Long-Term Resident Status in the EU (EMN Inform)
In 2003, the Council adopted the Long-Term Resident Directive 2003/109/EC in order to promote the integration of third-country nationals in legal stay in the EU. Fourteen years after its entry into force, EMN Luxembourg conducted a study on the implementation of the Directive in 23 EU Member States, including Belgium.
EMN Luxembourg collected information on the long-term resident status in each Member State through a series of EMN Ad-Hoc Queries. These queries focused on the conditions, procedures and rights attached to the status, as well as on the loss of status, intra-EU mobility and communication tools used to promote the status.
Among other findings, the EMN Inform shows that:
- The mandatory requirement of proof of stable, regular and sufficient resources varies greatly across Member States with regard to the minimum amounts required;
- The majority of Member States require third-country nationals to comply with additional non-mandatory requirements in the form of documentary evidence of appropriate accommodation or integration conditions;
- Member States generally apply the same procedures regarding the requirements for the exercise of professional activities by long-term residents from another Member State.
For more information on the implementation of the directive, consult the EMN Inform (available in both English and French).