Countries participating in the implementation of the directive include:^[2][3]

• Austria (German: Daueraufenthalt – EU)
• Belgium (French: Résident de longue durée – UE, Dutch: EG – langdurig ingezetene)
• Bulgaria (Bulgarian: дългосрочно пребиваващ в ЕC)
• Croatia (Croatian: Osoba s dugotrajnim boravištem – EZ)
• Cyprus (Long term resident – EC)
• Czech Republic (Czech: Povolení k pobytu pro dlouhodobě pobývajícího rezidenta – ES)
• Estonia (Estonian: Pikaajaline elanik – EÜ)
• Finland (Finnish: P EY 2003/109 EY, Swedish: P EG 2003/109 EG)
• France (French: Carte de résident de longue durée – UE)
• Germany (German: Daueraufenthalt – EU)
• Greece (Greek: επί μακρόν διαμένων – ΕΚ)
• Hungary (Hungarian: Huzamos tartózkodási engedéllyel rendelkező – EK or EK letelepedési engedély)[1]^[4]
• Italy (Italian: Permesso di soggiorno UE per soggiornanti di lungo periodo or Soggiornante di lungo periodo – CE)^[5][6]
• Latvia (Latvian: Eiropas Savienības pastāvīgā iedzīvotāja statuss – ES)
• Lithuania (Lithuanian: Ilgalaikis gyventojas – EB)
• Luxembourg (French: Resident de longue durée – UE)
• Malta (Maltese: Resident fit-tul – UE)
• Netherlands (Dutch: EG – langdurig ingezetene)
• Poland (Polish: Pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE)
• Portugal (Portuguese: Residente CE de longa duração)
• Romania (Romanian: PERMIS DE SEDERE PE TERMEN LUNG-UE)
• Slovakia (Slovak: Osoba s dlhodobým pobytom – ES)
• Slovenia (Slovene: Rezident za daljši čas – ES)
• Spain (Spanish: Residente de larga duración – UE)
• Sweden (Swedish: Varaktigt bosatt - EG)

Czech Republic edit

A person holding a permanent residence permit along with a legal status of “EU long-term resident” of another EU Member State (hereinafter referred to as “a resident of another EU member state”) is entitled to file an application for a long-term residence permit if he/she intends to temporarily reside in the Czech Republic for more than 3 months.[2]

Finland edit

Holders of an eligible residence permit (excluding asylum) can after five years of residence apply for status as a long-term EU resident in Finland, providing they have not resided outside the country for more than six months at a time and ten months in total.^[7] This status can be withdrawn if the holder has continuously resided outside the EU for more than two years, or outside Finland for more than six years.^[8]

Those holding long-term EU resident status from another EU country wishing to reside in Finland may do so from that country or in Finland.^[9]

Netherlands edit

In order to acquire status as a long-term EU resident in the Netherlands, one must pass the civic integration exam and have five consecutive years residence on non-work permit separately (Dutch: TWV) with the Employee Insurance Agency (Dutch: UWV).^[10] Additionally, status holders coming for employment will only require a work permit for the first 12 months, as opposed to the ordinary five years.^[11]

Sweden edit

Before 2019, the law was such that, in order to acquire status as a long-term EU resident in Sweden, one must have resided in Sweden continuously for five years on residence permits (Swedish: uppehållstillstånd) and have a permanent residence permit (Swedish: permanent uppehållstillstånd). Since 2019, a person who has stayed in Sweden for five years without interruption with a residence permit or "legally resident in another way" may apply for long-term resident status.^[12] This law change was made so that British citizens living in Sweden after Brexit would be able to apply for the status,^[13] because otherwise they would have been ineligible given they have lived in Sweden under right of residence, not with residence permits.

The person applying must also have a means of supporting themselves.^{[citation needed]} However, time on visitor's residence permit or residence permit for studies, among others, cannot be counted towards this time.^[2]

Long-term EU residents moving to Sweden are required to apply for a residence permit if they stay for more than 90 days. They are however permitted to begin work or studies upon arrival, without waiting for a decision in such case.^[2] A work permit (Swedish: arbetstillstånd) is not required for a long-term EU resident, however a hiring certificate must be submitted for such residents applying on the grounds of employment.^[14]

Following the deadline for the introduction of a specific immigration status as a long-term resident of the European Union in 2006, the Directive was found to affect a relatively small percentage of the third-country nationals in most participating countries. Additionally, of these, few used their mobility rights within the EU.^[15]

Main reasons cited^[16] for lack of adoption are the following:

• the lack of information available about the LTR status among third-country nationals
• the lack of information available about the LTR status among national migration administrations
• the "competition" with national schemes:
  • national long-term residence permits, and
  • possibility to obtain EU citizenship in 5 years or shorter time in some countries
• the "competition" with the Blue Card (European Union)
• integration requirements

Main reasons cited^[16][17][18] for lack of intra-EU mobility for third-country nationals with LTR are the following:

• labour market restrictions and labour market tests in States different than those in which they originally resided
• administrative barriers
• recognition of degrees and diplomas
• integration requirements
• impossibility of cross-border work
• other forms of discrimination

Other reasons:

• long-term resident permits issued in one EU country ('first Member State') are exchanged to non-long-term resident permits in a new country ('second Member State')^[19][20]
• new family members (child birth, marriage) of LTR holders are not granted LTR status, but are required to fulfill general LTR requirements first, i.e. five years with a means of support, etc.

According to the chapter IV, Article 24 of the Directive,^[1] periodically the Commission reports to the European Parliament and to the Council on the application of this Directive in the Member States and proposes amendments as may be necessary. Reports^[16] provide information on specifics of application of the Directive in national legislation systems, as well as statistics of adoption of this type of residence permit.

There were 2,861,306 long-term residents by the end of 2018,^[21] with 69.8% of them with permit issued by Italy.

Long-term EU residence is what is recommended by Commission to be granted to UK nationals after Brexit, who lived in EU countries for more than 5 years. The rights obtained by UK nationals after converting to third-country nationals with LTR status would be significantly reduced in comparison to the set of rights exercised by them previously while being EU citizens.^[22]

• Blue Card (European Union)