Your
Europe
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Jim at the livestock mart. |
Did you know that as
an EU citizen you have the right to live,
work and study
in another EU country? And did you know that every year
thousands of people actually do this?
These are some of the many practical EU
rights you have that make moving to another EU country
as easy and hassle-free as possible.
But what about the practical aspects of moving to another
EU country? What about your car, driving licence and
social security? How can you manage your money?
Read on to learn about the EU rights you have when
doing the following in another EU country:
Also, read on if you want to know about:
This is only an overview of your rights at EU level.
For more detailed information and factsheets on how
things work in individual EU countries you can visit
the following website http://europa.eu/youreurope
GETTING
THERE
Basic Rights
As an EU citizen, you have the right to enter any EU
country without having to comply with special formalities.All
you need is a valid passport or identity card.
Your identification can be checked for validity, but
you cannot be asked questions about the purposes and
duration of your trip.
Your right to travel may be restricted only on grounds
of public policy, public security or public health.
Your Family
Members of your family, whatever their nationality,
may go with you. Non-EU citizens may need an entry visa,
depending on their nationality.
Schengen
Within the ‘Schengen area’, there are generally
no identification checks at internal borders. This area
comprises the following countries (as of 1 May 2005):
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden
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Jim pictured recently
at Ireland West Airport - Knock.
Jim regards regional airports as being vital
from the point-of-view of realising the industrial
and tourist potential of the region. |
Air Travel
If you are denied boarding, your flight was cancelled,
you experienced long delays or your baggage was lost,
you may be entitled to compensation under EU law and
you can complain to the relevant enforcement body.
Healthcare
When travelling within the EU, if you suddenly fall
ill or have an accident in another EU country, you (and
your family) are entitled to immediate healthcare there.
For this, you need the European health insurance card
(or the relevant ‘E111’ form), which you
should obtain from your home country before departure.
This applies only to short periods abroad.
Purchases For Your Personal
Use
You can buy goods and services for your personal use
under the same tax rules as apply to nationals of the
country concerned, and take them home with you. However,
this does not apply to the purchase of new cars. For
tobacco products and alcohol, evidence may be required
that the goods are for personal use in certain circumstances.
Further information can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/common/travellers/within_eu/index_en.htm
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LIVING
THERE
Basic Rights
As an EU citizen you are entitled to stay and settle
in any EU country.
Your Family
This fundamental right extends to members of your family.
If they are not EU nationals, the country concerned
may require an entry visa.
Right To Settle
For periods shorter than three months: all you need
is a valid identity card or passport.
For periods longer than three months: you have the
right to settle in another EU country if:
- you are a worker or self-employed in the host EU
country, or
- you are enrolled at a private or public establishment
for the principal purpose of following a course of
study, including vocational training, or
- you have sufficient resources for you and your family
members and you have comprehensive sickness insurance
cover in the host EU country.
For further information, see the guide Living in another
EU country and the associated factsheets on the Your
Europe website.
Car
If you have a new car, no checks can be imposed in
the new country. If you have a used car, it may have
to undergo a roadworthiness test.
In general you have to register your car under the
normal number plates of the new country, as well as
pay vehicle registration and car tax in that country.
You can use your car on a temporary basis in any other
EU country without paying taxes for six months out of
any 12 months. This does not apply to ‘frontier
workers’ — people who work every day in
a neighbouring country.
Driving Licence
You can drive in the new EU country on the licence
from your home country. However, the EU country will
apply its own rules as regards the period of licence
validity, medical checks and tax rules.
Your Belongings
They can be moved without any restrictions and without
paying customs duties or taxes.
Taxes
In order to prevent double taxation, you need to establish
whether you are ‘resident for tax purposes’
in the new country — which essentially means that
you declare all your income there.
You should do this by contacting the tax authorities
in your home country and the new country. Check also
whether any formalities have to be completed before
your departure.
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Jim on Galway Bay FM |
Voting And Standing For Election
You can vote and stand as a candidate in the new country
under the same conditions as nationals of that country
in:
- municipal (local) elections: note that you do not
automatically lose your vote in your home country
if you vote in the new country;
- European elections: note that you must register
on the electoral role. You will automatically lose
your vote in your home country if you vote in the
new country.
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WORKING
THERE
Basic Rights
You have the right to work and retire in whichever
EU country you want.
You should receive the same treatment as any national
of this country and cannot be asked to meet additional
requirements.
You can apply for any job advertised anywhere in the
EU (apart from certain public service posts).
Important Current Restrictions
Please note: during a transitional period of maximum
seven years, workers from some of the States which recently
joined the EU may face restrictions on access to the
labour markets of the previous Member States (EU-15),
whilst workers from the EU-15 may face reciprocal restrictions
in some of the new Member States.
There are also limitations on the access by citizens
of new EU countries to unemployment benefits in an EU
country other than their own.
Get information jobs and learning opportunities in
Europe: http://europa.eu/eures
Family
Members of your family, whatever their nationality,
have the right to accompany you or to join you in your
country of employment. Family members are entitled to
have access to the general and vocational education
available in your new country.
Job seeking
If you are unemployed, you have the right to live in
an EU country for a ‘reasonable period’
of time to look for a job — mostly six months
(but check this for the particular country). This can
be extended.
You may also continue, for up to three months, to draw
any unemployment benefit you may have been receiving,
provided you meet certain conditions. You are advised
to contact your social security institution before leaving
your home country for further information and advice
on formalities to go through and forms to collect.
Recognition of Professional Qualifications
The EU single market gives you the freedom to pursue
an occupation, on a self-employed or employed basis,
in an EU country other than the one in which you acquired
your professional qualifications. There is a system
in place at EU level that facilitates the recognition
of these qualifications by different EU countries.
Further information can be found at http://europa.eu/youreurope
Social Security
EU rules ensure that you are affiliated to a single
social protection scheme and that you lose none of your
rights (particularly with regard to retirement).
In principle, you are insured in the country you work
in. You, and in certain circumstances, your family,
are entitled to the same social security and welfare
benefits as nationals of the host country. These rights
cover sickness and maternity benefits (healthcare and
financial benefits), disability, old-age and widow’s/widower’s
benefits, benefits payable for accidents at work, occupational
illness, death and unemployment, as well as family allowances.
You must also pay the same contributions as nationals
of the host country.
However, there are special rules for cross-border workers
and workers on temporary postings.
Conditions of Employment
You are subject to the same working conditions as nationals
of the country you are working in as regards pay, dismissal
and reintegration, as well as measures to protect health
and safety at the workplace.
Trade Union Rights
You have the right to join the trade union of your
choice and to exercise your union rights on the same
conditions as host-country employees.
Self-Employed
You have the right to work as a self-employed person
in any EU country, either permanently or temporarily.
Retired, Given Up Work
If you have worked in another EU country, you are
entitled to retire there or stay there if you are permanently
incapable of work because of an accident sustained during
your working life, provided you fulfil certain conditions.
You must claim your right to stay within two years.
You will then be entitled to be treated in the same
way as a national (in relation to housing, social security,
children’s education, etc.), just as when you
were working. The members of your family who are living
in the country also have the right to stay, even after
your death.
Working There: Equal Opportunities
Men And Women
Whether you are a man or a woman, you should be treated
equally and have the same rights and opportunities in
the workplace, in any EU country. EU law gives you the
right to:
- equal pay for equal work;
- equal pay for work of equal value;
- equal treatment in the workplace (access to employment,
vocational training, promotion, working conditions);
- equal treatment in social security schemes (statutory
and occupational).
Pregnancy
In all EU countries, women have the right to the following
before and after pregnancy:
- an appropriate level of health and safety in the
workplace;
- no obligation to perform nightwork during your pregnancy;
- a continuous period of maternity leave of at least
14 weeks, which must include the two weeks before
and/or after the birth;
- time off for antenatal examinations (if they can
be carried out only during work hours);
- protection from being dismissed because of pregnancy.
Parents
In all EU countries, parents have the right to:
- parental leave of at least three months on the grounds
of birth or adoption of a child;
- time off for urgent family reasons (sickness, accidents).
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STUDYING
THERE
Basic Rights
As an EU citizen you have the right to study in another
European country.
The university or college in the EU country where you
wish to study must accept you on the same conditions
as nationals, and cannot require you to pay higher course
fees.
Information on education and training available throughout
Europe can found on the Ploteus wbsite at: http://europa.eu/ploteus/portal/home.jsp
Academic Recognition Of Diplomas
This is not regulated at EU level. You should contact
your local network of national academic recognition
information centres (NARIC):
http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/agenar_en.html
Study Periods Abroad
Your university of origin must recognise any Socrates/Erasmus
study periods as an integral part of your studies.
Social Security
You must be covered under a healthcare scheme, either
personally or as a family member, in the home country
or the country where you are studying, depending on
the conditions set under national law. EU rules give
you some social security protection, particularly as
regards healthcare, on certain conditions.Before you
leave, check with your health insurance institution
to see whether you meet these conditions.
Researchers
Every researcher in the EU has the right to take up
training and mobility opportunities funded by scholarships,
grants, etc. under national and EU schemes.Learn more
at the pan-European researcher’s mobility portal:
http://europa.eu/eracareers
EU-Wide Programmes
Hundreds of thousands of students and researchers have
already discovered the benefits of spending a long period
abroad for studying purposes, thanks to some of the
EU’s most popular programmes.
Leonardo da Vinci: vocational training
placements and exchanges.
Socrates: aims to develop the European
dimension in education throughout life through the following
individual programmes:
- Erasmus: for university students
and teachers;
- Comenius: for school pupils and
teachers;
- Lingua: for language teachers;
- Grundtvig: adult education and
other education pathways.
- Youth: youth exchanges enable young
people to experience other social and cultural situations.
The European Voluntary Service (EVS) gives young people
the opportunity to reside in another country for up
to one year and take part in local projects as volunteers.
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CONSUMER
RIGHTS AND MANAGING YOUR MONEY
Basic Rights
The existence of a single European market gives you
access to a wider range of products and services at
competitive prices.
EU law enables you to buy safe products and services
under clear conditions anywhere in the EU.
Remedies are available against unfair contract terms.
Giving Out Your Personal Data
Whenever you book a flight, apply for a job, use a
credit card, or browse on the Internet, you disclose
some personal data.
When this happens, EU law protects you against unfair
and unlawful use of this data. You have the right to:
- be informed when your data is collected or further
used;
- access data about you;
- know the reasons on which automated decisions are
based;
- lodge a complaint to the national supervisory authority.
Travel
See ‘Getting there’ section.
EU law also gives you special protection in the area
of package tours and timeshares.
Tax On Purchases
You can buy goods and services for your personal use
under the same tax rules as apply to nationals of the
country concerned, and take them home with you. However,
this does not apply to cars and there are limits on
tobacco products and alcohol.
Insurance
You can apply for an insurance policy with any insurance
company licensed to provide this type of policy in any
EU country.You can also apply for car insurance with
any duly licensed insurance company from any EU country.
Financial Services: Disputes And
Complaints
The EU single market in retail financial services gives
European consumers a greater choice of financial products.
However, you may come across a problem with a firm
in another EU country. If so, you should of course first
try to resolve the dispute with the firm.
If there is still a dispute, then FIN-NET may be able
to help. FIN-NET is an EU-wide out-of-court complaints
network for financial services to help businesses and
consumers resolve disputes in the EU single market fast
and efficiently by avoiding, where possible, lengthy
and expensive legal action.
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/finservices-retail/finnet/index_en.htm
Transferring Money To An Account
In Another EU Country
The EU has made cross-border credit transfers faster,
cheaper and more reliable.
Transfers are now based on the international bank account
number (IBAN) and the bank identifier code (BIC). They
enable your bank to process your payments ‘straight
through’, without any costly and time-consuming
manual handling.
Charges for cross-border transfers in euro using IBAN
and BIC standards are the same as those for payments
in euro within a single EU country — which of
course does not mean that cross-border payments are
free. The same principle also applies to card payments
and cash withdrawals.
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ENFORCING
YOUR RIGHTS
Basic Rights
Sometimes you may encounter difficulties in exercising
your EU rights and you may feel that an unfair or incorrect
decision has been applied to you.
To ensure that you can exercise your rights properly,
you should first pursue the matter at national level,
as Member States are responsible for applying EU law
and you may be awarded compensation. In addition, there
are procedures available at EU level.
National Level
Complain to the relevant authority: but make sure you
respect any time limits and deadlines.
Complain to the national ombudsman: its existence and
form may differ between countries.
Take legal action in a national court: depending on
the country, you may qualify for legal aid.
EU Level
Solvit: if you face a problem caused
by the misapplication of EU legislation by a public
administration in another EU country.
http://europa.eu/solvit/
Complain to the European Ombudsman:
if there is a dispute between you and an EU institution
and you feel that maladministration — i.e. administrative
irregularities or omissions — has occurred. This
is not appropriate for disputes at national level.
http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu
Petition the European Parliament:
on an EU-related matter that affects you directly. Your
petition will be dealt with by a Petition Committee
which, while having no power to remedy the situation
directly, can nevertheless put pressure on those concerned.
Complain to the European Commission:
you can complain about an alleged violation of EU law
by a Member State. The Commission will consider your
complaint and may ask the country concerned to change
its laws. This is not appropriate for disputes between
private parties.
http://ec.europa.eu/secretariat_general/sgb/lexcomm
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GENERAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU
Europe Direct:
your direct line to the EU. Single telephone number
from anywhere in the EU:
00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11
or e-mail via http://europa.eu/europedirect/
PERSONALISED ADVICE SERVICES
Citizens Signpost Service: free personalised
advice from legal experts on your practical rights as
an EU citizen. http://europa.eu/citizensrights/signpost
EU PROBLEM-SOLVING NETWORKS
Solvit: help in correcting misapplication
of EU rules by a public administration in another EU
country. http://europa.eu/solvit
FIN-NET: out-of-court complaints network
for financial services. http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/finservices-retail/finnet/index_en.htm
A great deal of additional information on the European
Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed
through the Europa server (http://europa.eu).
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