VisaProAdviserVisas, migration and life abroad
Residence permits in Europe compared by country: Spain's digital nomad card, startup visas, closing investor schemes, Erasmus Mundus study and EU policy shifts.
10 articles tagged europe
12 public universities in Germany, Austria, Italy, and France offering free or low-cost tuition, 50–75% admission chances, and competitive salaries after graduation.
How to get a residence permit in Spain, France, or other European countries in 2–3 months if you have money. Requirements and the application process explained.
From 1 October, Luxembourg scraps the preliminary stay authorisation and simplifies entry procedures. Parliament is reviewing a bill to abolish the investor residence permit scheme.
Five mistakes when applying for Spain's digital nomad residence permit: choosing criteria, filing multiple cases, obtaining extra visas. How to get the card in 7 weeks.
Ireland to extend naturalization to 8 years, Germany to abolish dual citizenship, Latvia to close investment programs. Key EU migration policy news for September 2026.
Learn how to apply for the Erasmus Mundus scholarship: requirements, application deadlines (October–January), funding amounts, and which documents you need to succeed.
Each EU country issues its own residence permits, while the common Schengen rules only cover short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Living, working or studying longer requires a national long-stay visa (type D) or a residence permit from the destination country.
Some routes are harmonised at EU level: the EU Blue Card for highly qualified workers rests on Directive (EU) 2021/1883, and EU long-term resident status under Directive 2003/109/EC becomes available after five years of legal, continuous residence. Most other categories, including digital nomad, startup, investor and family permits, are national, so conditions differ from country to country. Spain created its digital nomad permit through Law 28/2022, known as the Startups Law, while Ireland and Spain have both closed their investor residence routes.
Citizenship remains a national matter: each state sets its own naturalisation residence period, language requirements and rules on dual nationality. Ukrainians under EU temporary protection, activated under Directive 2001/55/EC in March 2022, hold a separate status, and moving to a regular permit follows the host country's rules. The UK, outside the EU, runs its own immigration system with routes such as Global Talent.