Most developed countries today require that you obtain a work visa to be able to legally relocate and work from your country. However, getting a work visa is most challenging as some counties take extra precautions to vet individuals before issuing a visa. However, on the other hand, some qualify as the easiest countries to get a work visa depending on and even encourage immigration.
To help you target only countries with a high probability of success when you apply for a work visa, we have compiled a list of the easiest countries to get a work visa. Also, if you’re looking for a remote job, here’s a list for you.
Without further ado, Let’s get down to it!
What is a work visa?
A work visa is a legal permit that grants you legal permission to live and work in a country outside your country of origin. Essentially, there are several types of work visas you can apply for depending on your peculiar situation. The types of work visas vary from one country to another.
What are the easiest countries to get a work visa?
Here are some of the easiest countries to get a work visa:
1. Estonia
Estonia is one of the countries known for its high issuance of work visa applications. This makes it arguably the easiest country to obtain a work visa today. However, possibly because of its relatively weaker economy compared to other European countries, it gets fewer applications compared to other countries.
Nevertheless, if you are an immigrant looking for a country to easily migrate to and work abroad, Estonia is a great choice. Applying for a D visa is advisable if you want to work on a short project and begin as soon as possible. Over time, you can apply for a residency permit after landing in the country.
2. Lithuania
Arguably just as attractive as Estonia for a work visa, Lithuania is another country with a good amount of work visa issuance rate. However, you must first receive a job offer from an employer in the country before you can apply for a work visa. On successful provision of all the requested documents, your proposed employer will continue the process of submitting the work permit application to the Lithuania Labour Exchange. This is the official organisation in charge of issuing work permits in the country.
Additionally, Lithuania provides an avenue for non-EU citizens to work in the country without a permit. This is predicated on the condition that the job requires high-level professional qualifications, forcing the country to make a decision in line with their labour market needs. When approved under this condition, you must proceed to apply for a temporary resident permit instead of a Lithuania Work Visa or National (D) Visa.
3. Iceland
Iceland is well known for its healthy working work-life balance as the average Icelandic works a flexible 40 hours per week. This makes it one of the ideal places for immigrants looking to reside and work. More importantly, the country is known for its good work visa issuance rate, although you need to secure a contract first before applying for one.
Iceland offers multiple work permit options that you can apply for, some of which include:
- Temporary work permits for Athletes
- Temporary work permits granted for special reasons
- Temporary work permit for jobs that required expert knowledge
- Temporary work permits based on family reunion
- Temporary work permits for students
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4. Slovakia
Slovakia is one of the most attractive countries for immigrant job seekers due to the positive progress of its economy. The country’s economy has been on a positive trajectory for the past few years and is projected to grow even more. However, to work in Slovakia, you must apply for a work permit and temporary residence by reason of employment. Other options include –
- A temporary residence for the purpose of family and application for a work permit within the first 12 months.
- A temporary residency for third parity country nationals who have the status of an individual with long-term residence in a member state and a work permit within the first 12 months.
Available Slovakia work visas include:
- Slovakia single permit
- Work permit
- Seasonal employment
- EU blue card
5. Latvia
Latvia requires immigrants looking to work in the region to obtain a residence permit, work permit and type D visa. However, this does not apply to shareholders in Latvian companies, managers of foreign companies representing a Latvian firm in the country, or foreign nationals who have a permanent residence permit.
Additionally, EU citizens do not need a permit to work in Latvia although they need to apply for a residence permit to stay longer than 90 days.
The available types of Latvian work permits include:
- A Type which is issued to immigrants looking to work for a Latvian employer
- C and E Type which is issued for individuals transferred to the country through intra-company transfer
- D Type which is issued to foreign business owners looking to visit Latvia for a meeting
- Seasonal Work Visa which is issued for individuals who will be in Latvia for a specific period of time e.g tourism, vacation, etc.
6. Luxembourg
Basically, Luxembourg offers one of the easiest work visas you can get with options for short and long terms. The country offers the lowest unemployment rate and highest minimum wage in Europe for the last 40 years. Indeed, it is an enticing option for foreigners looking to work outside their country.
Luxembourg offers the following types of visas:
- Short stay Schengen Visa (c)
- EU Blue Card
- Long stay National Visa (D)
7. Germany
Germany boasts the largest pool of skilled labour in Europe with 42 million people. With a multicultural work market, Germany is very open to welcoming immigrant workers, making it easy for them to obtain a visa. The country recently launched the “opportunity card or chancen karte” for foreigners to visit the country in search of jobs even if they do not have any specific job offer.
While in the country, you can apply for a long-stay visa and work under any of the following conditions:
- Freelancing
- Searching for jobs while in the country
- Self-employment
- You already have a job offer
- Working as an Au Pair
- Working holiday visa
8. The Czech Republic
This is another attractive location for foreigners looking to work abroad due to its good and growing economy. The workforce in The Czech Republic is also highly skilled and educated.
The country offers the following types of work visas:
- Employee Card when an individual has a job offer
- EU Blue Card for residential and work permits for university graduates
- Intro-Company Employee Transfer Card for managers, specialists and career individuals transferred from a company outside the EU for a duration of 3 months.
- Business Visa – type D for citizens of third-world countries looking to run a business in the Czech Republic.
- Foreigners with free access to the labour market
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Conclusion
Although there are several options to choose from when looking for the easiest countries to get a work visa, there are other factors to consider. For one, some countries give work visas more freely than others, while some are advantageous to individuals with an EU citizenship or residence permit.
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