Working Abroad

Working Abroad

Would you like to gain international work experience, improve your language skills or find a new direction for your career? Working abroad can offer unique opportunities for both professional and personal growth.

EURES helps you find a job abroad

EURES (European Employment Service) is a European cooperation network of employment services that supports jobseekers in the EU, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The services are free of charge and include:

• The EURES portal, with millions of job vacancies
• International recruitment events (European Job Days) 
• Guidance on working life, taxation and social security in the destination country

EURES advisers provide guidance by phone, email, or by visiting our EURES pop-up desk at Oulu BusinessAsema every other Tuesday (even weeks) from 9:00 to 11:30.

Job seeking trip to another European country

As an unemployed job seeker, you are allowed to go to another EU or EEA member state or Switzerland for three months to look for work and still retain your entitlement to the unemployment benefit you receive in Finland. During your job seeking trip, you can receive earnings-related unemployment allowance or basic unemployment allowance. In other words, you cannot receive the labour market subsidy during the trip.

Looking for work outside Europe

You can also look for work outside the EU and EEA. In these cases, pay special attention to visa requirements, work permits and other legal requirements of the country.

How to get started

1. Make a plan – Decide which country you would like to go to, what kind of work you are looking for, and for how long.
2. Check your documents – Make sure your CV and application are up to date in English or the language of the destination country.
3. Use available services – Register on the EURES portal and publish your jobseeker profile in the CV database. Explore European Job Days recruitment events. You can always contact our EURES advisers.
4. Prepare for your departure – Find out about practical matters such as accommodation, taxation and insurance.