23: Which visa do you need to move abroad?
Ah, visas… this is what I like to call our “hall pass” for being able to live in another country. In this episode of the Move Abroad podcast, we’ll be covering the different types of visas you will be most likely to get if you move abroad and a bit of what the process looks like for each.
First steps to move abroad:
- Decide what country you want to move to
- See what types of visas that country offers and learn about the qualifications you need in order to get that visa
Main visa categories:
Working visa:
(this is the only visa where you might not have to pay for it)
- Normal job visa: If you have an employer, this visa is for you (calling all nine-to-fivers!). For this visa, a company will ‘sponsor’ you which basically just means a company gives you a work contract which you use to apply for the visa.
- Nanny/Au Pair: If you want to work as a nanny in another country, you can become an Au Pair (or Nanny).
- Teaching abroad visa: If you want to teach abroad (specifically English), there are many programs that can help you along this process.
- Internship abroad: If you want to do an internship abroad, there are companies that can help you along this process.
Entrepreneur visa: Do you want to start a business abroad? This visa is for you.
Digital nomad visa: Some countries offer digital nomad visas where you are allowed to live and work digitally (and legally) in a country.
Student visa: A student visa allows you to live in a foreign country while you pursue a degree at a university, and you can usually work 20 hours per week while you study.
Tourist visa: Some people work remotely in foreign countries on a normal tourist visa (which you are automatically on when immigration officers stamp your passport) without getting working visas.
Investment visa: If you have $200,000 to $2,000,000 available cash to invest, you can get an investment visa (commonly called the golden visa).
Ancestry visa: If your parents or grandparents were born in the country you want to move to, you maybe be able to get a visa in this country.
While different European countries have different types of visas and different rules for each, most countries have quite similar visas that fall into these categories below. Listen to this podcast episode to learn more.
