Verified checkpoint · 28 September 2026

Country Mobility & Residence Routes

One operational layer connecting immigration, employment, employer requirements, documents and case management. The route is selected from the candidate’s citizenship, current legal status, occupation, employer, contract and destination — not from nationality alone.

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Route architecture

What SMG can assess in a mobility case

Availability varies by country. SMG only activates a route after checking the current law, responsible authority, documents and the person’s actual eligibility.

Employment residenceSingle permit, employee card, skilled-worker or other employer-based residence/work route.

Seasonal workStatutory seasonal categories, duration limits, employer duties and visa/residence requirements.

Highly qualifiedBlue Card-type, points, shortage occupation or qualification-based pathways where available.

Family mobilityFamily reunification and dependant coordination where the principal status permits it.

Study & trainingStudent, vocational training and related residence routes where the country provides them.

Business / self-employmentEntrepreneur, company or self-employed routes only where the legal criteria actually exist.

Remote / digital nomadCountry-specific remote-work routes where enacted; not treated as a universal European category.

Renewal / change / complex caseRenewals, status changes, prior refusals and alternative lawful routes with regulated specialists where required.

Verified workforce matrix

Country-by-country work and residence-employment routes

Government fees and rules can change. The official source and filing requirements must be rechecked when an actual case is opened.

General employment + seasonal

Slovakia

Main route

Third-country employment normally uses temporary residence for employment / the single-permit procedure, with Labour Office involvement where required.

Seasonal

Up to 90 days by seasonal employment permit; longer seasonal stay requires temporary residence. Current official maximum: 180 days in 12 consecutive months.

Case file

Employment contract or employer promise, passport, accommodation, insurance and qualification evidence where the occupation requires it.

SMG gate

A factory role is not marketed as seasonal unless the occupation is actually within the statutory seasonal regime.

Official employment source ↗

Seasonal available · guest-worker restriction

Hungary

Guest-worker route

Under the current rules effective from 6 June 2026, new applications under the guest-worker route are not treated as generally available. Existing/pending situations require separate assessment.

Seasonal

Separate seasonal residence route, generally up to 6 months, for statutory seasonal fields. Temporary factory, warehouse or hotel work is not automatically seasonal.

Case file

First establish any existing Hungarian/EU status and labour-market access, then identify a current permit basis and employer evidence.

SMG gate

Do not reuse outdated nationality lists or advertise a closed route as current.

Official immigration source ↗

Employer route + seasonal

Bulgaria

Seasonal

Up to 90 days through Employment Agency registration; longer seasonal employment can run for more than 90 days up to 9 months under the seasonal-worker residence framework.

Sectors

Official seasonal sectors include agriculture/forestry/fishery and hotels/restaurants.

Employer duties

Accommodation, transport and insurance obligations may apply under the statutory seasonal framework.

SMG gate

Confirm the actual contracting employer and distinguish direct employment from personnel-supply / temporary-agency models.

Official labour ministry source ↗

Employer-specific + seasonal

Croatia

Main route

Non-seasonal third-country employment is tied to the Croatian stay-and-work permit framework and the real employer/job. Labour-market test/opinion rules apply unless an exception exists.

Seasonal

Agriculture, forestry, hospitality and tourism: up to 90 days under the simplified route where applicable, or up to 6 months per year under current rules.

Case file

Current employer record, contract/job evidence and candidate-specific permit assessment.

SMG gate

Historical employer profiles do not establish current hiring.

Official Ministry of Interior source ↗

Single residence and work permit

Serbia

Main route

Employment can support a combined temporary residence and work permit. The process is electronic through the official foreign-citizens portal.

Validity

Temporary residence / single permit may be granted for up to 36 months depending on the legal basis and individual decision.

Government fee

The official portal currently lists 22,770 RSD for approval of a single permit; recheck at filing.

SMG gate

Ordinary employment is not a generic 90-day permit-free work route; statutory exceptions are assessed separately.

Official portal ↗

Employee Card / status-specific access

Czechia

Main route

The Employee Card is a long-term residence permit allowing qualifying third-country nationals to stay and work for more than three months, subject to the employment and vacancy rules.

Temporary protection

Czech temporary-protection holders use the labour-market rules applicable to that status rather than the same Employee Card route.

Typical file

Passport, photo, accommodation, employment relationship/pre-contract, vacancy identification where required, criminal-record and qualification evidence where relevant.

Timing / fee reference

Current official references: CZK 2,500 in-country / CZK 5,000 consular; standard processing 60 days, up to 90 in more complex cases.

Official Interior Ministry portal ↗

Qualified employment + limited seasonal

Germany

Main route

Third-country employment routes are generally qualification-specific. A signed employment contract is central; recognition/comparability and professional authorisation can be required.

Agency approval

Federal Employment Agency approval is required in many employment routes.

Seasonal

The current third-country seasonal programme is limited and is not a universal route. Current official guidance covers Georgia and Moldova, with a maximum of 90 days in 180 and normally at least 30 hours/week.

SMG gate

Generic unqualified warehouse/factory roles are not marketed as a German work-visa product unless a real lawful route exists for the candidate and employer.

Official federal portal ↗

Single permit + seasonal agriculture

Slovenia

Main route

Third-country nationals generally need a single residence and work permit. The administrative unit handles residence and the Employment Service gives consent where required.

Validity

The first single permit may be issued for the contract period, up to 2 years.

Seasonal

Agricultural seasonal work up to 90 days uses a work permit; longer seasonal work can fall under the single-permit consent structure.

SMG gate

Employer tax/compliance status is checked; separate bilateral employment rules exist for citizens of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Official government source ↗

SMG scope · private construction projects

Austria

Direct employment

Qualified candidates may use an applicable Red-White-Red Card category such as shortage occupation or Other Key Worker, subject to points, qualifications, remuneration and employer conditions.

Posting

Third-country workers posted to Austria can require notification and Austrian authorisation depending on the employer’s establishment and the posting structure.

Construction

Construction and related trades require the applicable work authorisation regardless of posting duration.

SMG gate

Only documented private projects: identify the real employer and classify direct employment, genuine posting or labour leasing before mobilisation.

Official migration portal ↗

One operational case

How SMG turns a country route into a managed case

A Case ID confirms intake and coordination only. It is not a visa, work permit, residence permit, employment offer or authority decision.

01 · Citizenship & current status

02 · Goal, country & occupation

03 · Employer / sponsor evidence

04 · Legal route & documents

05 · Filing, relocation & tracking

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