Work abroad

Are you planning on working abroad? Before you begin applying for work abroad, evaluate your language skills, expertise, and the employment situation of your field in your destination country.

EURES helps you find a job abroad 

EURES (European Employment Service) supports free movement between its Member States. In addition to EU countries, EURES covers Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.  

Free movement gives all citizens in the region the right to work in another Member State. As a Finnish citizen, you have the same rights and obligations when working in the EU and Switzerland as the nationals of those countries. You must register your residence in the new country, but no separate residence permit is required. 

If you want to work in an EU or EEA country or Switzerland and are looking for information about open jobs in the country, education and training, or the labour market, check out the EURES online service.

EURES advisers provide guidance on international job searches and help you prepare a country-specific CV and cover letter. In addition, you receive support from EURES member and partner organisations throughout the job search. The service is free of charge. 

As an unemployed jobseeker, you can job search for 3 months in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland and receive unemployment benefits from Finland.

Job search in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland

The EURES portal is a recruitment site for the EU. In addition to open jobs, it also contains a wide range of useful information on matters such as living and working in other EU countries and the contact details of EURES advisers in different EU countries.

You can also register in the EURES portal and create a job seeker profile and a CV there. You can publish your job seeker profile on the CV database where the employers registered in the service can find it. If an employer considers you to be a suitable candidate for a vacancy in their organisation, they can contact you and offer you the job. You can transfer your job applicant profile data from Job Market Finland directly to the EURES portal. 

Usually the job posting will specify what kind of an application the employer is looking for. The content of cover letters and CVs elsewhere in Europe is usually very similar to what is required in Finland. However, note that there may be some practical differences. In Germany, for example, it is common to attach copies of certificates to job applications.  

You can ask the EURES advisers in the destination country about country-specific practices; you can find their contact details in the EURES portal. You can also find country-specific tips for drafting a cover letter and a CV in the Living and working conditions section of the EURES portal. You can also read the country-specific information on job search processes in the ‘Ready to make the move?’ guide which is available on the website of the European Commission. You can download the guide in PDF format or order a print version.  

It is a good idea to use the Europass CV template as the basis for the CV. Europass has been developed with international recruitment in mind and easily gives the employer an overview of your professional skills and competence.

Targeted Mobility Scheme provide financial support for promoting labour mobility in the EU. There are several projects, which are currently coordinated by the Swedish and German employment services and EURES.  
 
You can receive a mobility subsidy e.g. if you have a job or a job interview in another EU country, Norway, or Iceland, and you need financial support for travel or relocation costs.  

EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme support for mobility in Europe

The European Online Job Day (EOJD) events are virtual recruitment fairs. They are organised by different EURES member states. Participation is free of charge for you. At the events, you can search for vacancies, chat with employers, watch videos and even participate in a job interview. You can also create a profile on the event platform. At EOJD events, you can easily find job opportunities abroad and hear about living and working in different countries. For more information on the events, contact an EURES adviser or the event platform.

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