Residence permit for life partners

Liechtenstein nationals residing in Liechtenstein and EEA and Swiss nationals with a residence permit, permanent residence permit or settlement permit in Liechtenstein can apply for a residence permit for their partner.

There is no entitlement to a residence permit for civil partnerships.

 

1) Requirements for the issue of a residence permit:

Persons submitting an application must fulfill the following general requirements cumulatively:

• The person residing in Liechtenstein who wishes to be joined by their partner must have Liechtenstein citizenship, citizenship of an EEA state or Swiss citizenship. In the case of EEA and CH nationals, a residence, settlement or permanent residence permit is required.

• Proof of the existence of a duly certified long-term relationship. Such a relationship exists in particular if the partners can prove that they have had a living and intact partnership for at least 3 years, or that they have joint custody of unmarried children under the age of 18 and reside together with them.

• Both the person joining the family and the person joining the family must be single, divorced, widowed or in a dissolved registered partnership.

• Both must be over 21 years of age.

• The person who wishes to be joined by their partner must prove that they have been resident in Liechtenstein for at least 5 years in total. The required period of residence may be waived if the partners can prove that they have joint custody of unmarried children under the age of 18 and reside together with them. Furthermore, the 5-year period of residence mentioned above does not apply if the de facto partner moves to Liechtenstein at the same time as the person entitled to reside.

• Both must not have a criminal record.

• Both the sponsor and the sponsored person must not have any outstanding debt enforcement proceedings registered in Liechtenstein or in their last country of residence.

• Both the person joining and the person to be joined must not be dependent on care.

• To ensure that no social assistance is claimed, a guarantee (with place of jurisdiction Vaduz) from a bank based in an EEA country must be provided. The amount of the bank guarantee, which must be issued to the person moving to Switzerland, is a minimum of CHF 84,000 and a maximum of CHF 156,000. It is recommended that you contact the relevant bank before submitting your application to clarify the conditions for a bank guarantee

Furthermore, it must be ensured that the life partners moving to Liechtenstein will still primarily reside in Liechtenstein if they are gainfully employed abroad.

2) The Legal Division of the life partner moving to Liechtenstein to take up gainful employment is governed by Art. 42 PFZG

3) Family reunification pursuant to Art. 40 PFZG et seq. cannot be claimed for children of reunited partners from previous marriages or partnerships.