May 25, 2023 
8 mins to read Looking for a gap year job abroad?
Have you just finished high school and are you looking for new experiences, travelling, meeting new people and places? These desires are exactly why a lot of young people choose to look for a job abroad during their sabbatical. If this is you, you have landed on the right page. We can help you make all this happen. We’ll help you get a job in your dream destination in your native language – and don’t worry: our help is completely free.
Also, It’s a complicated feeling between excitement, anxiety and fear when you have all these options in front of you. Where to go? Is it possible during a sabbatical year? Will I feel alone if I take a gap year job abroad? Here’s a quick guide to solve those questions you might be asking yourself right now.
For all information make sure to check out our dedicated page for a gap year abroad – we will answer a lot of questions here as well.
How to get a gap year job abroad
Here’s a step-by-step guide and tips on how to get a gap year job abroad, so you can travel and earn money at the same time:
1. Make an international CV
Even if you feel you’re not qualified to get a gap year job abroad, let me tell you that is possible and quite common. You just have to focus your CV on the things you’re good at. If you know other languages it’s sometimes a big plus – but don’t worry if you don’t. Most of our jobs only require you to speak your native language and basic English for the initial training sessions at your job.
If you have good communication skills, you’re empathetic or you’re a very analytical person who likes numbers and logic then you’re completely perfect for many types of jobs abroad. Here’s a useful guide on how to get a CV perfect for you. You can also use our free automatic CV builder where you have to answer some questions, and the CV will be made for you.
2. Register in platforms for “gap year job abroad”
Some platforms specialize in finding a gap year job abroad for young people but you have to make sure these platforms help you throughout the entire process. This is why Job Squad exists. We offer FREE and FULL assistance in this matter, from finding the perfect job opportunities, ideal countries, and to the relocation part. If you leave your email on our JobSquad site, we will reach out to you to talk about your thoughts and dreams.
3. Apply to the jobs you feel you are a good fit for
Don’t wait for that 100% perfect job, just look for one that allows you to have the experience. If you think too much about it you may lose the momentum. Apply for all of the jobs that allow you to pursue your dreams, and don’t give up on your search. Check out all our current jobs abroad to get an idea of what is possible for you.
4. Analyse your dream destination
It’s important to get basic information about the country you want to move to. For example work permit requirements and taxation, cost of living, culture, lifestyle, climate, popular cities and even what to do. This way you increase the chances of having an awesome time during the sabbatical and also that anxious feeling gets dismissed a little more. If you choose any country in the European Union you don’t have to worry about work permits, but this could change in the future.
To get some inspiration, you can already check out all of our popular destinations. You can find a lot of information about the countries and cities here as well.
The best countries to work in during sabbatical year (EU)
Depending on the type of experience you want, you may already have an idea of where you want to travel, so you need information about work abroad taxation, work permits and lifestyle to be completely sure. That’s why we gather that info between these different countries to narrow the alternatives in the European Union.
Top 5 best destinations for jobs abroad in 2025:
Work in Spain
If you’re looking for work in Spain during your gap year, you better be ready for a lot of historical buildings, warm people, funny expressions and a lot of party nights. But even when everything sounds great, to avoid a bad moment during your stay it’s good to know about this stuff:
- Work permits: As a European Citizen you need to get a NIE, which is a foreigner identity number. You can obtain this in the Ministry of the Interior by filing the form EX-15 and getting the rest of the requirements, or a NIF which is the tax identity number, you can get in the Tax Agency
- Taxation: The majority of taxes around the world work in taxation periods as the normal year, so you must spend more than 6 months during the year to be eligible to pay ISR or income tax. However, the company where you will be hired will guide you through this process.
- Lifestyle: Depending on the city, there are different lifestyles in Spain. In the main cities like Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga the people are very enthusiastic about partying and having fun at times. With so many places to chill and relax with friends, it’s a country where you have to make a good balance between work and recreational activities or you may lose your way. The food in Spain is amazing and you will enjoy all their seafood, paella, sangria, tapas, and so much more. So if you like this type of food, Spain is your destination.
Work in Germany
Getting a job in Germany is a popular request and here’s some more information:
- Work permits: According to the site Germany-Visa you don’t need a work permit to work in Germany BUT you do need to register your stay if you’re going to spend more than 3 months in the local Residence Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) or Immigration Office (Ausländerbehörde).
- Taxation: First of all, you need to stay working in Germany for more than 6 months to be eligible for taxation, keeping in mind that the tax year in Germany is the calendar year, so if for example, you start being in Germany in October, you don’t have to worry for that year taxation, until July of the next year. If you plan to stay longer then we recommend you look for official information.
- Lifestyle: Germany is a multicultural country, you will find people from many countries there, especially in Berlin. This means it’s a world of possibilities. However, the lifestyle is focused on “work before party”, so you may find more opportunities for a night out at weekends (but this is not so different from the rest right?). Public transport works until 12 at night on weekdays, so going out at night starts to be difficult from this part. Regarding food, you’ll find a lot of winnies or sausages of many types. And these are accompanied by fries in every representation imaginable. But since it’s a multicultural country you will also find restaurants with different styles of food like Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and more.
Work in Norway
Norwegians have a good work-life balance, so they have a work shift of about 37 hours a week tops because they believe you will be more productive this way. This way you will be able to have time to explore the country but also work without problems. Some other cool info about this is that lunchtime is included in work shifts, and the workplaces don’t have “bossy attitudes” (in most cases) or strict hierarchy.
- Work permits: As a European citizen you don’t need a work permit but you do need to register with the police within three months and also get your Norwegian identification number and tax card
- Taxation: As said before, depends on your stay there but it’s about 22 percent depending on your income.
- Lifestyle: People in Norway are not exactly the party all-day type, but they like to party on weekends. Oslo is the city with more activity of this type. They also like to explore places during their free time. Regarding food depending on the city you may find different things,it’s based on the raw materials found in the wilderness, mountains and coast, but it’s quite common to boil potatoes and especially seafood, the flavors are subtle but delicious.
If you’re interested in more details of other places, you can always send us an email at info@jobsqd.com.
