Blog · 2024-03-17

Relocation news digest - March 17, 2024

🇦🇷 Argentina: record number of Russian citizens granted residency

In 2023, 3,700 Russians obtained residence permits in Argentina - four times more than the year before.

🇵🇭 Philippines: a new visa for digital nomads

The visa is valid for one year. The requirements are standard: a passport, a criminal-record clearance and a minimum monthly income of at least $2,000. Visa holders are exempt from tax.

🇫🇷 France: a new immigration law takes effect

The French government has published a new immigration law. The main changes are:

a new residence permit for healthcare workers;
limits on repeatedly renewing certain temporary-residence categories;
a French-language requirement for holders of multi-year residence permits;
a residence permit that regularises the status of certain undocumented workers.

The law is aimed at curbing illegal migration and tightening oversight of foreign workers in France.

🇨🇾 Cyprus: migration department freezes citizenship applications

Cyprus's Migration Department has suspended the review of citizenship-by-naturalisation applications. Staff need clarification on amendments to the citizenship law passed late last year, which introduce requirements to demonstrate knowledge of the country's history and culture, as well as the Greek language.

🇸🇻 El Salvador: income tax on foreign investment and remittances abolished

President Nayib Bukele is using the move to draw investment and wealthy foreigners to El Salvador.

🇪🇪 Estonia: fines introduced for cars with Russian plates

Estonia has decided not to confiscate vehicles registered in Russia, as Latvia does, for example. From 12 March, however, such cars face fines of up to €400.

🇰🇼 Kuwait: second jobs now permitted

Kuwait has introduced a permit allowing foreign nationals to hold a second job alongside their main one. It lets legally employed workers put in up to four hours a day elsewhere - but only in the private sector and with their primary employer's consent.

The measure is intended to help ease labour shortages in Kuwait's job market.

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Schengen visas to be issued to Russian citizens

From 1 April, the Bulgarian embassy will begin issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens. Applications can be submitted in Moscow and St Petersburg.

🇪🇺 EU: entry will not be barred without a biometric passport

The European Commission has stated that, provided a traveller holds a valid Schengen visa, a biometric passport will not be required to enter the Schengen area in the second half of 2024.

🇮🇩 Indonesia: rules changed for extending limited-stay permits (ITAS)

Foreign nationals holding a one-year limited-stay permit (ITAS) may now apply for an extension only 30 days before it expires. Those with an ITAS valid for more than a year can apply three months ahead.

🇷🇴 Romania: EU Blue Card rules relaxed

On 8 March 2024, laws easing Romania's Blue Card policy took effect. The main changes are:

the EU Blue Card is now valid for up to three years;
some applicants may qualify on the basis of professional experience alone;
requirements have been relaxed for family reunification, business activity and the length of the employment contract.

The changes should make Romania more attractive to highly qualified foreign workers.

FAQ

How do Russians get residency in Argentina?

Argentina is one of the more open destinations: residence permits are granted for work, study, passive income, and to parents of a child born in the country. The flow is significant, with thousands of Russian citizens obtaining residency in a single year, several times more than the year before. Applications go through the Migraciones agency and need apostilled documents, a police clearance certificate and sworn translations into Spanish; income thresholds are revised from time to time.

Does the Philippines have a digital nomad visa?

Yes, the Philippines opened a one-year visa for remote workers. The requirements are the usual set: a valid passport, a police clearance certificate and proven monthly income from a foreign source, initially quoted at around 2,000 dollars. Exemption from local income tax on foreign earnings was part of the announcement, but both the income bar and the tax treatment are worth verifying when you apply.

Do I need French to get a residence permit in France?

Yes. France wrote a language requirement into its immigration law: multi-year residence permits require proof of French. The same law capped repeated renewals of certain temporary statuses, created a permit for healthcare workers and opened a route to regularise some undocumented workers. The exact level and the categories covered were set out in implementing rules, so check the current regulation.

How long does Cyprus citizenship by naturalisation take?

Timing depends on more than the queue: Cyprus has already frozen the processing of naturalisation applications while the migration department waited for guidance on amendments to the citizenship law. Those amendments added tests on the Greek language and on the country's history and culture. Real timelines therefore vary a lot, so check the current processing status and exam format before filing.

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