Immigrate to Europe

The EU Blue Card is a combined work and residence permit for highly qualified employees, based on a common EU framework. It is issued by 25 EU countries, all except Denmark and Ireland, and each country processes its own applications. This suits professionals with a higher education qualification, or in some fields such as IT equivalent professional experience, who have a job offer at a senior or specialist level. It typically depends on your qualification or experience, an employment contract or binding job offer of at least six months, and a salary that meets the threshold set by the country concerned. After 12 months, holders can move to a second EU country under simplified rules, and time spent in different EU countries can count towards EU long-term resident status.

NOTEEach country sets its own salary threshold within the EU range and updates it regularly.

Most non-EU workers who do not qualify for the Blue Card apply for a national work permit. Under the EU single permit rules, many EU countries issue one permit covering both work and residence through a single application procedure. Each country decides how many workers it admits, whether an employer must first look for candidates locally and what salary applies. Examples include Germany’s skilled worker visa, the Netherlands’ highly skilled migrant scheme, France’s talent residence permit and Italy’s work visa under the annual Decreto Flussi quotas. In Belgium, work authorisation is handled by the regions. This suits people with a job offer from an employer in a specific country. It depends on that country’s rules, your contract and, in many cases, recognition of your qualifications.

NOTEThe EU revised its single permit rules in 2024, and the way each country applies them can differ.

Most European countries expect you to have a job offer before you apply for a work permit. Germany is an exception: its Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), which replaced the earlier job seeker visa, lets qualified people live in Germany for a limited period while they look for work, with permission to do part-time and trial work. Several countries also let graduates of their own universities stay on to look for work. This suits qualified professionals who want to search for work in person. For the Opportunity Card, it depends on a recognised qualification, language ability, points under Germany’s own system and proof that you can support yourself.

NOTEJob search routes and the funds required are updated periodically.

Under EU rules, a company group based outside the EU can transfer managers, specialists and trainee employees to a branch or group company in an EU country for a limited period. The permit lasts up to three years for managers and specialists and up to one year for trainees, and holders can in some cases work for the group in other EU countries. This suits employees of international groups who are moving within the same organisation. It depends on your role, a minimum period of prior employment with the group and the transfer being temporary.