International Living Community

In both countries, the only way to get a passport is by acquiring citizenship, which requires living in those countries for a continuous period. Thr spouse can't get citizenship ifhe/she isn't living there.

In Lithuania, if the spouse of a citizen lives in the country for seven years as a permanent resident they are eligible to apply for a passport.Getting permanent residency is more or less the same as it is in the US, with registering your foreign marriage with the Lithuanian government, having a place to live, sufficient funds, and so on.

In Poland, the foreign spouse must first live in the country with a temporary residence permit based on marriage. After that, the spouse can apply for permanent residence. The spouse must remain on that status for another year. As long as you haven't been absent for more than 10 months in total over that five year period, the spouse can then apply for citizenship.

One thing that can cause complications in both cases is whether the Lithuanian or Polish citizen was recognized as such at the time of marriage. Lithuanian law doesn't require that a couple be married for any particular period before they apply for citizenship, but Poland says that you have to be married to a citizen for at least three years. Some Polish officials interpret that as meaning that you have to wait for three years after your spouse became a citizen, whilst others counted from the date of your marriage. But under Polish law, once you're recognized as a citizen by right of blood, your citizenship is backdated to the time of your birth. The problem is that not all Polish bureaucrats know that!

Hello Sherry,

I've been to Playa del Carmen as a solo traveler for two 10-day stays over the last two years. I LOVE Playa and its people. Everyone I've met and interacted with have been unbelievably friendly and helpful. Even without speaking much Spanish, I've never had a problem and feel safe walking wherever I want to go. I'll be spending this November and December in Playa, and I can't wait.

Although some tourists are unsettled about the police presence on the beach and in the town, I feel safe with them. Unless you are partying hard or driving in an unsafe manner, they will not bother you at all.

I hope you will give the Riviera Maya a try. And remember, expect the best and you'll experience the best.

Hi @CARRIE2020

I have emailed you about the European Living Seminar. Hope this helps!

Millie, IL Community Moderator

Hi @CNUGENT1 Thanks for your question!

We’ve checked in with Glenda Cole, our expert in Portugal, to get an answer to your question. Here is her response,

First, that type of renting is called long let. When searching, enter "long lets in _____". Idealista.com is a great site for both buying and renting, but it can be difficult to find just a month or two there. If you have a general idea of what area you would like to explore, you can look for long let companies in that area. Typically, going local can save you money. For example, I rent my villa near the sea in the Algarve in July and August. You can find it on Air BnB, but you would save quite a bit by going through my local management company, Luz Villa Rentals.

Before I bought, I used to rent in the western Algarve for three months in the winters. I used two companies: Lagos Long Lets and Coolhouses Algarve. Both were good.

Hi Don, Thanks for your question!

We've checked in with Margaret Summerfield, Real Estate Trend Alert, to get an answer to your question. Here is her response,

The cost would depend on a number of factors – where the property is located, if the seller is tax resident in Spain, etc. The typical costs are:

1, real estate agent fees (vary from 3% to 10%)
2, capital gains tax – which can be up to 24% of the gain for a non-resident, non EU/EEA seller. Deductions are allowed, and the tax can be lower if the seller is tax resident/selling a primary residence/using the proceeds to buy a primary residence
3, plusvalia (like a municipal land tax) – this is based on the rise in value of the land the property sits on from the time of purchase to the time of sale - and is on a sliding scale based on how long the seller has owned the property. If say you have held it for up to 5 years, it’s around 3.7%
4, legal costs (around 1%)
5, You also need to pay for certificates (including an energy performance certificate), cancelling a mortgage if there is one, etc.