8 Easiest Countries to Immigrate to in Europe in 2017

If this year is a year in which is a high time to make a crucial change in your life, the list of the easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017 is the right for you.

There are many reasons why people decide to move to another country. In most of the cases, moving is connected with a great job opportunity that someone doesn’t have in her or his home country. On the other side, people also go abroad to pursue their degrees – when they get the scholarship, or when they simply want to make their studying experience unique. Sometimes people simply move to a neighboring country, while some of them go overseas and make a really huge change. In that manner, it has been estimated that 64% percent of the 4.8 million European immigrants residing in the United States had taken U.S. citizenship. In the same time, there are divided opinions on the easiest European country for an American to move to. Some of the people claim that those are usually Scandinavian countries, while for some of them that is definitely the UK or Ireland.

However, there are also some countries where you can obtain fastest permanent residence in Europe, the only question is, do you have enough money for that? The thing is, there are some investment programs in countries such as Malta, Hungary, and Poland. For example, you can get the Hungarian citizenship if you have 300,000 euros to invest in Hungary’s Residency Bond Program. The Government will pay back the whole amount five years after, and you can get your EU citizenship in less than six months, while the permanent residence permit is obtained in around one week or something. It sounds to me that this is definitely the easiest way to get permanent residence in Europe, especially to those who don’t have a problem with money.

On the other side, some other attractive European countries are also very much convenient, and Austria residency permits are definitely worth mentioning. For those who don’t know, Austria offers 10 different types of the residency permit, and among those types, there are: Betriebsentsandter (employee sent on temporary duty), Niederlassungsbewilligung, that is aimed to foreigners who intend to live in Austria for a longer period of time for specific reasons, such as marriage or job, or student permissions for those students who plan to immigrate to Austria for the purpose of studying. Additionally, there is our list of the easiest countries to immigrate to, not focusing only on Europe, so it can be very useful to read it. However, in order to make the list of easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017, I needed to check the countries with easy immigration requirements on this continent. The Nations Online website helped me a lot, as it provided a lot of information regarding all of the countries in Europe. Generally speaking, there are many similarities among 28 European Union countries, but those which are not members are also very convenient for this purpose. Among all 44 countries, I managed to find those with the shortest waiting period for obtaining the residence permit, also paying attention to those that offer dual citizenship, as well as on the naturalization process. I provided the links for each of the countries separately, so you may check the one which is of your biggest interest. Just to make it clear, if a country of your interest is not on the list, it definitely does not mean that it is hard to get the residence permit there. I just wanted to make shorter, yet useful list with all of the relevant data for chosen countries. So, let’s see together what are the easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017.

8. Cyprus

There are many legal ways to immigrate to Cyprus. This country offers citizenship by investment, so if you buy real estate worth €300,000 or more, that should be enough to secure the citizenship on this Mediterranean island. Additionally, marriage to a Cypriot citizen or having Cypriot origins may help you a lot in this regard, so start searching for the options. Cyprus is a beautiful and amazing holiday destination, and you will definitely enjoy its warm weather and sandy shores.

7. Montenegro

People who like living on the seaside will probably choose this one above the other easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017, and the good thing is that there are many possibilities in that regard. You can obtain a residence permit if you decide to study there, to find a job or to marry a Montenegrin citizen. Learning a language is necessary, but the good thing about it is the fact that by learning this, you will also be able to communicate clearly with people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. In that way, you are eligible for a temporary residence permit. But, if you stay more than five years, you may be eligible for the permanent one.

6. Malta

We’re continuing our list of easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017 with Malta, an interesting country, and it would be quite useful to present you some facts that might make you become interested in immigrating to it. Most importantly, English is one of the official languages of Malta that almost 90% of the population speaks. Moreover, around 70% of them speak Italian as well. They have amazing food and a mild climate with warm winters and pleasant summers. Malta has the so-called Malta Individual Investor Programme. Meaning, among all other possibilities, you may get the citizenship if you buy a real estate for €350,000 or more, and maintain the ownership for 5 years. Additionally, finding a job or marrying a citizen are possibilities as well, so figure out what suits you best.

5. Belgium

Belgium is very friendly towards foreigners, so it should definitely be one of the countries to take into consideration. If you deal with IT or medicine, there are many chances for the job in this country, provided that you speak the language. If you manage to find a job, you get a temporary residence permit, which can become a permanent one by time and if you satisfy the conditions. The whole process of getting a citizenship may take around five years, but having the permission to stay in the country is eventually the most important. Marriage to a citizen of Belgium is also one of the ways to immigrate to this country, but the good thing is that you can keep your original citizenship, being the reasons why it is on the list of the easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017.

4. Norway

This country is not a member of the EU, but it is a member of European Economic Area (EEA), in the context of being a European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member, making it one of the most convenient countries to live in Europe. There are, like in most cases, two types of residence permit in Norway, and people who want to immigrate to this country should be aware of it. In all cases, in first several years, you obtain a temporary residence permit, based on your education, job, marriage to a Norwegian citizen, or based on Norwegian roots in your family. This country is amazing, so it should be definitely taken into consideration if you want to immigrate somewhere in Europe.

3. Sweden

Let’s see what’s next on our list of easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017. Moving to Sweden is probably a ‘dream come true’ of many people since this country has so many things to offer. However, if you would like to immigrate to this country, at least start learning a language, since it will definitely be important. Finding a job in Sweden is not easy, but it’s not impossible either. However, psychology and IT experts, as well as doctors, are more than welcome here, so don’t lose hope. Remember, you can always find a girlfriend or boyfriend from Sweden and make things easier. If your family has some roots here, you may also check that out. However, this website can be very helpful, so save it in your bookmarks.

2. Switzerland 

Although this country is not a part of the EU, it has an incredible standard and it is very famous among people who want to immigrate to Europe. Luckily, there are many types of residence permits that you can get here, so pay attention. Among all, there are ‘B’ and ‘Ci’ permits, that deal with employment or with family members. In other words, if you get married in this country or find a job, you will easily get the permit. Make sure you improve yourself to the point that every employer wants you. And, of course, learn a language. However, having a clear criminal record will be very important, especially due to some rather unpleasant event throughout Europe in recent months.

1. Austria

I have already mentioned Austria in the introductory part of our article, but it definitely deserves to be mentioned once more. As I said earlier, there are many types of residence permits that can be obtained in Austria. The most important part is that none of them require any kind of investment. Marriage, job, education and many other reasons can bring you to Austria, but one thing is sure, you will never repent this decision. That’s why Austria is the first on the list of the easiest countries to immigrate to in Europe in 2017.