Liechtenstein · For your nationality or ancestry
Liechtenstein EEA residence lottery
First stay: 5 yrs
Residence permit by lottery for EEA nationals (Art. 37 to 39 PFZG)
Checked against official sources on , some details partly verifiedChange log
Key facts
EEA residence lottery is a for your nationality or ancestry route for Liechtenstein. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- CHF 100 ≈ $120 · CHF 500 ≈ $600
- First stay
- 5 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government feesCHF 100 ≈ $120 · CHF 500 ≈ $600
- CHF 100 (≈ $120)Fee for taking part in the preliminary lottery, paid in advance.
- CHF 500 (≈ $600)Fee for taking part in the final lottery, paid in advance.
RenewalRenewable
A residence permit is valid for up to five years and can be extended if there is no ground for revocation or expulsion.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
EEA nationals have a right to a permanent residence permit after five years of uninterrupted residence in Liechtenstein, unless there is a ground for revocation or expulsion. Stays abroad count for at most one year.
CitizenshipGeneral rule: 30 years of residence
Naturalisation on the long-residence basis needs 30 years of ordinary residence (years from birth to age 20 count double), the last five years immediately before applying, and giving up the previous citizenship.
Presence rulesStay rule
On request the permit can be kept during a stay abroad for study, for one year at a time. For other important reasons it can be kept for one year at a time, up to two years in total.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Only for passports from 29 countries
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- Applicant is a national of another EEA member state without a right of permanent residence in Liechtenstein.
- Applicants apply in one group: working people, or non-working people including retirees.
- The draw has two stages, a preliminary and a final draw, and the government sets the number of permits for each draw, separately for working and non-working applicants.
- Applicants in the final draw must meet the employment conditions or the funds and health-insurance conditions of the PFZG.
What you must show1
- Non-working applicants must show funds so that social assistance is not needed.
Documents1
- Comprehensive health insurance covering all risks in Liechtenstein for non-working applicants.
Steps2
- Apply electronically on the official form between 1 and 31 January for one draw a year, or in February and August for two draws.
- A separate application is needed for the preliminary and the final draw; fees are CHF 100 (≈ $120) and CHF 500 (≈ $600).
After you arrive1
- The right to a permit won in the draw lapses if not used within six months of notification.
When you become tax resident
How Liechtenstein decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 5 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
Domicile is the place where a person stays with the intention of staying permanently; habitual abode is a stay of more than six months that is not merely temporary.
- Foreign-source income
Residents are taxed on worldwide income and wealth through a national tax rising to 8% of income above CHF 211,400 (≈ $253,000) (single), with a municipal surcharge of 150% to 250% of the national tax; employees get a CHF 1,600 (≈ $1,920) flat expense deduction and pay no income tax below a subsistence minimum of CHF 2,100 (≈ $2,520) gross a month (single).
All tax rules for Liechtenstein Tax records checked
Full official text
Draw of residence permits for EEA nationals without a right of permanent residence, held at least once a year and run separately for working and non-working applicants. A place in the draw is not a permit: the government sets the number of permits for each draw. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of CHF 100 (≈ $120) · Fee for taking part in the preliminary lottery, paid in advance. 3
- A fee of CHF 500 (≈ $600) · Fee for taking part in the final lottery, paid in advance. 3
Requirements
- Applicant is a national of another EEA member state without a right of permanent residence in Liechtenstein. 1 2
- Applicants apply in one group: working people, or non-working people including retirees. 2
- The draw has two stages, a preliminary and a final draw, and the government sets the number of permits for each draw, separately for working and non-working applicants. 1 2
- Applicants in the final draw must meet the employment conditions or the funds and health-insurance conditions of the PFZG. 1
- Non-working applicants must show funds so that social assistance is not needed. 1
- Comprehensive health insurance covering all risks in Liechtenstein for non-working applicants. 1
- Apply electronically on the official form between 1 and 31 January for one draw a year, or in February and August for two draws. 2
- A separate application is needed for the preliminary and the final draw; fees are CHF 100 (≈ $120) and CHF 500 (≈ $600). 2 3
- The right to a permit won in the draw lapses if not used within six months of notification. 1
Stay
- A permit won in the draw is a residence permit, which allows a stay of up to five years where the planned stay is longer than one year (Art. 19 PFZG). The right to it lapses if it is not taken up within six months of notification.
- First stay: up to 60 months, decided case by case.
Nationality
Nationals of other EEA member states only. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Working applicants may take up employment; non-working applicants may not.
Family
Spouse or registered partner, descendants under 21 or supported by the holder, and supported ascendants can join.
Official sources
- Free Movement Act for EEA and Swiss nationals (PFZG), LGBl. 2009 No. 348, version of 1 January 2026 · Legal Service of the Government of Liechtenstein (Lilex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Free Movement Ordinance for EEA and Swiss nationals (PFZV), LGBl. 2009 No. 350 · Legal Service of the Government of Liechtenstein (Lilex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Ordinance on fees under foreigners law (Ausl-GebV), LGBl. 2011 No. 440 · Legal Service of the Government of Liechtenstein (Lilex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Citizenship Act (Buergerrechtsgesetz, BueG), LGBl. 1960 No. 23 · Liechtenstein legal portal (gesetze.li) · checked 2026-10-11
EEA residence lottery and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEA residence lottery | – | 5 yr | – |
| CPLP residence Portugal | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Spanish nationality by descent and option Spain | – | – | – |
| Italian citizenship by descent Italy | – | – | Yes |
| Greek citizenship by descent Greece | – | – | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the EEA residence lottery?
A fee of CHF 100 (≈ $120). Fee for taking part in the preliminary lottery, paid in advance. A fee of CHF 500 (≈ $600). Fee for taking part in the final lottery, paid in advance.
How long can I stay on the EEA residence lottery?
A permit won in the draw is a residence permit, which allows a stay of up to five years where the planned stay is longer than one year (Art.
Can I work on the EEA residence lottery?
Working applicants may take up employment; non-working applicants may not.
Can I bring my family on the EEA residence lottery?
Spouse or registered partner, descendants under 21 or supported by the holder, and supported ascendants can join.
Who can apply for the EEA residence lottery?
Nationals of other EEA member states only. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the EEA residence lottery lead to permanent residence in Liechtenstein?
Time on the EEA residence lottery counts toward permanent residence in Liechtenstein, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. The general rule for citizenship is 30 years of residence.
How are EEA residence lottery holders taxed in Liechtenstein?
No special regime in our records is tied to the EEA residence lottery. The standard rules apply: Residents are taxed on worldwide income and wealth through a national tax rising to 8% of income above CHF 211,400 (≈ $253,000) (single), with a municipal surcharge of 150% to 250% of the national tax; employees get a CHF 1,600 (≈ $1,920) flat expense deduction and pay no income tax below a subsistence minimum of CHF 2,100 (≈ $2,520) gross a month (single).
More in Liechtenstein
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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 4 official sources. Status: partly verified; the page marks the facts an official source does not fully confirm.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Free Movement Act for EEA and Swiss nationals (PFZG), LGBl. 2009 No. 348, version of 1 January 2026 · Legal Service of the Government of Liechtenstein (Lilex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Free Movement Ordinance for EEA and Swiss nationals (PFZV), LGBl. 2009 No. 350 · Legal Service of the Government of Liechtenstein (Lilex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Ordinance on fees under foreigners law (Ausl-GebV), LGBl. 2011 No. 440 · Legal Service of the Government of Liechtenstein (Lilex) · checked 2026-10-11
- Citizenship Act (Buergerrechtsgesetz, BueG), LGBl. 1960 No. 23 · Liechtenstein legal portal (gesetze.li) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.