The Best European Countries for Easy Work Visas

What is a work visa?

A work visa is an official document stamped in your passport that lets you enter and work in another country for a certain amount of time. Many countries in Europe have it.

Working holiday visa Europe: The best working holiday visas in Europe

Many countries in Europe don’t have a “working holiday” visa, but expats can live and work there with an arrangement that looks quite like a working holiday. The best country for a “working holiday” visa in Europe is still Estonia.

A work visa is usually sponsored by a specific employer, while a tourist visa is usually not. You can't just go to a country, get a work visa, and then look for work (that's actually what a jobseeker visa allows, and some countries, like Portugal, have it). In some countries, like Spain, a company must first offer you a job and then show the government that they had to hire you because they couldn't find a good local candidate.

A work visa is different from a residence permit

A visa often allows you to enter the country. But the residence permit allows you to live there for an extended period. In many European countries, the work visa process grants you both, but they might be separate documents.

Do you need a visa for remote work? European countries with remote work visas

You don't need a visa for remote work, because you can work as a contractor from your home country. If what you want is to stay living where you are and work for a company in Europe, then you might not need a visa, but might still need to arrange it with your employer.

So seeking out for "European countries with remote work visas" is a bit of a mistake. Those don't exist. You might actually want a Digital Nomad visa instead!

What is the best way to get a work visa in Europe?

The best way to get a work visa in Europe is still to find a job from an employer who wants to help you relocate. In that scenario, it won't really matter if the country is easy or tricky to obtain work visas from because your employer will be walking you through the process.

Read on to learn which is the easiest country to get a working holiday visa in Europe in 2025.

What is the Easiest European Country to Get a Working Holiday Visa Agreement?

The easiest country to get a work visa in 2025 is Estonia. Estonia has a very transparent, albeit a bit long-winded, process to become a European citizen, and as such it’s one of the best countries to relocate to if you’re an expat who wants to get the EU passport.

The Easiest European Countries to Get a Working Holiday Visa

These countries have the best options to score a working holiday visa or a working visa in 2025. Read on and learn:

Estonia 🇪🇪

Perhaps surprisingly, the easiest European country to get a work visa in 2025 is Estonia, a small coastal country south of Finland. This country adopted a digital governance model years ago and is the birthplace of KaZaA and Skype.

What's more, in just a simple two-step dance, your work visa awaits.

Start with a D work visa for short gigs of working abroad or apply for a residence permit for those nomadic plans with staying power. Accompanied by a registered Estonian employer, a valid work contract, and a clean bill of health, you're all set.

And that's all there is to it! See what we mean about it being easy? The stats actually back this up, too, with a staggeringly high approval rate of 87%.

Estonia has a very clear (albeit lengthy) pathway to becoming

Find out more information here on the official website.

France 🇫🇷

France is a beloved country for a reason.

Culture. History. Music. Beautiful urban and rural spaces. Connectivity. Opportunity. The list of what makes France such a great country to live in just keeps going, and actually doing just that is easier than you may think.

To start with, if you only plan for your trip to last below 90 days, France rolls out its short-term work visa, complete with flexible exemptions reflecting your work nature.

However, there are working holiday Visa programs that can cover you for up to a year—just look for the 'Travailleur Temporaire' visa. As you'll find with most of these work visa programs, you will need a valid contract of a confirmed job already, and you'll be good to go.

Oh, and another reason why France is so attractive, the real belle of the ball, so to speak.

The inclusive family provisions. France's work visas extend to your family, giving them a residence and work permit to your spouse and kids on the spot.

Find out more information here on the official website.

The Netherlands 🇳🇱

The Netherlands is one of the best nations to get a working visa and also one of the best places to move into to work. That’s what testimonials sourced by Relocate.me confirm. And with cities like Amsterdam, access to some of the best schools in the world, and being one of the tech hubs of Europe, there's a lot going for this relatively tiny country.

Read Oscar’s Relocation Story: Moving to the Netherlands →

Thankfully, it's pretty easy to get a work visa to enjoy all this.

If you're in the exceptionally smart crowd—think recent grads from top universities or those who have delved into profound scientific research—the Orientation Year visa is your golden ticket.

It grants you the freedom to work and live in the Netherlands for a year, bypassing the need for separate work or temporary residence permits. It's an open field for the world's brightest to sow their seeds of expertise.

Entrepreneurs, especially from the US, also listen up: The Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT visa) is practically a direct invitation to the Dutch market.

You can basically establish and operate a business with more ease than you'd find in a tulip field.

But, if you're looking for something a little less niche, there are TWV and GVVA work permits suited to a range of professions and intended work durations. Whether your plans are brief or as long as a Dutch winter night, there are plenty of easy opportunities to sink your teeth into.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Sweden 🇸🇪

Getting a work visa in Sweden is pretty simple on your part, but there are some requirements.

Most importantly, you need a contract, and your future employer needs to have explored local and EU/EEA markets by the country's regulations. However, if this is all fine, what follows is the employer-initiated application with employment and potential employee details—meaning you don't have to worry about the details - it's all taken care of on your behalf.

Post-acceptance, it's relocation time!

As you'd expect, Sweden sweetens the deal with family permits processed simultaneously, which is great for family moves.

Sweden has recently become stricter with their immigration policies, so make sure you’re relying on experts or websites (like this one!) that provide updated, 2025 information.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Lithuania 🇱🇹

Lithuania is one of the best places to live in Europe (which, to be fair, is something you can say of all the Baltic states!). You can get started by finding a job there, and your employer will take care of almost everything else. So, the process is pretty easy as long as you can get the job.

The work visa type will depend on the job you get and will break down into one of the following:

• Work visa for highly skilled workers (EU Blue Card)
• Work visa for intra-company transfers.
• Work permit for employment in Lithuania.
• Seasonal work visa.

Once the permit is granted, you'll need to apply for the permit in your own country. However, if you're from inside the EU or the EEA, you can work in the country for free as long as you register your stay within three months of being there.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Iceland 🇮🇸

Iceland is one of the best European countries for an easy work visa, The sturdy foundation here is a signed employment contract with an Icelandic firm. Get your hands on one of those, and you're all set to apply for a work permit and then to start your work abroad.

You can balance your work and personal life, work in a progressive environment, feel safe, and see beautiful scenery. This is a 360° lifestyle experience that really makes Iceland stand out as a place to work.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Latvia 🇱🇻

Latvia's meteoric economic ascent has cultivated a work permit ecosystem that's flexible and caters to myriad professionals—local employers and visiting business mavens alike.

Here, work permits are crafted around individual job role requirements. To live and work in Latvia, you need to secure a Type D visa and a residence permit.

Though the process might involve a few checks, it culminates in a custom work permit for employment and residency. It's Latvia's way of embracing global talent and nurturing a diverse workforce that fortifies the nation's economic backbone.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Slovakia 🇸🇰

Slovakia is becoming the place where career-minded people all over the world want to go. Search 'Living the Slovakian dream' online, and you'll stumble upon the 'single permit'.

It’s a very affordable country with a well-earned reputation as a hub for developers. It usually ranks along with Poland as one of the best countries to hire developers in Europe.

So if you’re planning to build a reputation as a dependable software engineer, their easy work visa is a good starting point.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Luxembourg 🇱🇺

People from other countries want to work in Luxembourg because it has a stable economy and a high standard of living. There's more to the story, though. The process for getting a work visa there is flexible, quick, and made to fit the needs of different job seekers.

• Catering to short-term and long-term job aspirations
• Requiring job contracts to kick-start the permit process
• Employer-led registration through the National Employment Agency (ADEM)

Luxembourg also has the highest minimum wage in Europe, which makes it a great place to work. Since Luxembourg's unemployment rate has been low for 40 years, it's hard not to see it as a job market with lots of openings.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Czechia 🇨🇿

The best way to describe Czechia's work immigration system in terms of work visas would be as a flexible web of permits made to fit the needs of different professionals.

There are choices like the Employee Card, the EU Blue Card, the business visa, and the Employee Transfer Card for employees within the same company. The Employee Card is only available to people who are not from the EU. It is linked to a specific job and employer and can be used as both a work permit and a residency permit. Mix in the EU Blue Card for those top-tier talents or the ETC as an option for those transferring in, and you've got some pretty simple options.

Find out more information here on the official website.

Ireland 🇮🇪

With Ireland's Working Holiday Authorization (WHA), people from certain countries can come to the country for a vacation and live and work there for up to a year. To be eligible, you must be between the ages of 18 and 30 (or 35 for some nationalities), have enough money (about €3,000), and be in college or have just graduated.

Applications are submitted through the relevant Irish Embassy or Consulate in your home country, so head directly to their website. It appears that the Irish government has set up websites for each consulate!

Get a Work Visa with a Job in Europe and Relocate

As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities out there, and it really depends on the country you want to go to, the value you can provide to said country, and the kind of job you can secure.

Of course, each country has its own working holiday visa website, so you should definitely check that out for the most up-to-date information and your preferred next steps.

The absolute best way to move overseas is with a job. Being sponsored by a company provides you with access to work visas and a long-term stay. It's even better when the company covers the cost of your move with relocation support. You can find relocation jobs in Europe and the US on our niche job board.

You might also need support from immigration experts who can help you plan out your next move. At Relocate.me, we can connect you with specialists for any of the countries we mentioned here.

Meanwhile, consider subscribing to The Global Move, our newsletter with curated tech jobs and content for relocation seekers.

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