Best Countries in Europe for International Students to Work While Studying

For senior executives and global investors, international education is no longer simply about knowledge transfer—it is about talent pipelines, labor market flexibility, and the economic magnetism of nations. Europe, home to some of the world’s most prestigious universities and thriving business hubs, attracts nearly 2.42 million international students, representing 8.4% of the entire student body across the European Union.

Beneath those numbers lies a powerful story for CEOs and high-net-worth individuals: where students choose to study, and whether they can work while studying, is shaping tomorrow’s workforce and investment climate.

Why Work Rights for Students Matter

For the students themselves, the ability to work while enrolled is about financial independence and gaining professional exposure. For business leaders, however, it is about access to fresh talent pools, early access to skilled workers, and the ability to draw globally minded employees into industries facing shortages.

In Europe, the policy landscape is fragmented. Some governments open the door wide, allowing students to work without restrictions, while others impose permits or strict hour limits. This patchwork of regulation matters, because it determines not only where students will go, but also where executives can expect to find young, globally oriented, and multilingual workers.

Permit Rules Across Europe

International students are permitted to work in 30 European countries, spanning EU member states as well as the UK, Norway, and Iceland.

• No Permit Required (14 countries): The UK, France, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania allow international students to work without obtaining a separate permit. These destinations stand out as especially attractive for those who want to integrate quickly into the local economy—and for businesses seeking agile, part-time staff.
• Conditional Permit (7 countries): Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, and Italy only require permits for non-EU/EEA students. Czechia and Croatia take a case-by-case approach.
• Permit Required (8 countries): Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Norway, Malta, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Cyprus require international students to obtain work authorization.

The picture is telling: in nearly half of Europe, students can start working without additional bureaucracy. For companies struggling to recruit, this is an underappreciated lever for attracting young workers.

How Much Students Can Work

The common threshold across Europe is 20 hours per week, striking a balance between academic commitments and labor market integration.

There are exceptions:

• Luxembourg: 15 hours per week.
• Netherlands: 16 hours per week.
• Summer & Holidays: Many countries allow full-time work during academic breaks, turning students into a seasonal labor force.

For executives in retail, hospitality, or services, these seasonal dynamics offer a temporary but important source of labor—particularly in markets where domestic workers are scarce.

Wages: From €3 to €19 an Hour

If executives want to understand relative wage competitiveness across Europe, student pay is a useful benchmark. It reflects entry-level labor costs, minimum wage policies, and local cost of living.

• Lowest wages: Bulgaria (€3.32/hour), Hungary (€4.19), Estonia (€4.30), Latvia (€4.47), Slovakia (€4.69). These markets reflect Eastern Europe’s broader wage differentials and cost advantages, which still attract foreign investment.
• Highest wages: Luxembourg (€18/hour), Iceland (€17–19), Norway (€16.86), Denmark (€14.74), Netherlands (€14.40), and the UK (€14.09). These nations combine high living costs with high productivity, signaling premium markets for talent.

Monthly Earnings Potential

CEOWORLD’s analysis shows the earning potential for international students if they work the maximum allowed hours at average wage levels:

• United Kingdom: up to £977 (€1,127) per month.
• Germany & Spain: around €1,111 per month.
• France: approximately €900 per month.
• Italy: between €600–€750 per month.

These figures illustrate the relative attractiveness of different economies not only for students, but also for executives analyzing disposable incomes, youth spending, and labor cost structures.

Work and study for international students in 2025

Strategic Implications for Business Leaders

For CEOs and senior executives, the data carries three major implications:

1. Talent Pipeline Development: Countries that allow students to work seamlessly (e.g., UK, France, Nordics) will likely retain more of them post-graduation. That means deeper talent pools for industries reliant on young, skilled labor.
2. Wage Benchmarking: Student wages provide a useful proxy for entry-level labor costs across Europe. Understanding these differences helps investors assess where to locate operations, service centers, or even regional headquarters.
3. Regulatory Risk and Opportunity: Countries with stricter work permit requirements (e.g., Spain, Netherlands, Norway) may deter some students—but for businesses willing to navigate bureaucracy, these markets still offer strong access to high-caliber international talent.

What HNWIs Should Watch

For high-net-worth individuals investing in education, venture capital, or private equity, these trends reveal where young international talent is concentrating. Countries that attract and retain international students will see knock-on effects: stronger urban economies, higher consumption, and more diverse workforces.

For example:

• Luxembourg offers high wages but fewer permitted hours, limiting its student labor supply.
• Eastern Europe provides abundant low-cost opportunities but may struggle with retention.
• Western Europe and the UK balance strong wages with generous work rights, making them magnets for ambitious students and, by extension, ambitious employers.

Europe’s Next Workforce Advantage

For senior leaders, international student work policies are not a niche issue—they are a forward-looking indicator of labor market competitiveness. Nations that blend world-class education with flexible work opportunities will emerge as talent magnets, positioning themselves for long-term economic resilience.

In a Europe grappling with demographic decline, skills shortages, and global competition, the international student workforce is more than a secondary consideration. It is an underutilized resource—and a strategic advantage for the CEOs, investors, and entrepreneurs who recognize it first.

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The Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Index evaluates the performance of the 11 nations currently offering operational Citizenship By Investment (CBI) programs: St Kitts and Nevis (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia (St. Lucia), Antigua & Barbuda, Nauru, Vanuatu, Türkiye (Turkey), São Tomé and Príncipe, Jordan, and Egypt.