Want to make the EU your home? Here’s how to get permanent residency in France, Spain and Germany

After you’ve put down roots in a country, you may be thinking about making it more long-term by applying for a permanent residency permit.

They often come with more benefits than other kinds of visas and - if you’ve lived there for a few years - might be necessary if you are hoping to drive those roots a bit deeper. Some offer shortcuts to long-term residency via so-called ‘golden visas’ through investing but many of these routes are now being closed.

Though you can get long-term resident status in the EU if you’ve lived there legally for at least five years, most states tend to issue a national permit rather than an EU-wide one. And applying for that can mean extra checks.

From language tests to integration requirements, here’s what applying for a permanent residency permit looks like across five different members of the bloc.

To apply for a permanent residence permit in France, you’ll need to have lived there for five years - three years if you are the spouse or family member of a French national. This can be on a temporary French visa or as an EU/European Free Trade Association (EFTA) citizen.

You’ll also need to have integrated into French culture and have a sufficient knowledge of the French language (A2 level at minimum) - though this doesn’t apply if you are over 65. Applicants also can’t have a criminal record or any outstanding criminal convictions.

If you are successful and meet the requirements this will allow you to stay in the country indefinitely and access most public services. The permits are usually valid for 10 years but you can renew your card as many times as you need.

A permanent resident card will cost you €225, to be paid using tax stamps which are only sold online.

Both a residency permit and citizenship