Residence permit applications are often digital – how do countries ensure accessibility?

EU Member States often use digital services for applying for residence permits. New EMN research maps how accessible these services are for people with disabilities or other digitally vulnerable applicants.

> Read the full EMN inform (comparison between 25 EU Member States and EMN Observer Countries*) and the EMN Netherlands two-pager (analysis from a Dutch perspective)

In the Netherlands and 13 other EU Member States (CY, CZ, EE, ES, FI, FR, HR, IE, LT, LU, LV, PL, SK), application procedures for regular residence permits are partially digitised. Submitting the application, uploading documents and communication usually take place online. Only in the Netherlands, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, Sweden and Finland are fully non-digital channels also still available. Countries usually treat digital applications the same as non-digital ones. Only in Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Slovakia and Sweden is there a difference in treatment, for example through lower application fees or faster processing times.

Accessibility for people with disabilities

In the EU, it is a legal requirement to make websites of public service providers accessible. This also applies to migration authorities. Websites, apps, electronic documents and other digital services must be accessible and understandable for everyone. This also applies to people who, for example, cannot see or hear well, cannot read well or at all, or have little or no access to the internet.

In the Netherlands and 9 other countries (CY, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, IE, LU, SE), people can request support digitally. In the Netherlands, Estonia, Ireland and Sweden this can also be done in person, for example during appointments. In Czechia, Germany, Croatia, Latvia and Poland, support cannot be requested digitally, but can be requested in person. Estonia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden also have a telephone helpline. Spain does not offer the possibility to request support in person, but in addition to the digital route also has a telephone helpline.

At an IND service desk in the Netherlands, people can receive support, such as help with filling in application forms or a sign language interpreter. Croatia, Lithuania and Ukraine carry out home visits in exceptional cases. Unlike in the Netherlands, in Belgium, Finland, Ireland and Sweden a representative of the applicant can also indicate special needs. Only in Sweden can someone with a power of attorney do this online as well.

Inclusion and websites

Applying for a residence permit must also be possible for people with limited internet access or low digital literacy. The website must also work properly with all search engines and internet browsers, and on all devices (such as a mobile phone or a laptop). The Netherlands and 15 other countries (BE, CY, CZ, DE, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, LU, LV, PL, SE; NO) take this into account. Often because the application, as in the Netherlands, can be partly or fully non-digital as well as digital.

Several countries have also made their digital services more accessible by improving their websites. For example, with simplified navigation, clear language and mobile versions. In the Netherlands, the current IND website partially complies with the requirements of the Digital Government Accessibility Decree. The website has a an accessibility B rating.

*Participating countries: Austria (AT), Belgium (BE), Bulgaria (BG), Cyprus (CY), Czechia (CZ), Germany (DE), Estonia (EE), Spain (ES), Finland (FI), France (FR), Greece (EL), Croatia (HR), Hungary (HU), Ireland (IE), Italy (IT), Lithuania (LT), Luxembourg (LU), Latvia (LV), Netherlands (NL), Poland (PL), Sweden (SE), Slovenia (SI), Slovakia (SK); Norway (NO), Ukraine (UA)