Planning to move to Europe for work? This is what you need to know about working visa

Europe has a rich culture and history to show off along with many work opportunities. And travelling from country to country is very easy. Working in Europe will thus offer you unique personal development opportunities and diverse experiences! As an EU citizen you probably know that you can freely move between EU countries (with some exceptions) for travel or work, but if you are a non-EU citizen, then you will need to obtain a working visa to be able to find a job in the EU or a travel visa to move from country to country.

working visa Europe

Types of Europe working visas and travel visas

It is important to understand that the EU is a political and economic union comprised of 28 European states and each state has its own rules and regulations when it comes to issuing visas and/or work permits. For example, some of the countries will require that you have a job offer prior to applying for a working visa. Nevertheless, there are some basic work permits and visa options that non-EU citizens can apply for to have the right to travel and work within the EU.

1. The Schengen Visa

One type of Visa in Europe is the Schengen Visa. The Schengen area includes 26 of the 28 EU countries – the UK and Ireland do not participate in it. So you can’t travel with a Schengen Visa to these two countries. The Schengen Visa allows you to travel freely to and from the Schengen countries but not work. For work you will have to further apply for a national or Schengen Type D visa which will allow you to study or work long term in the European country of your interest. You are advised to look for specific information for each different country and its rules.

Validity: maximum 90 days

Costs: €99.

Plan to apply: 2 months prior to your trip to the Schengen country.

Where to apply: at a consulate, embassy or a visa application centre in your country of residence.

Requirements: the basic documents you need to have are a valid passport, travel medical insurance and don’t forget two Schengen visa specific photographs. You will also need to fill in a form that you can find online here.

Useful info: this kind of Visa allows you to travel freely between the Schengen countries.

2. The European Blue Card

A type of working visa in Europe is the European Blue Card, which allows you to work and travel in 25 out of the 28 EU countries. Countries that do not issue and accept this kind of work permit are the UK, Ireland, and Denmark.

Validity: from 1 to 4 years, that can be extended.

Costs: €140.

Plan to apply: 4-6 months prior to your trip to the EU country where you plan to work in.

Where to apply: at a consulate or embassy in your country of residence.

Requirements: the basic requirements are that you need to have a university degree or at least 5 years of professional experience and you need to have a job offer contract which pays at least 150% of the country’s minimum wage and lasts for at least 1 year.

Useful info: you can apply for a new Blue Card for a different EU country after 18 months. You can change employer or job after 2 years. You can include family members in your application. If you lose your job, you have 3 months to look for another job. You can travel between Blue Card scheme countries for a combined period of 90 days in any 6 month period.

Are you thinking about moving to Europe?

Here are some interesting job ideas in: Vienna, Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Budapest, Rome, Milan, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Stockholm, London, Manchester.

working visa Europe

3 Working Holiday Visa in Europe

There is always the option to visit some European country and work along your way, but getting a Working Holiday Visa can be tricky and depends on the special agreement that your country may have with the European country at stake. It may vary a lot – for example, citizens of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand (and often South Korea and Japan) are eligible for one- to two-year working holiday visas from most of the Schengen countries. Explore your possibilities for Short-Term Jobs in Europe here. The programs and organizations that are referred to on this page can possibly help you get a temporary or seasonal work permit.

Are you thinking about moving to Europe?

In conclusion…

If you plan to immigrate, travel or have a working holiday to the EU, always keep in mind that each country has its own specifics, requirements and procedures when it comes to residency and work permits, so it is advisable to first decide in which country you would like to travel, live and work and then search for the relevant info.

Here is a useful link with general information on how to work in Europe.

This is a link to look for information about the Schengen Visa.

Here and here you can get informed about the European Blue Card.

And this is an interesting article about working holiday visas in the EU.

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