EC/EU residence permit card for long-term residents

A person who is granted long-term resident status receives a special EC/EU residence permit, which means that the person has certain rights similar to those of an EU citizen.

An EC/EU residence permit card gives them more opportunities to move to another EU country in order to work, study, start their own business, or live on their pension, for example.

To be granted long-term resident status, the applicant must have lived in an EU country for at least five years with a residence permit. They must also be able to support themselves.

A person with long-term resident status in another EU country may start working as soon as you arrive in Sweden, and does not have to wait for a decision about their application for a residence permit. It is the employer’s responsibility to find out what laws and rules apply before employing a foreign citizen who wants to work in Sweden.

Countries covered by the Long-Term Residents Directive

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Text on the card showing that the person has long-term resident status

If you have been granted long-term resident status, the residence permit card must state:
Country	Text
Austria	Daueraufenthalt – EG
Belgium	Résident de longue durée – CE or EG – langdurig ingezetene
Bulgaria	дългосрочно пребиваващ в ЕC
Croatia	Osoba s dugotrajnim boravištem – EZ
Cyprus	Long term resident – EC
Czech Republic	Povolení k pobytu pro dlouhodobě pobývajícího rezidenta – EU or Travalý pobyt povolení k pobytu pro dlouhodobě pobývajícího rezidenta – EU
Estonia	Pikaajaline elanik – EÜ
Finland	P EY 2003/109 EY or P EG 2003/109 EG
France	Carte de résident de longue durée – Communauté Européenne
Germany	Daueraufenthalt – EG or Daueraufenthalt – EU
Greece	επί μακρόν διαμένων – ΕΚ
Hungary	Huzamos tartózkodási engedéllyel rendelkező – EK
Italy	Soggiornante di lungo periodo – UE or Soggiornante di lungo periodo – CE
Latvia	Pastāvīgī dzīvojosa persona – ES or Pastāvīgā/permanet pastāvīgais iedzīvotājs – ES long-term resident
Lithuania	Ilgalaikis gyventojas – EB or Leidimas nuolat gyventi ilgalaikis gyventojas ES
Luxembourg	Résident de longue durée – UE
Malta	Residenti għat-tul – KE
Netherlands	EG – langdurig ingezetene
Poland	Pobyt rezydenta długoterminowego UE or Zezwolenie na pobyt rezydenta dlugoterminowego UE (or unii europejskiej instead of UE)
Portugal	Residente CE de longa duração
Romania	Rezident pe termen lung – CE
Slovakia	Osoba s dlhodobým pobytom – ES
Slovenia	Rezident za daljši čas – ES
Spain	Residente de larga duración – UE or Residencia re larga du UE
Sweden	Varaktigt bosatt inom EU

Some countries also use the English expression for long-term resident status. In that case, it says Long term resident – EC on the residence permit card. Please note that there may be additional formulations other than those listed above.