How to find a job in European countries

Most vacancies in Austria are advertised through the public employment service AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice), on company websites, in newspapers and on online job boards. Start here:

• alle jobs – the AMS job search engine: AMS vacancies plus offers from company websites, the public administration and selected jobs from Germany,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Austria who help with moving for work,
• the alle jobs app (Android, iOS) with a job alert for new vacancies near you.

Many companies only accept online applications through their own forms. Speculative applications – to companies that have not advertised a job – are common and worth trying. Personal networks matter too: ask friends and acquaintances.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Start with the job portal of the region where you want to work:

• VDAB job search – the largest job database in Flanders, with filters for student jobs, part-time work and travel time, and email job alerts (in Dutch),
• Le Forem job offers – thousands of offers published every day, mainly in Wallonia (in French),
• Actiris job offers – full-time and part-time jobs in Brussels, the rest of Belgium and abroad (French, Dutch, English),
• ADG – job offers and application coaching in the German-speaking Community (German, French),
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers who help with moving for work.

Post your CV on online job sites and keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. Unsolicited applications are possible: say clearly what job you are looking for and why you want to work for this particular employer.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service is the Employment Agency (Агенция по заетостта) with 106 local job centres (labour offices) across Bulgaria. Its job mediation, information and advice are free for registered jobseekers. Start here:

• your local labour office – as an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen you can register in person, electronically or by post, with your ID, an application form and an address certificate from the Migration Directorate,
• EURES – the EU job portal; Bulgarian EURES advisers also speak English, German, Spanish or French,
• company websites and job portals – many employers advertise online.

Applications are usually sent with a Europass CV and a short cover letter.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The main public source of vacancies is the Croatian Employment Service (Hrvatski zavod za zapošljavanje, HZZ). Start here:

• Burza rada – the HZZ job exchange: vacancies from all over Croatia, and you can upload your CV for employers,
• Sezonski poslovi – the HZZ portal for seasonal jobs, mainly in tourism,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers at HZZ (eures.hzz.hr, with a chat service),
• public sector – for jobs in the state administration you create a profile in the Centralised Employment System and apply online through e-Građani.

Private employers usually want an application by email with your CV and sometimes copies of diplomas and certificates. HZZ’s career centres (CISOK) offer free information and counselling.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The Public Employment Service (Department of Labour) has district offices in Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca and Paphos and an online registration platform for jobseekers. Start here:

• PES online platform – register as a jobseeker,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Cyprus; note that EURES Cyprus only accepts CVs sent for a specific vacancy,
• newspapers – you can find them through the official web portal of the Republic of Cyprus.

It is also worth approaching companies directly, especially those looking for staff with particular specialisations.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

In the Czech Republic vacancies are registered with the Labour Office (Úřad práce ČR) and published on company websites, job portals and social networks and in most national newspapers. Start here:

• Labour Office vacancy search – the official database of job offers in the Czech Republic,
• EURES at the Labour Office – advisers who help EU citizens find work in the Czech Republic and employers recruit in the EU,
• EURES – the EU job portal with vacancies from all EU countries.

Contacting employers directly also works – especially for seasonal or casual work in rural areas. Larger companies often ask you to fill in their own application questionnaire.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Start with the public portals:

• Jobnet – Denmark’s national public job portal,
• Workindenmark – the public service for international recruitment, part of EURES, with job search, guides and advisers for international jobseekers,
• EURES – the European job portal.

Most applications in Denmark are submitted online. Employers expect a CV and a motivation letter adapted to the specific position – do not send the same letter everywhere.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service Töötukassa (Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund) publishes vacancies and offers free career advice – all its county departments have career centres. Start here:

• Töötukassa job offers – the national job search,
• EURES – the EU job portal; Töötukassa has EURES advisers in Tallinn, Harju County and Ida-Viru County who help with moving for work,
• public service job competitions – vacancies in state institutions (Ministry of Finance),
• Work in Estonia – the state portal for international talent, run by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, with job offers and relocation guides.

To apply, you normally send the employer your CV and a covering letter, usually by email or through an online form. If you are not selected, you usually get a reply by email or letter.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Since 2025, public employment services in Finland are run by municipal employment service areas, and vacancies are collected on the national portal Job Market Finland. Start here:

• Job Market Finland (Työmarkkinatori) – the national job portal and e-services of the employment authorities, in Finnish, Swedish and English,
• Work in Finland – part of the government’s Talent Boost programme, with jobs where English is enough,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Finland,
• public sector: Valtiolle.fi – all open jobs in the state administration, plus internships – and Kuntarekry – municipalities, cities and wellbeing services counties.

Job hunting in Finland takes time and active effort: check the sites regularly, contact employers directly and use your network – Facebook groups and LinkedIn work well. Staffing companies are widely used too. Finnish employers value initiative, punctuality and clear communication.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Vacancies are published by the public employment service France Travail, on company websites and through temporary employment agencies. Start here:

• France Travail job offers – hundreds of thousands of vacancies; France Travail can also be reached on 3949 (from abroad: +33 1 77 86 39 49),
• La bonne boîte – shows companies with a high potential to hire, so you can send them a spontaneous application,
• Choisir le service public – vacancies in the state, local and hospital public services,
• APEC – jobs and advice for managers and professionals (cadres),
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in France and in your home country.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Start with the official portals:

• Jobsuche – the job search of the Federal Employment Agency, one of the biggest job boards in Germany, with full-time, part-time and mini-jobs and apprenticeships,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Germany,
• Make it in Germany – the federal government’s portal for skilled workers from abroad,
• service.bund.de – vacancies in the public service, Germany’s largest employer with around 5.1 million staff.

Most applications are sent online – by email or through the employer’s own form. If you email it, put everything into one PDF file (max. 2 MB). Speculative applications – to companies that have not advertised a job – are common in Germany and worth trying.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service DYPA (Δημόσια Υπηρεσία Απασχόλησης, formerly OAED) has 115 employment centres (KPA2) across the country and e-services where you can submit your CV online. Start here:

• DYPA – registration as a job-seeker, vacancies, training and apprenticeship programmes,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Greece,
• ASEP – the Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection, which runs recruitment competitions for the public sector.

Private employment agencies (authorised by the Ministry of Labour), company websites, newspapers and social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook also carry vacancies. Speculative applications work: send your CV, or bring it in person and ask to see the person responsible for hiring.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

In Hungary the public employment service is the National Employment Service (Nemzeti Foglalkoztatási Szolgálat – NFSZ), which works through the county and district government offices. Vacancies are also published by private employment agencies and on job portals. Start here:

• Virtual Labour Market Portal (Virtuális Munkaerőpiac Portál – VMP) – the official job portal with current vacancies and a CV database (in Hungarian),
• EURES Hungary – EURES advisers at the employment service who help with moving for work,
• EURES – the EU job portal with vacancies from all EU countries.

You can also register as a jobseeker with the NFSZ and use its services; the information is on nfsz.munka.hu (in Hungarian).

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The Directorate of Labour (Vinnumálastofnun) is Iceland’s public employment service and EURES office. Start here:

• Directorate of Labour – jobs – vacancies registered with the Directorate, by region and job percentage, including EURES jobs,
• Starfatorg – all vacant jobs in the government sector (in Icelandic),
• EURES – the EU job portal; EURES Iceland answers questions at eures@vmst.is.

Prepare well before you move: study the main job websites and media, and have your documents ready. Most employers advertise in Icelandic unless the job is posted through EURES, and more and more of them use electronic application forms on their own websites.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service Intreo (Department of Social Protection) offers job listings, guidance from a case officer and training – free of charge for EEA nationals. Start here:

• JobsIreland – the free government job portal run by Intreo, with job search, CV resources and job matching,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Ireland who help with moving for work,
• publicjobs.ie – the Public Appointments Service portal for civil service and other public sector jobs.

Many employers use their own application forms, so expect to fill one in instead of (or as well as) sending a CV. You can also write to companies that have not advertised a job. If you have not heard back within about four weeks, it is fine to phone and ask.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Italy’s public employment service is run by the regions through local employment centres (Centri per l’impiego). To use their services you need the Italian digital identity SPID and a declaration that you are available for work (DID). Every centre also offers EURES services. Start here:

• SIISL – the Ministry of Labour’s platform: upload your CV and browse thousands of job and training offers from companies and employment agencies,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Italy,
• inPA – the single recruitment portal of the Italian public administration.

Many companies publish vacancies on their own websites, and speculative applications are common. LinkedIn and professional networks, Chambers of Commerce websites and newspapers are also worth checking.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

People in Latvia find jobs through personal contacts, ads, employment agencies and the internet. Many employers publish vacancies on their own websites and social media. Start here:

• CV and vacancy portal (CVVP) of the State Employment Agency (NVA) – search vacancies and publish your CV,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers at the NVA who help with moving for work,
• NVA – entry and stay in Latvia – what you need to know before you move.

Many employers publish their vacancies only on their own websites and social media – so follow the companies you are interested in, and do not be afraid to contact them directly.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Start with the public employment service AMS FL (Arbeitsmarkt Service Liechtenstein):

• job portals – AMS FL keeps a list of more than 40 job portals, sorted by sector (tourism, IT and engineering, health and education, students and internships…),
• EURES at AMS FL – advice on working conditions and job opportunities in Liechtenstein and Europe, with a EURES adviser,
• EURES – the European job portal.

Before you apply, check whether you will live in Liechtenstein or commute – your permit depends on it (see “Your first weeks”).

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service Užimtumo tarnyba offers its services to jobseekers free of charge. As an EU citizen you do not have to register with it to search for jobs. Start here:

• Užimtumo tarnyba – I am looking for a job – vacancy search (“Laisvos darbo vietos”), CV and interview tips,
• EURES Lithuania – job offers, seasonal work and help with moving for work,
• EURES – the EU job portal.

The employment service recommends using several channels at once: tell people you know what kind of job you are looking for, create a LinkedIn profile and send speculative applications to companies that have not advertised a job.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

• ADEM JobBoard – the job board of the public employment service ADEM; registered jobseekers see all vacancies declared to ADEM, everyone else the offers published on EURES,
• Work in Luxembourg – a government-led platform for international professionals; its job board only lists occupations with a significant shortage of skilled workers,
• GovJobs – jobs in the Luxembourg civil service,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus the EURES advisers at ADEM.

Many jobs are also advertised on company websites, private job sites and LinkedIn. Because many employees commute from France, Belgium and Germany, competition is international – language skills and a well-targeted application make the difference.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service Jobsplus helps jobseekers with a personal employment adviser, training courses and job matching. Start here:

• Jobsplus – Find a Job – vacancies in Malta and Gozo, filtered by industry, region and job type (casual, full time, part time, reduced hours, summer work); create an account to register as a jobseeker,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Malta who help with moving for work,
• recruitment.gov.mt – the official portal for public service vacancies.

Jobs are also advertised in local newspapers and trade magazines and through private employment agencies. You normally apply by sending your CV with a short covering letter or email.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

In the Netherlands more than 60% of vacancies are filled informally – through networks and contacts – so tell people you are looking and keep your LinkedIn profile up to date. Other channels:

• werk.nl – the job site of the public employment service UWV (in Dutch); registering with UWV is not compulsory,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers who help with moving for work,
• Werken voor Nederland – jobs at ministries and other central government organisations,
• employment, recruitment and secondment agencies – they operate throughout the country,
• company websites, newspapers (most vacancies appear in the Saturday editions) and job fairs.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service Nav runs arbeidsplassen.no, one of the largest databases of job ads in Norway. Start here:

• arbeidsplassen.no – Nav’s free job portal; filter by working language (e.g. “Engelsk”), and for some jobs use the “superfast application” (superrask søknad) – a few clicks instead of a CV,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Norway,
• Min CV on nav.no – register your CV (after logging in with an electronic ID) so that employers can find you.

Larger employers often recruit through their own websites and social media such as LinkedIn, and there are other job portals too. Register your CV in several places to be visible. Once you arrive, the Service Centre for Foreign Workers (SUA) brings the police, the Tax Administration and the Labour Inspection Authority together to help you sort out everything you need to work.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

In Poland vacancies are published by the public employment services – mainly the district labour offices (powiatowe urzędy pracy) – on company websites and on private job portals. You can also contact employers directly and send them your CV with a cover letter. Start here:

• ePraca – the Central Job Offers Database (Centralna Baza Ofert Pracy) of the labour offices: job offers, internships, apprenticeships and job fairs, in Poland and in the EU,
• the ePraca app (Android, iOS) – job offers from the labour offices with notifications about new offers and a map search,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Poland who help with moving for work,
• nabory.kprm.gov.pl – vacancies in the civil service, run by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister; a filter shows posts that are also open to foreigners.

Applications are submitted in person, by post or electronically – always in the way the employer asks for in the ad.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service IEFP (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional) has a network of 83 local employment services. Start here:

• iefponline – the IEFP portal: job offers all over Portugal, internships and training; register and upload your CV to apply,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Portugal,
• BEP (Bolsa de Emprego Público) – vacancies in the public administration.

Many jobs in Portugal are never advertised, so speculative applications – sending your CV to companies that interest you – are one of the best ways to get noticed. Company websites and personal contacts are worth using too.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service is the National Employment Agency (Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă, ANOFM), with 41 county agencies and one in Bucharest. They offer free information, counselling and job mediation. Start here:

• ANOFM job search – vacancies reported by employers, updated in real time; filter by occupation, sector, county, salary and contract type, including offers for graduates and trainees,
• job fairs (burse ale locurilor de muncă) – organised all year by the county employment agencies,
• EURES – the EU job portal; every county employment agency has EURES advisers.

The most common way to apply is to send a CV, sometimes with a short cover letter. Many employers also post jobs on private job portals and their own websites.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The Slovak public employment service is the network of Offices of Labour, Social Affairs and Family (úrady práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny – ÚPSVaR). Vacancies are also advertised on private job portals. Start here:

• sluzbyzamestnanosti.gov.sk – the official job portal of the public employment service: search vacancies, create an account and upload your CV (in Slovak),
• EURES Slovakia – EURES advisers and job offers for people moving within the EU,
• EURES – the EU job portal with vacancies from all EU countries.

When you start work, your employer must report it to the labour office – since 1 September 2025 this is done only electronically.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Vacancies in Slovenia are published by the Employment Service of Slovenia (Zavod Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje, ESS), on company websites and on private job portals. Start here:

• poiščidelo.si – the ESS portal: browse ESS vacancies, create your CV, apply electronically and contact a counsellor (in Slovenian),
• EURES – the EU job portal; EURES advisers and ESS career advisers help you find a job in Slovenia (see Find a job in Slovenia),
• networking, social networks and job fairs – the ESS recommends using them too.

Speculative applications are worth trying: the ESS suggests business registers and databases of Slovenian exporting companies to find employers to write to directly.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Spain has a national public employment service, SEPE (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal), and an employment service in each autonomous community with local offices. Start here:

• Empléate – the SEPE job portal: it brings together the job offers of its partner portals, has a filter for internship offers and links to the regional employment services,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Spain,
• Punto de Acceso General – Empleo público – the search engine for public-sector vacancies; competitions are also published in the official gazette (BOE).

Many companies have a “Trabaja con nosotros” or “Empleo” page on their website. Most vacancies in newspapers appear in the Sunday editions. Networking and personal contacts matter too.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Most people in Sweden look for jobs online, and it pays to be proactive. The public employment service Arbetsförmedlingen runs the country’s main job bank. Start here:

• Platsbanken – the Arbetsförmedlingen job bank (in Swedish), searchable by place and occupation, with the employer’s contact details; its vacancies are also copied to the EURES portal,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Sweden,
• Arbetsförmedlingen in English – help for people from the EU/EEA and Switzerland who want to work in Sweden, and information on rights, obligations and wages.

Many employers also recruit through staffing and recruitment agencies, their own websites and social media such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Do not just wait for ads – contact employers yourself and use your network.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

Most vacancies in Switzerland are advertised online; newspapers also publish job supplements. Start here:

• Job-Room – the job platform of the public employment service, run by SECO; employers must post vacancies in occupations with high unemployment here first,
• EURES – the European job portal; EURES advisers in your home country can help you prepare the move,
• jobs.admin.ch – vacancies in the Swiss federal administration.

If you already live in Switzerland and are looking for work, you can register with your regional employment centre (RAV/ORP/URC). Private employment agencies are another common route.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in Europe, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

The public employment service is Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, Jobs and Benefits offices do this job. Start here:

• Find a job – the DWP job portal: search without an account and filter for fully remote, hybrid or on-site jobs; you need an account to apply,
• Civil Service Jobs – vacancies in UK government departments and agencies,
• nidirect – how to find a job in Northern Ireland.

Before you start, every employer must check your right to work in the UK – usually with a share code you get online, or with your immigration documents (Irish citizens show their passport). Be careful with job offers sent via WhatsApp: Find a job warns about recruitment scams targeting jobseekers.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in Europe, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.