Step 1: Find the countries your salary qualifies for
Most European work permits set a minimum salary, and that floor decides more applications than anything else. The table runs from the lowest published floor to the highest. Where a route publishes no floor, the employer still has to pay the local going rate, so treat it as a check rather than a free pass.
| Programme | Country | Gov. fee | Salary or income floor | Processing | Leads to PR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skilled Worker Visa (Qualified) | Germany | $100 | None published | 2–5 months | Yes, about 4 years |
| Research Visa (§18d AufenthG) | Germany | $110 | None published | 1–3 months | Yes, about 2 years |
| Researcher under Directive (EU) | Netherlands | $276 | None published | 1–3 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| Subordinate Work Visa (Decreto Flussi) | Italy | $125 | None published | 2–6 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| Tech Visa | Portugal | $160 | EUR 1,342.83/mo (≈ $18,467/yr) | 1–2 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| EU Blue Card | Italy | $54 | EUR 36,278.51/yr (≈ $41,575/yr) | 2–3 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| General Employment Permit | Ireland | $1,100 | EUR 36,605/yr (≈ $41,949/yr) | 2–5 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| Talent Passport (Qualified Employee) | France | $243 | EUR 39,582/yr (≈ $45,361/yr) | 1–3 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| Critical Skills Employment Permit | Ireland | $1,100 | EUR 40,904/yr (≈ $46,876/yr) | 2–4 months | Yes, about 2 years |
| Highly Qualified Professional | Spain | $200 | EUR 41,356.36/yr (≈ $47,394/yr) | 1–2 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| EU Blue Card | Germany | $120 | EUR 50,700/yr (≈ $58,102/yr) | 2–4 months | Yes, about 2 years |
| Talent Passport (EU Blue Card) | France | $243 | EUR 59,373/yr (≈ $68,041/yr) | 1–3 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| Highly Skilled Migrant | Netherlands | $380 | EUR 5,942/mo (≈ $81,714/yr) | 1–2 months | Yes, about 5 years |
| EU Blue Card (Netherlands) | Netherlands | $460 | EUR 5,942/mo (≈ $81,714/yr) | 1–3 months | Yes, about 5 years |
The short answer
Step 2: Get the offer, or a visa to look for one
Every route in the table needs a signed offer from an employer in that country. If you do not have one yet, two countries give you time on the ground to find it. Germany's Job Seeker Visa (Chancenkarte) (fee $100) is a points-tested job-search visa, and the Dutch Orientation Year (Zoekjaar) is for recent graduates of eligible universities. Portugal's Job Seeker Visa appears in many lists but is not currently open at consulates.
Italy is the special case. Its Subordinate Work Visa (Decreto Flussi) works inside annual quotas with a fixed application window, so timing matters as much as the offer. Our Chancenkarte guide covers the German job-search route in depth.
Step 3: Have your qualification recognised
Blue Cards and most skilled permits ask for a degree the destination recognises, or for regulated jobs such as nursing or engineering, a licence to practise there. Start this early. Recognition is run by the destination's own bodies and is often the slowest part of the move. Each programme page lists the official source for its requirements.
Step 4: Apply, then register when you arrive
Depending on the country, either you apply at a consulate or the employer files first and you collect a visa afterwards. The fee and processing window for each route are in the table. On arrival you register your address and collect a residence card, and from then on your permit renewals and your clock toward permanent residence run in that country.
If you are weighing Germany specifically, the Blue Card vs Opportunity Card guide and the EU Blue Card Germany guide go further. For residence routes that do not need a job at all, see how to move to Europe. Switzerland sits outside the EU and is covered in the Switzerland guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which European country gives work visas most easily?
It depends on your salary. The lowest published salary floor among the EU employer routes Transita tracks is the Tech Visa in Portugal at EUR 1,342.83/mo (≈ $18,467/yr). The highest is the EU Blue Card (Netherlands) in Netherlands at EUR 5,942/mo (≈ $81,714/yr).
Can I get a European work visa without a job offer?
A few countries let you come and look. Germany's Job Seeker Visa (Chancenkarte) and the Dutch Orientation Year (Zoekjaar) are job-search permits. Portugal's Job Seeker Visa exists in law but is not open to applications at consulates. Once you find work, you switch to an employer route.
Does an EU work visa let me work in every EU country?
No. A national work permit or EU Blue Card is issued by one country and lets you work there. Moving to a second EU country later means a new application there.
How long does a European work visa take?
Most of the EU employer routes are processed in one to a few months once the employer side is done. Germany's EU Blue Card is recorded at 2–4 months. Degree recognition and the employer's paperwork often take longer than the visa decision itself.
Is Switzerland part of this?
Switzerland is not in the EU and runs its own quota system for non-EU workers. Its B Permit (Resident Foreign Nationals) for Third-State Nationals is covered in Transita's Switzerland guide rather than in the EU table here.
See which of these routes fits your profile
Transita checks your salary, degree and experience against every European work route at once. Answer 8 questions and your routes, documents and dates are set up for you. Free.
Build my workspaceofficial sources: §18a AufenthG · make-it-in-germany.com·§18d · make-it-in-germany.com·Onderzoeker · ind.nl·Decreto Flussi · interno.gov.it·Tech Visa · iapmei.pt·Carta Blu UE · home-affairs.ec.europa.eu·GEP · enterprise.gov.ie·Passeport Talent - salarié qualifié · france-visas.gouv.fr·CSEP · enterprise.gov.ie·HQP · inclusion.gob.es·§18g AufenthG · bamf.de·Kennismigrant · ind.nl·EU Blue Card NL · ind.nl·§§20a, 20b AufenthG · auswaertiges-amt.de·Zoekjaar Highly Educated Persons · ind.nl