Working in European countries for non-EU citizens

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence and work permit. The main routes:

• Graduates of Austrian universities can get a residence permit for 12 months to look for a job or start a business. With a job offer that matches your degree and pays the usual salary for graduates, you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card.
• EU Blue Card – for graduates of at least 3-year programmes with a job offer paying at least €55,678 gross a year (2026, including special payments). It is issued for 24 months.
• Red-White-Red Card for shortage occupations – for skilled workers in one of the 64 nationwide (or regional) shortage occupations.

All the conditions, points systems and application steps are explained on the government portal migration.gv.at.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a residence permit and, for most jobs, permission to work. Work permits are a regional matter – Flanders, for example, introduced new rules on 1 January 2026. The main routes:

• Search year after studies: if you graduated from higher education in Belgium, you can get up to 12 months to look for a job or start a business. During this year you have unrestricted access to the labour market. Apply at least 15 days before your student card (A card) expires.
• Highly skilled workers (Flanders): you need a bachelor’s or master’s degree of at least 3 years, and your salary must be at least the average gross annual salary in Belgium – or 80% of it if you are under 30, a nurse or a teacher.
• EU Blue Card (Flanders): for graduates of at least 3-year higher education programmes with a contract of at least 6 months and a salary of at least 130% of the average gross annual salary in Belgium. The regional page still showed the 2025 amounts when we checked.

Details: Immigration Office – search year and Flanders – employing foreign workers (in Dutch). Brussels and Wallonia have their own procedures.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need permission to work in Bulgaria. The main routes:

• Graduates of Bulgarian universities can look for and start work within 9 months after finishing their studies – register with the Employment Agency within 7 working days. For a permanent job after that, you need a work permit like other non-EU citizens.
• EU Blue Card – for graduates of at least 3-year programmes whose gross salary is at least 1.5 times the average salary in Bulgaria. The employer gets approval from the Employment Agency (after a labour market test), you apply for a type D visa, and the Migration Directorate issues the card.
• Seasonal workers – a seasonal work visa for fixed-term seasonal jobs.

The conditions are explained by the Employment Agency, e.g. for the EU Blue Card (in Bulgarian), and by the Migration Directorate.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a stay and work permit (dozvola za boravak i rad) – a single permit for both. In most cases your employer applies at the police administration or police station; HZZ first carries out a labour market test, except for occupations on the HZZ exemption list and some other cases. Fees: €74.32 for the permit plus €31.85 for the biometric residence card. The main routes:

• Graduates of Croatian universities can stay for one year after their studies to look for a job or start a business – renewable for one more year.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified jobs: you need a higher-education diploma and an employment contract for at least one year.
• Seasonal work – a separate permit for seasonal workers.

All the conditions and steps are explained by the Ministry of the Interior: Work of third-country nationals.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a residence and employment permit, issued by the Civil Registry and Migration Department. The main routes:

• Graduates of Cypriot universities who completed a master’s or PhD can apply for a permit to look for a job or start a business after their studies; the EU Immigration Portal mentions a period of one year after you complete your studies.
• Highly skilled workers in companies of foreign interest (including international companies): you need a university degree or equivalent, an employment contract of at least 2 years and a gross salary of at least €2,500 a month (Government strategy for attracting companies, updated February 2024).
• After 5 years of continuous legal residence you can apply for long-term residence.

Details: EU Immigration Portal – highly qualified workers in Cyprus and students in Cyprus.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a long-term residence permit to work. The main routes:

• Graduates of Czech universities who studied on a study residence permit can get a long-term residence permit to look for a job or start a business for up to 9 months (no extension; fee CZK 2,500). As graduates of a Czech university they have free access to the labour market.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified jobs: you need completed higher vocational or university education of at least 3 years and a salary of at least 1.5 times the average gross salary in the Czech Republic; for the period from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027 the Ministry of Labour put the average gross annual salary at CZK 590,580. It is valid 3 months longer than the work contract, for at most 3 years.
• Employee card (zaměstnanecká karta) – a long-term residence and work permit for any profession or skill level, valid for up to 2 years. Fee: CZK 2,500 in the Czech Republic, CZK 5,000 at an embassy abroad.

All the conditions and application steps are explained on ipc.gov.cz, the information portal for foreigners of the Ministry of the Interior.

If you are not a Nordic, EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence and work permit – even if you hold an EU Blue Card from another EU country. The main routes are described on the official portal nyidanmark.dk (New to Denmark). One example:

• Pay Limit Scheme – for a job offer paying at least DKK 552,000 a year (2026 level) for at least 30 hours a week, on Danish terms. You need a Danish bank account in your own name. The application fee is DKK 6,810.

Check nyidanmark.dk for the other schemes for skilled workers, researchers and graduates of Danish universities before you apply.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a visa or residence permit that allows you to work. The main routes:

• Graduates of Estonian universities can stay in Estonia for an extra 9 months after graduation to look for a job.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified workers with a contract or binding job offer of at least 6 months and a salary above the threshold linked to the Estonian average wage (it is updated every year – check the current figure with the Police and Border Guard Board).
• Temporary residence permit for employment – state fee €250 if you apply in Estonia, €280 at an Estonian embassy.
• Short-term employment – your employer registers it with the Police and Border Guard Board; you can work up to 365 days within 455 days (seasonal work: up to 270 days a year).

All routes, salary criteria and application steps are explained on workinestonia.com and by the Police and Border Guard Board.

If you are not a citizen of the EU, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you need a residence permit from Migri. The main routes:

• Graduates of Finnish universities can get a residence permit to look for work or start a business for up to 2 years; apply within 5 years after your study or research permit expired. With this permit you can work without restrictions.
• EU Blue Card – for graduates of at least 3-year programmes (or with 5 years of comparable professional experience) with a salary of at least €3,937 a month (2026). It is issued for up to 2 years.
• Specialist permit – for experts with a gross salary of at least €3,937 a month (2026); through the fast-track service you can get it in two weeks.

All the conditions and application steps are explained on migri.fi.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, your employer normally needs a work authorisation before hiring you. The main routes:

• Job search after studies: with a master’s degree or equivalent (e.g. licence professionnelle) from a French institution, you can get the residence card “recherche d’emploi ou création d’entreprise” for 1 year (not renewable). Apply within 12 months of your diploma if you live in France, or within 4 years from abroad. You can work during this year; to switch to a work residence card, your job must match your studies and pay more than €2,800.53 gross a month.
• Talent – EU Blue Card (carte de séjour “talent – carte bleue européenne”): for holders of a degree of at least 3 years of higher education or with 5 years of professional experience, with a contract of at least 6 months and a salary of at least €59,373 gross a year (2026). It is issued for up to 4 years.
• Salaried worker card (carte de séjour “salarié”): for other permanent jobs – the employer first applies online for the work authorisation.

All residence permits are explained on service-public.gouv.fr.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a visa or residence permit to work in Germany. The main routes:

• Graduates of German universities can stay up to 18 months to look for a job that matches their qualification – and may take any job in the meantime. This permit cannot be extended.
• EU Blue Card – for people with a university degree and a job offer of at least six months paying at least €50,700 gross a year (2026), or €45,934.20 in shortage occupations and for graduates within three years of finishing their studies. It is valid for up to four years.
• Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) – lets you look for a skilled job in Germany for up to one year. Meanwhile you can work up to 20 hours a week and try out jobs for up to two weeks per employer. You must show at least €1,091 net a month (2026).
• Skilled workers with recognised vocational training can get a residence permit to work in any job they are qualified for.

All routes, checks and application steps are explained on the federal government portal make-it-in-germany.com.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a national visa for work and then a residence permit. The main routes:

• Invitation procedure (μετάκληση): the employer applies to the Decentralised Administration with a job contract of at least one year paying at least the wage of an unskilled worker. It works only for specialties included in the joint ministerial decision that sets the number of non-EU workers by region and specialty every two years.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified workers with a contract of at least one year and a salary linked to the average gross salary in Greece. It is valid for two years and applied for through the migration ministry’s online portal.

All residence permit categories and documents are listed by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum: migration.gov.gr.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence permit that allows you to work. The main routes:

• Graduates of Hungarian universities who studied on a study (or research) residence permit can get a residence permit for job seeking or starting a business – valid for up to 9 months and not renewable. Apply no later than 15 days before your current permit expires.
• Hungarian Card (Magyar Kártya) – a residence permit for workers with professional qualifications specified by the minister responsible for higher education, and for some other groups (e.g. athletes, artists, film professionals). It is valid for up to 3 years and can be renewed for another 3 years.
• EU Blue Card (EU Kék Kártya) – for highly qualified jobs that meet the minimum salary set by Hungarian rules.

All residence permit types, required documents and fees are explained by the National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing on oif.gov.hu.

EU/EEA citizens can live and work in Iceland under the EEA Agreement – you just register (see above). Nordic citizens follow separate rules.

If you are not an EEA/EFTA citizen, you need a residence permit based on work from the Directorate of Immigration (Útlendingastofnun), and you must have a job offer from an Icelandic employer. The main work-based permits are for:

• work requiring expert knowledge,
• a shortage of labour – if you need a visa, you may not be in Iceland while your application is processed,
• athletes, and work under a collaboration or service contract.

Graduates of Icelandic universities (bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree) can get a special residence permit to look for a job after graduation – a bridge between the student permit and a permit for work requiring expert knowledge. The processing fee for work-based permits is ISK 80,000.

All the conditions and application steps are explained on island.is.

If you are not an EU/EEA or British citizen, you need an employment permit and immigration permission. Ireland does not take part in the EU Blue Card scheme – it has its own permits:

• Graduates of Irish colleges (Stamp 1G, Third Level Graduate Programme): after a level 8 qualification you get 12 months to look for work; after level 9 or higher, 12 months that can be renewed for another 12. Apply within six months of graduation, while you still hold Stamp 2.
• Critical Skills Employment Permit – for jobs on the Critical Skills Occupations List paying at least €40,904 a year (€36,848 if you graduated in the last 12 months), or other occupations paying over €68,911. The job offer must be for at least 2 years and no labour market test is needed. Afterwards you can apply for Stamp 4.
• General Employment Permit – generally at least €36,605 a year (€34,009 with a relevant degree from an Irish college obtained in the last 12 months); in most cases the employer must first carry out a labour market needs test.

Thresholds as published in October 2026. Permits are explained by the Department of Enterprise, immigration permissions by Immigration Service Delivery.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence and work permit. The main routes:

• Graduates of Italian universities: after your degree, your study permit can be converted into a permit to look for a job for one year, if you meet the conditions.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified workers with a job offer above the national salary threshold; it is valid for two years.
• Annual quotas (decreto flussi) – most other work permits are issued within yearly quotas, and the employer applies for you. For the 2027 quotas, employers can pre-fill applications on the Interior Ministry portal from 23 October to 7 December 2026.

The government portal integrazionemigranti.gov.it and the EU Immigration Portal (students, EU Blue Card) explain the procedures.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a work permit, issued by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) together with your visa or residence permit. Before inviting you, the employer must register the vacancy with the State Employment Agency – at least one month before applying. The main routes:

• Graduates of Latvian universities can apply for a temporary residence permit for up to 9 months to look for a job or start a business.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified workers with a contract or binding job offer of at least 1 year and a salary of at least 1.5 times the Latvian average gross salary (lower for shortage professions). PMLP fee for examining the documents: €160 (10 working days) or €280 (5 working days), plus €45 for the residence card (2026).
• Shortage professions – for the professions on the official shortage list (see “Where the jobs are”), employers may invite workers from abroad.

All the conditions and application steps are explained on the PMLP website: employment of foreigners and EU Blue Card.

If you are not an EEA or Swiss citizen, getting a work permit in Liechtenstein is hard. Permits are granted only to:

• managers (Führungskräfte),
• specialists with special expertise,
• other qualified workers with at least a completed apprenticeship or an upper secondary school leaving certificate (Matura).

In addition, the employer must show that no suitable worker could be found on the local and EEA labour market – the public employment service AMS FL has to confirm this in writing.

The admission rules contain no special job-search permit for graduates. Ask the migration authorities of the national administration (llv.li) before you plan your move.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you can look for a job on your own, but you need a residence permit that allows you to work before you start. The main routes:

• Graduates of Lithuanian universities can apply for a temporary residence permit for 12 months to look for a job or become self-employed.
• EU Blue Card – for graduates (or ICT specialists with at least 3 years of experience) with a contract of at least 6 months and a salary of at least 1.5 times the Lithuanian average gross wage – or 1.2 times for professions on the official high value-added shortage list. It is valid for up to 3 years.
• Temporary residence permit for work – state fee €160, or €320 for the urgent procedure.

All the conditions and application steps are explained by the Migration Department and on the state portal Work in Lithuania.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need an authorisation to stay before you enter Luxembourg, and you must declare your arrival to the municipality within 3 days. The main routes:

• After studies in Luxembourg: with a master’s degree or equivalent you can get a residence permit for 9 months to look for a job or set up a business.
• EU Blue Card (highly qualified worker): you need the required professional qualifications, a contract of at least 6 months and a salary of at least the amount set by grand-ducal regulation – check the current figure on guichet.lu.
• Salaried worker: a residence permit for other jobs, applied for before you come to Luxembourg.

All routes are explained on the government portal guichet.lu – third-country nationals.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a residence permit that allows you to work. The main routes:

• Single Permit – the standard combined residence and work permit for a specific job: first application €600, renewal €150 a year; usually valid for 1 year, processing can take up to 4 months.
• Key Employee Initiative – a fast track for managerial and highly technical jobs paying at least €45,000 gross a year.
• Specialist Employee Initiative – for skilled professionals earning at least €30,000 gross a year with an MQF level 6 qualification (or a lower qualification plus at least 3 years’ relevant experience).
• EU Blue Card – for graduates (or people with equivalent experience) with a salary of at least 1.5 times Malta’s average gross annual salary (rule since August 2025); the job must first be advertised for at least two weeks.

Fees and thresholds as published in October 2026. All permits are explained by Identità – working and residing in Malta.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence permit, and in most cases your employer applies for it. The main routes:

• Orientation year (zoekjaar hoogopgeleiden): if you completed a master’s, PhD or research in the Netherlands – or a qualifying degree from a top-200 university abroad – in the last 3 years, you can get a residence permit for 1 year. You may work freely during this year; your employer does not need a work permit.
• Highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant): your employer must be a sponsor recognised by the IND and applies for you. Minimum gross monthly salary in 2026: €5,942 (age 30+), €4,357 (under 30) and €3,122 if you apply during your orientation year or within 3 years of graduating. Holiday allowance does not count.
• EU Blue Card: for graduates of higher education programmes of at least 3 years with a contract of at least 6 months. Minimum gross monthly salary in 2026: €5,942, or €4,754 under the reduced criterion.

All conditions and fees are on the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service: ind.nl.

EU/EEA citizens have the right to live, work and study in Norway under the EEA rules – you just register (see above). If you lose your job after working less than a year, you can stay and look for a new one for 6 months (registered with Nav and provided you did not resign yourself).

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a residence permit from UDI. The main routes:

• Job seekers after studies – recent graduates (and researchers and skilled workers) can get a residence permit for up to one year to look for work. You must have your own funds of at least NOK 27,116 a month (NOK 325,400 a year), as UDI stated in October 2026.
• Skilled workers – with a concrete, normally full-time job offer from a Norwegian employer and a university degree or at least 3 years of upper-secondary vocational training. Pay and working conditions must not be poorer than normal in Norway. With a degree, you normally get a permit for up to 3 years at a time.

All the conditions and application steps are explained by UDI: skilled workers and job seekers.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence permit and, in most cases, permission to work. The main routes:

• Graduates of Polish universities (first-cycle, full-time second-cycle or doctoral studies) can get a temporary residence permit for 9 months to look for a job or start a business – only once. Apply in person at the voivode’s office right after you finish your studies, while your stay is still legal.
• EU Blue Card (Niebieska Karta UE) – for highly qualified jobs paying at least 150% of the average wage in the national economy in the previous year; Statistics Poland put the 2025 average at PLN 8,903.56 a month. The permit is issued for 3 months longer than the job, for at most 3 years.
• Work permit (zezwolenie na pracę) – for most other jobs your employer needs a work permit for you, and you need a visa or residence permit. Since 1 June 2025 new rules apply: instead of the labour market test, district authorities can list occupations for which no work permits are issued in their area.

All residence permits are explained by the Office for Foreigners (Urząd do Spraw Cudzoziemców) on gov.pl/web/udsc.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a visa and a residence permit to work. The main routes:

• Job-seeker visa (visto para procura de trabalho): valid for 120 days; you may work while it is valid, and once you have a job you apply for a residence permit with an appointment set in the visa.
• Residence permit for employment – with a job contract or offer; it is valid for 2 years and can be renewed for 3 years at a time.
• Graduates of Portuguese higher education who held a student residence permit can change to a residence permit to work in Portugal.
• Highly qualified jobs – separate residence permits for highly qualified activity and for jobs at certified tech companies (“Tech Visa”).

All permits, documents and fees are explained by the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum: aima.gov.pt.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, your employer must first get a work authorisation (aviz de muncă) for you from the Inspectorate-General for Immigration (IGI). It is granted only if the job cannot be filled by a Romanian, EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, and within the yearly quotas set by the government (unless you are exempt). With the authorisation you have 60 days to apply for a long-stay visa for employment (D/AM) at a Romanian embassy. The main routes:

• Graduates of Romanian universities can extend their residence right for studies by 9 months to look for a job or open a business.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified jobs (a degree from a programme of at least 3 years or equivalent experience). It is issued for the length of the contract plus 3 months, for at most 2 years.
• Seasonal work – a fixed-term contract based on an employment notice from IGI.

Conditions, salary thresholds and fees change – always check them with the Inspectorate-General for Immigration.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence permit, and for most jobs also a work permit. According to EURES Slovakia, employers can hire people from outside the EU who hold:

• an EU Blue Card – for highly qualified jobs; it is issued for the duration of the employment contract, for at most 3 years,
• a temporary residence permit for employment together with a work permit,
• a temporary residence permit for employment based on a confirmation from the labour office that the vacancy can be filled,
• a residence permit for family reunification or long-term resident status, together with a work permit.

Your employer must send an information card to the labour office within 7 working days of your start. The rules are explained on the ÚPSVaR page on the employment of foreigners; residence permits are dealt with by the Foreign Police.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a single residence and work permit (enotno dovoljenje za prebivanje in delo). You or your employer apply at a Slovenian embassy or consulate, or at an administrative unit in Slovenia; the Employment Service gives its consent. An employment contract without a single permit is null and void. The permit is issued for the length of your contract, but for no more than 2 years. The main routes:

• Graduates of Slovenian universities (at least a short-cycle or bachelor's degree, completed within the last two years) can get a single permit for 9 months to look for a job or start a business. Apply before your current permit expires.
• EU Blue Card – for university graduates with a contract of at least one year and a salary of at least 1.5 times the average annual gross wage in Slovenia. It is issued for 2 years; the fee is €102 at an embassy or €70 at an administrative unit.
• Employment – a single permit for a specific job with a Slovenian employer.

All the purposes of residence, conditions and steps are explained on the government portal infotujci.si.

If you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen, you need a residence and work permit. The main routes:

• Graduates of Spanish universities (bachelor’s level or higher) who held a student stay permit can get a residence permit to look for a job or start a business for 24 months (not extendable). You may not work with this permit itself – once you find a job, you need a work permit.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified jobs paying at least €41,356.36 gross a year (threshold updated in June 2026). A lower threshold of €33,085.09 applies to shortage occupations in the two highest occupation groups and to people who got their qualification in the last three years.
• Employer-sponsored work permit – the employer applies for you. Jobs on the Catalogue of Hard-to-Fill Occupations make it easier to get this first permit.

All conditions and information sheets are on the Ministry of Inclusion’s migration portal.

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you need a residence permit and, as a rule, a work permit from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). The main routes:

• Graduates of Swedish universities can get a residence permit for up to one year to look for work after completing bachelor’s or master’s studies (at least two semesters, with passing grades); after a doctorate, for one year to 18 months.
• Work permit – with a job offer paying at least 90% of the median salary: for applications from 16 June 2026 that is at least SEK 34,470 a month.
• EU Blue Card – for highly qualified workers with a degree of at least 180 credits (or at least 5 years of professional experience) and a salary of at least 1.25 times the average Swedish gross salary, which Migrationsverket currently sets at SEK 53,625 a month. The first card is valid for 9 months to 4 years.

All the conditions and application steps are explained on migrationsverket.se.

Switzerland is not in the EU, so there is no EU Blue Card here. For people from outside the EU/EFTA, access to the Swiss labour market is limited:

• Only qualified workers are admitted – managers, specialists or university graduates, usually with several years of professional experience.
• Permits are subject to annual quotas, and your employer must show that hiring you is in Switzerland’s economic interest and that no suitable person could be found in Switzerland or in the EU/EFTA.
• Graduates of Swiss universities get six months after finishing their studies to look for a job that matches their qualification. If the job is of overriding scientific or economic interest, they can be admitted without the priority rule for Swiss and EU/EFTA workers.

Details are on the website of the State Secretariat for Migration: sem.admin.ch, and on the federal portal ch.ch.

Unless you are British or Irish, or have status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you need a visa to work in the UK – this now applies to EU citizens too. As an EU visitor you need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) and can stay up to 6 months, but you cannot work. The main routes:

• EU Settlement Scheme – only for people who lived in the UK by 31 December 2020 (and their family members). The deadline was 30 June 2021; late applications are accepted only with reasonable grounds.
• Graduate visa – after a UK bachelor’s or postgraduate degree, while you still hold a Student visa: 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply from 1 January 2027 (3 years after a PhD). Fee £937 plus the health surcharge.
• Skilled Worker visa – a job offer from an approved employer in an eligible occupation, usually paying at least £41,700 a year or the “going rate” for the job, whichever is higher (in some cases £33,400). You must speak English; the visa lasts up to 5 years before you extend it.
• Youth Mobility Scheme – up to 2 years for young people from listed countries (e.g. Australia, Canada, Japan, Iceland, Andorra); no EU country is on the list at the moment.

All work visas are listed on GOV.UK – work visas.