What is permanent residency?
Published at: 17/10/2022 12:19 pm
How can you reach or use permanent residency? As a permanent resident, can you get citizenship? Does a permanent residency visa allow you to travel?
"Permanent residency is a person's legal resident status in a country or territory of which such person is not a citizen but where they have the right to reside on a permanent basis", according to Wikipedia.
Usually, in each country, you can become a temporary or permanent resident. In some countries, you must become a temporary resident and, after some time, may qualify for permanent resident status. However, in some countries, you can become a permanent resident through investment, marriage, study, or other reasons.
What is a permanent residency card?
The physical permanent residency permits can be issued in different forms. These documents can be paper or plastic card types, like identity cards. Moreover, the authorities may also print these permits as A3 or A4 document types.
Permanent residency to citizenship
Usually, permanent residency leads to citizenship through naturalisation processes. However, in some countries, this process is not automatic or delayed by years or even decades, as in Switzerland. There is no general rule regarding the time frame you should or can pass before qualifying or even applying for citizenship. In Brazil, this timeframe is only one year; in other South American countries three years. Golden Visa holders of Portugal must spend five years (2 years temporary and three years permanent residency) and 7-8 years in Germany before qualifying for the passport. If you invest in exchange for citizenship, the permanent resident status may be unnecessary during the process. However, in Malta or Cyprus and other European countries, which closed their citizenship programs, they shortened the time you must spend as a permanent resident before naturalisation.
How to apply for permanent residency?
Obtaining a permanent residence permit requires a long-term commitment to the chosen country. Our immigration experts and attorneys at Discus Holdings Ltd are waiting for your message to be able to create the immigration structure that fulfils your objectives. Do you want to live in a rich and secure country? Or do you want to plan your taxes as an offshore or tax-neutral person? Or do you want to enjoy the freedom of travel even as a permanent resident and not a passport holder? We are here to provide you with detailed information and the best service.
Is permanent residency a visa?
In some cases, yes. For example, as a permanent resident of any EU country, you may travel and stay anywhere in the Schengen zone. On the other hand, the permanent resident status does not qualify to hold that country's passport. But, the permanent resident status usually does not allow you to travel visa-free in other countries.
Note: Malta Permanent Residency Programme offered under Licence no.: AKM-DALL-21