EU/EEA citizens can work in Austria without any permit, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a Residence Permit – Student may work up to 20 hours a week. The employer must apply for a work permit, which is granted without a labour market test.
For casual jobs, German matters. Start with your university's careers office. If you want to stay in Austria after graduation, the Austrian Business Agency offers free advice. Jobs for researchers are listed on EURAXESS Austria.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Belgium without a permit. Students usually work on a student contract (studentenarbeid / job étudiant) with reduced social security contributions – this applies up to an annual limit of hours, which you can check on Student@work.
Students from outside the EU/EEA do not need a separate work permit – your student residence card is enough. During the academic year you may work up to 20 hours a week, and during the official holidays (winter, spring and summer) you may work more. The work must not clash with your classes, and you may not work in the summer before your first academic year in Belgium.
For casual jobs, Dutch or French helps, depending on the region. Start with your institution's careers office and student jobs office.
EU citizens can work in Bulgaria without any permit, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA can work without a work permit for up to 20 hours a week during the academic year and during official holidays. After graduating, they have 9 months to look for a job and start work.
For casual jobs, Bulgarian is a big help. You will find vacancies on the European job portal EURES, among others.
If you are an EU citizen, you can work in Croatia, and the easiest way is through the Student Service (Studentski servis) at the Student Centre. It offers casual and part-time jobs that you can fit around your classes.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a temporary stay permit for study may work up to 20 hours a week outside their study time. After graduating, you can get a permit to stay for one year (renewable once) to look for a job or start a business.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Cyprus without any permit, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA may work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 38 hours a week during holidays, but only in certain sectors – such as retail, health and social care, domestic work, manufacturing, agriculture, cleaning and delivery services, restaurants and hotels. Your employment contract must be approved by the District Labour Office. Note: these limits come from the Department of Labour's website, and the rules for employing students from third countries are revised from time to time (an update was announced in 2026) – check the current rules with the Department of Labour or your university's international office before you start work.
Most casual jobs are in tourism, hotels and restaurants – English is often enough there. Start with your university's careers office.
EU/EEA citizens have the same access to the labour market as Czech citizens – no permit is needed. Students most often work under two types of agreement:
Students from outside the EU/EEA who study an accredited programme full-time at a Czech university have free access to the labour market, so you don't need a work permit. The official rules do not set a weekly hour limit.
The minimum wage is CZK 134.40 an hour or CZK 22,400 a month for full-time work. In a typical student job you will earn around CZK 150–200 an hour.
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can work in Denmark without any permit and with no limit on hours.
Students from outside the EU/EEA on a state-approved programme may work 90 hours a month from September to May and full time in June, July and August; the right to work comes with your residence permit. If you apply for a programme that is not state-approved, you get no right to work (for applications submitted on or after 2 May 2025). Working more than you are allowed counts as illegal work.
Start with your institution's careers service. Guides on finding a student job, writing an application and doing well in an interview are on workindenmark.dk. Learning Danish is worth it – it greatly improves your chances of finding work both during and after your studies. For EU students, working enough hours can also open the way to the SU grant.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Estonia without any permit, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA in full-time studies do not need a separate work permit either – as long as the job does not interfere with their studies, they earn around 30 ECTS per semester and finish on time. After graduation they have another 9 months to find a job.
You will find jobs in English on Work in Estonia and on the job portals CV Keskus and CV.ee. Your university's careers office is also worth a visit.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Finland without any permit, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for studies may work in any field for an average of 30 hours a week (or 1,560 hours a year).
The European Commission's portal is honest about it: casual jobs can be hard to find, and Finnish greatly improves your chances. Start with your university's careers service. Jobs are also listed on the public service Job Market Finland.
EU/EEA citizens can work in France without a work permit or residence permit. Campus France gives a limit of 964 hours a year – according to Study in Europe, that's around 20 hours a week.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a VLS-TS "étudiant" or a student residence permit may also work without a separate permit – up to 964 hours a year (60% of full-time work, i.e. about 20 hours a week). If you go over this limit, you risk losing your residence permit.
For casual jobs, good French matters. Start with your institution's careers office. Keep your studies in mind too – small-group tutorials are compulsory, so fit your work schedule around your timetable.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Germany without any permit. Watch the limit, though: if you work more than 20 hours a week during the semester, you have to pay social security contributions like a regular employee.
Students from outside the EU/EEA may work 140 full days or 280 half days a year, or up to 20 hours a week during the lecture period, without approval from the Federal Employment Agency. Jobs as a student assistant at a university do not count towards this limit. Self-employment needs the approval of the foreigners' authority.
You can find jobs for students at your university's careers service and at the Studierendenwerk. Jobs for researchers are listed on EURAXESS.
Students in Greece can work while studying. EU/EEA citizens don't need a work permit.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for studies may work part-time only – up to 20 hours a week and outside class hours. When you work, Greek labour law applies to you: you pay social security contributions, file a tax return and so on. Note: some sources mention a separate part-time work permit, while the EU Immigration Portal and the University of Athens only give the hour limit – check with your university's international office before you start work.
Seasonal jobs in tourism, hotels and restaurants are the easiest to find, especially on the islands in summer. In other sectors, Greek matters. Start with your university's careers office.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Hungary with no limit on hours – you only need your registration certificate.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for the purpose of studies can work up to 30 hours a week during the semester. Outside the study period you can work full-time for up to 90 days a year.
For casual jobs, Hungarian helps a lot. Start with your university's careers office.
EU/EEA citizens don't need a work permit in Iceland – you can also work while studying.
Students from outside the EEA with a residence permit for students may work up to 60% of full-time while studying, without a separate work permit. The limit does not apply to work during scheduled breaks between terms or to work that is part of a formal traineeship or internship.
The kennitala number is used to identify you in all official matters, so register as soon as possible after you arrive. You will find more about working in Iceland on work.iceland.is; ask your university's careers service about jobs for students.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Ireland without restrictions, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with Stamp 2 can work without an employment permit: up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week in June, July, August and September and from 15 December to 15 January.
English is the everyday language, so casual jobs are easier to find than in many other countries. Start with your institution's careers service.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Italy without any permit, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a valid residence permit for study can work up to 20 hours a week, with a maximum of 1,040 hours a year. You can work more hours in some weeks – for example when there are no classes – as long as you stay within the annual limit. If you want to work more than that, you have to convert your permit into a work permit.
Many universities offer paid part-time jobs on campus (collaborazioni studentesche) – for example in the library or administration. Off campus, jobs are easiest to find in tourism and hospitality, but it will be hard without Italian. Visit your university's careers office (job placement).
EU/EEA citizens can work in Latvia without any permit, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for studies have limits: according to the EU Immigration Portal, you may work up to 20 hours a week during term and up to 40 hours a week during holidays; master's and doctoral students may work up to 40 hours a week. Note: sources describe the limit for master's and doctoral students differently – the EU Immigration Portal gives 40 hours a week without restriction, while other descriptions allow 40 hours only during study breaks. Check with PMLP or your university's international office before you take a job. After graduation you can apply for a residence permit of up to 9 months to look for a job or start a business.
Look for work at your university's careers office and on the European job portal EURES.
Students can usually work while studying, especially during semester breaks – within the rules on residence and employment. Important: if you have a residence permit for study purposes, you need approval from the Migration and Passport Office (Ausländer- und Passamt) before you start any job. Your employer submits the request (Stellenantrittsgesuch). According to the university, with a residence permit you may work up to 35% of full time during the lecture period and full time during semester breaks.
Remember that studying is a full-time job – the university counts on about 40 hours of study a week. If you need to work more, all degree programmes can in principle also be completed part-time.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Lithuania without any permit, also full-time – up to 40 hours a week.
Students from outside the EU/EEA can also work up to 40 hours a week once they have a temporary residence permit for studies – no additional work permit is needed. Note: Work in Lithuania gives 40 hours a week, but the EU Immigration Portal still says 20 hours – check with the Migration Department or your university before you take a job. After graduation they can stay in Lithuania for up to 15 months in total to look for a job: the TRP for the final year stays valid for 3 months after studies end, and then you can get a 12-month permit for job search.
You will find jobs at international companies and start-ups on the Work in Lithuania portal.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Luxembourg without a permit. Students at Uni.lu and on BTS programmes can work on a fixed-term student contract: during the academic year on average up to 15 hours a week (60 hours in a month or 4 weeks), in the holidays up to 40 hours a week. You are entitled to at least the minimum wage for your age.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for students may also work, up to 15 hours a week averaged over a month; during the holidays there is no limit on hours.
For casual jobs, French, German or Luxembourgish helps. Start with the Uni.lu careers office.
EU citizens can work in Malta without restrictions, also while studying.
Students from outside the EU may work up to 20 hours a week. You need a work permit, which you apply for once your e-Residence permit has been issued. Note: Identità says that full-time higher education students can work from their first year of study, while the University of Malta says they can work only after the first three months of study – check the current rule before you start. A job related to your field of study makes approval more likely. After graduating, you can extend your residence for six months to look for work.
English is enough for most casual jobs. The easiest to find are jobs in tourism, hotels and restaurants, especially in the summer season. Start with your institution's careers service. Jobs for researchers are listed on EURAXESS Malta.
EU/EEA citizens can work in the Netherlands without restrictions and without a permit.
Students from outside the EU/EEA may work as employees only if the employer has a work permit (TWV) for them – for up to 16 hours a week, or full-time in June, July and August. Self-employed work does not need a work permit.
A job is more than a salary: EU citizens who work at least 32 hours a month may get student finance from DUO (see: Scholarships). Remember that with your first job you must take out Dutch health insurance. Jobs for researchers are listed on EURAXESS.
North Macedonia is not in the EU, so as a rule foreigners need a work permit – this applies to EU citizens too. Work permits are issued, extended and revoked by the Employment Service Agency (av.gov.mk).
There are three types of permit: a personal work permit, an employment permit (issued at the employer's request) and a work permit. You can hold only one at a time. You apply at a diplomatic mission of North Macedonia in your country of citizenship or residence.
For students the rules are simpler: according to the Employment Service Agency, work done by foreign citizens who live in North Macedonia for study purposes does not require a work permit – instead, the agency issues a certificate registering the work. The agency does not publish a limit on working hours, so ask the international students' office at your institution before you start. Researchers will find more on EURAXESS North Macedonia.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Norway without restrictions.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a study permit may work up to 20 hours a week during the semester (remote work included) and full time during the holidays.
Norwegian helps a lot when you are looking for a casual job. Start with your university's careers service. Vacancies are also published by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, NAV.
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can work without any permit. According to NAWA, full-time students from outside the EU/EEA who hold a student visa or a temporary residence permit don't need a work permit either, and there is no limit on working hours. The same applies after you graduate from a full-time programme in Poland.
Two things are worth knowing:
EU/EEA citizens can work in Portugal without any permit, also while studying. For a contract you need a Portuguese tax number (NIF).
Students from outside the EU/EEA who hold a residence permit for study can also work, as employees or self-employed. The work has to be reported to AIMA – ask your university's international office how to do it.
Casual jobs are easiest to find in tourism, hospitality and customer service, including in foreign languages. For other jobs, Portuguese matters. Start with your university's careers office. Jobs for researchers are listed on EURAXESS Portugal.
EU citizens can work in Romania without any permit, also while studying. If you register your residence as a worker, you add your employment contract and documents from your employer to your application at IGI.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for studies can work without a work permit, but only part-time on an individual employment contract – according to IGI, for no more than 6 hours a day. After graduating, you can stay for up to 9 months to look for a job.
Note: IGI gives a limit of 6 hours a day, while the EU Immigration Portal says 4 hours – check the current limit with IGI or your institution before you start work.
For casual jobs, Romanian is a big help. Start with your institution's careers office and the European job portal EURES.
To work legally in Serbia, you need two documents: a temporary (or permanent) residence permit and a work permit. The work permit is issued by the National Employment Service (Nacionalna služba za zapošljavanje). Serbia is not in the EU, so this applies to EU citizens too.
The work permit is issued for 3–12 months, and a decision takes two days on average. You renew it the same way as you applied for it the first time.
Without Serbian it is hard to find a casual job. Researchers and doctoral candidates will find information on EURAXESS Serbia.
EU/EEA citizens can work in Slovakia under the same conditions as Slovak citizens – you don't need a work permit or any other authorisation.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with temporary residence for the purpose of study can work up to 80 hours a month without a work permit. If you want to work more, you have to change the purpose of your residence to employment. Note: the 80-hour monthly limit comes from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, while the EU Immigration Portal still says 20 hours a week – check the current limit with the Foreign Police or your university before you start work.
Start with your university's careers office and the job notices for students at your faculty. For casual jobs, Slovak helps.
In Slovenia, students work through the student work system (študentsko delo): you get jobs through a student employment agency (študentski servis) with a referral form (napotnica). To register you need an ID document, a Slovenian bank account, a Slovenian tax number and a certificate of enrolment.
15.5% in contributions for pension and disability insurance is deducted from every payment. For international students, agencies also deduct 22.5% as advance income tax – you can get part of it back if your country has a double taxation agreement with Slovenia.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a temporary residence permit for study can also do student work through a student employment agency, or take a regular job alongside their studies – for regular employment, the employer needs an information sheet from the Employment Service of Slovenia. The official sources do not state a weekly hour limit.
EU/EEA citizens have the same rights on the labour market as Spanish citizens – you can work while studying without any permit. For a contract you need an NIE number and a social security number.
Students from outside the EU/EEA with a stay authorisation for higher education can work up to 30 hours a week, as employees or self-employed, without a separate work permit – the right comes automatically with the authorisation. Work must be compatible with your studies and is limited to the autonomous community where you study (plus nearby towns in a neighbouring region). If you go over 30 hours, you can lose your authorisation.
Jobs are easiest to find in hospitality and tourism, especially in season. For casual work, Spanish is practically essential. Also check your university's careers office.
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can work in Sweden without any permit, also while studying. With a personnummer it is easier to sort out your contract, bank account and tax.
Students from outside the EU/EEA at bachelor's or master's level whose residence permit was granted on or after 11 June 2026 may work up to 15 hours a week. You may work more if the work is part of your programme (e.g. an internship), involves student representation, administration or research at your university, or takes place in June, July or August. Note: this is a new rule, and Migrationsverket lists further exceptions – check the current rules with Migrationsverket or your university before you take a job.
It is easier to find a casual job if you speak at least some Swedish. Start with your university's careers service; you can also find vacancies at the Swedish Public Employment Service, Arbetsförmedlingen.
EU/EFTA citizens may work up to 15 hours a week during the semester and full-time during semester breaks. Every job, including unpaid work, must be reported to the immigration authorities.
Students from outside the EU/EFTA may also work up to 15 hours a week during their studies, but only six months after the start of their studies, and they need a permit.
Note: Study in Switzerland confirms the 15-hour limit and the six-month waiting period but does not explain how to get the work permit – before you start a job, check with the cantonal migration office or your institution's international office.
You'll find job offers for students at the institutions' careers offices.
To work in Turkey you need a work permit – this applies to all foreigners, EU citizens included. It is issued by the Directorate General of International Labour Force.
Bachelor's students can get one after their first year and work up to 24 hours a week. Master's and doctoral students can work as researchers on research projects related to their studies. You do not need a permit for a compulsory or optional internship that is part of your programme.
Without Turkish it is hard to find a casual job, so start with your university's careers office and job offers on campus.
With a Student visa at degree level or above, you can work up to 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during vacations. You cannot be self-employed or work, for example, as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. People with settled or pre-settled status and Irish citizens can work without restrictions.
After your studies you can switch to a Graduate visa – it lasts 2 years if you apply by 31 December 2026 and 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027 (3 years after a doctorate). The application fee is £937, plus the Immigration Health Surcharge (usually £1,035 a year).
Sources: European Commission – Study in Europe (education.ec.europa.eu/study-in-europe), Eurostat, official national study and residence portals and authorities, Eurodesk, enic-naric.net, studentnews.eu. As of September 2026.
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