EU Residence Permit Travel: Which European Countries Can You Visit?
October 29, 2024 · Europe · 8 min read
Visa-free travel across Europe has long been a goal for many international investors. One route many of them take is a residency by investment program that leads to a European residence permit.
Visa-free travel across Europe has long been a goal for many international investors. One route many of them take is a residency by investment program that leads to a European residence permit.
However, the rules for EU residence permit travel depend on the country that issued the permit and on whether that country belongs to the European Union (EU), the Schengen Area, or both. To know which European countries a residence permit lets you visit freely, investors first need to understand how the EU and the Schengen Area differ.
The EU and the Schengen Area: what is the difference?
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states in Europe, established in 1993. Its main aims are to promote cooperation, maintain peace, and support economic development among its members. The EU works across many areas, including trade, security, and foreign policy, and operates a single market that allows the free movement of goods, services, and people between member states.
The Schengen Area is a zone of 29 European countries that have abolished checks at their shared borders, so people can travel from one member country to another without passport controls and without needing a separate visa for each country. It was created under the Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985. Its main purpose is to make travel and trade between member countries easier.
Countries in both the EU and the Schengen Area
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Spain
EU countries outside the Schengen Area
- Cyprus
- Ireland
Schengen countries outside the EU
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Norway
- Switzerland
Schengen Area member countries
Travel rights with a European residence permit
Where a European residence permit lets you travel depends on whether the issuing country is in the EU, the Schengen Area, or both.
1. Residence permits issued by a country in both the EU and the Schengen Area:
Holders can travel without a visa to any other Schengen country for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the Schengen Area as a whole. Of the EU countries outside Schengen, Cyprus also admits holders without a visa for short stays, while Ireland applies its own visa rules.
2. Residence permits issued by an EU country outside the Schengen Area:
Holders need a visa to enter Schengen countries. Travel to Ireland, the other EU country outside the Schengen Area, depends on Ireland’s own visa rules and the holder’s nationality.
For example, a Cyprus residence permit does not allow visa-free travel to countries such as France, Germany, Spain, or Switzerland; holders need to apply for a Schengen visa.
3. Residence permits issued by a Schengen country outside the EU:
Holders can travel without a visa to any country in the Schengen Area. However, they generally need a visa to visit EU countries outside the Schengen Area, with the exception of Cyprus.
For example, an Iceland residence permit allows visa-free entry to France, Germany, Switzerland, and Cyprus, but a visa is still required to travel to Ireland.
Some European countries belong to neither the European Union (EU) nor the Schengen Area, such as Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia. A residence permit issued by one of these countries does not provide visa-free travel; holders must obtain a visa to visit EU or Schengen countries.
Within these rules, a residence permit can be used for visa-free travel to other European countries for as long as it remains valid.
Why hold a European residence permit?
A European residence permit offers significant advantages. First, it allows investors and their families to live, study, and enjoy a high quality of life in Europe, and, depending on the type of permit, to work there. It also provides easier access to education, healthcare, and public services in the issuing country. Visa-free travel within the Schengen Area gives investors more flexibility for business and leisure, without repeated and complex visa applications. A residence permit can also be an important step toward European citizenship, subject to each country’s residence and naturalization requirements.
At the time this article was first published, several European countries offered investment programs leading to a residence permit, attracting international investors with notable benefits; examples included Spain, Malta, Greece, and Portugal.
Explore investment programs that lead to a European residence permit
If you are interested in European residency by investment programs, contact IMM Group or leave your details below. Our experienced advisors will provide detailed guidance and help assess your application’s prospects. We are committed to keeping your personal data confidential and will use the information you provide only to advise on your family’s application.
IMM Group
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