These are the easiest countries to work in if you aren’t an EU citizen (2023)

FAQs

What is the easiest EU country to get citizenship? ›

Portugal

What make Portugal the easiest country in Europe to gain citizenship is that there are no physical presence requirements. Meaning you only need to hold your resident permit in order to qualify for naturalization. You don't need to spend most of the year in the country like most other countries.

Ireland. It is very easy to get a work visa in Ireland. The country offers short-term and long-term visas. It is necessary to have a job before applying for a work visa in Ireland.

Non-EU nationals may have the right to work in an EU country or to be treated equally with EU nationals as regards conditions of work. These rights depend on their status as family members of EU nationals and on their own nationality.

Visa requirements:

If you belong to a country that is part of the EU, then there are no restrictions and you can work in any EU country without a work visa. However, if you are not a citizen of any EU country, you should get a work visa to search for a job and work in any European country.

Italian citizenship by descent is one of the easiest to obtain. You may be eligible for citizenship if you have Italian heritage. To acquire citizenship, you must have an ancestor who was a citizen of Italy on March 17th, 1861 or was born in the country after that.

Cambodia

Cambodia is not only the easiest country to get a work visa, it's also one of the best countries to get a work visa! The popular business visa is easily renewable and you'll be surrounded by other expats, living and working in a paradise, surrounded by fascinating history and culture.

Which are the easiest countries to immigrate to from the US? Portugal, Malta and Spain are some of the easiest countries to relocate to from the United States. American citizens can either gain permanent residency or apply for citizenships via each country's Citizenship by Invest programs.

If you can handle the cold, Germany and the Netherlands are two of the most popular countries for expats, both offering international communities and unique residency options. Switzerland: Although many European countries offer a better quality of life than the U.S., Switzerland takes the cake.

American citizens have no automatic right to work in Europe. You can stay for a maximum of 90 days on a tourist visa but must apply for an EU work permit in your destination country to take up employment.

Can non-EU citizens work in Italy? ›

There are three different ways to have a non-EU citizen in Italy for business/working reasons: with an employment contract (hiring and Italian payroll); with an international secondment or; with a business visa (only for business activities, work is not allowed), trough an invitation letter.

The best way to move to Europe without a job is by getting a student visa and studying there. Whether it's for your Bachelor's or Master's or even just a language school, this is the most common and easiest entrance into a lot of countries in Europe.

Antikythera, Greece

The picturesque Greek Island of Antikythera has a population of around 20 residents and is paying people to move there. If chosen to be part of the program, people will be given land, a house, and a monthly stipend of about $565, or around ₹45,000, for the first three years.

The living criteria are fulfilled by spending only 35 days in the country within the five years of your investment. In comparison, Malta has one of the fastest citizenship programs in the EU—only a year after your investment is finalized. However, it comes at a higher price of €750,000.

Many countries worldwide offer citizenship by investment programs, including but not limited to Spain, Portugal, Malta, Greece, Vanuatu, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica, among others.

Which countries have the most powerful passports? Just below Japan, with visa-free access to 192 destinations, come South Korea and Singapore in joint second place. In third are Germany and Spain with visa-free access to 190 different destinations followed by Finland, Italy and Luxembourg with a score of 189.

According to the 2023 Henley Passport Index, Japan is the world's most powerful passport. This month, the International Air Transport Association released the 2023 Henley Passport Index, which reveals the world's most powerful passports.

Which country gets job easily? ›

According to World Rankings, some of the top countries that have the highest job prospects and scored well on their Opportunity Index include Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE, Australia, and more.

Costa Rica

And you don't need to go broke while living and working there, because Costa Rica is one of the cheapest countries to live in for Americans. Bargain flights from the US can also be found easily, making a trip to Costa Rica even more attractive.

Refugee Agency lists just 426 American refugees in 2021, with Germany, the U.K. and Canada being their top destinations. That's vanishingly small compared with 6.8 million from Syria, 2.7 million from Afghanistan or 2.4 million from South Sudan.

1. Ireland. Countless global reports have continually dubbed the people of Ireland as some of the friendliest and most welcoming to visitors in the world, and our readers feel the same; voting it into the top spot for the friendliest countries in Europe.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Settled by the French, turned over to the Spaniards, then passing back through French hands before landing in America's lap, New Orleans might be the most outwardly European city in the nation.

Depending on your preferences, some of the best countries in Europe to move to are Portugal, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta. With warmer climates, friendly people, and a more relaxed way of life, these places are favorites for America's citizens to relocate to.

Most European countries have difficult paths to residency but don't worry, there are still plenty of countries with long-term living options. There are 16 European countries that are easiest for U.S. citizens to move to, including popular destinations like Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany and Estonia.

How can an American legally live in Europe? ›

Options for Moving to Europe: To legally reside in a European country long term, you need a foreign residence and/or work permit. The first step is usually applying for a visa from your home country. Once approved, that visa allows you to enter the country you're moving to with your U.S. passport.

You can stay up to 90 days in a 180-day period in each of these countries without a visa.

You can work in Italy for a foreign company as long as you comply with local regulations. This includes having an appropriate visa and a work permit. When living in Italy long-term, you will also be subject to taxes in Italy. Working remotely in one country and living in another isn't that easy.

American citizens can move to Italy, with some caveats, as with any country. If your parents or grandparents were born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S., you can get an Italian passport, which grants you the right to live in Italy without going through the extra hurdle of getting a visa and/or permanent residence.

With a valid U.S. passport, you can stay up to 90 days for tourism or business during any 180-day period. Do not overstay! You must wait an additional 90 days before applying to re-enter the Schengen area. To stay longer than 90 days, you must have a visa.

These are Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. What is this? These Schengen countries have a border-free visa agreement that lets residents move throughout the Area without needing to show their passport every time they cross a border.

You should always apply for a visa or residence permit directly from the authorities of the EU country you plan to move to. There's no EU institution that handles applications or issues visas or residence permits on behalf of individual countries.

Five countries account for almost three quarters (74%) of new citizenships granted in 2020: Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Sweden. Italy granted citizenship to 131,800 individuals, some 18 percent of the EU's total.

The preferred and easiest way to apply for European citizenship is through your ancestry or descent. If you have parents, grandparents, and in some cases, even great grandparents from any of the EU countries like Poland, Italy, Ireland, Hungary, and many others, you can apply for citizenship.

The Golden visa program in Spain provides investors with an opportunity to obtain residency permits in 2—3 months. This is the fastest residency-by-investment program in the EU. Ten years after acquiring their residence permit, investors can apply for a permanent residency.

What is the cheapest European citizenship? ›

What is the cheapest EU golden visa? Malta's new Permanent Residency Program (MPRP) could be Europe's cheapest Golden Visa program. The basic cost is just €100,000. This is not an investment, but instead a donation to the government.

According to the report released on 10 January, Japan continues to top the list of the world's most powerful passport. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 193 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access destinations around the world.

There are several ways of claiming or applying for citizenship in Europe as an American: You can have citizenship by descent, by naturalization, by investment, or by exception. Citizenship by descent requires you to have a family history tied to the second nation.

There are eight recognised candidates for membership of the European Union: Turkey (since 1999), North Macedonia (2005), Montenegro (2010), Serbia (2012), Albania (2014), Moldova (2022), Ukraine (2022), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2022).

Canada. Having garnered a reputation for being one of the most welcoming countries for immigrants and being ranked as one of the most liveable places in the world, Canada is definitely the best and easiest country to immigrate to.

After a few years of permanent residence, you can get a permanent residence permit, then citizenship. Citizenship by investment is offered only by two EU countries: Malta and Bulgaria.

Ireland, Portugal, and Italy give citizenship easily if you have the right ancestry. Malta gives citizenship easily if you have enough money for its citizenship by investment program. Portugal give citizenship easily (even without Portuguese heritage), if you maintain residency in the country for five years.