US Citizen, I want to move to Europe. How?

First you need a valid reason for moving, and the permit to go with it. You can: -Study. This will get you to Europe temporarily. If you study undergraduate, you need savings for living costs (different countries have different requirements), pay tuition if necessary and speak the local language. Masters are available in English, but you still need savings. You have to leave once your studies are over, unless you can meet the work requirements below. -Marry (or have a long term relationship with, depends on the country) a citizen or permanent resident of that country. -Work. Both of the countries you mention are in the EU, and have similar rules for hiring foreigners. It's very difficult as an American to get a residence permit based on work, especially since there is mostly free movement of workers within the EU. The job has to be advertised locally and have no suitable applicants with citizenship from an EU country, as well as meet income requirements in some countries. This means you have to be highly educated with specialist skills, in a field that's in demand locally. You'll also need to speak the local language except in rare cases. The best fields are engineering and health care, but with the current economy few companies are hiring and many people are out of work. There are plenty of applicants for every job, so unless you work in a really unusual career, it's not likely. In the past, some Americans moved over by transferring with their company in the US. This is now very rare, as the above requirements have to be met no matter what. A couple of countries (UK for instance) have a points-based system. If you fulfill certain requirements (at least a Masters degree, previous high income, age, etc), you can sponsor yourself to move over, then look for work. Economy isn't good there either, though. No credit check between the US and Europe, unless you join a bank that has branches in both places. The US can arrange for debt collection in Europe though, I don't know how common this is, but it does happen. Take your clothes in a suitcase, it's much cheaper even if you have to pay extra weight charges. Shipping a car is very expensive, so unless it's fairly new/beloved you might be better off buying one locally. Your US license is only good for a year, then you need to take one from the country you're living in. The tests are much harder in some countries than in the US, and can require the equivalent of thousands of dollars in lessons, even for experienced drivers.

My best advice would be for you to pack lightly and take a 90 day trip to one of the countries of your choice. You will get a better perspective on life there. I am an American citizen that lives part-time in Europe but my husband and son are dual citizens and could probably work in any EU country if they really wanted to. You will find things are very competative in Europe and without knowing more then one language, you will be passed over for many things. Of course if you have enough money to pay for a flat, someone will rent to you,citizen or not. If you wished to stay in an EU country for more then 90 days, you would have to apply for a visa,there are many different types of visa's to apply for.Student, fiance, work visa's but a business visa's is probably good for a longer amount of time but you would need to open a business overseas and pay taxes etc. I think it best to visit before making a big move.

It's almost impossible for a US citizen to migrate to any EC country. The problem is you have to support yourself as you will not get any state benefits. You will have to obtain a Work Permit and that is almost impossible. There are many millions of people out of work in the EC (8 million or so in the UK alone) and any EC citizen has priority over you for the few jobs that exist. You will need exceptional skills and experience to have any hope. Only if you can get a Work Permit is it worth expending effort on the rest of your problems. Ian M

I strongly advice you to move to Norway fo a few years. You will clearly see that life there is like in a fairytale. There lots of opportunities of finding a good job with a REALLY good pay. That goes the same with accommodation. Norway is at the top of life quality.

try , Canada or S.America if you need a change , its the cat food here just not the same . 1) Think of the cats 2) no work 3) Greece is beautiful and hot 4) Netherlands has legal cannabis but wet and cold , decisions , decisions 5) you hire a container by ship or a container by freight plane 6) mechanics are as good here if not better as speeds are higher so greater importance on vehicle maintenance is required and demanded with stringent tests annualy . 50 miles per hour what a joke ! 7)credit is the same the world over amazing how many banks are " in each others pockets " 8)Visa is needed so criminal record is requested 9) cats can be innoculated and shipped 10) re education is needed to realise you have moved to a more socialy aware environment 11) references are useful from previous landlord or bank or employer In God we trust .