Updated
GL-R-02
Glossary · Statuses, passports, travel
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.
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- 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
02 / In plain words
What Residence permit means
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.
A case from practice
A family obtains Portuguese residence under the passive income programme (the D7 visa). The first card is for two years, then renewed for three more. After five years in the country and passing basic Portuguese, they will be able to apply for permanent residence, and for citizenship after ten years of legal residence. Throughout, the children have a local school and healthcare.
Why people get a residence permit
- To live in the country legally
- To work, receive medical care, educate children
- Free travel in the Schengen area (EU)
- A first step to permanent residence and citizenship
- Tax optimisation (UAE)
- Relocating the family or a second home
03 / What it covers
What a residence permit gives
Who receives it
- Principal applicant
- Spouse and children
- Sometimes parents
Grounds
- Investment (Golden Visa)
- Work or business
- Study, family, nomad
Rights
- Living in the country
- Often, working
- Healthcare and school
Outlook
- Renewal every 1-2 years
- Moving to PR
- Path to citizenship
04 / How it works
How to get a residence permit
Choosing the grounds and country
Check and document collection
Investment or other grounds
Filing the application
Residence card
05 / Cost and timelines
What an investment residence permit costs: thresholds
01Greece (Golden Visa)
from €250,000
Real estate. The threshold is higher in Athens and on the popular islands.
02Portugal
from €500,000
Investment funds (the property option closed in 2023).
03UAE (Golden Visa)
from AED 2,000,000
About $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
06 / Key facts
What you need to know
01A residence permit is temporary
the card is issued for 1-2 years and must be renewed
02
Miss a renewal or the conditions and the status can be lost
03
A residence permit is neither citizenship nor PR but the first rung of the ladder
04
Investment residence permits often do not require permanent residence
05
Future citizenship will require 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
07 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Choose the type of residence permit for your goal — investment, work, income or business — and understand clearly which status leads where and what the next rung will require. Then gather documents, evidence the origin of funds and plan time for renewals. That way the status does not fall through on a formality, and the ladder to PR and citizenship is mapped out in advance.
What we do for you. 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.
Anna KovalevskayaLead lawyer for EU citizenship and residency, 12 years of practice
08 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
