. If you work remotely, the digital nomad permits fit better. If you have a European relative, start there, since family and ancestry are usually the fastest and cheapest way in, and ancestry can mean a passport rather than just residence. Investment routes suit a narrow group, and several of the programs people ask about most have already closed.
Whichever route looks closest, the requirements change often and vary by consulate, so confirm the current rules for your specific case before you commit time or money. An immigration lawyer who works in your target country is the best way to check that your plan actually holds up.
Get Expert Global Immigration Advice
You’ve seen the options. The next step is matching one to your situation: your income, your family, and your timeline. A short, no-obligation consultation with an immigration expert can tell you which countries you qualify for and what each application involves.
Very interesting indeed and worth giving it a try.
Thanks Mpho. Let us know if you need help from one of our lawyers
I need your help by visa
HI Narinael – which visas are of interest to you? All the best, Alastair
Hi
Can I get some help for Cyprus ?? I am interested.
Thanks
Saurav
Hi great article my wife is a Dutch citizen I am Australian I have a 5 year visa from the Netherlands with 31/2 yrs remaining we have just spent a year living and work in Rotterdam but we had to return to Australia due to financial reasons with corona hitting hard I am now worried that I will loose my visa is there a way of obtaining permanent residency or dual citizenship in an Eu country that would then allow me to live back in the Netherlands with my wife of 28yrs
Hi Shane. You likely can live and work in the EU as long as you are with your wife. As a spouse, you have that right. Once you’re in the EU, there are numerous pathways to PR, citizenship and a passport. Checkout or article on Living in Europe for more details.
Hi. Please guide me. I just t an offer of employment in Rotterdam. They have assisted my daughter and I with a residence permit and work permit. However, I really need to get my parents there. What are the chances that they will grant a long stay visa for them? My family is dependent on me. Should they not grant them a visa I will have to reject the offer and return to South Africa. Your advice please.
How did you obtain 5 yrs visa with 31/2 yrs remaining for Amsterdam / Netherlands?
Good morning, I am based in Nigeria with the aspiration of moving abroad with my family, I am a freelancer and I need to commend that these are great eye opener to is at the back of the world, my question is, the countries embassies in Nigeria, will they actually grant Africans these privileges or it is limited within the EU continent
HI Emmanuel. Most countries have no official restricted lists of nations who can apply for visas and residency. Having said that, some consulates and embassies are notorious for slow service and limited support. If possible using a quality immigration lawyer based in the country you choose will give you the best opportunity to be approved. They’ll know the best pathway and how to handle any blocks in the application process. All the best, Alastair
I would like to give it a try
Hi Peter. These are some great options. Have a look at our individual European Union country pages for even more options for EU visas, permits, residency, and citizenships.
Hi Alastair,
I am indian resident and did my M.S. in UK.Now I am looking for job in UK or Europe.However I am facing issue as I do not have Visa.
Please could you help me regarding this?
HI Chandra – Our Live in Europee article is a great place to start your research. Good luck with your travels.
very interesting. Does Ireland residency permit require to reside in the country for a certain period of time every year? Please contact me.
Hi Mike. Generally to get Ireland permanent residency you will need to legally live in Ireland for 5 years. Time outside of Ireland will not count towards your residence requirement. There are different visa classes that have shortened or waived residence requirements. Please contact us here if you have additional questions.
Its been long time i m living in france and last 2 years i m working ,i have 1 year work permit wich is renewable.i m married and i fulfill all the requirements to bring my wife but still they r making problems for nothing. Is there anyway i can bring my wife another European country or can i move another European country and get the visa for my wife same time?
Hi Suhan, That is quite hard to answer not knowing your personal situation. I suggest you read this blog https://wherecani.live/europe/ to see if you qualify for any of the visas listed.
Other than investment do PhD holders have a pathway?
I have a PhD in forest sciences from the University of Melbourne.
Hi there, there are many pathways for skilled professionals. Have a look at this page for links to opportunities in the EU and globally. https://wherecani.live/skilled-migration-visa-countries/
I want to move so badly to Europe but applying daily and not getting any positive feedback breaks my heart.
I’m even considering the start up business as I have started something in my country
Don’t give up. There are many ways to move to Europe. Checkout our article on visas for startup founders and entrepreneurs – there may be something that works for you!
Very interesting. Is there any options to obtain a retirement visa in Swissland?
Best
Hi Vivienne. Switzerland does have a retirement visa category. Please see our Switzerland Visa page for more information. Also, see our blog on the Pros and Cons of Retiring Abroad.
All the steps are just amazing. I am much impressed by it. Thanks for sharing such a nice content. Impressive ….
as a non EU citizenship, which best way to get permanent residency in Europe county and which country easiest specially for IRAQI nationality, is it possible open company in Belgium and have brother working Doctor in Belgium can help to get residency permit for me and my family?
HI Faridon – check out our Europe Visa options page and our Belgium immigration country page. THere will be some ideas there that you can explore. These include the option of opening a business in Belgium, although there is a minimum investment required.
Thank you for this interesting article! As a fiercely anti-Brexit UK/US citizen who previously planned to move to Italy, I now wonder how it’s possible to move to Italy (or another EU country) for residency but ultimately for citizenship? I do freelance work on development projects in lower-income countries, so I travel often. I fear that would be a problem for a ‘time spent in country’ requirement, and also that although residency might be possible, citizenship is a far different matter….
Hi Jennifer, Yes it depends on how what you mean by “travels a lot”. There is normally an amount of time per annum that you need to be resident in a country to keep your visa. HAve you read our article on Visas for Freelancers in Europe? This might be of some help to you. Here it is https://wherecani.live/digital-nomads-the-self-employed-and-visas-in-europe/.
All the best
He im Sameer from Iraq, i have compay for travel tourism and i thinking to open branch at UK what offer can i get it there? and can i get resident at uk when i open my branch there ?
I am a Nigerian and currently living and working in UAE for 2 yrs. I am married and expecting a child. I am a medical laboratory technologist.
I would like to move to any EU country or Australia or even America on either visit or residency.
What are my options.
I suggest you read through the visa section for the country pages that you are interested in to see which visas you could be eligible for.
https://wherecani.live/services-tools/global-immigration-consultations/
Regards
Hello
thanks for your information.
do you know any legal and formal lawyer to do the Cyprus income-based visa?
i am iranian.
best
I am afraid that we don’t have a lawyer that can help you for this visa at this time. Please check back in the future.
Regards
Baltic states are covered, except for Lithuania. Can you please, comment?
I’ve always been fascinated with passive income visa. I’m interested with Portugal , but I’ve always wondered do passive income be associated with accumulating interest from local banks back in home country.
So for example, to prove your income, you simply show your local bank statement , the interest accrued through the fixed deposit programme.
Example:
Let’s base on the €20000 per year requirement. Bank’s interest rate at 0.4% per year.
Monies in bank= €53,000
Monthly interest = €1,666
HI Charibert. The passive income visa just relies on you being able to show a steady income that will continue into the future. Fixed-deposit Interest paid by a bank is indeed a form of investment income that would be acceptable. Unfortunately, you’ll need a larger principal sum or a higher interest rate. 0.4% x €53,000 is €212, so this is short of the required amount.
Passive Income Visas are a great opportunity for many. The idea is that you can generate enough money to cover your daily cost-of-living in your new country and are unlikely to become a burden to the state.
I work in a reputable company and I think my status meets some programs need like Spain Non Lucrative Visa, Portugal and Austria passive income visas. there is only one concern since i am working in my country I can’t leave the work for too long time so do i need to live there a specific amount of days/year? if the question then what is the need for the residency ? i need the residency for visa free access to Europe and it is also good for my CV and career enhancement.
what would be the best program to suit my request which might not be one of the above mentioned programs.
The residency requirement for a non-lucrative visa in Spain requires you to stay a minimum of 183 days a year.
Portugal’s Passive Income Visa requirement is that you are not outside Portugal for more than 6 consecutive months or 8 non-consecutive months during the validity of the passive income visa.
Some of the Residency by Investement programs in Europe have no residency requirements, please feel free to explore those from the link.
can you advice me, Im from Slovenia, my fionce is from Puerto Rico. What to do, to both have EU and USA passport and to be able to work on both sides?
I read about Spain passport for him, but what if he have a wife from EU, will that help too?
Being married to an EU citizen gives you the right to live and work with your spouse in any EU country. If you want an EU citizenship for your partner, it needs to be the same citizenship as yours (so, you’d need to both live in Slovenia for at least one year, and be legally married for two years).
Otherwise, with your EU passport, there are many pathways to EU residency and a passport. Check out some ideas in our Live in Europe article.
Very informative article. Do Poland also give Temporary Residency Permit to Retirees from Non-EU countries.
Hi Tasnim. Yes, Poland does have a visa that would work for retirees from non-EU countries. The D class visa lets you stay for one year, and is renewable. You’ll need to show you can support yourself without working in Poland.
My daughter has a German passport but lives here in the States. Can I use her passport to gain residency in Germany even though she has no intention of living in Germany? She is a minor, and her mother and I just got divorced.
HI Kobi. In general for family reunification, the applicant must be living in the country of citizenship. This means that you would not be able to access residency unless your daughter was resident in Germany. Here’s guidance from a German Government website: “reunification of families is limited to the spouse (or registered partner) and joint minor children or for minors living in Germany, their parents.”
My wife and I are US citizens and are interested in non-lucrative or passive income visas in Spain, Portugal or Ireland. I am retired and have a pension that would meet the monthly income requirements as specified in these programs. My wife is still employed, but works remotely and can do so anywhere. Will her employment be an issue in applying for these visas? Also, she has employer-provided health insurance that covers us abroad – would that suffice for the required health insurance?
Hi Don. Portugal’s passive income visa (D7) is the most flexible of these three options. You wife can indeed work remotely under the visa conditions. Spain’s non-lucrative visa is a little more tricky. As long as you can clearly meet the income requirements without your wife’s salary you’d be in a more secure position. But, application results for remote workers have been mixed, and the legislation does not specify the eligibility of remote work. If you have a strong case that your income covers all expenses that would help. Ireland’s stamp 0 visa is clearer. You’re not allowed to carry out any work.
The healthcare question is one that you’d need to speak directly to an immigration lawyer about. They’ll be able to assess the individual policy suitability for your application. All the best with your journey.
Very interesting and great source of info.!
After reading through various articles and comments here, I am still trying to understand remote working in another country. Is it possible to apply for a Long-stay visa in France, move to France, buy a home and continue to work for a US company as normal? Then basically renew your long-stay visa each year until you get on citizenship track?
In theory, yes. But, you’ll need to find a viable immigration option that fits your circumstances. Check out our France country page for some ideas. France’s naturalization period is four years in most cases, after which you can apply for citizenship.
I want to purchase a property for £100,000 and would live off pension of £600. I can’t see where I could live in the sun under the present visa/citizen rules! Any suggestions?
Hi Robin. Argentina’s Rentista Visa and Mauritius Premium Travel Visa should both be options available to you.
Hi there,
My girlfriend is a French citizen and I am a UK citizen. We would like to live in Italy where my parents have residency (not citizenship)
Are you able to tell me what benefits I would gain if my girlfriend and I were married?
All the best,
Richard
Hi Richard. In general, an EU citizen has the right to live and work in any EU country. And, in Italy, the spouse of the EU citizen has the right to live and work in Italy if their spouse is living there.
I left Nigeria (native country) to Germany due to lack of employment with a 2 months Schengen visa. My visa has not expired and I do not ever want to go back to Nigeria until I obtain a residency in Europe, work and earn money. Pls what may play as my best options? I want to succeed.
Hi Ken. Your #1 priority is to not overstay your SCHENGEN visa – doing that will count against future visa applications. EU residency is possible in many ways – you’ll need to explore the resources on the site to find the best visa or residence permit in Europe for your situation. All the best Alastair
Hi Alastair,
Thank you for this very informative article! I’m an Australian-American citizen who applied for the Spanish autonomo visa in February and I’m just holding my breath here in London waiting for it to be approved! Apparently it usually takes only a couple months but this is dragging on. My UK working holiday visa expires in a few months so in case the autonomo visa isn’t approved in time, I’m looking at other options in EU. Do you happen to know if there are any Schengen countries where you can apply for the temporary residence permit from WITHIN the country instead of from the country you have residence in? I’m getting nervous because I can’t go back to Australia since they’re not letting citizens back out!
Thank you in advance,
Chelsea Joy
Hi Chelsea. Yup, visa processing times are slow in many places at present, including Spain. A European Student Visa may be an option, depending on your plans and finances while you wait? There are also excellent remote work visa options at present if you can find work that you can do from home. Alternatively, head to our country explorer and see the range of visas in countries you are interested in. Good luck, Alastair
Hi
How can i get a visa for Sweden. I do work online from home and can be done anywhere in the world. I am married to a Swedish resident. Just for now they deny me a spouses visa.
Any help will be greatly appreciated
Excellent source of information. Great job! My wife and I are US citizens, retired, with sufficient means to support ourselves. We are interested in EU residency for ourselves, but not necessarily to live there full time. Given the toxic nature of politics in the US we think leaving our children (20 and 28) a path to EU residency or citizenship would be a valuable legacy. It gives them options in the future. Any guidance on what programs might accomplish both goals would be appreciated. Thanks!
HI Charlie. The Portugal Golden Visa program is very popular for people in your position. There is no requirement to live in Portugal. However, you can only include dependent children under 26 years on your application for citizenship. As your children are adults, it is more difficult to pass on residency or citizenship directly. You’d be best placed to look at EU residency and citizenship options where they can qualify in their own right. All the best, Alastair
The location of the first picture (with a couple on motorcycle) is Katedralna square in Lviv, Ukraine. Hope that’s symbolic.