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Obtaining a residence permit The uniqueness of these amendments lies in the fact that a new method for obtaining a residence permit was introduced – investing in real estate. It has attracted a large number of investors, as a foreigner investing in real estate has the possibility to move freely within the Schengen area. Citizens of the Russian Federation are especially interested in using this possibility, as Latvia is located in its vicinity and is a popular tourism destination due to its unique cultural monuments, well-known resorts and international festivals.
Benefits of holding temporary residence permit to stay in the Republic of Latvia for a period of time not exceeding five years to freely cross borders between EU Member States and non-EU countries to move and stay up to 90 days within a 6 month period to other EU countries except for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania to obtain a Latvian or EU permanent residence permit after five years to obtain temporary residence permits for the spouse and children What is residence permit? A residence permit is a document that gives a foreign citizen the right to temporarily (a temporary residence permit) or permanently (a permanent residence permit) stay in the Republic of Latvia. Invest wisely, invest in real estate which value is predicted to increase!
Temporary residence permit Issued for up to 5 years Must be re-registered every year Notice: According to amendments to the Immigration Law of the Republic of Latvia, adopted on 1 July 2010, expanding the possibilities to obtain a residence permit in Latvia for foreign nationals who want to stay and move freely within the Schengen area. Conditions on investing in real estate.
Thema von BalticLegal im Forum Dies ist ein Forum in...
Bulgaria is a country located in southeastern Europe. The Republic of Bulgaria has a population of 7 364 570. According to official statistics, the main ethnic group in Bulgaria is Bulgarians, then Turks and Romani. The country is a unitary parliamentary republic and the official language is Bulgarian. Bulgaria’s nominal GDP per capita is approximately USD 14,312 and the currency is the lev (BGN).
A temporary residence permit in Bulgaria can be obtained for a period of six months to one year and can be extended for up to five years. After a period of five years, holders are eligible for permanent residence. The Bulgarian Citizenship Act states that non-EU nationals who have held a permanent residence permit for five years can apply for Bulgarian citizenship and a Bulgarian passport. Applications for citizenship and the relevant documentation must be submitted to the Ministry of Justice. The time required for registering a ‘trade representative office’ in Bulgaria, including preparation time for the requisite set of D-visa application documents, is approximately 15 working days. There are three types of residence permit — temporary, permanent and extended.
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As with every years first of April, another change has occurred in the United Kingdom's main corporate tax rate. For the past couple of year’s the UK’s government has been reducing the main corporate tax rate and in 2014 the tax rate has almost reached 20%. The new tax rate is 21%, falling 2% from the last years of 23% and 5% in the past 3 years. Althogh the small profits rate for Profits of £300,000 or less has remained the same for couple years.
What it means? Meaning that the UK is supporting mid to large income companies and hoping that it would increase the formation of new companies. United Kingdom is aiming to reduce the main corporation tax to 20% by 2015, hoping that it would greatly improve the economic state of the Kingdom. And expecting a change in the GDP from a budget deficit to a profit by 2018-19.
Thema von BalticLegal im Forum Dies ist ein Forum in...
Details Official Name: Bosnia and Herzegovina Capital: Sarajevo Total area: 51 197 km2 GDP per capita: $8,215 Native Language: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Government: Federal democratic republic Population: 3,839,737 Major Religion: Islam Monetary Unit: Convertible mark (BAM) Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country in Southeastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Sarajevo with an estimated urban population of 430,000 people. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the 20 kilometres (12 miles) of coastline on the Adriatic Sea surrounding the city of Neum. In the central and southern interior of the country the geography is mountainous, in the northwest it is moderately hilly, and the northeast is predominantly flatland. The inland is a geographically larger region and has a moderate continental climate, bookended by hot summers and cold and snowy winters. The southern tip of the country has a Mediterranean climate and plain topography.
Economy Bosnia faces the dual-problem of rebuilding a war-torn country and introducing transitional liberal market reforms to its formerly mixed economy. One legacy of the previous era is a strong industry; under former republic president Đžemal Bijedić,an SFRY President Josip Broz Tito, metal industries were promoted in the republic, resulting in the development of a large share of Yugoslavia's plants,and S.R. Bosnia and Herzegovina had a very strong industrial export oriented Economy in the 1970s and 1980s, with large scale exports in worth millions of USD$.
Thema von BalticLegal im Forum Dies ist ein Forum in...
Getting a job and working in Norway is one of the reasons why one might want to acquire a residence permit in Europe (an example of this would be a residence permit in Latvia). Working in Norway also allows you to enjoy all the benefits of residing in the EU, such as freedom of moving in the Schengen area, the chance to be employed and do business in the member-states with fewer requirement, as well as travel to European destinations without the need for a visa (with some exceptions).
Vacancies As of now, there are approximately 84 149 vacancies available in Norway. That is 2.9% of all the job positions, both occupied and vacant, in the country.
Wages and expenses In Norway the average salary is EUR 4713.
A single person in Norway spends an average of EUR 1047 per month, not including rent.
Workweek The standard workweek in Norway is 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.
Useful resources If you are planning to work in Norway, it is useful to know the following information and contacts of organizations.
Work permit services If you are interested in working in Norway, you need to obtain a work permit and a residence permit (which in some cases are obtained simultaneously). For this you can use the help of our legal team - we provide consultations, find the best solutions to your unique case and deliver legal assisstance of all kinds. So contact us by using the form on the upper right side of the page, and start a journey to your dream job in Norway.
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Business competition in Latvia is regulated by the Competition Council (Konkurences padome). The agency is responsible for controlling the competition in Latvian business, enforcing law against those who violate the principles of fair competition, as well as for providing information regarding the topic.
In total, there are 249 745 active companies registered in the Latvian Register of Enterprises (November 2016, source: government-sanctioned Lursoft Business Database), of which the biggest number (76 918) is registered in the capital city of Riga. Other cities with a big number of registered enterprises are Daugavpils (3 492), Liepāja (3 434), Jurmala (3 351) and Jelgava (3 322).
High-competition sectors Out of all the industries present in Latvia, the top 10 are the most competition-intensive:
Real estate renting and management (>4500 companies) Accounting, audit and tax consultations (>2300 companies) Business management and consultations (>2000 companies) Road transportation and logistics (>1400 companies) Purchasing and selling real estate (>1380 companies) Construction works and building (>1380 companies) Real estate management services (>1200 companies) Computer programming (>1200 companies) Advertisement (>1200 companies) Legal services (>1200 companies) It is worth noting that the data is provided for the whole country, and regional situation may be different. Besides that, not all the companies operate throughout the country, some specialize in a certain region or a city. If you need a detailed competition research for your business for the purposes of market entry in Latvia, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Advantageous industries According to the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (Latvijas investīciju un attīstības aģentūra), competition-wise, the most advantageous industries in Latvia are:
Woodworking Metalworking and mechanical engineering Transport and storage Information technology Green technology Health care Life sciences Food processing These industries are distinguished by a high level of development thanks to the maximum utilization of resources available in Latvia, whether it is an advantageous geographical placement (transport and storage), skilled and intellectual workforce (information technology) or something else. The majority of these industries is also actively supported by the government, which means that any business is very likely to find funding and potential workforce in the sectors.
It does mean however, that each of these industries is free of competition. Each of the sectors can be divided into smaller business areas, which means that some of them are less crowded with companies, but some are more challenging to enter into. For example, the transport and storage sector is especially competitive in terms of road vehicle transportation.
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Cryptocurrency is a relatively new term, which have emerged in 2008. Generally speaking - it is a digital currency. Main principles of nearly all the cryptocurrencies are:
decentralization of emission / control bodies; application of various cryptography methods; collective systematization. Cryptocurrencies usually have no common emission and controlling bodies. No national banks or other governmental structures has any direct control over cryptocurrency emission and value. This explains why it’s value and general status are set solely by a theoretical consensus of all it’s holders.
Modern blockchain technology Blockchain is a system that records all transactions in relation to the cryptocurrency. The system contains modules, each called “block”. Every block represents a decoded record of a specific cryptocurrency related transaction. It also contains a coded reference to the previous block, which consecutively contains a record regarding the previous transaction. As a result, all the information regarding transactions and manipulations done with certain units of a single cryptocurrency can be followed back to the original entry. By performing such backtrack - it’s validity can be verified. You need to consider that the blocks and entries cannot be altered once they are registered, making it impossible to impact / modify the whole chain, making it a safe and elegant solution to digital transactions.
Cryptocurrency trading Despite the fact that there are several different cryptocurrencies, each serving different purposes and utilizing slightly variative methods, there is a common set of rules worth following, when dealing with cryptocurrency trading:
learn as much as you can about the blockchain and it’s main principles; study about the most popular cryptocurrencies and their advantages; carefully evaluate your possibilities and possible risks; stay updated about financial and cryptocurrency related news; create an exchange account for crypto trading specifically; start off by dealing with smaller amounts to study the market; always research and keep improving your knowledge; eventually try trading with larger numbers, implement complex solutions. Cryptocurrency mining procedure Crypto mining is a general way to refer to a process of transaction validation. It is usually performed by utilizing computing powers to make specific calculations within a common mining system. For contributing calculating powers miners are usually rewarded with certain units of cryptocurrency being mined. Such mining impacts and increases the overall number of cryptocurrency in the turnover, affecting it’s public value.
Cryptocurrency payment solutions Since cryptocurrencies have rapidly emerged only a decade ago, the national governments so far had almost no chance to properly react and adopt bills and regulations in relation to cryptocurrency utilization, as a result, most of the public services could not be paid in crypto. However, as the value of many cryptocurrencies increased - many governments started showing increased interest in BitCoin and few other cryptocurrencies. Numerous companies and financial institutions have started actively developing and implementing crypto-based payment platforms and other solutions, some of which were requested by the official governments.
Initial coin offering (ICO) ICO is a non-regulated crowdfunding based joint venture aimed to raise funds for a newly established cryptocurrency. It is often used by new companies to avoid capital-raising process involving search for investing parties, often required by traditional investors or banks. During an ICO campaign, certain percent of new cryptocurrency is acquired by the early investors, gaining a legal tender or other cryptocurrencies in exchange.
Thema von BalticLegal im Forum Dies ist ein Forum in...
According to statistical data from the Central Statistical Office, the number of foreign visitors registered in hotels and other apartments in Latvia in the first half of 2011 reached almost 445 thousand, which is an increase of almost 30% compared to this period of the last year. The number of foreigners registered in Latvia in the first half of the year who decided to stay overnight exceeded the number of people registered in the last ten years. In the first half of the year, a significant proportion of tourists - almost 81% - decided to spend the night in Riga.
Latvian Tourism Development Agency Director Armands Slokenbergs says: The escalation of the number of tourists was facilitated by the joint marketing activities of the industry and LTDA, and the benefit is partly also due to the new tourism image of Latvia and the slogan Best slowly enjoyed, which was slowly enjoyed by both local tourism professionals as well as by international experts from the World Tourism Organization and the world's largest travel guide The Lonely Planet. For 2011 we expect excellent results in the tourism industry. Knowing that the scope of LTDA's marketing activities will broaden in the coming years, we can confirm that Latvia as a tourist destination has returned to the tourism market solidly and safely.
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Official Name: Republic of Austria Capital: Vienna Total area: 83 870 km2 GDP per capita: $42,408 Native Language: German Government: Federal parliamentary republic Population: 8,414,638 Major Religion: Roman Catholicism Monetary Unit: Euro (EUR)
The Alps dominate the west and south of Austria, while the eastern federal states - including the capital Vienna - lie in the Danube basin.
By the end of World War I, Austria was the center of a vast empire that controlled much of Central Europe for centuries. Today Austria is a federal republic consisting of nine federal states.
Vienna is home to a number of international organizations including the Secretariat of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Austria has a rich cultural heritage. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has his own place as a composer, but the music of Franz Schubert also enjoys great popularity. In the world of philosophy and ideas, the work of Siegmund Freud continues to stir controversy, while Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the most important influences on 20th-century philosophical thought. In art, the paintings of Gustav Klimt from the late 18th century are widely admired.
Austria has a mixed industrial and agricultural economy, and tourism is also an important source of income.
In the kitchen, Austrian specialties such as Wiener Schnitzel and apple strudel have become international dishes that need no translation.
Health & Welfare Social insurance is comprehensive including sickness, disability, accident, old-age, and unemployment benefits, allowances for families with children, and rent aid.
Economy & Jobs Oil production and refining, banking, railroad equipment, electric machinery, appliances, mining, iron, steel, chemical manufacturing, natural-gas, and electric power production. Jobs in machinery, textiles, iron & steel, timber, and tourism.
Main Attractions Vienna, Eisriesenwelt Caves, Grossglockner Road, Salzburg, and St Anton skiing resorts.
Economy Austria is the 12th richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita, has a well-developed social market economy, and a high standard of living. Until the 1980s, many of Austria's largest industry firms were nationalised; in recent years, however, privatisation has reduced state holdings to a level comparable to other European economies. Labour movements are particularly strong in Austria and have large influence on labour politics. Next to a highly developed industry, international tourism is the most important part of the national economy. Mariahilf shopping avenue in Vienna.
Germany has historically been the main trading partner of Austria, making it vulnerable to rapid changes in the German economy. Since Austria became a member state of the European Union it has gained closer ties to other EU economies, reducing its economic dependence on Germany. In addition, membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to the aspiring economies of the European Union. Growth in GDP accelerated in recent years and reached 3.3% in 2006.
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Medicinos Bankas is a financial institution, providing banking services to private persons and business customers.
The bank started its activities on 24 November 1992 in Vilnius City. From 1995, the principal office of the bank is located in Vilnius, Pamėnkalnio Street 40.
The bank performs activities of commercial bank: accepts deposits, grants loans, carries out monetary and documentary settlements, exchanges currencies, grants guarantees to its clients.
Presently the bank has 67 customer service departments in entire Lithuania: Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys, Marijampolė, Alytus, Tauragė, Telšiai and Utena counties. The whole network consists of 7 branches, 55 customer service divisions and subdivisions and 5 currency exchange points.
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On July 1, 2010, amendments to the Law on Immigration of the Republic of Latvia came into force, which expand the possibilities of obtaining a residence permit in Latvia for foreigners who wish to stay and move freely in the Schengen area.
The uniqueness of these changes lies in the introduction of a new method of obtaining a residence permit – investing in real estate. It has attracted a large number of investors as a foreigner investing in real estate (which can be used for profit) has the opportunity to move freely within the Schengen area provided he or she has a passport and sufficient financial means has. Citizens of the Russian Federation are particularly interested in using this opportunity, since Latvia is nearby and is a tourist destination due to its unique cultural monuments, well-known resorts and international festivals.
What is the advantage of a residence permit?
A residence permit is a document granting a foreign citizen the right to reside temporarily (a temporary residence permit) or permanently (a permanent residence permit) in the Republic of Latvia.
A temporary residence permit gives a foreigner the right to:
residence in the Republic of Latvia for a period not exceeding five years;
to freely cross borders of EU member states and non-EU countries;
to relocate and stay up to 90 days within the territory of other EU countries except the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania;
to obtain a Latvian or EU permanent residence permit after five years;
to obtain a temporary residence permit for the spouse and children.
How do I apply for a residence permit?
A residence permit is required if you intend to stay in the Republic of Latvia or the Schengen Area for more than 90 days within a six-month period.
This document is issued in the form of a visa and is pasted into the passport, indicating the name, surname and identity number of the person.
You can obtain a temporary residence permit from
Investments in real estate after July 1, 2010;
investments in Latvian credit institutions;
Investing in a company's equity.
Conditions for investing in real estate:
the total amount of the transaction (for one or more properties) must be at least 143,000 euros in large cities and at least 72,000 euros in other places;
only material resources may be used for the acquisition of real estate;
a foreigner has and has never had debts from real estate tax payments in Latvia;
the transaction will close after July 1, 2010;
a residence permit is issued after the property has been registered in the land register.
Conditions on investing in Latvian credit institutions:
the amount of financial investments must be at least EUR 286,000;
the term of transaction must be at least five years without the right to terminate it prior to the term of repayment of the deposit. Conditions on investing in the equity capital of an enterprise:
the amount of investment must be at least EUR 36,000;
the amount of taxes payable for the next year must be at least EUR 28,600.
Duration of process
The time for obtaining a residence permit in Latvia includes the period necessary to review the submitted documents which is 5 to 30 days depending on the amount of fee paid. Additional time may be needed for sending documents by mail. If an additional verification by the foreigner is necessary or if a foreigner applies for residence permits for his or her spouse and minor children, the term can be extended for up to 90 days. A foreigner has to come to Latvia to obtain a residence permit no later than three months after being granted the permit.
Statistics
According to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), 2495 temporary residence permits were issued in 2010 indicating a high demand for this service. It is also worth mentioning that the amendments to the Immigration Law of 20 January 2011 simplified the bureaucratic component of services making them even more accessible.
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Official Name: Republic of Lithuania Capital: Vilnius Total area: 65 300 km2 GDP per capita: $21,615 Native Language: Lithuanian Government: Parliamentary republic Population: 2,955,986 Major Religion: Roman Catholicism Monetary Unit: Euro (EUR)
Lithuania is the southernmost of the three Baltic States - and the largest and most populous of them. Lithuania was the first occupied Soviet republic to break away from the Soviet Union and restore its sovereignty with the March 11, 1990 declaration of independence.
The Lithuanian landscape is mostly flat, with some low hills in the western highlands and the eastern highlands. The highest point is Aukštasis at 294 meters. Lithuania has 758 rivers, more than 2,800 lakes and 99 km of Baltic Sea coast, mostly used for recreation and nature conservation. Forests cover just over 30% of the country.
About 84% of the population are ethnic Lithuanians. The two largest minorities are Poles with just over 6% of the population and Russians with just over 5%. The Lithuanian language belongs to the family of Indo-European languages.
The capital, Vilnius, is a picturesque city on the banks of the Neris and Vilnia rivers, and the architecture in the old part of the city is among the most beautiful in Eastern Europe. Founded in 1579, Vilnius University is a Renaissance-style complex with countless courtyards forming a city within a city.
The President of Lithuania is directly elected for a five-year term and is mainly involved in foreign and security policy. The Lithuanian unicameral parliament, the Seimas, has 141 members.
Perhaps Lithuania's most famous culinary export is cold beet soup. Potatoes are also regularly on the menu, popular dishes are potato pancakes and cepelinai - potato dumplings filled with meat, quark or mushrooms.
Health & Wellbeing The 1992 Lithuanian Constitution guarantees social rights, including paid pre- and postnatal leave for working mothers, old-age and disability pensions, unemployment and sickness benefits, and free medical care.
Economy & Jobs Oil exploration and refining, banking, railroad equipment, electrical machinery, household appliances, mining, iron, steel, chemical manufacturing, natural gas and power generation.
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The Latvian tax system is influenced by both Latvian legislation and European Union requirements. It can be called average because each taxpayer contributes an average of 30% of their income to the budget. In addition, Latvia's diverse system of tax rates, tax breaks and allowances allows each taxpayer to choose the optimal sector for their activity and wealth management. The Republic of Latvia has the lowest effective (average) tax rate in the European Union. There are several areas of trade with individual tax breaks - payments that are 80% to 100% lower: for example, Liepāja and Rēzekne have special economic zones, and the free ports of Riga and Ventspils can provide tax breaks.
The tax principles are laid down in the Taxes and Duties Act. Taxes are administered by the State Revenue Service (SRS) and are divided into direct and indirect taxes. Indirect taxes are taxes that are not deducted directly from income and are levied on goods and services. Direct taxes, in turn, are taxes levied on all taxable income of individuals and companies.
Corporate tax Corporate income tax is the taxable income earned by a taxpayer during a taxable period. The tax base is the legally adjusted financial income of the corporation. The adjustments are made mainly to ensure that revenue exceeds expenditure on which the tax is not levied (e.g. expenditure not directly related to economic activity) or to increase revenue by a certain amount, if appropriate reduce if the law provides for tax relief.
Corporate taxpayers are:
resident or domestic companies engaged in economic activity, organizations and institutions funded from the state budget or municipal budgets and earning income from economic activity; non-resident or foreign companies, business entities, individuals and other persons; permanent representative offices of non-resident companies whose income tax rate is 20%. Individual companies pay income tax, and the tax rate ranges from 20% to 31.4%, depending on the level of income.
Income tax Personal income tax is one of the most stable sources of income that adds funds to municipal budgets. Personal income taxpayers are self-employed individuals or businesses that are registered as taxpayers, including farms and fisheries. It is intended to return income tax to taxpayers with eligible expenses for education and medical services.
Personal income tax rates vary between 20% and 31.4% depending on income. It should also be noted that the tax is not levied on all income. Instead, some items are deducted from total income before tax is calculated:
Tax-free minimum amount Deductions for legal guardians of specific persons (e.g. children) Deductions for people with disabilities other deductions Social security contributions (social tax) Compulsory Social Security Contribution is a compulsory payment to a special household account established by law, which entitles the insured to receive the social security benefits established by law. Social security contributions increase the state social security budget. Therefore, an insured person may receive the following benefits: old-age pension, disability pension, survivor's pension, sickness benefit, maternity benefit, unemployment insurance and death benefit.
The standard social tax rate is 35.09%, divided between employer (24.09%) and employee (11%). A number of deductions can also be applied, mainly various tax reductions for recipients of state pensions.
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Baltic Legal provides useful advice and quality legal support for obtaining temporary residence permits in Latvia and Lithuania through investments. It is possible to obtain a residence permit for up to 5 years in Latvia and for up to 1 year in Lithuania, which can be renewed at the end of this period. Obtaining a residence permit in a member state of the Shengen Agreement grants its holder the opportunity to travel visa-free within the Shengen area under the same conditions as for citizens of said member state. Latvia and Lithuania are current member states of the Schengen Agreement. Along with the main investor, the residence permit can also be obtained by his spouse and minor children.
The process of obtaining a residence permit is relatively complicated and requires knowledge of local legal and procedural issues. Our lawyers provide the necessary advice to choose the best type of investment and take care of preparing all the necessary documents and obtaining the residence permit.
Latvia The Latvian Immigration Law provides several ways for foreign investors to obtain a residence permit in Latvia. The most common options are:
Residence permit through investment in real estate, e.g. B. Buying a home. Continue reading Residence permit for managing directors, e.g. B. Managing director, managing director, member of the board of directors, authorized signatory Residence permit by investing in share capital with shareholder status, e.g. B. Company formation and registration or joining an existing company with significant investments Residence permit through investments in subordinated capital of the bank Other options (non-investment related): Student Visa: The Latvian Immigration Law also provides for a stay for students. Residence permit for students. EU Blue Card: If you are highly qualified, you can apply for the Blue Card. Lithuania The Lithuanian Immigration Law provides the possibility to apply for a residence permit for up to 1 year by investing in companies. In order to obtain a temporary residence permit in Lithuania, the investment must meet the following conditions:
a company has at least EUR 28 000 share capital; a company has real economic activities and pays minimum taxes; The presence of an investor is necessary for a company to operate. Are you still wondering? If you are still considering immigration options and wondering how to apply for a residence permit, what the conditions are and how long it takes, visit this website and find all the necessary information in one step!