The visa is free. The registration, taxes, and healthcare are the real puzzle.

You have 90 days to register or you're an illegal immigrant in your own union. Each country has its own ritual.

Germany wants you at the Bürgeramt within 14 days. Spain needs a padrón plus an NIE. Portugal sends you chasing a NIF before anything else works. The Netherlands fines you €325 if you're 5 days late. Miss these windows and bank accounts, health insurance, and rental contracts all stall.

Spend 183 days in a country and it owns your tax return. But several EU countries offer flat-rate schemes to sweeten the deal.

Portugal's IFICI regime offers 20% flat tax for qualified professionals. Spain's Beckham Law caps tax at 24% on Spanish income up to €600k. Italy has a flat-tax option for new residents. Greece exempts 50% of employment income for 7 years. The catch: you must elect the scheme before crossing the 183-day line, not after.

Your European Health Insurance Card covers emergencies abroad. For actual living, you need an S1 form or local registration.

EHIC gives you state-provided emergency care in any EU country on the same terms as locals. But it doesn't cover routine GP visits, prescriptions, or dental if you've moved permanently. Request an S1 from your home country's health authority if you're employed or pensioned there — it transfers your full healthcare entitlement to the destination country with no waiting period.