Finding Work in Europe
Some regions of the world are better than others for finding employment in. In some cases it is best to give the idea of working a miss altogether.
European Union (EU)
The countries currently in the European Union are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Candidate countries are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Turkey.
The changes in the employment laws in EU countries in recent years have made it considerably easier for people from the UK looking for work abroad. The majority of EU countries have a wide range of openings in tourism, fruit picking, labouring and factory work. You can stay in any EU country for up to three months looking for work. A good place to start are the national employment services which are similar to our Jobcentres (in France it is the Agence National pour l'Emploi, in Germany the Bundesanstadt für Arbeit). There are also numerous temporary employment agencies in EU countries which are worth a try - addresses can be found in local telephone books.
There is a system called The European System for the International Clearing of Vacancies and Applications for Employment (SEDOC) which is designed to help people find jobs in EU countries. Jobcentres in the UK will be able to provide more information.
Europe - Non-EU countries
Although there are numerous employment opportunities in these countries you may need a work permit in advance. This does not necessarily cover casual work that you find as you go. If you can find a job that allows you to work unofficially this could be easier than wading through a lot of red tape.
