Transfers and long stays

Free residence within the EU

The Directive EC 2004/38/CE of the European Parliament and Council of 29 April 2004, aimed to update the current legislation on free movement and residence in order to make easier for EU citizens to travel around the EU, reducing administrative formalities.

As EU citizen you are free to live within the EU territory, apart from your professional or economic conditions. However, the right to free move and reside within the EU is subordinate some conditions/restrictions and also, according to the length of the stay, to some formalities to be carried out in the host Member State.

In case of stay in a host Member State for three months or less, for work, study, medical reasons or only for holidays, no permit of stay is required. However, in few Countries you must present yourself to national authorities, by either filling in a form when at hotel or drawing up a rental contract.

On the contrary, in case of stay abroad for more than three months but less than an year to get a temporary employment, a temporary permit of stay is required.

Concerning all the other cases, you will need a permit of stay whit a longer validity, by asking for it to the competent authorities in the host Member State, within 30 days after the date you arrived.

Regarding the right to permanently reside in a different Member State, EU citizens must either be engaged in economic activities or have sufficient resources and sickness insurance, in order to ensure that they do not become a burden on the social services of the host Member State during their stay.

After a five-year period of uninterrupted legal residence in the host Member State EU citizens and their relatives gain a right of permanent residence, which is no longer subject to any condition.