Best Countries to Work in Europe As a Student

The European countries have some of the most favourable laws, as a student is permitted to work while still studying, depending on the type of job, hours worked, and the season, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.

According to the official website of the European Union, students over the age of 15 are allowed to work, except for some countries that have a different compulsory full-time schooling limit. For example, all children between the age of six and 16 are required to attend school in Italy, while the legal working age in Germany is 13, with parental permission, but those cases are rare.

In addition, specific conditions apply to student workers, as those are permitted to work only on cultural, artistic, sports or advertising activities, as well as work around 20 hours per week. The limit of working hours can depend on the season as students are freer in the summer season while other seasons are quite occupied with school obligations.

Based on these laws, which differ depending on the country, these are the European countries that offer some of the most favourable conditions for working students.

France

In France, students, including those coming from third countries, are permitted to work, usually in cultural, artistic, hosting or other similar jobs, with the allowed period to work starting from September 1 to August 31. Students can work up to 670 hours from September 1 to June 30 and no more than 300 hours in the summer seasons, including July 1 and August 31.

In addition, they may earn up to 60 per cent of the legal annual working hours per year, indicating that they can work more during the breaks.

Students are also allowed to do internships while studying, which requires an agreement signed between the employer and the organisation hosting the students, with the internship being paid up to €600.60 per month if the internship time lasts more than two hours. Internships completed for academic purposes do not count as work and are not calculated in the 964 hours of permitted work per year.

Sweden

The Scandinavian country is one of the most sought after by international students, particularly for its work laws, which don’t limit those with a residence permit in Sweden to work as many hours as they want. However, the issue can lie in the fact that part-time jobs are quite rare to find. Doing an internship to better understand the Swedish working culture is highly recommended

“You can technically work as much as you like if you do find a part-time job. We don’t have any restrictions on that, not like other countries. But remember. You’re moving to Sweden to study. And going to class, working on assignments, passing your courses – that’ll be your focus,” the official website for studying opportunities in Sweden explains.

More specifically, as long as the students dedicate up to 40 hours to their studies, they can continue to work as much as they want. In addition, the financial benefits are better as the average salary in Sweden can go up to €2,400.

Germany

Local students in Germany are permitted to work in their free time, but international students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during the semestre, whereas during the breaks, there isn’t any limitation on the amount they can earn from working in the country.

“Anyone from a country outside the EU can work 120 full days or 240 half-days without the consent of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Generally, either an internship or working as a self-employed person is an option while pursuing academic studies as an international student,” the website of the federal government reads.

However, for those that are self-employed in Germany, a consent permit from the Foreigners’ Authority is required beforehand, which will determine the occupation or delay of the student at the university.

Denmark

Working in Denmark does have its limitations; however, the work can be more rewarding for student workers. More specifically, the student visa in Denmark grants holders the right to work 20 hours per week during the school year and full-time during school breaks. Even for part-time jobs, students get paid nearly €16 per hour as average pay, meaning that the student can earn up to €1,280 monthly.

Finland

Although the payment can be lower than in other countries, as the part-time jobs are usually paid around €500, the number of hours that international students in Finland can work is 25 hours per week during the school semester.

In addition, during the school breaks, students can work full-time without needing a work permit, which has proven to be beneficial for thousands of international students, with the majority of those coming from China, Russia, Austria and Cameroon.

Norway

Working while studying is a very common practice in Norway, especially for international students who are allowed to work without a work permit for the first year of studies in the Scandinavian country. However, after the first year, they must obtain a work permit and renew it, as well as provide additional documents.

As per the wages, part-time workers can earn from €3,500 to €4,000, but knowledge of the Norwegian language is required in order to obtain a job in this country.

Estonia

The Baltic country permits students to work during their studies, provided they are holders of a visa student. However, they can stay and work for six months if students get their university permission after graduation.

The good news is that there isn’t any restriction on how many hours an international student can work if they have fulfilled their academic obligation, such as having passing grades. The average salary in Estonia is around €1,300 per month before taxes.