United Kingdom

Since Brexit, EU citizens need a visa to work in the UK unless they have status under the EU Settlement Scheme – Irish citizens are the exception. The National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour from April 2026, and a Skilled Worker visa usually requires a salary of at least £41,700. Find out where to look for a job, how to apply and which visa routes are open to you.

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.


published: 2014-09-04
last modification: 2026-10-03

Common questions about job applications and interviews

Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.

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