Blog · 2024-06-29

Relocation news digest - June 29, 2024

🇺🇸 United States: Russian visa centres shut down

The United States has closed Russia's visa centres on its territory, according to Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov. He said the move affects the offices in Washington and New York, whose functions will now be handled by the consulate.

🇮🇹 Italy: Tuscany will pay people to move to the mountains

The Italian Mountain Development Fund (Fondo Sviluppo Montagne Italiane, FOSMIT) will hand out money to those willing to buy a home in towns with fewer than 5,000 residents.

Who is eligible?

Citizens of Italy or another EU state who hold Italian residency (outside a mountain area) valid for 10 years or longer.

How do you take part?

Applicants must submit a request for a grant of between €10,000 and €30,000. The amount cannot exceed 50% of the property's full price. The deadline is 27 July 2024.

🇵🇹 Portugal: new residency rules introduced

As of 4 June 2024, following the government's abolition of the so-called "expression of interest" scheme (manifestação de interesse), non-EU foreign nationals can no longer obtain Portuguese residency after entering on a tourist visa unless they hold high professional qualifications or a university degree. To take up work, moreover, these applicants will now have to apply for the relevant visa from outside the country.

Applications filed before 4 June 2024 will be processed under the previous rules.

🇹🇭 Thailand: cabinet approves the Destination Thailand Visa

Thailand's cabinet has approved a new Destination Thailand Visa, though it has not yet come into force officially.

The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a programme that will allow foreign remote workers, digital nomads, freelancers and participants in cultural and other events to stay in Thailand. The visa is issued for five years on a multiple-entry basis, with a permitted stay of up to 180 days per visit (extendable once per visit by a further 180 days). The visa fee is 10,000 THB. Applicants must be over 20 and prove they hold at least 500,000 THB to cover the entire period of their stay in Thailand.

🇭🇰 Hong Kong: older ID cards to be phased out by 2025

The Hong Kong SAR government has announced that Hong Kong identity cards issued before 26 November 2018 will be cancelled in two phases by 2025. The first phase covers people born in 1970 or later, whose cards will become invalid on 12 May 2025. The second phase covers people born in 1969 or earlier, whose cards will become invalid on 12 October 2025. The new policy applies to all permanent and non-permanent Hong Kong residents. To replace a card, an application must be filed with the Registration of Persons Office (ROP).

People outside Hong Kong SAR must replace their identity cards within 30 days of returning to the territory.

Those who fail to obtain a new identity card without a valid reason may be fined up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars.

🇷🇺 Russia: visa-free travel planned with Chad and Kenya

Both destinations are reportedly growing in popularity among Russian travellers. The number of trips to Kenya in 2024, for instance, rose by 40% compared with the previous year.

Talks on scrapping visa requirements are also already under way with countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia and Myanmar.

🇪🇺 EU: transfers from Russia may now be unfrozen

Senders of money from Russia to the EU have been granted the right to unblock transfers, provided these were made by non-sanctioned parties or to "beneficiaries" within the European Union. The new mechanism applies to transfers made by Russian citizens for personal purposes.

For a transaction to be unfrozen, two criteria must be met:

neither the sender nor the recipient is under EU sanctions;
the transfer was made through accounts at non-sanctioned banks, with any sanctioned bank acting only as an intermediary.

🇵🇭 Philippines: appeals against rejected visa applications suspended

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has suspended the filing of motions to reconsider negative decisions on visa applications. It remains unclear whether the suspension is temporary or permanent.

Applicants who have been refused a visa will now have to file a fresh application that addresses the reason for refusal. The new application will be processed in the usual way, within two to three months.

🇵🇭 Philippines: temporary visitor visas can now be extended online

The Philippine Bureau of Immigration (BI) has launched an Online Application and Payment System (OAPS) that lets foreign nationals extend their temporary visitor visas (TVV) online. To use the system, applicants must first create an account on the OAPS portal.

The requirements and fees remain the same as for in-person applications. Processing times for online submissions will be cut to two or three business days.

🇪🇺 EU: expect processing delays during the July and August holidays

During the July and August holiday season, many government offices across Europe will operate with reduced staff, as they do every year at this time. This may cause delays in issuing work permits, residence permits and visas.

Foreign nationals planning to travel to or relocate to Europe should factor in the possible delays.

🇩🇪 Germany: new citizenship law takes effect

Following further clarification from the authorities, Germany's new citizenship law came into force on 27 June 2024.

The key changes:

the minimum period of residence in Germany required for citizenship has been cut to five years, and to just three years in exceptional cases (down from eight);
dual citizenship is now permitted.

🇵🇹 Portugal: some immigration documents extended until 30 June 2025

The Portuguese government has announced that all immigration visas and permits will remain valid until 30 June 2025. The measure is intended to clear the backlog of applications for issuing and renewing visas and permits. A similar extension had previously been granted until early 2024.

🇪🇨 Ecuador: immigration processing back to normal

The state of emergency has been lifted and immigration processing has returned to normal, with applications now handled within standard timeframes.

FAQ

Can you stay in Portugal after entering on a tourist visa?

There used to be an expression of interest route: you arrived as a tourist, found a job, registered with social security and regularised your status from inside the country. That route was closed, so as a rule you can no longer regularise locally without the right visa; exceptions remain for highly qualified professionals and degree holders. Applications filed before the change were still processed under the old rules.

What visa do you need to work in Portugal?

You apply for a work visa at the consulate where you live, before travelling, not after arrival. The type depends on your basis: a contract with a local employer, a job-seeker visa, highly qualified employment, or a separate option for remote workers with foreign income. Income thresholds and document lists are revised regularly, so use the current ones published by the consulate.

Which European countries pay you to move to a village?

These schemes come from regions losing population. In Italy, for instance, grants were offered for buying a home in mountain towns of fewer than five thousand residents, in the tens of thousands of euros but capped at half the property price. They usually require EU citizenship or long-term residence, genuine occupancy, and an application before the deadline. Budgets and application windows change every year.

How do you apply for a Russian visa in the US?

Russian visa centres in the US were closed and their functions moved to consular sections, so booking and filing happen directly with the consulate. Practice varies by city and by the state of diplomatic relations: intake is limited in some places and waiting times run into months in others. Check the specific consulate's website for the categories it accepts and how appointments work.

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