Immigrate to Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is an appealing destination for starting a business but also for living here. However, people who want to immigrate to Liechtenstein must meet specific requirements and must submit their applications for residence permit in due time in order to qualify for the imposed quota of visas per year.

Due to the special regulations under the Liechtenstein immigration requirements, we recommend using specialized services that can enable you to relocate and live here. From this point of view, you can rely on our law firm in Liechtenstein that has experience in dealing with such matters and is also up to date with the legal conditions imposed under the law.

If you want to move to Liechtenstein, you can discuss with our immigration specialists.

Liechtenstein migration rules

Compared to other European countries, Liechtenstein has specific rules when it comes to immigration, as the Migration Office here only issues a limited number of residence permits. These are divided between visas available for EU and EEA citizens and non-EU and non-EEA citizens. A special category of applicants are Swiss citizens for whom a limited quota of permits is set aside on a yearly basis.

When it comes to similarities to other countries, there are also several types of visas that can be issued to people who want to immigrate to Liechtenstein for short timespans. These are:

• tourist visas available for those entering Liechtenstein for tourism, business, and other short visits;
• transit visas available when on the way to another country with a stop in Liechtenstein;
• Schengen visas, as Liechtenstein is a Schengen country, and thus, has enabled the issuance of such visas;
• national (type D) visas for stays longer than 90 days are also available for foreign citizens.

Out of all these types of visas, only the Schengen and the national visa allow longer stays: the Schengen visa up to 90 days in any 180-day period and the national (D) visa more than 90 days.

Our lawyers can offer more information on the Liechtenstein immigration requirements. We can also offer support in applying for Schengen (short-stay) and national (long-stay) visas. If you want to relocate to Liechtenstein, we can also help you rent or a buy property here.

You can also count on our lawyers in Liechtenstein if you want to open a company in the Principality.

Residency quotas in Liechtenstein

Perhaps the most important thing to consider when deciding to immigrate to Liechtenstein is entering the annual imposed quota in order to avoid waiting for another year. Here is how residence permits are issued here:

• first of all, there are two types of residence permits (one is issued for employment purposes, while the other does not impose employment);
• EEA citizens are entitled to 72 residence permits per year;
• out of these 72 permits, 56 are issued based on employment, while 16 for other categories of migrants;
• 17 permits are issued to Swiss citizens (12 based on employment and 5 for other purposes);
• half of the visas are awarded through a lottery, while the other half by the government.

Considering the Liechtenstein migration rules, you should also know that the lottery takes place in spring and autumn, which is why if you are interested in moving here, we invite you to discuss with our lawyers.

Once you decide to move to Liechtenstein, we recommend using our support in order to make sure your documents are in order before submission.

Immigrate to Liechtenstein and obtain permanent residence

For many people who manage to relocate to Liechtenstein, the main goal is to settle here permanently. For this purpose, they need to obtain permanent residence permits. However, this is rather simple, as the main requirement is for them to live here 5 years following which they can apply for the so-called settlement permit. By comparison, Spain requires the same timeframe for foreigners who want to obtain a Spanish permanent residence permit – 5 years. This experienced team of immigration attorneys can definitely help you – Immigrate-Spain.com.

When it comes to citizenship, however, the Liechtenstein immigration requirements are quite stringent requiring 30 years of residence for the facilitated procedure (or 10 years plus a municipal vote in the ordinary procedure).

Our Liechtenstein law firm can also offer details on the fact that Liechtenstein has no citizenship-by-investment scheme.

Support in immigration to Liechtenstein

If you want to fully respect the Liechtenstein migration rules, you will find a trusted partner in our law firm. With a vast experience in immigration matters, our specialists can help you prepare and file the documents with the Migration and Passport Office.

We can also assist those who want to renew their residence permits, or those interested in residence permits granted for important public (economic) interests; Liechtenstein has no residency-by-investment programme.

Feel free to contact us for detailed information on the procedure of immigrating to Liechtenstein, as well as for support in obtaining the desired residence permit.