The same salary leaves you up to €12,000 more or less a year depending on the country. We calculated tax and social contributions for all 29 Schengen countries and checked the maths against official figures — then built calculators so you can try your own number.
Minimum salary in every Schengen country, with honest labels on what is confirmed.
Read the guide → 💼Take-home pay at €50k, €60k, €70kWhat you keep after tax and contributions in 29 countries.
Read the guide → 🧓Pensions for migrantsRetirement age, typical pension, and India social security agreements.
Read the guide → ⚖️Work–life balance by countryHours, paid leave, public holidays and parental leave side by side.
Read the guide → 🧭Job-seeker visas & post-study permitsThe Chancenkarte and every other route to look for work.
Read the guide → 🛂Skilled vs low-skilled work visasWhich doors are open for engineers, restaurant staff and care workers.
Read the guide →Every guide on this site belongs to one stage of the journey. Find where you are, and start there.
Only Germany and Austria let skilled people search without a job offer. Here is every route, country by country.
The minimum salary you must be offered, with lower thresholds for shortage jobs and graduates.
How qualifications are checked in Germany (ANABIN) and what a European CV looks like. In preparation.
Guides in preparation — written from inside the system by someone who held research positions in both Germany and Sweden.
In Germany and much of northern Europe, a PhD is usually a paid job with a salary and social insurance — not a tuition fee. That changes everything about how you apply.
The researcher permit is one of the smoothest routes into Europe — with a hosting agreement, mobility rights across the EU, and in some countries a real path toward permanent residence.
Real numbers, tax year 2026, for a single employee with no children. We do not use affiliate links yet — how we will earn money.
| Country | Net / year | Net / month | Kept | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇪 Germany | €37,561 | €3,130 | 62.6% | High |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | €44,094 | €3,674 | 73.5% | High |
| 🇫🇷 France | €41,149 | €3,429 | 68.6% | High |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | €46,205 | €3,850 | 77.0% | High |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | €37,071 | €3,089 | 61.8% | High |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | €41,436 | €3,453 | 69.1% | Medium |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | €36,772 | €3,064 | 61.3% | Medium |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | €41,021 | €3,418 | 68.4% | Medium |
We will publish verified first-hand experiences — with your permission, under your name or a pseudonym.
Share your story →The first-week mistakes people make — and how to avoid them.
Real rents, food, transport and healthcare costs, month by month.
How long it really took, what worked, what did not.
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Route Europa is an independent publication, not a visa agent, law firm or financial advisor. We verify every guide against official sources and tell you exactly which authority to confirm with before you act. If we can't verify it, we don't publish it.
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