Alternative Citizenship and Education

Alternative citizenship can a whole range of benefits for the investor, and which of them have more value and priority, depends on each particular case. It might be tax optimization, freedom of movement, business development opportunities and much more. For many, children’s education becomes an important bonus of the European passport.

First of all, it helps with visa bureaucracy, as parents and children with an EU citizenship are exempt from the need to apply for visas, including students’ visas. For instance, an application for a student’s visa in Germany takes 3 months to be processed.

Deadlines for admission applications to universities are also more favorable for EU citizens. For example, foreigners wishing to apply for a bachelor’s degree at the University of Geneva must apply before February 28, while Europeans are allowed to apply until April 30.

EU citizenship also gives the right to participate in various special educational programs. Erasmus program, for example, allows students to use the option of exchange between universities in different European countries, i.e. you can go to study at a university in another country for a semester or even a whole year.

Finally, while studying, minor children of parents who have EU citizenship can study in public or private schools in any EU country on a full-time basis and live with their parents, while children from third countries who come to study on a visa can only live in a boarding school.

Of course, an EU passport also significantly reduces the cost of education – many countries offer free education in public universities, and studying in non-free institutions for EU residents is much cheaper than for foreign students. The following is the approximate amount of the annual contribution for training for foreigners and the Europeans for 2018-2019учебный year.

University of Amsterdam

• cost for EU students - € 2,060,
• cost for international students - € 9,380;

King’s College London

• cost for EU students and UK citizens - £ 9,250,
• cost for international students - £ 20,600

EU students have the right to free entry to a large number of cultural and scientific events throughout Europe, museums, exhibitions and conferences, as well as the right to cheap travel in Europe.

Finally, when it comes to employment after studies, a European citizenship gives unlimited time to search for work after graduation, while students on a visa must find a job within 2 months and leave the country to then return on a work visa. Of course, a University graduate who is an EU citizen also has a much greater choice of employment, including the option of public service, as well as the potential for faster career advancement. Employers will always be more interested in hiring European employees, since a foreign specialist will bring on additional taxes, visa sponsorship, accommodation and financial obligations in his home country.

Of course, this is only a small part of the benefits that appear with the acquisition of European citizenship. If you are interested to learn more, please contact us and get a free consultation with our experts.