7 Easiest European Countries to Get Work Visa

Most of us dream of working in some other countries in order to get more relevant experience, so we bring you the list of 7 easiest European countries to get work visa.

It is not easy to find a nice and decent job in your own country, and whether having a university degree or not, not being able to find one can really affect your self-confidence and lower your self-esteem. On the other side, some people want to go abroad to work, not just because they cannot find the appropriate job in their own country, but because they want to gain international experience and widen their horizons. Some fields are much better developed in certain countries, and that is why many university educated individuals decide to test their luck and find a job abroad. Of course, some of you may also be interested in becoming a citizen of one of the countries that offer great job opportunities, so don’t forget to check the list of 10 Easiest Countries to Gain Citizenship in EU.

The main classification of the countries is made according to the length of the process for obtaining a work visa. Of course, it was impossible to estimate the length of the process from the very beginning when you start searching for a job until you get the visa, so we took into consideration exclusively that length of the period necessary to pass from the point of being accepted to work, to the point of getting your first visa. It is important to highlight that neither of the countries will be able to give you the work visa before you find a job. First of all, to get to know more about easiest European countries to get work visa, we checked the unemployment rates throughout the Europe, and singled out those with the lowest percentage, assuming that since the majority of citizens are employed, finding a job there will be much easier. We checked more than 20 European countries that have a great performance in terms of employment and managed to go deeper into the expectations and requirements to get the work permit. We also checked the average salaries, since we know how important that aspect is. The pieces of information that we found on Quora, Euro Jobs, Work Permit, and Expatica were very much helpful and applicable while creating this list.

So, if you have been thinking about testing your luck in terms of working abroad, this list is probably the best thing you can read today since it will provide you with the 7 easiest European countries to get work visa.

7. Denmark

We were completely amazed by the conditions to get the work visa in this country, so we couldn’t do anything but put it on the list of easiest European countries to get work visa. Denmark has an unemployment rate of 6% and an average salary around €3,095, and it is one of the easiest countries to work legally as a foreigner. There are two things that you should not forget if you are interested in working in this country: Positive List Scheme and Pay Limit Scheme. Positive list scheme actually refers to the work visa that you may obtain rather easily if you have one of those degrees and experiences that are not very frequent in Denmark. Mostly, they are always in need for people who have a degree and are qualified in natural sciences, engineering, medicine, psychology or architecture, and if you are one of those, start looking for the employer in this country. Pay limit scheme is for those cases when you find an employer who will give you the annual salary of about $55,000. In both cases, as you may have already concluded, it is important to get the job offer before arriving in Denmark, know the language, and it will take maximum 12 weeks to get the permission to work.

6. Germany

Up next in our list of easiest European countries to get work visa is the country that is inevitable to mention, and with the unemployment rate of only 4.5% and average monthly salary of €3,716, it has become a sort of a synonym for successful Europe, especially when it comes to employment and residence. However, there are several things that you should be aware of if you want to make plans about moving to Germany for work. There are three different programs for getting a work permit and you may find yourself in one. They are the programs of general employment, employment for specialists and professionals and self-employment. The general employment program is mostly suitable in cases when you have a concrete offer from a company from Germany, and such cases do not take a long time, about 8 to 12 weeks after your initial interview. However, the program for the employment of specialists and professionals is for if you are a graduate with an outstanding career and highly developed skills since Germany strives to attract professionals, especially doctors, IT professionals, teachers, and managers. The third case is the case of self-employment, and you need to have a business plan valid for at least 1 million Euros, and ability to employ 10 or more people. Germany Visa was very much helpful in gathering information, but don’t forget to start learning the language immediately, since no matter the skills, knowing German is always a priority.

5. Austria

Austria, the next one in our list  of easiest European countries to get work visa has an unemployment rate of 5.8% and an average salary of €2,094, which is the main reason why we went further into discovering what kind of requirements are necessary to get the work visa. Before we elaborate on that issue, it is important to say that there are three different types of work visas in this country, and those are restricted work permit that lasts for one year, work permit for two years, and unrestricted work permit for five years. To get the first one, after getting the offer from the employer will not take you more than 7 weeks. The process of going from the first to the last permit goes something like this; you first get the job from the specific employer and then apply for the restricted work permit that needs to be renewed every year, as long as the contract goes on. However, after doing it for four years in a row, you will be able to get the work permit two years long that allows you to change the employer, but you must stay in the specific district. Eventually, five years working in a row with this permit will allow you apply for the unrestricted visa that lasts for five years and gives you the freedom to search for the job anywhere in the country.

4. Luxembourg

Though it is a very small country, Luxembourg, the next one in our list of easiest European countries to get work visa is actually full of job opportunities and after reading everything that we have managed to find out, you will immediately want to get a job there. Before elaborating on the issues regarding the work permit, it is important to mention that Luxembourg has an unemployment rate of 6.1% and that average salary goes around €3,009. The process of getting the work permit in Luxembourg is not complicated at all. First of all, you should follow the vacancies that employers from Luxemburg try to fill, and encourage yourself to apply. The thing you should have in mind is that Luxembourg does not ask strictly for professionals and skilled workers, but that you may apply for the job that you think it suits you best. However, if you are a university degree holder, with relevant experiences in fields like IT, medicine or natural sciences, the chances to get the job are huge. Knowing one of the three official languages is mandatory! And, after you receive a confirmation letter from the employer, go to the closest embassy, and you should not wait more than 4 to 12 weeks until you officially become an employee in Luxembourg! This is why the country deserves the place on our list of 7 easiest European countries to get work visa.

3. Switzerland

With the average salary of €4,786 and unemployment rate of 3.3%, this country that ranks 3rd in our list of easiest European countries to get work visa may freely be regarded as a heaven for workers, and we know that probably anyone would be interested in getting a job and work visa to start working in Switzerland. The fifth of the population of this amazing country are foreigners, so if you look it from that perspective, you will probably think that this can be done freely. However, due to some recent events, Switzerland actually lowered the annual quota for the obtaining work permits for foreigners, so you need to be an outstanding candidate in order to get one. If you are a university degree holder, qualified worker, manager, specialist in any kind of field, desirably IT or similar, your application is likely to be accepted, but you need to find an employer before you come to Switzerland. Once the employer agrees to give you the job, the other issues are to be done by the company, since it needs to send your documents to the local cantonal employment service, which will transfer it to the Federal Office for Migration. The whole process, from getting the job offer until the moment you get your work permit may from 3 to 12 weeks. Knowing the language is a must, so do not wait for a second longer and start a course!

2. Belgium

The country that ranks second in our list of easiest European countries to get work visa is well known for its hospitality towards foreigners, the people are amazing and they mostly speak English, which is not very usual for their neighbors. The percentage of unemployed people in Belgium is 7.8% and the average salary goes around €3,258. As in most cases, you must first be a qualified worker with a job offer from the employer from Belgium, and the rest should not be tricky at all. Expatica was a very useful website for gathering information, and we found out that there are actually three types of work permits in this country, but A and B were specifically of our interests. Overall, there are various experiences regarding the length of the process, but it should not take longer than 4 to 6 weeks. If you are a university degree holder with a job opportunity in Belgium, the first permit you get is actually B, which can be obtained for a maximum period of one year, and if the employer is willing to give you the longer contract, your visa still has to be renewed every year. Once you get four B permits within the period of ten years, you will be able to apply for A work permit, which gives you the possibility of working anywhere and for any period of time, since this type is completely unrelated to the specific company and you apply for it yourself. Sounds like a great opportunity for us, so we advise you to start learning any of the languages that are official in Belgium!

1. Netherlands

With an unemployment rate of 6.8% and an average salary of €2,950, it is not surprising that this country is on our list. There are various requirements that foreigners must satisfy if they want to get a work permit in the Netherlands. However, the main thing to emphasize in this case is that in this country you may not get something that may be regarded as a general work permit, but when you get one, that means it is valid only in case of working for the employer who gave you a job to obtain the visa. On the other side, that is still not the bad idea since if you find an employer who is willing to hire you, getting the permit in this country is not the problem. The whole process – from getting the job to finally having the work visa should not last longer than 4 weeks. Some of the requirements that you will need to fulfill in order to be eligible to apply for the job in the Netherlands are a university degree, exquisite skills, good recommendations and valid working experience. Another very interesting thing regarding this country is the fact that you may also get the work permit as a freelancer, or if you want to establish your own business. Overall, the Netherlands is one of those countries where the workers are highly respected, so think about this option, since it is not put as the first one on our list of 7 easiest European countries to get work visa for no reason!