Living and working in Europe
In order to be able to make informed decisions about mobility, jobseekers and employers need information on a wide range of practical, legal and administrative questions. The EURES portal provides information tools which aim to give help and support when considering moving to or recruiting from another country.
The 'Living and working conditions' database contains details on a number of important issues such as finding accommodation, finding a school, taxes, cost of living, health, social legislation, comparability of qualifications, etc.
Another valuable information tool is the 'Labour market information' section, containing information on current trends on the European labour market by country, region and sector of activity.
Information on upcoming events of interest for jobseekers and employers in the country or region selected can be found in the 'Upcoming events' section.
About living and working
Thinking about practical, legal and administrative matters of importance when considering moving abroad can be confusing. The 'Living and working conditions' pages on the EURES portal aim to help make your move abroad as smooth as possible by fully informing you beforehand.
You can also find out which sectors have a significant imbalance between vacancies and workers, in both the shorter and longer term, which may affect the focus of your job hunt.
Although the right to live and work in another EU country is one of the EU’s fundamental freedoms, and also applies to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland under the European Economic Area (EEA) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) agreements, citizens from some newer EU countries are subject to certain transitional rules. You can find more information on how the transitional arrangements are applied in the different EURES countries by looking at the following pages on the Europa portal:
- 'Moving & working in Europe' (https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1172)
- 'Free movement and residence' (https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-f…)
Are you someone who spends a limited time working for your employer outside of the Member State you normally work in? If so, then you are considered a 'posted worker' and can find more information on the rules governing your working conditions in the ‘Posted workers’ section of the Europa portal.
For more detailed information, you can always contact your local EURES Adviser, or a EURES Adviser based in the country you’d like to move to, for help.