Visa

If you want to enter the EU or travel within the EU as a non-EU citizen, you need a passport that is valid for at least three months after your planned departure from the EU country you are visiting and was issued within the last ten years.

The Euregio Meuse-Rhine:

Borders or no borders?

Visa still greatly depend on national legislation. Once you made it through these processes, you can enjoy high mobility within the Euregio Meuse-Rhine with the Schengen Visa. Beware, however, that due to work permissions, differing social security and taxation, particular conditions apply for working across the border especially for citizens from third states.

Good news, as in most cases, crossing the border for a stay of up to 90 days is no
problem at all. Exceptions might apply, when you are in the very process
of receiving or renewing visa, as provisionary documents might not be
recognised abroad.

In general, if you plan to stay in a Schengen country for up to 90 days in a period of 180 days, you (just) need a Schengen visa, which entitles you to travel freely within the Schengen area. You can apply for this visa at a consulate or at one of the embassies of your destination country.

Wonder about going abroad within the Schengen zone? If you intend a longer stay (90 days or more), please note that there are some limitations if you are from a non-EU thirdstate.  

Visa comes with embassies or consultates. Your Euregio and nearby cities feature quite a lot of them, however, note that usually bound to visit the one in your current country of residence. Still, it can be interesting to visit social or cultural events in the consulate right across the border. If you are now also planning to settle here in the long term and find work, you still need a valid work permit.

If family members enter the country with you, they may also have a right of residence. Here you can check which requirements have to be met and how your family members can obtain the permit.

Blacklist

Living and working across borders is what creates this euregion without borders. Beware, however, that in terms of visa conditions, you should always dubble check if you are eligible or if it is senseful for you  to make a move across borders (for longer than 90 days).

We selected a few topics that you should certainly be aware of. These aspects are not only valid in your new region, but for the greatest part of the EU/Schengen zone.

• Laws and regulations. The countries within the EU remain to have large authority on their legislation, so rules can differ considerably. One obvious example is speed limits and road safety.
• Social Security and Taxation. This is a nearly solely responsibilty of each state in the EU, common regulations and harmonisations, however, easen the harshest differences and assymetries.
• Recognition of diploma. As a principle, diploma are recognised within the EU. But before taking up an education or looking for a job, make sure your qualifications are valid across the border.
• In some ways, living in another country than the one you apply citizenship for, can be deducted from your "credit period" (e.g. "Anrechnungszeitraum" in Germany) so that you might end up with less years, despite actually working full time in the resective country. Make sure to dubble-check with your public agency or GrenzInfoPunkt.eu
• Taboos - not part of the blacklist, but still a difficult topic. As Germany has not seen any monarch for more than 100 years from now, royal families are more yellow press than part of the national identity, different to the monarchies Belgium and the Netherlands. Also colonialism and World Wars I and II left different national narratives, feelings of shame / victimhood. We collected some aspects for better understanding your Region.