Many assume that only EU citizenship guarantees free movement across Europe. In reality, that is not the case.
If your priority is seamless travel within Europe, you do not necessarily need a European passport.
What you need is legal residency within the European Union.
Permanent residency through a residency visa, like the Golden Visa, or the D2 Visa, can provide precisely that.
What Freedom of Travel in Europe Actually Means
When we speak about freedom of travel in Europe, we are referring to:
- Visa-free access across the Schengen Area;
- The ability to move easily between Schengen countries;
- The flexibility to spend time in Europe for business, lifestyle, or personal reasons.
Permanent residency delivers all of the above. In addition, it grants you the right to reside indefinitely in your country of investment, should you choose to do so.
For many families and investors, that flexibility is more than sufficient.
Permanent Residency Without Citizenship
Not every investor intends to relocate permanently or obtain political rights in every EU country.
When conversations focus heavily on citizenship, it is easy to overlook the primary objective for many international families: global mobility rather than full integration.
Citizenship pathways increasingly require five or more years of continuous physical presence, language proficiency, and deeper integration.
In contrast, permanent residency through programmes such as the Portugal Golden & D2 Visas offer European access on a more flexible basis and typically within a shorter timeframe.
The question becomes practical rather than symbolic: if your goal is mobility, do you need a second passport, or simply structured European access?
Read More:
Permanent Residency vs. Citizenship in Portugal | Portugal Homes
Portugal Golden Visa
The Portugal Golden Visa provides long-term renewable residency within the European Union for you and your family.
It allows you to:
- Travel visa-free across the Schengen Area;
- Avoid additional short-stay visa applications;
- Spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period within Schengen;
- Beyond travel, it also grants the right to reside, work, and study in Portugal through a renewable residence permit.
Key Considerations:
- There is no obligation to permanently relocate to Portugal;
- There is a minimal stay requirement of an average of seven days per year, or 14 days during each two-year period;
- Residency can be maintained while living primarily abroad;
- The programme begins with a two-year residence permit, followed by renewable periods as long as the qualifying investment is maintained.
Portugal D2 Visa
Like the Golden Visa, the D2 also provides long-term renewable residency in Portugal.
It lets you:
- Travel without having to apply for visas in the Schengen Area;
- Avoid further short-stay visa applications;
- Spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period within Schengen;
- Beyond travel, it also grants the right to reside, work, and study in Portugal through a renewable residence permit.
After five years, a clear and established pathway to Portuguese citizenship exists, with either the Golden or the D2 Visa, subject to legal requirements at the time.
However, pursuing citizenship is optional. Many investors choose to retain residency status and the mobility it provides.
For those balancing global business interests with European access, this flexibility is often decisive.
When Citizenship Becomes Relevant
This is not to diminish the value of EU citizenship. For families intending full relocation and long-term integration, it can be a meaningful objective.
Portuguese citizenship requires:
- Five years of legal residency;
- Basic Portuguese language proficiency;
Citizenship provides broader rights, including the ability to live and work indefinitely anywhere in the EU and to pass citizenship to future generations.
However, it is important to distinguish between travel freedom and full political integration, as citizenship is not a prerequisite for mobility across Europe.
Permanent Residency vs Citizenship: A Practical Comparison
EU Residency
- Primary purpose: mobility and flexibility;
- Visa-free Schengen travel: Yes;
- Right to live in issuing country: Yes;
- Right to live anywhere in the EU: No;
- Stay in other EU countries: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period;
- Relocation requirement: No;
- Language requirement: None for residency;
- Time to obtain: Typically months;
- Renewal: Renewable while investment is maintained.
EU Citizenship
- Primary purpose: full settlement and political rights;
- Visa-free Schengen travel: Yes;
- Right to live anywhere in the EU: Yes;
- Length of stay across EU: Unlimited;
- Relocation requirement: Depends on the country.
- Language and integration requirements: Yes.
- Time to obtain: Five or more years;
- Status: Permanent.
For many internationally mobile families, residency delivers the required outcome without the commitments associated with citizenship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need EU citizenship to travel freely in Europe?
- No. Legal EU residency that grants Schengen access is sufficient for visa-free travel within the Schengen Area.
How long can I stay in Europe with a Golden Visa?
- You may stay up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the entire Schengen Area.
Do I have to relocate to maintain residency?
- Portugal requires a minimal average stay of seven days per year.
When is citizenship necessary?
- Citizenship becomes relevant if you intend to live indefinitely in any EU country beyond Schengen short-stay limits, vote, or obtain full political rights.
