Blog · 2025-01-31

Relocation news digest - January 31, 2025

🇦🇪 UAE: authorities tighten rules for issuing and renewing dependant residence permits

Abu Dhabi authorities have begun accepting only tenancy agreements registered in Abu Dhabi when applying for or renewing a dependant residence permit. The contract must be submitted through Tawtheeq, the online tenancy-registration system developed by the Abu Dhabi government.

Failure to comply with this rule will result in the dependant residence application being rejected.

The requirement may be waived at the discretion of the immigration authorities if the sponsored person's employer - as confirmed by its trade licence - is legally registered in the same emirate as the tenancy agreement. Each request is considered on a case-by-case basis.

🇦🇪 UAE: Golden Visa becomes harder for scientists and specialists

Under a new rule, applicants for Dubai's Golden Visa in the Scientists and Specialists category who lack a government nomination must have worked at least two years for the same local organisation before they can apply.

🇨🇦 Canada: a new route to legal status for skilled workers

The government of Ontario has launched a pilot program, Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI), designed to attract highly qualified professionals to four rural and northern regions with strong demand for workers. The four regions are Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, Sarnia-Lambton and Thunder Bay.

The program runs until 31 December 2025. Under it, each of these regions receives an additional 200 nomination slots through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) - Employer Job Offer streams.

OINP is Ontario's economic immigration program, which nominates for permanent residence foreign nationals with the skills and experience the province's economy needs - typically in-demand occupations in healthcare, technology and construction. The federal government of Canada then reviews the permanent-residence application.

🇹🇭 Thailand: an online form for all tourists

From 1 May, Thailand is introducing a mandatory online immigration form, TM6, for all foreign tourists, replacing the previous paper version.

The electronic travel authorisation (ETA), previously planned to become compulsory for all foreigners entering Thailand, will not be introduced for now.

Until 2022 the TM6 form was required of all passengers; from 2022 it applied only to those arriving by land or sea. In April 2024 its use was temporarily suspended.

🇬🇷 Greece: some applicants can still obtain the Golden Visa under the old rules

The minimum threshold for a real-estate Golden Visa has risen to €400,000-800,000 depending on the region (areas such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Santorini and Mykonos carry the higher thresholds). Limits have also taken effect on how many properties a single investor may buy in a given area.

Certain categories of applicants may still qualify under the previous, lower investment thresholds:

• Individuals who, before 31 August 2024, either paid a 10% deposit or signed a purchase contract may complete their investment under the pre-existing thresholds by 28 February 2025 (the earlier deadline had been 31 December 2024).
• Those in the above situation whose initial purchase attempt fell through may make a separate real-estate investment at the lower thresholds, provided they complete the purchase by 30 April 2025.

🇬🇧 The four-day workweek spreads across the UK

Some 200 local companies have already adopted it, as trials revealed clear benefits: employees became happier and more productive, and younger professionals are keen to join firms with a shorter schedule.

Even so, many large US-headquartered companies disagree with the four-day-week advocates. JPMorgan Chase and Amazon, for example, require staff to be in the office five days a week.

Research by Spark Market Research shows that younger workers are the most likely to push back against traditional work models. About 78% of UK employees aged 18 to 34 believe the four-day week will become the norm within five years, and a further 65% said they do not want to return to full-time office work.

🇲🇺 Paying for services in Mauritius becomes easier for Russian tourists

An increasing number of Mauritian hotels, working through tour operators, are offering deposit arrangements to Russian tourists who lack international payment-system bank cards, so they can pay for their stay on the island.

"Russian tourists who come to Mauritius generally don't settle for a classic beach holiday using only hotel facilities. They are ready to spend heavily on excursions and entertainment. Given the problems with bank cards and limits on carrying cash, hotels have increasingly begun offering Russians deposits to pay for services during their stay."

Russian tourists buy a Mauritius package from a travel company in Russia and additionally transfer to the hotel's balance the money they wish to spend on the island.

According to the Mauritius Tourism Authority, in 2024 the flow of tourists from Russia to Mauritius grew by 84.3% year on year, reaching 28,750 people.

🇪🇺 EU plans to cut a further 15 Russian banks off SWIFT under its 16th sanctions package

The bloc plans to expand the list of Russian banks to be disconnected from the SWIFT financial-messaging system.

The proposed sanctions will require approval from all EU member states, and the wording will continue to change until the package goes to a final vote.

🇨🇾 Cyprus plans to issue 150 startup visas to talented entrepreneurs from outside the EU and EEA

Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Nikodemos Damianou noted that the program's main goal is to create new jobs and foster innovation.

The program will allow founders to live and work in Cyprus for three years, with the option of subsequently obtaining permanent residence.

Cyprus also offers tax incentives for high-earning foreign workers: employees with an annual income of €55,000 or more receive a 50% tax break for 17 years.

🇫🇮 Finland plans to tighten the rules for permanent residence

Under the new rules, obtaining permanent residence will require six years of continuous residence in Finland (currently four years are needed).

Fast-tracked permanent residence will be available:

• to those with an annual income of at least €40,000;
• to holders of a master's degree or higher with two years of relevant work experience;
• to those who can demonstrate good language skills and three years of work experience.

The proposal also provides that completing higher education in Finland may waive the residence-period requirement, provided the applicant has a good command of Finnish or Swedish. Candidates from other EU countries will likewise have to demonstrate language proficiency.

The proposed amendments will be under discussion until 7 March 2025.

🇳🇿 New Zealand eases its visitor-visa rules

Foreigners can now work remotely while staying in the country for up to 90 days, and the visa can be extended to nine months.

Through this measure, the authorities hope to attract digital nomads and boost tourism and the economy.

💴 VTB to launch transfers to Africa and Latin America

By the end of 2025, VTB Bank plans to expand its cross-border transfers in national currencies to new markets in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

The lender estimates that in 2025 the volume of its retail clients' cross-border transfers will exceed 240 billion roubles.

"Retail clients are showing growing interest in international transfers, which drives the continuous development of international-settlement technology. Today, such 'financial bridges' are open to VTB retail clients in more than half the countries of the world."

In 2024, the largest share of cross-border transfers made by the bank's clients went to Tajikistan, China, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. This year the bank also plans to add an incoming cross-border transfers function, allowing VTB retail clients in Russia to receive funds from abroad.

In addition, in the first quarter VTB will launch a QR-code payment service in friendly countries. Payments will be made in roubles and then converted into the national currency of the country where the purchase was made. The service is currently available only in Tajikistan.

🇨🇦 Canada: study permits become harder to obtain

In 2025 Canada plans to issue a total of 437,000 study permits - 10% fewer than in 2024.

The decision aligns with the government's stated goal of reducing the number of foreign nationals in the country to 5% of the total population.

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