Immigration law in Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein applies different rules to nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA), Swiss nationals and third-country nationals. EEA residence rights are governed by the Personenfreizügigkeitsgesetz (PFZG) and remain subject to annual quotas: at least 56 permits for employment and 16 permits without employment are issued each year. Half of each group is allocated by lottery and the remaining permits by the Government. Swiss permits are allocated by the Government, with at least 12 permits for employment and 5 permits without employment each year. Third-country nationals generally have no automatic entitlement to a permit. Admission can be granted for an economic, national or personal interest under Articles 20 and 21 of the Foreign Nationals Act (AuG). The main residence documents are the B residence permit, the L short-term residence permit and the C or D permanent residence permit. Cross-border workers use GMB for EEA nationals, G for third-country nationals and BIB for border-based residence arrangements. A B permit for employment generally lasts 12 months. The APA usually decides a complete EEA or Swiss application in about four weeks and a complete third-country application in about three months. A third-country L permit for employment lasts at most 12 months, and the application must normally reach the authority at least 14 days before work begins. Such employment is generally limited to managers, specialists or other qualified workers with vocational training or long professional experience; an L permit for third-country nationals is otherwise limited to qualified workers. A B permit without employment requires sufficient financial resources and no dependence on social assistance. Employment is prohibited under this status, and unlawful work can create a risk of revocation. The Government decides these applications quarterly. A positive decision costs CHF 1,060; a negative decision costs CHF 80, with an CHF 80 advance payment normally required. Study and training usually use an L permit for up to 12 months, extendable until the programme ends. EEA and Swiss students may work up to 35 percent, or full time where work forms an integral part of the training. Students from third countries at the University of Liechtenstein may work up to 35 percent. Au-pair stays last 6 to 12 months, require an age of 18 to 25 and basic German, and use a gross monthly wage of CHF 1,835 with at least CHF 700 net. EEA cross-border workers normally return home every day, except that workers in care and hospitality may return at least once a week. They must report within 10 days after starting work. A BIB permit lasts 12 months, allows no more than 180 days of physical presence and requires at least 50 percent employment; it does not create a right to live in Liechtenstein. A replacement position may be available within six months after the departure, retirement or death of a previous EEA or Swiss permit holder. Family reunification differs by nationality. For EEA and Swiss nationals, it generally covers a spouse or registered partner and children under 21. For third-country nationals, it generally covers a spouse or registered partner and unmarried children under 18. Applications from third-country families normally have to be made within three years of the permit being granted or the family relationship arising. Another three-year period can apply after at least four years of lawful, uninterrupted residence. Evidence commonly includes a valid permit, both spouses being adults, German at A1 level for a spouse abroad, suitable housing and stable employment or sufficient funds with a bank guarantee. After arrival, family members register with the municipality, obtain health insurance and provide proof of school attendance where applicable. Short-term residents and students do not receive family reunification. Spouses and children may work while their derived permit remains valid; self-employment requires a C or D permit. Applications may require identity and travel documents, a visa or residence document, an employment contract, qualifications, housing evidence, proof of funds, health insurance, school records and language or civic knowledge certificates. Third-country nationals generally sign an integration agreement. A spouse abroad joining a family normally needs German at A1. A C or permanent residence permit after five years can require German at A2 and a civic knowledge test. The permit test has 21 questions, of which at least 14 must be answered correctly. Recognised language certificates include Goethe, telc and ÖSD. Liechtenstein subsidises language courses during the first five years after entry with CHF 200 per course, up to four courses at each level, subject to at least 90 percent attendance for levels A1, A2 and B1. After five years, EEA nationals and their family members may qualify for a D permanent residence permit. Swiss nationals, third-country nationals and their family members may qualify for a C settlement permit. A complete application should generally be filed at least 14 days before the current permit expires. Re-issuing a C permit after a long stay abroad normally requires at least ten years of possession and an absence of no more than five years; for a D permit, the corresponding absence limit is three years. The application should normally be filed at least four weeks before the planned return. Naturalisation is handled through the Civil Status Office (Zivilstandsamt, ZSA), beginning with a preliminary inquiry and followed by a complete application. Simplified procedures cover marriage or registered partnership, long residence and statelessness; an ordinary procedure also exists. Long-residence naturalisation generally requires 30 years of residence, with years before age 20 counted twice, and at least five years of continuous ordinary residence immediately before applying. Marriage to a Liechtenstein citizen generally requires ten years, with marriage years counted twice. Stateless applicants generally require five years. The ordinary procedure requires at least ten years of residence, German at B1 level, a civic knowledge test and approval by the municipality's citizens' vote. Applicants generally have to give up their previous nationality. Residence alone does not produce automatic naturalisation. Protection procedures follow the Asylum Act and Asylum Ordinance. The APA examines identity, documents, entry and travel history, reasons for protection, biometric data and whether another state is responsible under Dublin rules, including checks through EURODAC. Interviews take place with an interpreter and a representative of Flüchtlingshilfe Liechtenstein. Applicants must cooperate. The Government decides asylum applications, while the APA conducts the procedure and enforces removal. Recognised asylum leads to a residence status. A refusal normally leads to removal; if removal is impossible, unlawful or unreasonable, temporary admission may be granted for one year and reviewed again. If another state is responsible under Dublin rules, Liechtenstein may declare the application inadmissible and order removal. Status S provides temporary protection for people from Ukraine, does not use the ordinary asylum procedure and is normally issued for up to one year with possible extensions. School attendance and employment require APA approval, while accommodation, benefits and insurance follow asylum-law rules. Status S is not subject to the residence quotas and remains linked to return protection. A proposed amendment planned for 1 March 2027 is not current law. An APA order can be challenged before the Government. A Government decision can generally be contested within 14 days of service by filing an objection with the Government or a complaint with the Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof, VGH); the legal-remedies notice controls the exact procedure. The VGH reviews legal and factual issues, while administrative discretion is reviewed only within legal limits. A removal order based on missing residence or entry requirements may require action within five working days before the Government and generally has no suspensive effect. A request to restore suspensive effect may be possible. Liechtenstein has no administrative regions that change these national rules; municipalities mainly handle residence registration and the municipal vote in ordinary naturalisation.