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What the State charges an American to settle in six European countries

Visa, first residence card and first renewal for one adult. Only what the State charges, each amount with its official page and the day we read it.

Fees were read on Oct 28, 2026. A cell marked "Not read" is one we found no official page for, so we leave it empty. A total appears only when all three steps are read. France is on its own page with every case. You can download the table as a CSV. For permit numbers by country see where Americans settle in Europe.

The paths are not the same visa

France offers a visitor card for people who live on their own means and may not work. Spain has the non-lucrative visa and Portugal the D7 visa. Italy has the elective residence visa. For Germany and the Netherlands we found no permit made for a retiree on a page we read, so those cells stay empty.

The student paths differ too. A student visa and permit has its own fee in every country, and some schools or centres pay part of it. In Portugal the student path pays two lines for each permit where the independent-means path pays one. Do not read one total as the price of the same thing.

Dollar amounts are converted to euros only for the totals. We used the ECB reference rate of Oct 27, 2026: 1 euro is 1.1150 dollars (ECB, euro foreign exchange reference rates).

A person of independent means

  1. France

    Visitor card.

    • Entry visa 99.00 euros 99.00 euros. Long-stay visa, full rate. The fee is paid in US dollars on the France-Visas US page. Source: France-Visas, visa fees table (no date on the document).
    • First residence card or permit 350.00 euros 350.00 euros. In force from May 1, 2026. A tax of 300 euros plus a stamp of 50 euros. The visitor card issued in France. A visitor who arrives on a VLS-TS pays the validation tax instead, which we have not read. Source: Service-Public, F302: visitor card (Vérifié le 01 juin 2026).
    • First renewal 250.00 euros 250.00 euros. In force from May 1, 2026. Source: Service-Public, F302: visitor card (Vérifié le 01 juin 2026).

    Total for the three steps 699.00 euros

  2. Spain

    Non-lucrative visa.

    • Entry visa 137.22 euros 140.00 dollars (Visa fee for US citizens) + 13.00 dollars (Residence authorization fee paid with the visa). In force from Jan 1, 2026. Non-lucrative visa. Paid by money order at the consulate. Source: Consulate General of Spain in New York, consular fees 2026 (Fees of 1 January 2026).
    • First residence card or permit 16.08 euros 16.08 euros (Residence card (TIE), first issue). The 13 dollars paid with the visa are the authorization fee. The order lists 10.94 euros for the initial authorization. We count the 13 dollars once. Source: BOE, Orden PJC/617/2025: immigration fees (Order of 13 June 2025).
    • First renewal 35.70 euros 16.40 euros (Renewal of the authorization) + 19.30 euros (New residence card (TIE)). Source: BOE, Orden PJC/617/2025: immigration fees (Order of 13 June 2025).

    Total for the three steps 189.00 euros

  3. Portugal

    D7 visa.

    • Entry visa 110.00 euros 110.00 euros (National visa processing fee). The page names the D7 only through the national visa. It is the same fee for any national visa. Source: Vistos MNE, fees for national visas (no date on the page).
    • First residence card or permit 114.30 euros 114.30 euros (Grant of a temporary residence permit, Art. 75(1)). In force from Mar 1, 2026. The table also lists 133.00 euros for receiving and analysing the request, for the subsections it names. The D7 is not named there, so it is not counted. A second column of the table shows 85.80 euros for in-person and digital service. Source: AIMA, table of fees from 1 March 2026 (In force from 1 March 2026).
    • First renewal 114.30 euros 114.30 euros (Renewal of a temporary residence permit, Art. 75(1)). In force from Mar 1, 2026. Same line as the grant. The second column of the table shows 85.80 euros. Source: AIMA, table of fees from 1 March 2026 (In force from 1 March 2026).

    Total for the three steps 338.60 euros

  4. Italy

    Elective residence visa.

    • Entry visa 116.00 euros 116.00 euros (National visa, type D). Elective residence visa. The page asks for exact change. Source: Italian consulate in Paris, elective residence visa (no date on the page).
    • First residence card or permit 86.46 euros 16.00 euros (Revenue stamp) + 30.46 euros (Production of the permit card) + 40.00 euros (Contribution for a permit of up to one year). The contribution is 50 euros for a permit of more than one year. Poste Italiane's 30 euro shipping charge is not a State fee and is not counted. Source: Portale Immigrazione, table of costs for residence permits (no date on the page).
    • First renewal 86.46 euros 16.00 euros (Revenue stamp) + 30.46 euros (Production of the permit card) + 40.00 euros (Contribution for a permit of up to one year). The portal lists renewal requests with the same three amounts. Source: Portale Immigrazione, table of costs for residence permits (no date on the page).

    Total for the three steps 288.92 euros

  5. Germany

    No dedicated permit read.

    • Entry visa Not read Not read: we found no German permit made for retirees or people of independent means on a page we read.
    • First residence card or permit Not read Not read: no dedicated permit found.
    • First renewal Not read Not read: no dedicated permit found.

    No total: no step is read.

  6. Netherlands

    No dedicated permit read.

    • Entry visa Not read Not read: we found no Dutch permit made for retirees or people of independent means on a page we read.
    • First residence card or permit Not read Not read: no dedicated permit found.
    • First renewal Not read Not read: no dedicated permit found.

    No total: no step is read.

A student

  1. France

    Student visa and card.

    Total for the three steps 250.00 euros

  2. Spain

    Student visa.

    • Entry visa 143.50 euros 160.00 dollars (Student visa fee for US citizens). In force from Jan 1, 2026. No separate authorization fee for the student visa on this sheet. Source: Consulate General of Spain in New York, consular fees 2026 (Fees of 1 January 2026).
    • First residence card or permit 16.08 euros 16.08 euros (Residence card (TIE), first issue). The initial stay authorization (10.94 euros in the order) is not on the New York sheet for students and is not counted. Source: BOE, Orden PJC/617/2025: immigration fees (Order of 13 June 2025).
    • First renewal 36.79 euros 17.49 euros (Extension of the stay authorization) + 19.30 euros (New residence card (TIE)). Source: BOE, Orden PJC/617/2025: immigration fees (Order of 13 June 2025).

    Total for the three steps 196.37 euros

  3. Portugal

    Student visa.

    • Entry visa 110.00 euros 110.00 euros (National visa processing fee). Source: Vistos MNE, fees for national visas (no date on the page).
    • First residence card or permit 247.30 euros 133.00 euros (Receiving and analysing the request) + 114.30 euros (Grant of a temporary residence permit, Art. 75(1)). In force from Mar 1, 2026. Study is one of the subsections the table names for the 133.00 euro line. The second column shows 99.80 and 85.80 euros. Source: AIMA, table of fees from 1 March 2026 (In force from 1 March 2026).
    • First renewal 247.30 euros 133.00 euros (Receiving and analysing the request) + 114.30 euros (Renewal of a temporary residence permit, Art. 75(1)). In force from Mar 1, 2026. The second column shows 99.80 and 85.80 euros. Source: AIMA, table of fees from 1 March 2026 (In force from 1 March 2026).

    Total for the three steps 604.60 euros

  4. Italy

    Student visa.

    • Entry visa 50.00 euros 50.00 euros (National visa for study purposes). In force from Jun 30, 2026. Read on the page of Italy's embassy in Dhaka. We could not read the page of a US post. Source: Italian embassy in Dhaka, cost of a visa (Last updated on 30/06/2026).
    • First residence card or permit 86.46 euros 16.00 euros (Revenue stamp) + 30.46 euros (Production of the permit card) + 40.00 euros (Contribution for a permit of up to one year). The contribution is 50 euros for a permit of more than one year. Source: Portale Immigrazione, table of costs for residence permits (no date on the page).
    • First renewal 86.46 euros 16.00 euros (Revenue stamp) + 30.46 euros (Production of the permit card) + 40.00 euros (Contribution for a permit of up to one year). Source: Portale Immigrazione, table of costs for residence permits (no date on the page).

    Total for the three steps 222.92 euros

  5. Germany

    Student visa.

    Total for the three steps 268.00 euros

  6. Netherlands

    Student permit.

    • Entry visa Not read Not read: the fee page does not list the entry visa for a long stay.
    • First residence card or permit 254.00 euros 254.00 euros (Study, first application). The educational institution pays it to the IND. Source: IND, fees: costs of an application (fees valid from 1 January to 31 December, year not printed).
    • First renewal 254.00 euros 254.00 euros (Study, extension). Source: IND, fees: costs of an application (fees valid from 1 January to 31 December, year not printed).

    No total: only 508.00 euros are read across the steps that have a page.

How to cite this page

EasyFranceNow, "What the State charges an American to settle in six European countries", https://easyfrancenow.com/updates/state-fees-europe, fees read on Oct 28, 2026.

The amounts belong to the authorities named under each cell. Cite the page you used. The table, the CSV and the read days are ours.

Where this table sits: dated rule changes, State fees in France, language and civic requirements in the same six countries, and the guide France vs Portugal vs Spain: Which Is Best for Americans Moving to Europe in 2026?.

Pages we read