Job-seeker visas and post-study permits in Europe: the Chancenkarte and what else exists
Verified 2026-10-04 · Routes for non-EU citizens (India, Nigeria, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Indonesia)
Many people hope to fly to Europe, look for a job locally and stay. In most countries that is not allowed. This guide separates the two things people confuse: a job-seeker visa (come without a job offer) and a post-study permit (stay after you graduate there).
At a glance
- Only Germany and Austria have a clearly open route for skilled people without a job offer: Germany's Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), up to 1 year, and Austria's job-seeker visa, 6 months, 70 points.
- Spain and Portugal have a job-seeker visa written into law, but Portugal's is not yet open and Spain's depends on yearly place allocations.
- Most other countries offer a job-search permit only to people who studied there: usually 9–12 months (Germany 18 months, Finland up to 2 years, Denmark and Switzerland differ).
- Beware of agents and social-media posts selling "guaranteed job-seeker visas" for countries that have none — Luxembourg's embassy has publicly warned about this.
Last verified 2026-10-04. Research method: official-source collection for all 29 Schengen countries, then an independent cross-check with Perplexity. Where the two disagreed we used the official source; anything we could not confirm is labelled. See our editorial standards.
| Country | Job-seeker route without a job offer | Post-study job-search permit (after studying there) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | OpenJob-seeker visa D: 6 months; at least 70 points; proof of means; fees €195 + €218. | Yes12 months (student permit extension) |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | Graduates onlyNo route from abroad. Belgian graduates get a 12-month search year with full right to work. | Yes12 months, not extendable; free to work |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes9 months |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes1 year, renewable once |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | YesUp to 9 months |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | Graduates onlyOnly after a Danish degree (see right) or for people who lose a Danish work-permit job (6 months, no work allowed). | Yes3 years if study permit applied for before 1 Oct 2026; generally 1 year after |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes9 months (270 days) |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | YesUp to 2 years in total |
| 🇫🇷 France | Graduates onlyNo general route. Graduates of French master-level programmes may stay 12 months (RECE) — job must pay over €2,800/month. | Yes12 months (RECE permit) |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | OpenOpportunity Card (Chancenkarte): up to 1 year; 6 points from qualification, language, experience and age; funds €1,091/month; side job up to 20 h/week. | YesUp to 18 months, unrestricted work |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | NoNone |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes9 months |
| 🇮🇸 Iceland | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | NoNone |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes12 months |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes4 months (bachelor's); longer for master's/doctoral |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | NoNone |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes12 months |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | NoneNone. The Luxembourg embassy in New Delhi warns that fast 'job-seeker visa' offers on social media are fraudulent. | Yes9–12 months (sources differ) |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | YesAt least 9 months |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Graduates onlyOrientation year for graduates of Dutch universities or top-200 foreign universities: 1 year, free to work, fee €254. | Yes12 months (orientation year) |
| 🇳🇴 Norway | LimitedSkilled job-seeker permit up to 6 months — unconfirmed; may be limited to visa-free nationalities (the immigration site blocks automated checks). | YesUp to 1 year (unconfirmed) |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes9 months, once |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | LimitedSkilled Job Seeker Visa exists in law (Art. 57-A) but the foreign ministry says it is not yet open to applicants. | NoNone |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes9 months |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes9 months |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes9 months |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | LimitedExists in law (RD 1155/2024) but only where a yearly ministerial order allocates places; current availability not verified. | Yes12 months |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | Graduates onlyOnly for master's/doctoral graduates: up to 9 months, funds SEK 13,000/month, fee SEK 2,200; apply from abroad. | YesUp to 1 year (up to 18 months after a doctorate) |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | NoneNo general job-seeker visa found. | Yes6 months, not renewable |
Germany's Opportunity Card in short
- Points-based: qualification, language, work experience, age, ties to Germany and a partner who also qualifies — you need 6 points.
- Language: German A1 or English B2 proof.
- Funds: €1,091 per month in 2026 (€13,092 for a year), shown with a blocked account or a sponsor declaration.
- While searching you may work a side job of up to 20 hours a week and do trial work; if you find qualified employment you can switch.
Read the full step-by-step on the Germany country page.
Which is better: job-seeker visa or studying first?
A job-seeker route is cheaper if you already have a degree and experience in a shortage field. Studying first gives you a post-study permit in many more countries and usually longer to find work — but tuition, living costs and the language of instruction matter. In either case a signed job contract is what finally turns a search permit into a work permit.
We give you the map. The official authority gives you the decision. Immigration and tax rules change, and your own situation (nationality, qualifications, family, employer) can change the outcome. Always confirm with the official source linked on this page before you apply or sign a contract.