Relocation and immigration in Europe
Relocation and immigration across Europe.
Every European country runs its own work permits, though most also offer the EU Blue Card for highly qualified people. Settio covers 10 countries in depth, with each country's permits, authorities, documents and first-week registrations in one plan per person, and starter plans for the rest of the EU.
In short
What to know
Sweden
Permits: Arbetstillstånd, EU Blue Card. Authorities: Migrationsverket, Skatteverket.
Work permits in SwedenGermany
Permits: Aufenthaltstitel, Blaue Karte EU. Authorities: Ausländerbehörde, Bundesagentur für Arbeit, Bürgeramt.
Work permits in GermanyFrance
Permits: Titre de séjour, ANEF. Authorities: Préfecture, Plateforme de la main-d'œuvre étrangère, CPAM.
Work permits in FranceNetherlands
Permits: Kennismigrant, GVVA. Authorities: IND, UWV, Belastingdienst.
Work permits in NetherlandsDenmark
Permits: Beløbsordningen, Fast-Track. Authorities: SIRI, Skattestyrelsen, Borgerservice.
Work permits in DenmarkPortugal
Permits: Visto de residência, Autorização de residência. Authorities: AIMA, Finanças, Segurança Social.
Work permits in PortugalSpain
Permits: Tarjeta azul UE. Authorities: Oficina de Extranjería, Agencia Tributaria, SEPE.
Work permits in SpainBelgium
Permits: Permis unique / gecombineerde vergunning. Authorities: Office des Étrangers / Dienst Vreemdelingenzaken, SPF Finances / FOD Financiën, ONSS / RSZ.
Work permits in BelgiumNorway
Permits: Oppholdstillatelse som faglært. Authorities: UDI, Skatteetaten, NAV.
Work permits in NorwayUnited Arab Emirates
Permits: MoHRE work permit, UAE residence visa. Authorities: MoHRE, ICP.
Work permits in United Arab Emirates
News
Latest changes, with the official source
- · upcomingNetherlands: 30% ruling: share of the salary that may be paid tax-free at most falls to 27% from 1 January 2027
- · upcomingSweden: Expert tax relief salary level rises to SEK 89,400 a month from 1 January 2027
- · upcomingSweden: SINK tax rate (non-residents) falls to 20% from 1 January 2027
- Sweden: EU Blue Card salary threshold is SEK 53,625 a month from 15 July 2026
- Sweden: Work-permit minimum salary rises to SEK 34,470 a month from 16 June 2026
- France: SMIC: minimum wage, gross a month for 35 hours a week is €1,867 a month from 1 June 2026
- France: SMIC: minimum wage, gross a year for 35 hours a week is €22,404 a year from 1 June 2026
- Sweden: Work-permit minimum salary is SEK 33,390 a month from 1 June 2026
Guides
Every guide on this topic
- EU Blue Card Sweden: Salary Requirements, Eligibility & How to Apply (2026)Everything HR teams need to know about the EU Blue Card in Sweden, salary thresholds, eligibility criteria, processing times, and how it compares to a standard work permit.
- EU Blue Card vs Work Permit Sweden: Which is Right for Your Hire?The EU Blue Card and the standard work permit are both valid routes for hiring highly-skilled non-EU professionals in Sweden. This guide compares eligibility, salary requirements, processing times, and long-term residency implications.
- Work Permit Comparison: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and FinlandFor employers hiring across the Nordics, understanding how each country's work permit system differs can save months of delays. This guide compares the key rules across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland.
- EU Blue Card Germany: Compliance Risks Employers Often MissEU Blue Card Germany compliance goes beyond the initial approval. This guide covers what employers must monitor post-hire, the 2026 salary thresholds, the four-week termination notice, job changes and deportation cost liability.
- Hiring International Talent in Germany: What HR Needs to Know in 2026Germany opened major new immigration pathways in 2023 and 2024, but each one carries compliance obligations. Here's what HR teams hiring internationally in Germany must know in 2026.
- Germany Blue Card Job Change: What Employers and Employees Must DoSince November 2023, a Germany Blue Card job change no longer needs approval: notify in the first 12 months, nothing after that. Here's exactly what employers and employees must do.
- Highly Skilled Migrant Netherlands: What Employers Must Monitor After HiringA 2025 Hague court ruling showed what happens when Dutch employers underpay highly skilled migrants. Here's what IND sponsor obligations require, and what salary drift can cost you.
- Netherlands Recognised Sponsor Status: What It Means and How to Keep ItNetherlands recognised sponsor status (erkend referent) is the linchpin of hiring highly skilled migrants. Losing it puts every sponsored employee's permit at risk. Here's how to protect it.
Show all 17 guides
- Work Permit Netherlands: Hidden Compliance Risks That End CareersDutch companies hire the best international talent, then quietly lose them to salary drift and missed IND notifications. Here's what's really happening and how to stop it.
- Employment Permit Ireland: Employer Compliance Obligations in 2026Ireland raised employment permit salary thresholds on 1 March 2026, and they now apply at every renewal. Here's what employers must do to stay compliant, and what fines and jail time are at stake.
- Critical Skills Employment Permit Ireland: What HR Leaders Need to KnowIreland's Critical Skills Employment Permit is the main route for tech talent into Ireland. The 2026 thresholds (€40,904 and €68,911), Stamp 4 after 21 months, and what HR must monitor.
- Work Permit Ireland: What Happens When Your Employer Gets It WrongLost your Irish work permit because your employer made a compliance mistake? Here's what happened, what rights you have, and how Ireland's Reactivation Employment Permit can help.
- Germany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) in 2026: Points, Funds and Work RulesGermany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) lets skilled non-EU workers look for a job in Germany for up to a year. Who qualifies, how the points work, the €1,091 monthly funds rule and what work is allowed.
- France's Talent Passport (Passeport Talent) in 2026: Categories, Salaries and FamilyFrance's Talent Passport (passeport talent) is a multi-year residence card of up to 4 years for qualified staff, Blue Card holders, founders and researchers. The 2026 categories, salary thresholds and family rules.
- The Dutch 30% Ruling in 2026: Who Qualifies and What Changes in 2027The Dutch 30% ruling (expat scheme) lets employers pay up to 30% of salary tax-free for five years. The 2026 salary norms, the drop to 27% on 1 January 2027, transition rules and employer duties.
- Hiring Non-EU Talent in Sweden vs Germany vs the Netherlands (2026 Comparison)Hiring in Sweden vs Germany vs the Netherlands: permit types, 2026 salary thresholds, processing times, employer obligations, tax incentives (expertskatt vs 30% ruling), family rights and the path to citizenship.
- EU Blue Card: Sweden vs Germany in 2026, Side by SideEU Blue Card Sweden vs Germany in 2026: salary thresholds (incl. Germany's lower shortage-occupation level), contract length, job changes, family rights and how fast each leads to permanent residence.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is there one work permit for all of Europe?
No. Each country issues its own permits. The EU Blue Card exists in most EU countries, but it is still issued by one country at a time, with that country's salary level.
Which European countries does Settio cover?
10 countries in depth, including Sweden, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and Norway, plus the UAE, and starter plans for the rest of the EU and the Gulf. Working with a country that isn't listed? Tell us: we're happy to help and to coordinate it with you.
Can one team run relocations into several countries in Settio?
Yes. Every case follows its destination country's plan, so an agency or HR team can run Sweden, Germany and Spain side by side.
Free tools and more
- Immigration software for HR teams
- Product overview
- For immigration agencies
- For HR teams
- Questions, answered
Informational only. This guide is not legal advice. Always verify requirements with official government sources before acting. Facts checked 10 October 2026. About this information