Publication date: 12 May 2026
This Inform examines how digital services in legal migration procedures are designed and implemented in EMN Member and Observer Countries to ensure accessibility and inclusion for applicants with disabilities and digitally disadvantaged applicants. It looks at how authorities have adapted applications, document submission, appointment booking, communication and information exchange, and case-tracking services in the context of the ongoing digitalisation of legal migration procedures. The analysis is based on contributions from 25 EMN Member and Observer Countries.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training, Citizenship & Nationality, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: legal migration, digitalisation, accessibility, inclusion
Publication date: 06 May 2026
This ad hoc query examines whether, and how, EMN Member and Observer Countries regulate employment agencies that charge recruitment fees to third-country national workers. More specifically, it gathers information on the legislative basis for such regulations as well as set maximum fees and sanctions in cases where recruitment fees were charged unlawfully to third-country workers.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: migrant worker, employment agency, recruitment fee, fair recruitment
Publication date: 06 May 2026
This ad hoc query maps the legislation and administrative practices of EMN Member and Observer Countries regarding the issuance of temporary residence permits to third-country nationals based on the purchase or long-term rental of real estate. It explores the specific conditions for these permits and identifies any issues or particularities encountered by national authorities in their issuance.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: temporary residence permit, real estate, investment, rental
Publication date: 30 April 2026
This ad hoc query examines whether EMN Member and Observer Countries implement measures to facilitate a more efficient and effective recognition of the qualifications of third-country nationals (TCNs) for access to regulated professions. It explores whether countries use specific assessment methods to enable TCNs to enter regulated professions, whether they facilitate or accelerate the recognition procedure for specific groups of TCNs or specific professions, and whether they have institutional arrangements or coordination mechanisms in place to facilitate that recognition. The query also considers whether countries are involved in cooperation activities related to these recognition procedures.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: third-country nationals, qualifications, skills recognition, regulated profession
Publication date: 30 April 2026
This ad hoc query examines whether EMN Member Countries allow persons holding a Schengen visa and persons enjoying visa-free travel to apply for a single permit on their territory during their short stay. Additionally, the ad hoc query inquires about different aspects of such procedures as well as possibilities for third-country nationals to obtain a visa for the purpose of seeking employment.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: Schengen visa, visa-free travel, single permit, migrant worker
Publication date: 10 April 2026
This ad hoc query examines the extent to which EMN Member and Observer Countries require medical certificates in the context of applications for temporary and permanent residence permits. More specifically, it inquires at what stage in the procedure the medical certificate is requested and what medical conditions are examined.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: application for a residence permit, medical examination, medical certificate
Publication date: 05 April 2026
This ad hoc query examines requirements relating to residence and work permits for seafarers, as well as pilots of aircraft and other crew personnel. It enquires about the specificities of such requirements and assesses to what extent different rules apply to vessels registered in EU/EEA countries as opposed to vessels registered in third countries.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, work permit, seafarer, crew
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 December 2025
This ad hoc query, which informed the preparation of an EMN Inform, collected information on how EMN Member and Observer Countries have adapted digital services in legal migration procedures to ensure accessibility and inclusion for applicants with disabilities and digitally disadvantaged applicants. It examined compliance with relevant EU and international frameworks, as well as national legislation. It also explored additional accessibility measures, support for users with special needs, GDPR safeguards, user involvement in service design, and approaches to digital disadvantage, alongside challenges and good practices identified by countries.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training, Citizenship & Nationality, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: legal migration, digitalisation, accessibility, inclusion
Publication date: 02 December 2025
This joint EMN-OECD study provides a comprehensive overview of labour migration laws, policies, initiatives, and practices targeting third-country nationals in EMN Member Countries and Serbia between January 2021 and June 2024. It examines how labour migration is used to address current and future workforce shortages, covering key countries of origin and crucial labour sectors. The study highlights the challenges faced and the practices considered by countries with regard to labour migration.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: labour migration, labour shortages, foreign workers, talent attraction, talent partnership
Publication date: 10 November 2025
This ad hoc query examines whether national procedures allow or require immigration officers to request missing or additional information from applicants for legal migration after an initially incomplete application, and, if so, under what circumstances, to what extent, and within which deadlines.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Family reunification, Study § Training
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: legal migration, application for a residence permit, missing information
Publication date: 06 September 2025
This ad hoc query aims to map the processing times of work-based residence permits across EMN Member and Observer Countries, including the collection of statistics on such processing times and the existence of fast-track procedures for certain categories of employees.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: residence permit, work-based residence permit, processing time, highly skilled workers
Publication date: 07 August 2025
This ad hoc query compares the existence, type, and scope of bilateral or multilateral agreements on labour mobility between EMN Member and Observer Countries and non-EU/EEA countries, including whether they target general or sector-specific mobility, contain protection provisions, and provide monitoring or evaluation mechanisms.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: labour mobility, labour mobility agreement, labour mobility partnership, labour shortage
Improving the Economic Migration Framework to Attract and Retain Qualified Talent in Flanders (OECD)
Publication date: 01 March 2025
This report provides a diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the Flemish framework for management of economic migration and recommendations for possible areas of reform. The report also presents some of the first empirical analyses of retention and outcomes of economic migrants in Flanders.
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Main theme: Integration, Economic migration
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: talent attraction, talent retention, skilled workers, activation policy, single permit, posted worker, shortage occupation
Publication date: 27 February 2025
This joint European Migration Network (EMN) – OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Inform provides an overview of innovative initiatives to attract foreign talent between January 2021 and March 2024 by EMN Member Countries and selected non-EU OECD member countries. It also analyses whether and how EMN Member Countries monitor the effectiveness of these initiatives and identify related challenges and good practices.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Informs
Keywords: talent mobility, foreign workers, skill development, talent partnership, talent attraction
Publication date: 19 February 2025
This European Migration Network (EMN) study documents the illegal employment of third-country nationals in EMN Member Countries between 2017-2022. It includes an up-to-date analysis of key legislative and policy frameworks and practices to prevent, identify and tackle the illegal employment of third-country nationals, including beneficiaries of temporary protection. It also provides examples of challenges and good practices.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Thematic Studies
Keywords: illegal employment, third country national, migrant worker, sanction, labour inspection
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: 30 November 2024
This ad hoc query examines national regulations and practices concerning the employment of third-country nationals during short stays or visa-free stays, as well as the procedures in place to issue long-stay D-visas for the purpose of employment.
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Main theme: Economic migration, Borders & Visa
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: short-stay visa, long-stay visa, right to work, access to employment
Publication date: 01 November 2024
This country report for Belgium prepared in the frame of the POSTING.STAT 2.0 project, examines the characteristics, the scale, and the impact of intra-EU posting from and to Belgium as well as the characteristics and the scale of infringements which are related to it.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Report
Keywords: labour mobility, posted worker, investigation, infringement
Publication date: 17 October 2024
This ad hoc query examines whether the legislation of the responding EMN Member Countries allows employment agencies to hire third-country nationals on behalf of their clients. Where this is allowed, the query further investigates the legal framework that enables it, as well as how these agencies are monitored and what restrictions are in place to prevent potential misuse.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: employment agency, recruitment agency, safeguard, exploitation, labour inspection
Publication date: 06 October 2024
This ad hoc query examines whether the EMN Member Countries implement a labour market test to regulate the employment of third-country nationals. Where a labour market test is implemented, details are provided on the procedure, the exemptions, the criteria for a negative decision, and the possible challenges.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: migrant worker, labour market access, labour market test, skills mobility, foreign workers
Publication date: 06 October 2024
This ad hoc query collects information on national regulations and practices regarding third-country national posted workers, with a focus on additional conditions for the hiring of posted workers (e.g. need to submit a motivated notification to extend the period of employment, sector-specific requirements etc.) and measures to facilitate recruitment in specific sectors or occupations.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: posted worker, labour market need, labour shortage
Publication date: 20 June 2024
This ad hoc query looks at the possibility for third-country nationals to begin their employment while waiting for the issuance of their single permit, in order to circumvent lengthy processing times.
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Main theme: Economic migration
Publication Type: Ad Hoc Queries
Keywords: single permit, processing time, access to work, labour market access
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: 05 May 2024
This ad hoc query maps the existing procedures in EMN Member and Observer Countries to obtain the recognition of third-country qualifications for the profession of doctor with basic medical training. It looks into the requirements in place, including linguistic criteria, the cost of the procedure for the applicant, and the number of applications received and processed in 2023.
