Residency
EU programmes
Business setup
Country guides
Pricing
Residence in Europe31countries in our reference
For non-EU citizens who plan to live in a member state for longer than a visit: employees with an offer, remote workers, people living on pensions or rents, founders and investors.
A residence permit in Europe is issued by one member state under its own law, and the thresholds differ widely: Portugal asks passive-income applicants for €920 a month, Hungary asks investors for €250,000. We check which route your income or capital fits, prepare the file and submit it.
Applications we file, with our starting fee
From €1,50015–30 working days
From €1,50015–30 working days
From €1,90015–30 working days
From €3,50030–60 working days
From €4,50030–60 working days
Indicative prices; the final quote depends on your case.
Facts checked on
By country
Passive-income, self-employment, business and investor permits that each country runs under its own law. Work permits, Blue Cards, digital nomad visas and golden visas have their own pages, linked above.
24countriesFacts checked on
Closed and suspended programmes stay in the catalogue with their closing date, so you can see what changed and when. We do not accept new files for them; open alternatives in the same country or of the same type are listed in the same table.
See the status columnLowest published investment among open permits
| Country and permit | Income or capital | Decision time | Years to permanent residence | Years to citizenship | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CroatiaStay and work permit for self-employment (51%+ owner of a company or trade) | Not publishedno data (capital/employee conditions for self-employment not stated in the official summary) | 90 days | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| CyprusVisitor temporary residence permit ('pink slip') | Not publishedno data: the Migration Department page does not state an income figure for autonomous visitors | 4 months | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| CyprusEU registration certificate ('yellow slip', MEU1) - EU/EEA/Swiss citizens only | — | 1 month | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| ItalyElective residence visa (residenza elettiva) | Not publishedno data — the stable passive-income threshold applied by consulates (often quoted around EUR 31,000/year) was not found in a primary source. | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| PortugalResidence visa for retirees and people living on own income (D7 / passive income) | €920/month | 60 days | 5 years | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SloveniaTemporary residence for self-employment / business | — | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SpainNon-lucrative residence (residencia temporal no lucrativa) | €2,400/month | — | 5 years | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SpainResidence for exceptional circumstances — arraigo (RD 1155/2024 arts. 125-130) | — | — | — | — | Changed | Get a quote |
| Country and permit | Income or capital | Decision time | Years to permanent residence | Years to citizenship | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AustriaSettlement permit – except gainful employment (private individuals, § 44 NAG) | Not publishedno data for the 2026 amount; the legal test is fixed regular monthly income of at least twice the ASVG § 293 reference rates (§ 44(1) NAG). A quota place is required. | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| BelgiumProfessional card (self-employed non-EU nationals) | Not publishedno data | Not publishedno data | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| Czech RepublicLong-term visa / residence for business (trade licence) | — | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| FranceLong-stay visa / residence permit 'visitor' (visiteur) — no dedicated digital nomad visa | Not publishedno data — applicants must live solely on their own resources; the amount was not verified in a primary source. | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| GermanyOpportunity Card (Chancenkarte, § 20a AufenthG) – job search | €1,091/month | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| GermanySelf-employment / freelancer residence permit (§ 21 AufenthG) | €0 | — | 3 years | — | Open | Get a quote |
| HungaryGuest self-employment residence permit (vendég-önfoglalkoztatás) | — | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| LuxembourgResidence permit for self-employed third-country nationals | — | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| LuxembourgResidence permit for investors (third-country nationals) | €500,000 | 3 months | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| PolandTemporary residence permit to conduct business activity | Not publishedno data in PLN: the business must have earned income of at least 12 x the average monthly gross wage in its voivodeship in the previous tax year, or employ at least 2 full-time permanent employees for at least 1 year, or show means to meet these conditions in future (Art. 142). | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SlovakiaTemporary residence for business | — | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SwitzerlandSelf-employment permit for non-EU/EFTA nationals (Art. 19 AIG) | CHF 0 | 6 weeks | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SwitzerlandResidence without gainful activity — important public (fiscal) interest (Art. 30(1)(b) AIG, Art. 32 VZAE) | Not publishedno data; no federal minimum — cantons assess 'substantial cantonal fiscal interest', typically combined with lump-sum taxation. | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| Country and permit | Income or capital | Decision time | Years to permanent residence | Years to citizenship | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EstoniaTemporary residence permit for business (shareholder) | €65,000 | 90 days | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| LatviaTemporary residence permit for investment in company equity capital | €50,000 | — | — | — | Changed | Get a quote |
| LatviaTemporary residence permit for investment in the state-established alternative investment fund | €150,000 | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| LithuaniaTemporary residence permit for business / investment | Not publishedno data (current capital, investment and employment conditions under the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens could not be verified from a primary source) | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SwedenResidence permit for self-employed persons (own business) | Not publishedno data: no fixed minimum; business capital must cover expected costs, investments and purchase price. | 11 months | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SwedenResidence permit to look for work or start a business (highly qualified) | SEK 13,000/month | 5 months | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| United KingdomGlobal Talent visa | — | 3 weeks | 3 years | — | Open | Get a quote |
| United KingdomHigh Potential Individual (HPI) visa | — | 3 weeks | Not publishedDoes not lead to settlement; time on HPI does not count towards ILR. | — | Open | Get a quote |
| Country and permit | Income or capital | Decision time | Years to permanent residence | Years to citizenship | Status | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GeorgiaInvestment residence permit (leading to residence permit for indefinite stay) | US$300,000 | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| RomaniaTemporary residence for commercial activities (company shareholders/associates) | €500,000 | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
| SerbiaTemporary residence / D visa for investors | €50,000 | — | — | — | Open | Get a quote |
Not published
Tell us your citizenship, income source and target country; we reply within one business day with the route and a written quote.
How to choose
There is no single residence permit for the EU. Each route below answers one question: where your money comes from, and whether you will work in the country that issues the card.
Germany sets the EU Blue Card at €50,700 gross a year for 2026, or €45,934.20 for shortage occupations and recent graduates. With B1 German, a Blue Card holder can reach permanent residence after 21 months.
Below that salary, the national skilled-worker permit is the usual route; our reference holds no verified salary figure for it.
Portugal ties its D7 permit to the minimum wage: €920 a month for the first adult, plus 50% for each additional adult and 30% for each child. The first permit runs two years.
Spain asks €2,400 a month for non-lucrative residence, plus €600 for each dependant, and allows no work at all. Italy runs an elective residence visa, but no primary source publishes its income figure.
Spain requires €34,188 a year, 200% of the 2026 minimum wage, and decides an authorisation filed inside the country within 20 days at most. Self-employed applicants may take Spanish clients for up to 20% of their activity.
Greece requires €400,000 in residential property outside the high-demand areas and €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and larger islands. Hungary accepts €250,000 in a registered real estate fund held for five years.
The list is shrinking. Spain abolished its golden visa on 3 April 2025, Portugal removed the property routes on 7 October 2023, and Latvia dropped real estate for new applicants from 15 September 2026.
Estonia grants a business residence permit to shareholders who have invested at least €65,000 in the Estonian activities of their company. The decision comes within 90 days and the permit can run up to five years.
Portugal raised naturalisation to 10 years of legal residence on 19 May 2026, or 7 for EU and Portuguese-speaking nationals. Germany requires 5 years; Greece requires 7 years of actual residence and an exam.
We match your income source and budget to the routes above, confirm the current threshold against the national source, prepare the application and file it. The immigration authority of each country decides and sets its own processing time.
Side by side
Four figures per country, each from the national source with its check date. Sorted by the years needed to apply for citizenship.
Facts checked on
Scroll sideways to see all four columns.
| Country | Years to citizenship | Years to permanent residence | Blue Card salary | Digital nomad income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PolandFewest residence years to citizenship in the table | 3 years | 5 years | Not publishedno data in PLN: gross annual salary must be at least 150% of the national average wage of the previous year as published by GUS (Art. 127); contract of at least 6 months. | Not published |
| Serbia | 3 years | 3 years | Not published | Not published |
| Belgium | 5 years | Not publishedno data | Not publishedSet by region. 2026 figures reported by KPMG: Brussels EUR 4,748 per month, Wallonia EUR 68,815 per year, Flanders EUR 55,052 per year (provisional, pending update). Other secondary sources give different Flanders figures; confirm with the regional authority before publishing. | Not published |
| Bulgaria | 5 years | 5 years | 1.5 x average gross annual salary in Bulgaria | €31,010/year |
| Czech Republic | 5 years | 5 years | CZK 73,823/month | Not publishedAt least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. The programme document gives the multiple, not a fixed CZK amount. |
| France | 5 years | 5 years | €59,373/year | Not published |
| Germany | 5 years | 5 years | €50,700/year | Not published |
| Ireland | 5 years | 5 years | Not published | Not published |
| Luxembourg | 5 years | 5 years | €65,652/year | Not published |
| Malta | 5 years | Not published | Not publishedno data - Maltese salary threshold not stated on the Identita page | €42,000/year |
| Netherlands | 5 years | 5 years | €5,942/month | Not published |
| United Kingdom | 6 years | 5 years | Not published | Not published |
| Greece | 7 years | 5 years | €31,919/year | €3,500/month |
| Croatia | 8 years | 5 years | 1.5 x average gross annual salary (80% of that for applicants with under 3 years of experience since graduation) | €3,623/month |
| Cyprus | 8 years | Not published | €43,632/year | €3,500/month |
| Estonia | 8 years | 5 years | €32,976/year | €4,500/month |
| Finland | 8 years | 6 years | €3,937/month | Not published |
| Hungary | 8 years | 3 years | Not publishedThe EU Immigration Portal gives the 2024 figure only (HUF 773,649 gross per month; HUF 618,919 for shortage occupations). The current figure was not confirmed. | €3,000/month |
| Romania | 8 years | 5 years | Not publishedno data (EU portal figure is internally inconsistent; confirm current threshold with IGI) | 3 x average gross monthly salary in Romania |
| Slovakia | 8 years | Not publishedno data | Not publishedAt least 1.2 times the average monthly wage in the national economy for the relevant year. The EU Immigration Portal (1 April 2025) cites the 2023 average of EUR 1,430; no current EUR figure recorded. | Not published |
| Sweden | 8 years | 4 years | SEK 53,625/month | Not published |
| Denmark | 9 years | 8 years | Not published | Not published |
| Austria | 10 years | 5 years | €55,678/year | Not published |
| Georgia | 10 years | 10 years | Not published | Not published |
| Italy | 10 years | 5 years | Not publishedno data in EUR — annual salary must be not lower than the national collective agreement pay and in any case not lower than the average annual gross salary measured by ISTAT. | Not publishedno data in EUR — the decree sets minimum annual income from lawful sources at 3x the minimum level for exemption from healthcare co-payments; the euro figure commonly quoted (about EUR 28,000) was not found in a primary source. |
| Latvia | 10 years | 5 years | €24,720/year | Not publishedno data (income threshold set by Cabinet regulations, not verified) |
| Portugal | 10 years | 5 years | Not publishedno data in EUR — salary must be at least 1.5x the national average gross annual salary (1.2x in shortage cases under art. 61.º-A(2)); the current euro amount was not verified. | €3,680/month |
| Slovenia | 10 years | 5 years | Not publishedSalary threshold defined by Slovenia; the current EUR amount was not confirmed. | Not publishedAt least twice the average monthly net salary in Slovenia, based on the most recent average gross salary published in the Official Gazette. No fixed EUR amount recorded here. |
| Spain | 10 years | 5 years | Not publishedno data — the law sets the salary threshold between 1.0x and 1.6x the average gross annual salary, to be fixed by regulation (80% of it for shortage occupations and recent graduates); the current euro figure was not verified in a primary source. | €34,188/year |
| Switzerland | 10 years | 10 years | Not published | Not published |
| Lithuania | Not publishedno data (Law on Citizenship not verified) | 5 years | Not published1.5 times the latest published average gross monthly earnings (euro amount not captured); 3 times the average exempts from the labour market test. | Not published |
Citizenship rules compared in detailHow we verify these figures
Process
The order is the same in every country; the authority, the fee and the decision time change.
We compare your citizenship, income source and capital with the thresholds of the countries you name.
Written route note
You collect civil records, a criminal record certificate and proof of income or investment; we mark which need an apostille and translation.
Complete document set
We prepare the application and file it at the consulate or the immigration authority, depending on the route.
Filing receipt
You attend the appointment where fingerprints and a photo are taken for the card.
Biometrics taken
Changes
Updated
| Date | What changed | Country | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReformNew Immigration Law in force (adopted 20 Aug 2026): real estate, subordinated-bank-liability and state-securities residence permits removed for new applicants; equity-investment permits now up to 2 years; new EUR 150,000 state alternative investment fund route (up to 5 years); employment permits up to 1 year; permanent residence requires Latvian A2 and a culture and history course. | Latvia | Latvijas Vēstnesis / likumi.lv | |
| ReformWork permit salary floor raised to 90% of median (75% for exempt groups); health insurance requirement; EU Blue Card maximum validity 4 years. | Sweden | Migrationsverket | |
| ReformReal estate residence permit threshold raised from USD 100,000 to USD 150,000; most foreigners now need a labour activity permit before starting paid work. | Georgia | Public Service Development Agency, Ministry of Justice of Georgia | |
| ReformLaw 5275/2026 in force: single permit reform, EU Blue Card validity 3 years, tech visa for startup employees, digital nomads must apply for a type D visa before entry, golden visa 5-year term runs from card issuance. | Greece | Hellenic Law Firm | |
| ReformAliens Act amended (Lei 61/2025): 2-year wait for family reunification (exemptions for ARI, Blue Card, highly qualified), job-seeker visa limited to qualified work, startup residence without prior visa. | Portugal | Diário da República | |
| ReformSkilled Worker general salary threshold raised to GBP 41,700 and skill level raised to RQF 6. | United Kingdom | UK Visas and Immigration | |
| ClosureNew Act on conditions for employing foreigners in force: electronic-only applications, occupation lists replacing the labour market test, work permits up to 3 years; Aliens Act amended the same day. | Poland | Sejm RP – ISAP/ELI | |
| ReformAliens Act amendments (OG 40/25): work permits up to 3 years, EU Blue Card validity 48 months, lower salary threshold for recent graduates, stricter employer rules. | Croatia | Jasaragic, Mamut & Stojan (law firm) | |
| ReformUnified permit for residence and work introduced, valid up to 36 months, 15-day decision deadline, electronic filing. | Serbia | Government of Serbia (Welcome to Serbia portal) |
FAQ
Short answers to what non-EU applicants ask before choosing a country.
No. Each member state issues its own permit under its own law. Even the EU Blue Card has a national salary threshold: Germany sets €50,700 a year for 2026.
A permit from a Schengen member lets you travel within the Schengen area for short stays. Ireland and Cyprus are EU members outside Schengen, so their permits do not carry that right.
No. Passive-income permits such as the Spanish non-lucrative residence forbid work, while the Spanish telework permit allows up to 20% Spanish clients for the self-employed.
Choose the route by income source, then file either at the consulate before travel or inside the country. Spain decides telework authorisations filed inside the country within 20 days; Estonia decides business permits within 90 days.
No, they register. In Cyprus, for example, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying more than 3 months receive a registration certificate within one month, with no expiry date.
By published thresholds, Portugal’s D7 at €920 a month for a single adult. Our fee is separate, and each country’s government fee is added on top.
Between 5 and 10 years of residence in our reference: 5 in Germany and Ireland, 7 in Greece, 10 in Italy and Portugal for most non-EU nationals.
Request
Five questions about where you want to live and how you will support yourself. The quote comes in writing with the document list.
The information on this site is general and is not legal advice for your specific situation.
Legal disclaimerSources
National immigration sites and laws behind the catalogue, with the date each was last checked.
| Source | Publisher | Type | Checked on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laws and regulations | |||
| AufenthG § 20a – Chancenkarte | Bundesministerium der Justiz (gesetze-im-internet.de) | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Imigrācijas likums (adopted 20.08.2026, in force 15.09.2026) | Latvijas Vēstnesis / likumi.lv | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Immigration Law (adopted 31.10.2002) – no longer in force | Latvijas Vēstnesis / likumi.lv | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025, de 29 de dezembro — minimum monthly wage (RMMG) for 2026: EUR 920 | Diário da República | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Real Decreto 1155/2024, de 19 de noviembre, Reglamento de la Ley Orgánica 4/2000 (Immigration Regulation, in force 20.05.2025) | Boletín Oficial del Estado | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Ley 31/2022, de 23 de diciembre, de Presupuestos Generales del Estado para 2023 (IPREM EUR 600/month) | Boletín Oficial del Estado | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Ley Orgánica 4/2000, de 11 de enero, sobre derechos y libertades de los extranjeros en España (consolidated) | Boletín Oficial del Estado | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Ausländer- und Integrationsgesetz (AIG, SR 142.20) – Art. 19, 20, 28, 30, 32, 33, 34, 43, 44 | Swiss Confederation (Fedlex) | Laws and regulations | Checked on |
| Government sites | |||
| Residence and work permit | Ministry of Economy of Croatia (Invest Croatia) | Government sites | Checked on |
| Visitors and family members | Migration Department, Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection | Government sites | Checked on |
| Residence permit for business | Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) | Government sites | Checked on |
| Migration / Residence Permits | Public Service Development Agency, Ministry of Justice of Georgia | Government sites | Checked on |
| Chancenkarte – Informationen der Deutschen Vertretung Taipei | Auswärtiges Amt | Government sites | Checked on |
| Vendég-önfoglalkoztatás célú tartózkodási engedély (guest self-employment residence permit) | National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing (OIF) | Government sites | Checked on |
| Residence permit for self-employed third-country nationals | Guichet.lu (Luxembourg Government) | Government sites | Checked on |
| Vistos nacionais — meios de subsistência (RMMG 2026 EUR 920; 100% / 50% / 30%) | Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros | Government sites | Checked on |
| Vistos nacionais — documentação instrutória: residência (incl. digital nomad and passive income visas) | Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros | Government sites | Checked on |
| Vistos nacionais — prazos (residence visa decision 60 days) | Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros | Government sites | Checked on |
| Autorização de residência — regime e requisitos gerais (art. 77.º, n.º 1) | AIMA | Government sites | Checked on |
| Autorização de residência permanente (art. 80.º) | AIMA | Government sites | Checked on |
| Self-employed worker in Romania | European Commission, EU Immigration Portal | Government sites | Checked on |
| Visa for investors | Government of Serbia (Welcome to Serbia portal) | Government sites | Checked on |
| Approval and extension of temporary residence | Government of Serbia (Welcome to Serbia portal) | Government sites | Checked on |
| Hoja 6 — Autorización inicial de residencia temporal no lucrativa | Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones | Government sites | Checked on |
| Hoja 7 — Renovación de la autorización de residencia temporal no lucrativa | Ministerio de Inclusión, Seguridad Social y Migraciones | Government sites | Checked on |
| Apply for a residence permit to run your own business in Sweden | Migrationsverket | Government sites | Checked on |
| FAQ – Working (self-employment of non-EU/EFTA nationals, processing times) | State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) | Government sites | Checked on |
| Global Talent visa | UK Visas and Immigration | Government sites | Checked on |
| Secondary sources | |||
| Georgia Residence by Investment | Mirabello Consultancy | Secondary sourcessecondary source | Checked on |
| El IPREM en 2026: qué es, cuánto es y cómo afecta a los trámites de extranjería | ARC Legal | Secondary sourcessecondary source | Checked on |