EU, EEA, and the Schengen Agreement Citizens of the
European Economic Area (the
European Union plus
Iceland,
Liechtenstein, and
Norway) and
Switzerland enjoy the freedom to travel to, live in, and work in any participating country without needing a work permit or visa, although
transitory dispositions may restrict the rights of citizens of new member states to work in other countries. This is defined by the
Directive 2004/38/EC on the right to move and reside freely. However, rights to live in another EU/EEA state are not absolute. To reside in another EU/EEA state, one must either be working, job-hunting, a student, or otherwise have sufficient financial resources and health insurance to ensure they do not become a burden on the social services of the host country. States may also require nationals of other EU/EEA states to register their presence with the authorities after a certain period of time. EU/EEA states may deport nationals of other EU/EEA states and issue exclusion orders against them on grounds of public policy, public security, or public health. For example, those who commit serious crimes or come to rely on welfare may be deported. However, those subjected to such exclusion orders must be able to appeal them after a maximum period of three years, as per EU regulations. Under no circumstances can an EU/EEA state exclude a national of another EU/EEA state for life. Any EU/EEA national who completes a five-year period of uninterrupted legal residence in another EU/EEA state becomes eligible for permanent residence, after which their presence is no longer subjected to any conditions, and they may apply for benefits that would previously have been grounds for removal, such as welfare. Permanent residency can only be revoked after a two-year absence.
Schengen Agreement Nearly all EU/EEA countries are part of the
Schengen Area; a group of countries that have signed the
Schengen Agreement, which abolishes border controls between participating states, although it allows border controls to be temporarily set up in exceptional circumstances. The EEA countries and Switzerland have signed the Schengen treaty. Several of the new member states have not yet fully implemented it. However, a few European countries require all persons to carry an identity card or passport and proof of nationality is normally required to take up residence in any member state. Thus, while the Schengen Agreement facilitates the movement of persons across frontiers, it makes no substantive difference to residence rights.
Nordic Passport Union The
Nordic Passport Union gives the citizens of
Nordic countries the right to freely travel to and reside in other Nordic countries without a passport or residence permit.
Gulf Cooperation Council Citizens of member states of the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have freedom of movement throughout the GCC, including the right to reside and work in other GCC states with almost no restrictions.
Japan After Japan established diplomatic relations with South Korea, Japan granted a special permanent residency status to Koreans who lost their Japanese nationality after World War II but still live in Japan, as well as their descendants who were born in Japan. Compared to regular Japan permanent residency, special permanent residents have more privileges, such as: they are generally immune from being deported or being denied to enter; unless they renounce their special permanent resident status or revoked. During the 2020 pandemic, special permanent residents were allowed to return to Japan, while regular permanent residents were not.
Hong Kong Macau Taiwan Common Travel Area The
Common Travel Area (CTA) consists of the
United Kingdom,
Republic of Ireland, and the UK's surrounding island territories. British and Irish citizens can move freely throughout the CTA without a passport and only minimal identity documents, and are subject to virtually no immigration controls. Citizens of both countries enjoy the right to live and work throughout the CTA with minimal restriction.
Deportation of British or Irish citizens Unlike other EU/EEA nationals, Irish citizens who move to the UK are granted a "settled status", a status that goes beyond
indefinite leave to remain. Irish nationals eligible for deportation are treated more leniently than other EU/EEA nationals, and are not automatically subjected to deportation procedures when convicted of crimes, as Parliament has considered "the close historical, community and political ties between the United Kingdom and Ireland, along with the existence of the Common Travel Area." Irish citizens are therefore legally subject to deportation from the UK only where recommended by a court in sentencing or in exceptional circumstances where that deportation is in the public interest. Irish law provides even stronger protections for British citizens. British citizens are completely exempt from deportation from Ireland, and are almost never treated as foreigners by law.
Commonwealth citizens in the UK In addition, some nationals of member states of the
Commonwealth of Nations are considered
Commonwealth citizens, and have various rights in other Commonwealth countries, including the UK, such as the right-of-abode and the right to vote. In addition,
British subjects born before 1984 have the right-of-abode. If a person has a British mother and was born before 1984 then under section 2(1)(b) of the
Immigration Act 1971 they are considered to have the same rights as a British citizen. The right-of-abode is conferred automatically on such persons and they are issued a certificate on their passport. Under exceptions in section 7 of the Immigration Act 1971, a long-term resident Irish or Commonwealth citizen in the UK is granted immunity from deportation, similar to British or other Commonwealth citizens who hold right-of-abode by virtue of a residency term of at least five years in the United Kingdom. These exceptions do not apply to other nationalities with leave to remain in the United Kingdom.
British Overseas Territories All
British Overseas Territories operate their own immigration controls which
apply to British citizens as well as to those from other countries. These territories generally have local immigration laws regulating who has
belonger status in that territory.
United Kingdom Pakistan The
Pakistan Origin Card (POC) is issued to eligible foreigners, particularly
those of Pakistani origin, who do not possess
Pakistani citizenship, and offers its holders various benefits, including right of abode in the country. POC holders are also granted the right to engage in property transactions, open and operate bank accounts, and secure employment in Pakistan. Furthermore, the POC serves as a substitute for a
National Identity Card for its holders. The POC is distinct from the
National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), which is issued to Pakistani nationals residing abroad who hold dual citizenship. ==
De facto right of abode==