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Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

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Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#51

Post by beaconstudios »

max1984_2 wrote: post #49
beaconstudios wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would assume it's the same amount of effort as before, if you're coming from outside the EU. I can attest to the UK having well-paid developer jobs though, especially in London. I'm not in London but I have friends who are and they're doing well.

Everyone always talks about London, but misses out some of the other cities/large towns. Manchester maybe a better option than London. Manchester is cheaper and has almost all the things you want from London without a lot of the negatives. Pay isn't nearly as good but the costs of living in Manchester are about 1/2 to 1/3rd of what London is. If you want better weather the south-coast has Bournemouth (lots of smaller…

yeah I'm based near Leeds and I've had a great career working across Yorkshire. I just reference London for the international audience, and because it's got that kind of urban metropolitan environment that most developers seem to prefer (even though it's not my cup of tea).

We're not known for the good weather up here, but thankfully it's spring this week so it's nicer.

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#52

Post by pimterry »

chmod775 wrote: post #11

It's pretty easy to move to (most) European countries really. It's nothing like what you're hearing from people trying to move to the US. Most will just let you stay to work (visa/residence permit) with relatively little bureaucracy. As long as you have a job they won't bother you. There's some other requirements (qualified professional, certain income), but as a software developer you won't have any trouble. Your em…

> You will then likely also have to renounce your old citizenship.

While that may be true to obtain citizenship, it won't be necessary anywhere for permanent residency.

Citizenship is nice e.g. if you want to vote locally but isn't really necessary for anything else practical. Permanent residents will have equal access to health care, they have the same freedom to move elsewhere in the EU, etc etc.

Citizenship might help if you want to commit crimes with no risk of being deported though, so maybe look into it before your first bank robbery.

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#54

Post by johnnycerberus »

Bucharest is great nowadays if you would like to relocate to Europe. Cheap living, salaries on par with Western Europe, access to good education if you want to pursue interests further, good private healtchare, transporation.

Some of the companies that are currently recruiting in the area: Amazon (FirecrackerVM is built there, many Rust jobs), Bitdefender (great cybersec defense company), UiPath (the European unicorn), Oracle, HP, Accenture, IONOS, Luxoft, Ericsson, Adobe, IBM Romania, SAP, Endava, Bolt, Dell Technologies, Fitbit, Deloitte, Thales, Cegeka, Huawei etc.

If game development is your thing: Electronics Arts, Ubisoft and many other indie game studios

If banks and telco is your thing: Orange, Vodafone, DIGI, T-Mobile, ING, BCR, BRD, Deutsche Bank, Transylvanian Bank, etc.

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#55

Post by ellenjo »

I moved to Berlin few months ago to work in a fintech company and the process was super quick and easy. It only took 2,3 weeks to finalise everything.

Now, I applied for a blue card, but since you don't have a degree its best to apply for work permit.

The waiting time for this whole process largely depends on the waiting time in your home country for the embassy appointment. I recall in my situation - people had to wait up to a year for a work permit appointment, while for a blue card the waiting time it was only a few days!

In both situations blue card or work permit, you have to have an employer, since you will need documentation from their side.

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#56

Post by FormFollowsFunc »

max1984_2 wrote: post #49
beaconstudios wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would assume it's the same amount of effort as before, if you're coming from outside the EU. I can attest to the UK having well-paid developer jobs though, especially in London. I'm not in London but I have friends who are and they're doing well.

Everyone always talks about London, but misses out some of the other cities/large towns. Manchester maybe a better option than London. Manchester is cheaper and has almost all the things you want from London without a lot of the negatives. Pay isn't nearly as good but the costs of living in Manchester are about 1/2 to 1/3rd of what London is. If you want better weather the south-coast has Bournemouth (lots of smaller…

I moved from London to Manchester and my experience wasn't positive. While it might be cheaper there wasn't a lot of jobs. You are better off sticking to the South East.

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#57

Post by andi999 »

intellirogue wrote: post #42
andi999 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1b) apply for Visa at the embassy

Unless you're from a country with an extensive visa-free agreement for Schengen. In those cases you enter the country as a tourist, and then apply for a work permit (not visa) at a local government office. It is generally not possible to get a visa from the embassy if you're from a country where this is possible.

Can you give an example of a specific set of countries where this applies (country of origin of course non-EU)

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#58

Post by burnoutguru »

chx wrote: post #36

Croatia just started a program where you can stay for a year (instead of the usual 90 days) as a digital nomad. > A DIGITAL NOMAD IS a third-country national who is employed or performs work through communication technology for a company or his own company that is not registered in the Republic of Croatia and does not perform work or provide services to employers in the Republic of Croatia. https://www.croatia.hr/en-…

A few more than 4 I think Georgia will give pretty much any tourist a 364 day visa. Spain has a “non-lucrative residench permit” which lets you work for non-ES companiea remoteu. Dubai also has something similar.

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#59

Post by sloaken »

madeofpalk wrote: post #6
sloaken wrote: post #2

I assume the easiest method is to obtain a EU passport. So the followup is how to get an EU passport? If I recall correctly (read it a few years ago), some EU countries, you could buy your way into a passport. Not sure if it is still true. And I remember the larger (richer?) EU countries were not happy with the countries doing that.

> I assume the easiest method is to obtain a EU passport. I am... not sure this is true, and I'm not sure why you would think it is? Usually its much easier to obtain a work visa than a passport.

Yes it was true: https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/20/buying-eu-citizenship-wh...

In particular Malta and Cyprus, evidently had low barriers. But according to the article, 19 EU countries provide some kind of residency scheme.

Another site provides some interesting details: https://imperiallegal.com/european-passport/

Re: Ask HN: How to relocate to Europe as a software developer

#60

Post by sloaken »

burnoutguru wrote: post #16
sloaken wrote: post #2

I assume the easiest method is to obtain a EU passport. So the followup is how to get an EU passport? If I recall correctly (read it a few years ago), some EU countries, you could buy your way into a passport. Not sure if it is still true. And I remember the larger (richer?) EU countries were not happy with the countries doing that.

Huh? If you have enough $$ to buy a passport then you are probably not using HN or a jr developer. This means a multi multi million dollar investment in a country and some amount of bribery. Next also unrealistic option is to buy a “Golden visa”, which starts around €250k in real estate investment in Malta and takes 2 years. The “easiest” shortcut is to marry an eu citizen. Another route is to get a 1-year student vi…

> If you have enough $$ to buy a passport then you are probably not using HN or a jr developer

Facts not in evidence. OP in no way implied they were poor, or of limited means.

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