Untold Stories

Living in Europe: The Visa Is the Easy Part

Getting the visa and permits for Europe is often the easy part. The real challenge comes afterwards - building a social life in which you genuinely feel you belong.

Getting the visa and permits for Europe is often the easy part. The real challenge comes afterwards - building a social life in which you genuinely feel you belong.

Europe offers some of the best living standards on Earth. Becoming part of European society is a different challenge, and the people who thrive are often those who understand the difference before they pack.

Moving to Europe is often imagined as a single event: you land a job, secure a residence permit, find an apartment, and your new life begins.

For many newcomers, it does begin. Salaries are stable, healthcare systems are well established, trains run on time in many places, and the cities are beautiful. Then comes the quieter question, the one no visa office will answer: will I ever feel at home here?

Polite Is Not the Same as Open

Each year, the networking platform InterNations surveys expatriates about their experiences abroad. The 2025 edition drew more than 10,000 respondents from 172 nationalities, rating 46 destinations.

A pattern has emerged across several editions of the survey that may surprise prospective movers: some of Europe’s wealthiest and best-organized countries receive comparatively low ratings for how easy it is to build a social life.

In 2025, Norway ranked 45th out of 46 destinations for ease of settling in, while Sweden ranked last for finding friends. Austria was praised for its high quality of life, yet the survey also highlighted difficulties with social integration.

The 2026 results tell a similar story. Switzerland ranked 22nd overall out of 31 destinations, but 26th for ease of settling in. As one expatriate in Geneva put it, “It never gets beyond the acquaintance level.”

These findings reflect a recurring challenge reported by some expatriates, although rankings and individual experiences vary from year to year.

Two caveats matter. First, these are surveys of respondents who chose to participate, measuring their perceptions rather than providing scientific measurements of national character.

Second, the reasons behind these experiences are often cultural and social rather than hostile. In some communities, long-established friendships and existing social networks can make it difficult for newcomers to form close connections quickly.

Privacy may also be an important social value. A reserved neighbor is not necessarily an unwelcoming one. It can take time for a newcomer to understand the difference.

The picture is not uniform across the continent, either. Southern European destinations such as Portugal have ranked among the top ten for ease of settling in in some editions of the survey.

The Paper Trail

Integration also has a legal side, and it can run on a long clock. In Switzerland, ordinary naturalization generally requires at least ten years of residence, including three of the five years immediately preceding the application, as well as a permanent residence permit (Permit C).

Applicants must also meet applicable cantonal and communal requirements, including minimum periods of residence in the relevant canton and municipality. The process involves federal, cantonal and communal authorities, with additional conditions applying under the relevant rules.

Swiss citizenship requirements are demanding, but eligibility depends on more than the number of years spent in the country. Applicants must also satisfy integration and other legal requirements.

Denmark has its own demanding naturalization framework. As a general rule, applicants must have lived in the country for nine continuous years, although exceptions apply. Requirements also concern Danish language proficiency, knowledge of Danish society, self-sufficiency and criminal history.

The language requirement is substantial: applicants generally need to demonstrate the required level through Danish Language Test 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3), subject to applicable exceptions and alternative provisions. Other conditions must also be met before citizenship can be granted.

There is good news in the fine print. Both countries permit dual citizenship under their respective laws. Switzerland recognizes dual nationality, and Denmark has permitted it since 2015. However, whether someone can retain their previous nationality also depends on the laws of their country of origin.

Becoming a citizen therefore does not necessarily mean giving up an existing nationality, but neither does it guarantee that every applicant can retain one.

A Secular Public Square

The third question is the one people ask least often: do you share the values of the place you are moving to?

Western Europe is among the world’s more secular regions, although religious identity and practice vary considerably between countries and individuals. A Pew Research Center survey of 15 Western European countries found that many Christians in the region were non-practicing and that substantial majorities supported keeping religion separate from government.

The same research found broad support for legal same-sex marriage and abortion across much of the region, including among many Christians. The data dates from 2018, however, and should not be treated as a complete picture of present-day opinion.

What does this mean for a newcomer of any faith, or none? Legally, freedom of religion is protected under European and national legal frameworks, although the precise protections and their application vary by jurisdiction. Socially, expect a different experience from what some people might imagine. In many settings, public institutions and political debate operate within a largely secular framework.

Religion may play a less visible role in public life than it does in some other societies. Personal beliefs and practices, however, vary widely, and individual friends or colleagues may be more or less interested in discussing faith.

For people arriving from more publicly religious societies, including some Americans, this can feel like a quiet culture shock. Pew’s research found that religiously unaffiliated Americans tend to be more religious, on several measures, than their Western European counterparts.

None of this is a verdict on any belief system or nationality. It is a description of a social environment that is worth understanding before you arrive.

Attitudes toward religious minorities and newcomers also vary substantially. The same Pew research found that majorities in many of the countries surveyed expressed willingness to accept Muslims in their families or neighborhoods, even as the study identified concerns about immigration and multiculturalism.

Questions Worth Asking Before You Go

Integration, in the end, is a two-way street, and it is rarely instant. Those who do best often treat it as a project rather than a hope. Some questions worth asking:

  • Will I learn the language? It is one of the clearest ways to demonstrate commitment, and in many countries it is important for both the job market and citizenship applications.
  • Am I comfortable with a long timeline? Friendships may take time to develop, while some routes to permanent residence or citizenship can require many years.
  • Can I live alongside values that differ from mine, without expecting them to change? Social norms concerning religion, privacy, gender and public conduct vary between societies and communities.
  • Do I have a reason to stay beyond the lifestyle? Work, a partner, a community, a hobby or a club can all provide a foundation for belonging. In many places, local associations and shared activities offer practical ways to build a social circle.
  • Have I checked the current rules? Immigration and citizenship law changes often. Always confirm eligibility and requirements with official government sources.

Europe can be an extraordinary place to build a life. It simply asks for patience and curiosity, and a willingness to go first.

Editorial note: This article provides general information and commentary, not legal or immigration advice. Citizenship and residency requirements depend on individual circumstances and may change. Readers should consult the relevant official authorities before making decisions based on their eligibility or legal status.

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