Moving to Europe from the US
If you’re an American thinking about moving to Europe, you’ve probably gone down the Google rabbit hole of “Schengen visa,” “residency permits,” and “digital nomad options.”
When it’s about the EU, then people think that EU countries go through the same process when you apply for any residency, and here’s what most people don’t realize: Europe isn’t one single system. Each country has its own immigration rules.
Let’s go step by step so you actually understand what’s possible, what’s not, and how long it all really takes.
Step 1: What the Schengen Visa Actually Lets You Do
Here’s the simple truth: as a US passport holder, you don’t need a visa for short stays (up to 90 days in 180) across 29 European countries, including France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Belgium, and more.
You can, e.g., fly into Paris, travel to Italy, and end in Greece or Poland all on the same trip within 3 months of time only.
Author’s keynote for you: You can stay a maximum of 90 days total across all Schengen countries combined because when you enter Poland, your entry will be counted in all Schengen zones, as they have a joint system of entry and exit. After that, you must leave for at least 90 days before coming back.
However, if you want to live in Europe longer than 3 months, that’s where you’ll need to apply for a long-stay visa or residency permit in one specific country.
Step 2: Choose Your Path or The Right Visa
It depends on your plan, which means if you want to stay longer, then forget about it, but if you want to stay longer in any European country, then the visa option for you will be different. We have chosen 5 of the best countries in Europe for US citizens. Let’s break it down by country and visa type in 1 to 5 order.
1. Portugal
Portugal is one of the countries in Europe or Schengen that offers you the easiest entry if you are a remote workworkering in America. Let’s talk about the visa details for you
Requirement for D8 Digital Nomad Visa
• The visa title is D8 Digital Nomad Visa
• The income requirement for this visa is a minimum of €3,280 per month (as of 2025).
• The timeline for visa issue is usually 60–90 days from application to approval.
How to apply for this visa?
• You can apply while still in the US through a Portuguese consulate located in America.
• They will probably issue you a residence for one year, and after 1 year, it’s renewable for 4 more years.
• After 5 years, you can apply for permanent residency.
Author keynote for you: we put Portugal at the top of the list, as this country in the EU offers PR citizenship more easily compared to other European countries. So if you are staying longer in Europe as a U.S. citizen, then Portugal is the best option for you.
2. Spain
We choose Spain as a second country that you as an American can consider for your longer stay because Spain offers a non-lucrative visa for early retirees or freelancers. So if you are early retirees from any multinational organization in the US and want to settle somewhere else with nice weather, then Spain is the best option for you. This applies to those who are working as freelancers as well.
Requirements for Non-Lucrative Residence Visa
This Visa title is Non-Lucrative Residence Visa, or in the Spanish language, you can call this (Visado de Residencia No Lucrativa)
• The income requirement for this visa is around €28,800 per year, plus €7,200 per dependent if you have any.
• The processing time for this visa is around 2–3 months.
Author note for you: this Non-Lucrative Residence Visa is perfect for you as a US citizen if you have passive income, savings, or online work (not Spanish-based). Furthermore, you have to keep in mind that this visa is renewable every year, with the option to apply for permanent residency after 5 years.
Pro Tip for you: Spain recently added a Digital Nomad Visa option too, but it requires proof of remote work for a non-Spanish company for at least 3 months before applying. If you are working more than 3 months, you are eligible to apply from America.
3. Germany
Germany introduces a visa called the Freelancer Visa (Freiberufler), which you can consider as a non-EU citizen, particularly Americans, as our main topic is the EU visa option for us citizens.
Requirements of a freelancer visa, or in German, Aufenthaltserlaubnis für selbständige Tätigkeit
• You have to proof Around €9,000–€12,000 minimum annual expected income.
• If you are living in the US and you have potential German clients, then you can get a letter of intent from these clients, as this letter will help a lot in getting long-term residency.
Author note for you: If you are a creative working as a consultant, developer, translator, etc., then you can take this visa opportunity as a US citizen, but this does not mean that if these professionals do not match you, then you cannot apply. We mentioned these professionals just as an example. The catch with this visa is that you can apply after you arrive in Germany by visiting the local immigration office where you live but within 90 days of your stay because you can legally stay 90 days without applying for any visa.
4. France
France also has a visa option for you as an American citizen named Talent Passport or Long-Stay Visitor Visa, which allows you to stay longer in France, beyond 90 days.
Requirements for this Talent Passport or Long-Stay Visitor Visa
• As you can see, the name of this visa passport talent means talented individuals living in the US or any part of the world can avail themselves of this opportunity, as this visa is purely for skilled professionals or creatives.
• This Visa de Long Séjour Visiteur, in French, is also for those with passive income or remote work.
• You have to show around €1,400/month that shows that you can support yourself during your stay in France.
Author note for you: As we already said, this visa is for remote workers or passive income holders. It means if you have any passive source of income every month, which we already showed in numbers, then you can apply for us while earning this income, whether it’s a job or any other way of earning. Remember that the process may take 2-3 months of time.
5. Italy
Last but not least, we have another option for U.S. citizens who want to move to Europe for a longer period of time. Italy has a visa called the Elective Residency Visa that you can consider for yourself if you are American and want to move to Italy, but for more than 90 days.
Requirements of Visto per Residenza Elettiva
You can at least have a €31,000 annual passive income. The good thing is that there are no specific requirements about what this income means; this income can be from your pensions, investments, or property, etc.
Author’s keynote for you: if you are a retired individual and you have a pension coming from any office where you worked in the US or any other source of income that you are receiving, everything you have may make you eligible to apply for this Visto per Residenza Elettiva. However, you have to keep in mind that, with this visa, you can’t work remotely for foreign clients
Step 3: Paperwork or Documentation for EU visa
Every European country, particularly the country we discussed above for you, will ask for certain paperwork that you have to do, just like other country citizens do.
These are the required documents
1. Passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond your stay)
2. Visa application form (country-specific)
3. Recent passport photos
4. Proof of income (bank statements, contracts, or tax returns)
5. Health insurance (coverage of at least €30,000 in the Schengen zone)
6. Accommodation proof (rental agreement or hotel booking)
7. FBI background check (apostilled)
8. Flight reservation or travel plan, etc.
Author note for you: you can arrange other documents that we know are needed whether you are a US citizen or any other non-EU country, but for US citizens, we encourage you to start your background check and apostille process early because these are only the extra documents that you need to submit, and this might take a little longer to get this document in the US.
Step 4: Review Budget & Timeline
Here’s our realistic overview of what Americans typically spend and how long the process takes:
Step | Cost (USD) | Timeline
Apostille + Background Check | $100–$200 | 3–5 weeks
Health Insurance | $50–$150/month | Immediate
Visa Application Fee | $80–$130 | 2–3 months
Initial Housing Deposit | $1,000–$2,000 | Upon arrival
Total Setup Estimate | $3,000–$5,000 | 2–4 months total
Author note for you: this is our rough estimate based on on-the-ground knowledge, especially the cost in Europe. We just try to give you an idea of how much you need to spend during and after arrival in Europe so you can prepare your budget accordingly.
Step 5: Follow-Up Plan After Moving to Europe
Once you get the visa for Europe and move to any EU country, then you have to keep in mind that once you land, you’ll usually have 30 days to do certain things, e.g.,
1. Register your address (mandatory in most EU countries).
2. Open a local bank account (Wise, Revolut, or N26 are popular).
3. Registered yourself in national health insurance if required.
4. Apply for your residence card (valid 1–5 years).
Author’s important tip for you: if you choose Portugal as your country of long-term stay, then you have to keep in mind that in Portugal, you must visit SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) for your residence card appointment within 4 months of arrival. At the end we have to say one more thing: moving to Europe from the US isn’t a fairytale, but it’s completely doable with planning.
More options for you as US citizen
You can go through these blog posts if you think any of these options is best for you, as these blogs also help you find out some visa options for you in the long run.
EU blue card Poland for Skilled Workers
Denmark fast-track scheme for skilled workers in 30 days.
Norway job seeker visa for skilled workers.
Disclaimer: this blog post is only for educational purposes. The information we provide here is not official; it is purely based on our research and understanding of the system in Europe. For official information, we suggest you visit the official source rather than relying on this information.
We hope this blog helps you to understand different options that you can consider to move to Europe for a long-term stay as a US citizen. If you love our content, don’t forget to share it with your colleagues or those who want to move to Europe by clicking any share button below.
