Business Immigration in the Context of General Immigration Process
In this Overview we decided to select several countries from the Central and East Europe (Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Slovak Republic and Czech Republic) as well from Scandinavia (Denmark and Sweden) in order as possible more to perceive business immigration trends of the recent years, get acquainted with the changes that occured, and also to find out with the basic taxes in those countries. All previously mentioned countries belongs to European Union and to its single market. The immigration law requirements that adopting to the citizens from the third countries wishing to get them a residence permit in one of these countries of EU on the basis of lawful activity (i.e., business activity) are not fundamentally different, but exists the difference in accomplishment mechanism of these requirements and measures by which is seeking to mitigate or tighten the settle for living and work purposes in one of these EU countries to citizens of third nationals. Knowing the general social situation of the recent years in Europe triggered by Refugee crisis when become difficult to adjust and take control over unstoppable refugee flows, incoming from some North African countries, and from the region of the Middle East, European Union in general level responded to restrict existing immigration laws. Germany and Sweden became major targets in the Old Cointnent to the refugees wishing to get a residence permit and settle there.Is important to underline that countries in the region of the Central and East Europe is not a major object of interest to refugees because of less developed economics comparing to western European states ,and existing high homophobic sentiments generally against immigrants. Through the adopted economic developments programs to promote some countries of the Central and East European (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia) expressed an open position in government level (with the some clauses) that allowing to attract business immigrants from the third countries for living and business purposes. According to United Nations published data for the year 2013, the top five countries of the biggest number of migrants leaving their own homes for immigration to much more higher economically developed world states looks following : India (14 million), Mexico (13 million), Russian Federation (11 million), PR China (9 million), and Bangladesh (8 million). Such immigration reasons may be not be only the economical, there are existing a numerous other reasons making people to leave their native homes, like recurring natural disasters, political instability,cultural, social and religious aspects, ecological problems, and other reasons. It is likely that a certain percentage of these immigrants chosed better living conditions having world countries for business development purposes, so that’s why European Union is one of an attractive regions in the world that able to compete with the other high developed states and markets, like USA, Canada, Australia, Japan,and etc. Below is provided the table showing the figures of external migration changes under existing general immigration index during the period approx. of the last 10 years from 2006 to 2015 (here is included countries, like Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Czech Republic) :Immigration | ||||||||||
2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
Total | 2 234 | 3 741 | 3 671 | 3 884 | 2 810 | 3 709 | 2 639 | 4 098 | 3 904 | 15 413 |
Austria | 10 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
Belgium | 21 | 37 | 33 | 32 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 26 | 19 | 39 |
Spain | 23 | 51 | 60 | 74 | 33 | 29 | 37 | 44 | 25 | 35 |
Netherlands | 16 | 29 | 21 | 32 | 19 | 7 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 23 |
Ireland | 12 | 42 | 47 | 52 | 54 | 79 | 64 | 109 | 80 | 109 |
Italy | 58 | 52 | 60 | 75 | 51 | 20 | 29 | 25 | 28 | 32 |
Lithuania | 47 | 54 | 76 | 54 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 22 | 47 |
Luxembourg | 4 | 9 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 13 |
Latvia | 84 | 120 | 92 | 130 | 82 | 42 | 25 | 61 | 82 | 77 |
Norway | 22 | 15 | 33 | 37 | 28 | 26 | 43 | 81 | 91 | 82 |
Poland | 22 | 73 | 36 | 47 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 5 |
France | 38 | 41 | 63 | 74 | 70 | 29 | 18 | 33 | 36 | 46 |
Sweden | 96 | 99 | 112 | 114 | 74 | 55 | 54 | 59 | 64 | 138 |
Germany | 129 | 179 | 184 | 161 | 70 | 58 | 49 | 83 | 68 | 108 |
Finland | 665 | 1 468 | 1 151 | 1 214 | 1 020 | 1 149 | 509 | 1 067 | 1 290 | 2 673 |
Great Britain | 102 | 127 | 128 | 133 | 108 | 118 | 165 | 294 | 288 | 345 |
Switzerland | 10 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 8 |
Denmark | 15 | 28 | 16 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 16 |
Czech Republic | 10 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 13 | 17 | 4 | 17 | 4 | 6 |
Ukraine | 91 | 184 | 192 | 237 | 112 | 272 | 206 | 340 | 428 | 697 |
Belarus | 26 | 49 | 40 | 41 | 22 | 58 | 43 | 55 | 53 | 34 |
Russia | 498 | 651 | 798 | 757 | 622 | 1 200 | 852 | 955 | 747 | 656 |
Africa | 7 | 11 | 25 | 13 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 47 | 19 | 88 |
Asia | 96 | 154 | 163 | 225 | 125 | 221 | 190 | 322 | 146 | 244 |
America | 95 | 117 | 163 | 168 | 83 | 159 | 155 | 206 | 182 | 129 |
USA | 69 | 79 | 128 | 126 | 54 | 101 | 119 | 150 | 132 | 98 |
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
No. of applications for residence permit | 301 | 382 | 470 | 630 | 647 |
Issued residence permits | 129 | 88 | 106 | 332 | 277 |
Refused to issue residence permits | 91 | 128 | 139 | 278 | 188 |
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
No.of D visa issued on the basis of business | 48 | 43 | 157 | 234 | 194 |
No.of C visa (Schengen) issued on the basis of business | 40 356 | 53 060 | 57 836 | 56 196 | 51 524 |

2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |
No.of applications to issue residence permits | 40 | 112 | 86 | 94 |
Issued residence permits | 39 | 112 | 86 | 94 |
Refused to issue residence permit | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Policy objectives | |||
EU state | Priority sectors | The main objectives | Presumable impact on economy |
CZE | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable |
EST | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable |
LAT | - real eatate; - construction; - business | To stop the decline of economy, suffered during the crisis years, to create as possible more jobs, to promote the revival of real estate sector, to establish new companies by purchasing investments for the development of already running ventures | Yes |
SVK | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable |
SWE | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable |
POL | -Automobile industry; -electronics and home appliance production; -aviation;-biotechnologies; -agriculture and food industry;-scientific research; -industry of modern services | To increase the efficiency of national economy and competititviness in economy by attracting investments that should meet national priorities, to promote a highly skilled labor force, increase the number of well-paid jobs. Poland keeps an open policy by aiming to attract investments from the third-countries via realizing special programs | Yes |
Acceptance requirements | ||||||
EU member-state | Type of investments | Investment plan | Min.financial requirements | Professional skills | Language knowledge | Census of age |
CZE | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | No | No | No |
EST | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | No | No | No |
LAT | -real estate; -business (own capital company) | No | -Investments to own capital company should consist: a) 35’000 EUR, realized through capital company, in which is employed no > than 50 employees and which annual turnover not exceed 10 mln.EUR and during the calendar year is paid no <kaip 40”000 EUR to state budget; b) 150”000 EUR, realized through the capital company,in which is employed no > than 50 employees,and which annual turnover not exceed 10 mln.EUR and during the calendar year is paid no < than 40”000 EUR to state budget. -Real state purchase for no< than 250’000 EUR amount. | No | No | No |
SVK | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable |
SWE | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable |
POL | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable | not applicable |
Country | Corporate Tax | Maximum Income Tax Rate | Standart VAT Rate |
Czech Republic | 19 % | 22% | 21% (reduced rates up to 15% and 10%) |
Denmark | 23,5% (since 2016 reduced up to 22%) | 55,56% (including paid social insurance tax) | 25% (reduced rate up to 0% for transportation of passengers for newspapaers published more than 1 time/month. |
Estonia | 0% on unistibuted profits (20% on distributed profit) | 20% (+2,4% of unemplyment insurance tax, 0,8% paid by employer, 1,6% paid by employee and 33% of social security tax) | 20% (reduced rate up to 9%) |
Latvia | 15% | 23% | 21% (reduced rates up to 12% and up to 0%) |
Poland | 19% | 32% | 23% |
Slovakia | 22% | 19% | 20% (reduced rate up to 10%) |
Sweden | 22% | 56,6% | 25% (reduced rates up to 12% and up to 6%) |