Comparing Post-Study Stay Permits for Non-EU European Graduates: Germany, Netherlands, France, Ireland, and the UK

Five countries, five different rules

Turkish, Western Balkan, and Moldovan graduates finishing a degree in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Ireland, or the UK face the same problem: their student residence permit expires soon after graduation. Each of these five countries offers a separate stay-back permit that removes the need for a signed job offer, so you search for work, attend interviews, and register with employers while still living legally in the country. The length, cost, and conversion path into a long term work visa differ a lot between them.

Side by side comparison

Germany: the longest search window

Germany's job-seeker residence permit under §20 AufenthG gives graduates of German universities up to 18 months to find a job matching their qualification. Apply at your local Ausländerbehörde before your student residence permit runs out. Any paid job counts while you search, not only work connected to your field of study.

Netherlands: one search year, full work rights

The Dutch zoekjaar gives graduates of a Dutch institution, or of a highly ranked university abroad, one year to look for a job or start a business, through the IND . You use it only once in your lifetime, and no job type or hour restriction applies during the year.

France: tied to your degree level

France's Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour (APS) gives graduates with at least a Master's degree from a French institution 12 months to find work or set up a company, referenced through Campus France . You work up to the standard legal work week while you search, and you apply at your local prefecture shortly after graduation.

Ireland: your degree level sets the clock

Ireland's Stamp 1G, granted under the Third Level Graduate Programme, gives 12 months to bachelor's degree graduates and 24 months to those with a master's or PhD, detailed on the Irish Immigration site. You work up to 40 hours a week on this permit while you look for a role.

UK: the most expensive, with a change coming

The UK's Graduate visa gives bachelor's and master's graduates 2 years to work or search for work if you apply by 31 December 2026, dropping to 18 months for applications from 1 January 2027 onward. PhD graduates get 3 years regardless of application date. The application costs £937 plus an annual healthcare surcharge of around £1,035. The Graduate visa does not extend directly, so you switch to a route such as the Skilled Worker visa once you have a job offer.

How each permit turns into a long term work visa

• Germany: sign a job contract and switch to a skilled worker residence permit or an EU Blue Card without leaving the country.

• Netherlands: an employer sponsors you for a highly skilled migrant permit, often at a lower salary threshold than a standard application.

• France: a job offer paid at a set multiple of the minimum wage, or work matching your studies, lets you convert to a "salarié" or "passeport talent" permit.

• Ireland: an employer applies for a General Employment Permit or Critical Skills Employment Permit on your behalf.

• UK: switch to the Skilled Worker visa once a licensed sponsor offers you a role at the required salary level.

Proof of funds and documents across all five

Every one of these five permits asks for proof you can support yourself during the search period, alongside your degree certificate, passport, and current residence permit or visa. The accepted forms differ: Germany and the Netherlands generally accept a blocked account, savings, or a signed job offer as proof, France and Ireland ask for a bank statement or a sponsor's declaration, and the UK does not require a separate funds check once you hold a valid Student visa moving into the Graduate route. Start collecting these documents before your final exams, since gathering bank statements and translations takes longer than most graduates expect.

Family members on these permits

Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Ireland generally let a spouse or registered partner and dependent children join you on a job-seeker or search-year permit, though each country sets its own income and housing requirements for the family member's application. The UK Graduate visa allows dependents only if they already held permission as your dependent during your Student visa, so check this restriction closely if you plan to bring family with you after graduation.

Which country to choose

Pick Germany or the UK for the longest runway before you need a job offer. Pick the Netherlands or France for simple, predictable work rights during your search year. Ireland sits in the middle, with a shorter window for bachelor's graduates and a longer one for master's or PhD holders. Apply for each permit before your student status expires. Missing that window means leaving the country and applying for a work or business visa from abroad instead.

Typical application timeline

Start the paperwork for any of these five permits four to eight weeks before your student status expires. Prefecture and Ausländerbehörde appointment slots fill up fastest in June and July, right after most European academic years end, so book as early as your university confirms your final results. A late application risks a gap between your student permit expiring and your new permit being approved, which complicates your ability to work or even stay in the country legally.