Residencepermit
Residence permit
Permission for temporary residence — a card for 1-2 years with renewal. It does not grant citizenship, but can be the first step toward it in 5-10 years. Not to be confused with permanent residence.
- What it is
- Permission to live legally in a country for a limited period
- How to get it
- Investment (Golden Visa), work, study, business, family, digital nomad
- Cost
- Investment options from €250,000 (Greece) and from AED 2,000,000 (UAE)
- Difference from PR
- A residence permit is temporary and renewed; permanent residence is indefinite
- Can you prepare
- Yes: choose the type of permit for your goal and gather the documents
In plain words
A residence permit is permission to live legally in a country for a limited period. Usually it is a plastic card valid for 1-2 years that has to be renewed periodically. A residence permit gives the right to be in the country and often to work, receive medical care and send children to school, but it does not make you a citizen.
It is important not to confuse a residence permit with permanent residence or citizenship. A residence permit is a temporary status with an expiry date: miss a renewal or stop meeting the conditions and you can lose it. At the same time, it is often the first rung of a long ladder: after 5-10 years on it you can usually move to permanent residence (an indefinite status) and then apply for citizenship through naturalisation.
There are various ways to obtain a residence permit: through investment (Golden Visa), work, study, business, family reunification or as a digital nomad. Investment residence permits are valued for their speed and because they usually do not require you to live in the country permanently.
Why people get a residence permit
What a residence permit gives
- Principal applicant
- Spouse and children
- Sometimes parents
- Investment (Golden Visa)
- Work or business
- Study, family, nomad
- Living in the country
- Often, working
- Healthcare and school
- Renewal every 1-2 years
- Moving to PR
- Path to citizenship
How to get a residence permit
- 01Choosing the grounds and country
- 02Check and document collection
- 03Investment or other grounds
- 04Filing the application
- 05Residence card
What you need to know
- A residence permit is temporary: the card is issued for 1-2 years and must be renewed
- Miss a renewal or the conditions and the status can be lost
- A residence permit is neither citizenship nor PR but the first rung of the ladder
- Investment residence permits often do not require permanent residence
- Future citizenship will require actual residence
What an investment residence permit costs: thresholds
- Greece (Golden Visa)from €250,000Real estate. The threshold is higher in Athens and on the popular islands.
- Portugalfrom €500,000Investment funds (the property option closed in 2023).
- UAE (Golden Visa)from AED 2,000,000About $545,000 in real estate — a 10-year visa, with no income tax.
These are investment residence permits (Golden Visas). There are also non-investment routes — work, study, business, digital nomad — each with its own requirements. Government fees, support and taxes come on top of the investment. We calculate the exact budget for the country and family composition.
Timelines
- Card term
- Usually 1-2 years, renewable
- Who issues it
- The country’s migration service
- Residence
- Investment residence permits often require only minimal presence
- To PR/citizenship
- Usually 5-10 years of actual residence
Common mistakes
- Confusing a residence permit with PR and citizenship
- Missing a renewal and losing the status
- Counting on citizenship without actual residence
- Choosing a type of permit that does not fit the goal
- Not checking the right to work under the particular permit
What this means for a BRIDGES client
We choose a residence permit for your situation — through investment, income or business — and explain frankly which status leads where and what the next rung will require. Then we take you through document collection, filing and renewals so that the status does not fall through on a formality.
Frequently asked questions
01 /How does a residence permit differ from PR?
A residence permit is temporary and must be renewed every 1-2 years. Permanent residence is indefinite and needs no renewal. A residence permit is usually the first step; PR is the next.
02 /Can you work on a residence permit?
Often yes, but it depends on the type of permit. Work and business permits give the right to work; some investment and “nomad” permits come with restrictions. We look at the conditions of the specific programme.
03 /Do you have to live in the country on a residence permit?
It depends on the programme. Investment residence permits often require only minimal presence. But if the goal is future citizenship, actual residence will be needed.
04 /Does a residence permit lead to citizenship?
It can: after the required number of years on a residence permit and PR (usually 5-10), you can apply for citizenship by naturalisation. But that requires actual residence, not merely holding a card.
05 /What happens if you do not renew a residence permit on time?
The status can be lost, and with it the count of time towards PR and citizenship. That is why renewals are kept under control and filed early.
06 /Is a Golden Visa a residence permit?
Yes. Golden Visa is the popular name for investment residence permits (Greece, Portugal, the UAE). They are valued for their speed and because permanent residence in the country is usually not required.
See also
Read next
This material has undergone editorial review by BRIDGES.
Choose a residence permit for your goal?
We will choose the type of permit for your purpose — investment, income or business — and take you through the documents, filing and renewals.