Which is the best pathway for me for a long term visa in Europe? YANML
February 29, 2024 6:35 AM Subscribe
I'm starting to explore options for obtaining a long term visa for visiting/living in Europe. If all options were available, which is actually better for me?
I'm in a relationship with an Austrian national, and want to know what the best option is to stay longer in the Schengen region, as well as finding the most beneficial option for the future. The three main paths I see are spousal, work visa w job offer(without going into too much detail, assume this is possible), or digital nomad in one of the countries that allow it. I work remote, and location does not need to be in Austria. We both travel often.
A few questions/concerns:
- If I go spousal/work route, I am obtaining visa from Austria, which doesn't allow dual citizenship with US. Is this less beneficial ultimately if I want an option for a move in the future? At this moment I don't want to renounce US citizenship.
- Digital nomad visa from Portugal/Spain/Italy seems the easiest so far, and Portugal and Italy allow dual citizenship w U.S. Has anyone done this and have any advice or suggestions?
This is still in the very early stages so I know I must be missing many things. Open to all advice. Thank you!
I'm in a relationship with an Austrian national, and want to know what the best option is to stay longer in the Schengen region, as well as finding the most beneficial option for the future. The three main paths I see are spousal, work visa w job offer(without going into too much detail, assume this is possible), or digital nomad in one of the countries that allow it. I work remote, and location does not need to be in Austria. We both travel often.
A few questions/concerns:
- If I go spousal/work route, I am obtaining visa from Austria, which doesn't allow dual citizenship with US. Is this less beneficial ultimately if I want an option for a move in the future? At this moment I don't want to renounce US citizenship.
- Digital nomad visa from Portugal/Spain/Italy seems the easiest so far, and Portugal and Italy allow dual citizenship w U.S. Has anyone done this and have any advice or suggestions?
This is still in the very early stages so I know I must be missing many things. Open to all advice. Thank you!
Note that you can stay in Europe indefinitely as an EU spouse. There's no need to get citizenship at all - certainly for other reasons, but not to remain in Europe.
posted by vacapinta at 6:48 AM on February 29 [3 favorites]
posted by vacapinta at 6:48 AM on February 29 [3 favorites]
For visas, you may get more useful answers if you share your own citizenship.
For citizenship, were your parents or grandparents born in a European country?
posted by caek at 6:52 AM on February 29
For citizenship, were your parents or grandparents born in a European country?
posted by caek at 6:52 AM on February 29
Response by poster: I hold US citizenship only and have no European ancestry.
posted by monologish at 6:56 AM on February 29
posted by monologish at 6:56 AM on February 29
Digital nomad visas generally have time limits that may be inconvenient, and beware that these are mostly for freelancer/consultant type workers. A great many corporations do not like their employees on these visas because it can complicate their corporate taxes in certain ways (it's a hideously complex topic, and so many HR/Pay folk simply say they don't wanna bother figuring out if it's legal, so they just say no).
I mean, I'm not saying definitely don't, just saying take care that your employment situation would actually allow this. I personally know people who've been told "You get your ass back to the US in two weeks or you're fired. And you're using your vacation time to get here, see you soon!"
posted by aramaic at 7:07 AM on February 29
I mean, I'm not saying definitely don't, just saying take care that your employment situation would actually allow this. I personally know people who've been told "You get your ass back to the US in two weeks or you're fired. And you're using your vacation time to get here, see you soon!"
posted by aramaic at 7:07 AM on February 29
You don't have to worry about that right now. If you get married to an Austrian National, then you get an EU spouse visa which allows you to live and work anywhere in Europe. You do not immediately get Austrian citizenship if you marry an Austrian National. That's a separate step.
Vacapinta is right, this is the easiest route to an EU (which includes Schengen) visa.
posted by ellieBOA at 8:16 AM on February 29
Vacapinta is right, this is the easiest route to an EU (which includes Schengen) visa.
posted by ellieBOA at 8:16 AM on February 29
Visas are separate from citizenship.
If you get a visa as an EU spouse, and then live together in an EU country that does allow dual citizenship you may eventually qualify for citizenship of that country.
Currently the following EU countries allow dual citizenship: Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Sweden
posted by plonkee at 11:02 AM on February 29 [1 favorite]
If you get a visa as an EU spouse, and then live together in an EU country that does allow dual citizenship you may eventually qualify for citizenship of that country.
Currently the following EU countries allow dual citizenship: Germany, Greece, France, Ireland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Poland, Sweden
posted by plonkee at 11:02 AM on February 29 [1 favorite]
Italy does not have a digital nomad visa.
posted by HotToddy at 11:39 AM on February 29 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 11:39 AM on February 29 [1 favorite]
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You don't have to worry about that right now. If you get married to an Austrian National, then you get an EU spouse visa which allows you to live and work anywhere in Europe. You do not immediately get Austrian citizenship if you marry an Austrian National. That's a separate step.
After that, you can decide if you want to go live in Portugal/Spain/Italy and acquire citizenship (through residency) there.
posted by vacapinta at 6:40 AM on February 29 [8 favorites]