Freelances and contractors hoping to work in the European Union can apply for a valuable blue card if they have the right skills.
Freedom of movement will stay in place while Britain negotiates the deal, but after that UK workers will need permission to live and work within the EU just like any other job hunter from anywhere else.
The EU blue card works in a similar way to the US green card.
How the EU blue card works
The opportunity to gain the blue card is only open to ‘highly qualified’ workers, researchers and students.
- The first step is workers must show they have a qualification, such as a degree, or at least five years of professional experience in their chosen field.
- Workers moving to the EU must be employees – entrepreneurs and the self-employed cannot apply for a blue card. This excludes contractors and freelancers working for their own companies
- The annual gross salary must be at least 1.5 times the average national salary in the country where the employee intends to live
- Any blue card application must be accompanied with a year-long job offer or contract in an EU country
- The employee must show they have private health insurance for themselves and any dependants travelling with them and the necessary travel documents
- If the profession is regulated, the employee must show they meet the legal requirements needed to practice
The application will be rejected if a worker in the EU could fill the post.
EU blue card pitfalls
In some cases, governments charge fees for processing the applications and require visas as well as a blue card.
The card allows workers to stay in the EU for between one and four years, but job changes are not allowed for the first two years. If the job change means moving to another country, another blue card application must be made.
The blue card does not guarantee EU residence status.
Workers who lose their jobs have three months to find a job. If they fail to land work in that time, they have to leave the EU.
Find out more about the blue card for workers from outside the EU
