Publication date: 24 March 2026
This ad hoc query inquires about the legal framework and practices of EMN Member and Observer Countries regarding the renewal of residence permits of third-country nationals.
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Main theme: Cross-sectional, Asylum, Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, document validity, renewal, digitalisation
Publication date: 27 February 2026
This ad hoc query shines light on the practices applicable in EMN Member Countries regarding applications for family reunification by third-country nationals and their family members who enjoy visa-free travel for short-stays in the EU, in the context of the implementation of the Family Reunification Directive (2003/86/EC).
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Main theme: Family reunification
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: application for family reunification, sponsor, residence permit, visa-free travel
Publication date: 18 January 2026
This ad hoc query provides an overview of which EMN Member and Observer Countries require criminal record certificates in order to issue long-stay visas or residence permits. Details are provided on the categories of third-country nationals exempted from this requirement, the countries from which these certificates are required (country of origin and/or of previous residence), the other types of documents that may be accepted in lieu of a certificate (such as an affidavit), and more.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: visa, residence permit, application, criminal record certificate, security
Publication date: 14 November 2025
This ad hoc query maps the legislation and current practices in EMN Member and Observer Countries regarding the issuance of authorisations to stay for study purposes granted to minors. This mapping includes eligibility criteria, procedural requirements, and information on who assumes responsibility for the minor during their stay in the receiving country.
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Main theme: Study § Training
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, authorisation to stay, minor, education
Publication date: 03 December 2024
This ad hoc query maps the schemes in place across EMN Member and Observer Countries to issue residence permits for so-called “digital nomads”, or persons who work remotely for an employer registered outside of their country of residence. Emphasis is placed on the issue of the use of forged documents in the applications for such permits.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Irregular Migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, digital nomad, forged document
Publication date: 29 November 2024
This ad hoc query examines whether EMN Member Countries issue visas, short-term permits, or temporary authorisations of stay before third-country nationals can receive a residence permit and, if so, which conditions apply and which processes are in place.
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Main theme: Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: application for a residence permit, right of entry
Publication date: 26 November 2024
The European Migration Network (EMN) study looks at whether EMN Member Countries implemented any changes in the application of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) in 2023 (as compared to 2022) and also aims to identify continued challenges, as well as good practices.
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Main theme: Temporary protection
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: Temporary Protection Directive, beneficiary of temporary protection, residence permit, access to rights, vulnerability
Publication date: 24 October 2024
This ad hoc query examines the validity period of the first and subsequent residence permits for refugee protection and subsidiary protection in the EMN Member Countries.
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Main theme: International Protection
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: beneficiary of international protection, residence permit, document validity
Publication date: 18 October 2024
This ad hoc query examines the fees paid by third-country nationals for specific residence permits, and the rationale behind these fees. Additionally, it investigates the costs associated with children of third-country nationals applying for citizenship alongside their parents, as well as the fees charged for aliens’ passports.
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Publication date: 10 October 2024
This ad hoc query examines the types and amounts of fees that EMN Member and Observer Countries impose in relation to the granting and issuance of residence permits. It also examines whether the fees are charged for the submission of an application, regardless of the outcome, or for the granting or issuance of a residence permit.
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Publication date: 30 August 2024
This ad hoc query examines whether EMN Member Countries provide alternative legal statuses, aside from temporary protection, for persons fleeing the war in Ukraine within their national legislation and explores whether these statuses grant certain rights beyond temporary protection. Additionally, it considers whether EMN Member Countries have plans to create and offer beneficiaries of temporary protection a more permanent status, other than international protection, before the expiration of temporary protection.
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Main theme: Temporary protection
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: temporary protection, Ukraine, national status, residence permit
Publication date: 16 May 2024
This ad hoc query seeks to compare the au pair regulations of the EMN Member and Observer Countries to reduce the vulnerability of au pairs and prevent possible abuse of the programme in the Netherlands.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: au pair, residence permit, sponsor, financial requirement
Publication date: 02 May 2024
Under Council Directive 2004/81/EC, EU Member States have the option to grant residence permits to third-country nationals who have been the subject of an action to facilitate illegal immigration, such as smuggling. This ad hoc query seeks to map which Member States have implemented this possibility, and to what extent this residence procedure is used in practice.
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Main theme: Smuggling & Trafficking
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, migrant smuggling, victim
Publication date: 25 April 2024
This ad hoc query examines how Article 8 ECHR relating to the right to respect for private and family life may lead to specific residence permits in EMN Member and Observer Countries, and how it is taken into account in national legislation and procedures applicable to foreign nationals.
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Main theme: Family reunification
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: family tie, private life, family life, residence permit, European Convention on Human Rights
Publication date:
On 27 March 2026, EMN Belgium participated in a seminar organised by Myria and the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (NICC) entitled "The status of victim of smuggling under the microscope", where the results of the research report on the practical application of this status were presented.
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Main theme: Irregular Migration
Keywords: human smuggling, legal status, residence permit, Belgium
Publication date:
The European Migration Network (EMN) Glossary is an essential resource, which offers an EU-wide multidisciplinary vocabulary of approximately 500 terms and concepts related to asylum and migration. Let's focus today on the term "residence permit" to make sure we have a common understanding and use of the term!