Who is eligible for a long term residency permit in the EU?
The 2003 European Directive on the status of non EU nationals states that a long-term residence permit should be awarded after a person has lived legally in an EU State for an uninterrupted period of five years.
This however depends upon the applicant having a stable and regular source of income, health insurance and (when required by the EU State), having complied with integration measures (he must also not constitute a threat to public security or public policy). If the applicant complies with these conditions, he can receive an EU long-term residence permit, renewable, without expiration and the status of EU long-term resident. The owner of a long-term residence permit receives the same treatment and rights as nationals in many areas: for example, access to employment and self-employment activity; social protection and assistance, move to another State of the Schengen area, etc.
