What does a residence permit in Europe give? What does a residence permit (residence permit) in Latvia provide?

We are all free to choose, and Russians are no exception. Many are ready to leave Russia, choosing to live in European countries.

There are a sufficient number of reasons for this state of affairs. For some, such a decision is a work-related necessity. Some citizens make this decision because they believe that they will be able to find more modern living conditions than in Russia. In any case, in this article we will figure out how to obtain a residence permit in Europe, and how to do it quickly.

What is a residence permit in the EU? Who can get it?

There is a persistent stereotype that this document is quite difficult to obtain. But this is not entirely correct statement.

The fact is that obtaining a residence permit in the EU is the first step in the process of “moving” to a European country. Therefore, this procedure is not so difficult. You just need to approach the process of collecting and processing documents correctly, and take into account the main nuances.

First, let’s define what a residence permit in the EU is and what advantages it provides.

We are talking about a certain status that officially provides a specific package of restrictions and rights. A person who has it can work and study in EU countries and purchase any real estate. As a rule, a residence permit is issued for a period of no more than a year. But after its expiration, an extension will be possible.

Who can obtain a residence permit in EU countries? We are talking about those individuals who are financially independent. To be more precise, fairly wealthy citizens who have a business or a permanent income in Russia, the CIS, as well as family members.

There is no need to pay, but it will be enough to “show” the European authorities that there are funds, but not small ones: from thirty-four thousand euros for the whole family. Therefore, if this is about you, then we will dwell in more detail on how to obtain a residence permit in Europe.

No one will interfere with obtaining this status in Europe if the candidate meets certain requirements for him. Moreover, his documents must meet specific criteria. To be more precise, there are four of them, but they are basic.

Firstly, the applicant for this status must already reside in the territory of this state for a certain period of time, which is indicated in the relevant regulatory documents. As a rule, it is three months.

Secondly, it will be necessary to provide clear, specific, and, most importantly, reliable information about how stable your financial situation is. The point is that there must be regular financial income.

Thirdly, the most effective method obtaining a residence permit is a regular investment in the economy European country.

Fourthly, the applicant registers an enterprise with the possibility of providing jobs for the indigenous population.

If these criteria are suitable, then the most the best option is to contact a specialized agency that can process all the documents very quickly, so as not to “run around” on your own.

Let us consider the fourth criterion in more detail, since it is the most complex and costly, both in terms of financial investments and time.

As already noted, a residence permit in the EU can be obtained very quickly if you register an enterprise and provide jobs for the population of a given country.

This option is the most popular method among those individuals who are completely self-sufficient and who seek to eventually obtain citizenship in a particular EU country. That is why applicants begin so-called business immigration abroad.

But, you need to keep in mind that whether education newest company in European countries, or a branch of an existing company, will imply the presence large quantity nuances. Moreover, each country has its own.

As a rule, opening an enterprise will always involve having a certain set of documents, the main one of which is a license.

In addition, when establishing a business in the EU, there will be a mandatory requirement that a purchase or lease of one or another real estate must be made.

There are a huge number of such nuances, so citizens need to be very careful. Since most transactions will require a careful, meticulous, and also legally correct, from the point of view of the laws of a particular EU country, approach.

It must be borne in mind that the review of documents for obtaining status can vary from four to eight months.

Conclusion

After having a residence permit in the EU for three years, it will be possible to obtain a permanent residence permit.

Attention! The foreign passport may contain only one valid Schengen visa. The Spanish Consulate will not accept passports that already contain such a visa!

Schengen countries:
Since 1995 - Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Luxembourg;
Since 1997 - Italy, Greece, Austria;
Since 2001 - Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden.
Since 2008 - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Czech Republic, Switzerland

IF YOU HAVE A VALID MULTI VISA

1. The visa must be valid for the duration of the trip to Spain
2. A multiple visa can be issued by any Schengen consulate, but the first entry into the Schengen territory must be through the country in whose consulate the visa was obtained. In the future, you can use this visa to visit any Schengen country.
3. Any visa has a validity period and permission to stay for a certain number of days. Quantity days of stay, indicated on the visa must not be exceeded (for example, the visa is valid from 01/01/2001 to 01/01/2002, the number of entries is unlimited, but the total number of days of stay is 15. You can stay in Schengen territory 2 times for 7 days, or 3 times for 5, etc. If you entered the country on 01/01/2001 and stayed there until 01/15/2001 - your visa has been used and you will not be able to enter it a second time).

IF ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE COMPLIED, YOU DO NOT NEED A SPANISH VISA!

ATTENTION!
Even if the client has foreign passport valid visa(!) to the Schengen countries, you must pay attention to the validity period of your passport! It must be at least three months (90 days) from the end of the trip. If the passport validity period is less than the established validity period, the airline may refuse air transportation to a Schengen country and the client will be subject to sanctions for deportation from the country, which will be borne by the client.

SINGLE ENTRY VISA

With it, you can enter Schengen territory only through the country whose consulate issued this visa (for example, the visa was issued by the German consulate, and you are going to visit Spain with it. If you first cross the border of Spain with this visa, this is a serious violation, which in the future will result in a visa refusal at any Schengen consulate, so you can only enter Spain via Germany)
If you are going on holiday to Spain, and you have a valid single-entry Schengen visa from another country in your passport, then in order to avoid problems, we recommend that you cancel it (at the consulate that issued it) and apply for a new one at the Spanish consulate.

In order to avoid the return of documents from the consulate and, as a result, disruption of your holiday, we ask you to carefully check your documents and be sure to notify your travel agency about the presence of a valid Schengen visa in your passport.

Residence permit in the Schengen area.
If you have a residence permit from one of the Schengen countries, you have the opportunity to enter Spain using it without applying for a single-entry Spanish visa.

A residence permit in Latvia gives its holder certain rights and opportunities, which still do not put him on an equal footing with Latvian citizens, but provide advantages over those coming to the country on a visa.

What are the benefits of a residence permit in Latvia?

✓ With a residence permit in Latvia you can work, study or open a business in the country.

✓ ONLY the holder of a Latvian residence permit can work in Latvia. In other countries of the European Union (EU) and the Schengen Agreement - no. Relatives can not work in Latvia.

✓ A residence permit can also be obtained by the spouse of the owner of the residence permit, his minor children and persons under his guardianship.

Attention! So that the investor’s child does not have to apply for a residence permit “from scratch” when he turns 18, it is worth submitting documents in advance.

✓ Children of residence permit holders receive the right to receive free treatment, attend kindergartens and study in schools. It will also be easier to enroll in a university in any EU state, because... for third-country citizens there are often quotas that can be avoided if you have a residence permit.

✓ You can travel to all EU countries where a Schengen visa is valid without a visa. And stays in any Schengen country for up to 90 days per six months.

✓ With a residence permit, you can issue an invitation for a Schengen visa to relatives or friends in Latvia.

✓ It is easier for Latvian residence permit holders to obtain visas to travel to countries outside the Schengen area, for example, the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK.

✓ Get driver license, valid in all EU countries. After a year of living in Latvia, the holder of a temporary residence permit must obtain a Latvian driving license. In this case, you will need to pass a theoretical exam (possibly in Russian), a driving test and a medical examination. A license obtained in a European Union country can be changed in any other EU country without an exam. Russian rights(or another country of which you are a citizen) is taken away, and this must be taken into account if you are going to frequently travel by car to your homeland.

Additional information can be obtained on the website of the Road Traffic Department (Latvian equivalent of the State Traffic Inspectorate)

✓ Buy and register a car in Latvia. A residence permit in Latvia gives its holder the right to operate them in the territory of other countries of the European Union without having to pay customs duties. You need to know that if a car, previously registered in another country, has been in Latvia for more than 6 months, then it must be re-registered, changing the old license plates to new Latvian ones. There is regular registration and temporary registration for up to 3 years, if you do not plan to stay longer in Latvia. In the second case, documents and old license plates are returned when the car is deregistered. If you do not want to part with your numbers, you can obtain a special permit from the CSDD for a period of up to 3 years.

✓ Reside in Latvia for an unlimited number of days a year. Having issued a residence permit, you don’t have to live in Latvia (you only have to come here once a year to renew your residence permit). In other countries you usually need to stay at least 180 days a year.

Attention! If after 5 years you plan to obtain a permanent residence permit, then you need to know that out of these 5 years you cannot be absent from Latvia for more than 6 months in a row or in total no more than 1 year for the entire period!

✓ After 5 years, a temporary residence permit can be exchanged for a permanent residence permit in Latvia (if the period of absence from Latvia specified above is not exceeded, you must also pass a knowledge exam Latvian language not lower than level A2)

✓ After 10 years, you can apply for Latvian citizenship (main conditions - you will have to renounce your previous citizenship, pass a Latvian language exam of at least B1 ( average level), as well as knowledge of the history and Constitution of Latvia, the national anthem)

✓ A temporary residence permit does NOT give you the right to preferential healthcare in Latvia. On some Internet resources you can find information that the holder of a temporary residence permit in Latvia can use medical services on the same basis as citizens of Latvia. In fact, this is not so; medicine for the holder of a residence permit is paid. A foreigner who has constant residence permit in Latvia. You need to know that in Latvia every patient must be assigned to a family doctor.

Pros and cons of living in Latvia

What attracts Latvia?

✓ Language environment. Latvia is the most Russian-speaking country in the European Union. Even in neighboring Lithuania and Estonia, the Russian language is not so widespread. In Latvia there are Russian kindergartens, Russian schools and even Russian universities (private).

✓ Close to Moscow, Russia. Oddly enough, it is faster to fly to Riga by plane than to travel through traffic jams from the center of Moscow to the Moscow region. Riga is less than 2 hours by flight and one night by train.

✓ Relatively cheap. The price level in Riga is one and a half to two times lower than in Moscow. For some cosmetic and spa services - several times lower with comparable or more high quality.

✓ Pure nature and fresh products. Latvia is a very green country, and there are things that are inaccessible to residents of the metropolis, such as clean air, deserted beaches, as well as local, environmentally friendly products.

What difficulties might you have to face?

✓ The need to learn the Latvian language. Although under certain circumstances and conditions it is possible to do without knowledge of the Latvian language, still for full life you need to learn it at least at a basic level.

✓ Damp climate. Unfortunately, Latvia is not a Mediterranean country, so most of the time of the year in Latvia is cool, the weather is very changeable, the humidity is usually high, and the wind blows often.

✓ Closed market, high unemployment. Just over 2 million people live in Latvia, so local entrepreneurs are faced with the problem that there are few consumers of their product, and difficulties often arise in the selection of qualified personnel (since specialists often have “no room to grow”).

Residence permit is an abbreviation that stands for “residence permit.” This is the name of the document giving the right to temporary stay in a foreign country. In most cases, the immigration process begins with obtaining a residence permit. Let's figure out what a residence permit in Europe gives.

The advantages of obtaining a residence permit in a European country are undeniable. The main ones include the opportunity to cross the border multiple times and travel around Europe without visas. A residence permit also allows you to open your own business. But the main thing is that this status is the first step towards obtaining a second citizenship in one of the EU countries.

With the receipt of a residence permit, the scope of a person’s legal opportunities in a particular EU country increases dramatically. In almost all European countries, the holder of a residence permit has most of the same rights as a citizen of the country. In order to expel a person with a residence permit from the country, extremely compelling reasons will be required. Practice shows that authorities can often turn a blind eye to minor offenses by the holder of a residence permit, although European immigration legislation requires law-abiding behavior.

Persons with a residence permit do not need to obtain a work permit in EU countries (with the exception of Austria). However, there are some nuances here: in some European countries (in particular, in Germany, Switzerland, Austria) you can get a job only if a citizen of this or another EU state is not found for the vacancy.

Those who have a residence permit in Europe have access to quality medical services. They are also given the opportunity to educate their children in the best European universities. A residence permit in Europe also allows you to buy a car on preferential terms.

Holders of a residence permit in Europe have the right to receive certain social benefits - these include benefits for the birth of a child, pensions, and payments for loss of employment.

In some European countries, persons with a residence permit are even partially granted the right to political vote. Thus, in Sweden, immigrants, along with citizens of the country, are given the right to participate in regional elections; similar rights are provided in Switzerland. But this is rather an exception: in most EU countries, only citizens of the country are given the right to vote.

Separately, it is worth noting what a residence permit in Europe gives to people who have business interests in European countries. Obtaining a residence permit allows an entrepreneur not only to relocate his business to the stable economic space of the European Union, but also to open accounts in reliable European banks that guarantee the safety of assets, as well as receive profitable loans from financial institutions at low interest rates. In some countries, such as Germany and Hungary, there is a 100% government guarantee of return on investment. In general, the EU creates a very comfortable climate for businessmen, and the owner of a residence permit will immediately feel this.

Persons who intend to settle in Europe by opening their own business or making large investments in the economy are given greater rights in the EU than other holders of a residence permit (for example, refugees). Europe's immigration policy is based on rational principles: a country cares about how useful a person can be to it. Therefore, there are also certain conditions here: for example, a businessman “alien” to the EU is required to create new jobs. How many of them are needed depends on the specific country; usually there should be from two to ten.

Having a residence permit in a European country also affects the possibility of purchasing real estate abroad. But the rules of different countries on this matter differ greatly. In many countries there are no restrictions on foreigners purchasing real estate. This, for example, happens in Germany, Italy, Spain (except for areas near the border), and France. But in Bulgaria and Romania, in order for a foreigner to acquire land plot, you will need to create a legal entity. In Cyprus, restrictions apply to the size of the territory: you can buy a plot of up to 0.4 hectares. But any such acquisition must receive the approval of local authorities.

As already mentioned, residence permit holders have virtually unlimited freedom of movement throughout the European Union. But that is not all. They, like EU citizens, are given the opportunity to obtain entry permits to a number of countries (such as the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) in a simplified manner.

There are a number of programs that simplify business immigration to Europe. For example, the program for obtaining a residence permit in Slovenia is considered one of the simplest. It is good because it does not require the holder of a residence permit to continue living in the country and passing a language exam. The program for obtaining a residence permit in Latvia is also considered very simple; it allows you to obtain the status after purchasing real estate in this European country. In order to obtain a residence permit in France, you can use the program for the financially independent category of citizens, which also does not require mandatory residence after receiving the status. Another French option - a program based on the registration of a representative office of a Russian company in France - will be optimal for those who, for some reason, are not ready to show their official income in their country of residence.

Possessing a residence permit is an excellent opportunity to go through the process of obtaining permanent residence and subsequently become a full-fledged European.

Many Russians who buy property abroad usually start by visiting their second home country on multiple-entry visas to look around. All the most popular countries among Russians, including Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Cyprus and Bulgaria, willingly issue property to property owners long term visas. And this opens up the entire Schengen area for owners of a second home, except perhaps for Bulgaria and Cyprus, which still have a national visa.

The stories are typical, and over time, some begin to become burdened by such visas with an annual stay limit of 180 days a year, and no more than 90 days in a six-month period. What’s even more annoying is the fact that visas, even annual and multiple-entry ones, have the property that they never turn into permanent resident status (PR). And then the question arises in the head of the happy owner of foreign real estate, whether to apply for a residence permit. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Russians (owners of foreign real estate and/or potential immigrants) do not have a clear picture in their heads of what the fundamental difference between these statuses is. Let's try to figure out how much it is better visas, and the better.

Schengen visa- this is the opportunity to freely move around the 28 countries included in the so-called Schengen zone. A residence permit (RP) is a more significant status, but, paradoxically, the conditions for issuing a residence permit in the vast majority of countries are restrictions on movement. After issuing a residence permit, a foreigner will be required to spend a significant part of the year (usually 6 months + 1 day) in the country that issued such a document. This is often a mandatory condition for obtaining permanent resident status - permanent residence. Let's not be unfounded. For example, to obtain permanent residence in Estonia or Croatia, the holder of a temporary residence permit must not be absent from the country for more than 10 months over the last five years.

Therefore the conclusion is very simple. If you are not an immigrant who is ready to move to another country and live there (work or do business, pay taxes, etc.), then you simply do not need a residence permit. You need a multiple-entry visa, which will give you the opportunity to travel to your heart's content. But here, too, there is a rather unpleasant moment for “freedom lovers.” The multiple visa has two significant limitations. According to the first entry rule, if you were issued a Schengen multiple entry visa by Spain, then your first visit must be to Spain. The second rule is related to the length of stay in different countries: to be present in the country where a foreigner purchased real estate, you need to be present for at least one day (in total for the year) more than in total in all other Schengen countries.

Second citizenship – second passport
The most radical way to solve the problem of visa-free travel around the world, and at the same time a number of other issues, of course, is to obtain citizenship. Passport of a European country or country Caribbean most often makes it possible to travel to EU countries without a visa. At the same time, a second passport solves the issue radically, completely different from the ropes and restrictions of compulsory residence in a particular country in order to extend a residence permit and subsequently obtain permanent residence and (if you’re lucky) foreign citizenship.

This method of solving the issue of visa-free travel is, although effective, but also the most expensive. But in the end it all depends on how you value your time. Practice shows that wealthy people and big businessmen and investors value their time and tend to resolve the issue radically. We, for our part, can provide legal assistance in the relatively quick registration of second citizenship of a number of EU countries (Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria) and the Caribbean, for example, citizenship of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The methods for obtaining these citizenships do not provide for any ethnic origin confirmed by the corresponding nationality. All options are economic and investment. Please check the conditions further.