[anovikov]

>I've experienced this in Poland. I was not allowed to leave the country while my paperwork was being processed (which took over a year) or I would not be allowed re-entry. Not sure how other countries operate.

What was the visa you applied for?? and what is your citizenship. I heard this only about refugees. Also, what does it even mean "to leave the country" if you are in the Schengen space and there are no borders? What if you just re-enter through any other Schengen country?

>Curious what your sources are for zero income tax on business income in Spain and Portugal.

It's called Beckham regime in Spain, named after David Beckham for whom it was originally invented. Officially “Régimen fiscal aplicable a los trabajadores desplazados a territorio español”. If you haven't lived in Spain (haven't been a tax resident) for previous 5 years, and you applied within 6 months of taking up residency, you don't pay anything on foreign-derived dividends, rents, passive interest income, or realised capital gains. So if you hold a company abroad and it pays you dividends, you pay nothing on them. It can be an offshore entity (including yes, a Dubai one!) with no company profit tax, in this case you don't pay shit.

There is a similar thing in Portugal but paperwork there is more complicated. Same thing in Cyprus but paperwork there is a lot LESS complicated :) done in a week and EUR 140.

[rozumem]

> What was the visa you applied for

Not a visa technically, but a temporary residency permit based on taking a one year Polish language course. Non-refugee citizenship (don't wish to make my exact citizenship public).

> if you are in the Schengen space

Traveling within Schengen would be more doable I suppose, but I was prevented from traveling outside of Schengen without risking my TRC application being voided. So I was told by multiple gov't people + my lawyer.

> Beckham regime in Spain

Thanks, sounds worth exploring. But my brief 5 minute research on this indicates that freelancers / self employed individuals cannot take advantage of this unless they have a DN visa. Paperwork + wait for Spain to give me DN visa. Then more paperwork for this haha.

Didn't look into Cyprus at all, but it's on my radar now.

[anovikov]

>Didn't look into Cyprus at all, but it's on my radar now.

Welcome over here :) i've been here for 17 years and super happy.

>a temporary residency permit based on taking a one year Polish language course

Not surprised. This is an obvious bullshit category. In Cyprus we also have a category like that ("visitor"), who aren't even required to pay taxes (they are in principle obliged to, but tax papers are not among the list of those necessary for extension of permit and immigration officials even say you shouldn't pay taxes - which is false). There same - 1-2 year waits, never have cards on hands just extension papers because they expire before they are ready, and application cancelled if you exit country - but that's a bullshit category and everyone knows it.

But seriously, if i was starting immigration from zero now, i'd start with Spain. Currently it has the best system ever + clear path to naturalisation. Only real downside is the language. If you need a lawyer there, contact me - i have a really good one.

[rozumem]

I agree it's a bullshit category. Even my lawyer said so. But it allowed me to live in Poland legally past three months while my application was being processed. The "hack" was worth it for me. Just wished I could've left Poland and re-entered without issues. AFAIK that limitation and the long wait applied even for those applying for TRC for other more legit reasons. Refugees from Ukraine war had put a lot of stress on the system overall.

Regarding lawyer, noted. The language doesn't scare me as much as the long wait times and inefficient bureaucracy I've heard about Spain. Maybe that's improving.

[anovikov]

It's totally different one. The most efficient bureaucracy i can imagine. You never have to see any people at all apart from when you take your biometrics. There are fixed review times and if they are missed, your document is automatically approved (i know a few people who got very questionable cases approved this way).