How to go to work abroad

Foreigners are often invited to work for hire in other countries. According to the website’s research hh.ru In 2025, the number of offers to travel abroad increased by a third compared to the same period of the previous year. Companies from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are the most actively recruiting Russian citizens, followed by organizations from Serbia and Cyprus. Those who speak Chinese can choose from vacancies with a trip to China. There are six times more of the latter in 2025 compared to 2024.

EU countries with developed economies are traditionally popular among professionals looking for work abroad. Employment in these countries usually requires good knowledge of English or the national language, appropriate education in the field of actual activity, and long-term Schengen visa D. Regardless of the chosen state, taking an interesting position with the prospect of receiving a high salary requires careful preparation long before moving.

In what areas is employment relevant?

According to statistics, foreigners with such specialties are most in demand among foreign companies.:

• sales managers and project managers;
• call center operators, secretaries, technical support specialists;
• top managers: CEOs, financial directors, executive directors, information technology directors;
• it representatives-fields: programmers, DevOps engineers, heads of development teams, software quality control engineers;
• digital industry specialists: designers, Internet marketers, SMM specialists;
• creative professionals: photographers, artists;
• teachers and tutors.

Choosing a country to move to

To understand where to go to work, it is necessary to evaluate the existing professional skills that will be of interest to the receiving party, outline for yourself the possible difficulties associated with relocation and adaptation, and imagine whether it is worth spending time overcoming obstacles. Here is an approximate list of questions for a person who intends to find a job abroad.:

• Is the specialty that I already own in demand? Does it make sense to consider a related field or change your profession?
• What level of foreign language is required to work in the field of interest? Is there an opportunity to communicate with colleagues and/or clients only in Russian?
• Where to look for jobs?
• What package of documents should be collected for employment in a particular country?
• Does moving for work involve moving family members abroad, or will all close relatives stay at home?
• If his relatives are traveling with a employed person, how are things going in the country with kindergartens, schools, and medical care? Do adult family members of a foreign employee have the right to work?
• How easy or difficult is it to get there? How much do tickets cost? Are there any direct flights?
• Are there restrictions on opening accounts for Russian citizens and withdrawing funds to banks?
• Is there a Russian-speaking diaspora? In which city is it the most numerous? If it is planned to move for more than a year, with adaptation to a new place, how do the residents of the chosen state treat foreigners?
• How easy will it be to change jobs if the working conditions no longer suit you after you move?

It is important to think about all these issues in advance and discuss them with family members. If possible, it is advisable to choose a country that is convenient to travel to from the Russian Federation by plane without a transfer, and whose national language is well known.

If the field of interest includes remote work with relocation to another country, then a digital nomad visa is suitable for such an employee. Here are the countries where a foreigner can stay in this status for a long time on their own or with their family.:

• Portugal, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Malta, Cyprus;
• Greece, Croatia, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Iceland, Romania;
• Turkey; Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay, Ecuador;
• South Korea, Japan, Thailand.

Employment with a foreign company and relocation based on a work visa are also available in China, the UAE, EU countries (except the Czech Republic, which does not issue visas to Russian citizens yet) and Southeast Asia.

How to find a job

The search for employment opportunities in a foreign organization is possible through websites, mobile applications and Telegram channels designed to organize international interaction between employers and potential employees. You will need a VPN to use individual resources.

• LinkedIn is a resource for networking (establishing business contacts), popular among foreign companies and people planning relocation for work.
• Indeed.com is an aggregator of vacancies in different countries, which allows you to assess the prospects of specialties of interest by region.
• Nomad List is a website for remote employees from different countries who are looking for like–minded people.
• JobisJob is a website for job search by industry and region, where the professions of interest are most popular.
• Glassdoor is a platform with reviews of international companies.
• Relocate is a website with offers from employers who offer relocation.
• AngelList Talent is a directory of vacancies in startups registered in other countries.
• WWR – positions for remote work in foreign organizations.
• TG-marketing jobs channel – offers for Internet marketers, advertising and PR specialists.
• TG-Job for Media & Content channel – interaction of specialists in creating text content, which companies are ready to transport to other countries.

When looking for a job abroad, resumes are written in English or in the language of the country where they are going to move. The standards and rules of other countries’ markets are different. Therefore, a classic resume, readily accepted by employers from the Russian Federation, will not work. For those who are looking for a relocation job for the first time in their life, it is better to contact paid career consultants. Tips for others:

• not just to list organizations, but to write cases and specific work results: I did A, it was measured by indicators B, I used methods C and D for this;
• mention all completed education, including courses, trainings, participation in industry events, volunteering;
• try to fit the information on 1-2 sheets;
• clarify whether applicants in a particular country attach photos;
• insert relevant ones keywords so that the auto-search used by recruiters does not miss resumes among a large number of other candidates.

Motivation letters (Cover Letters) help employers understand whether they have a suitable candidate in front of them and how interested they are in taking up the proposed position. To meet these expectations, the CV provides concise and illustrative cases, as well as clearly explains why they sympathize with the company and want to get into this particular position. Ready-made motivation letter templates should be used with caution after manual adjustments for each new organization.

Preparing for an interview consists of writing a mini-story about yourself as a professional, with an expectation of 3-4 minutes of oral speech, and memorizing answers to standard questions. The employer will definitely ask about the reasons for the job search and ask about the desired salary, and will probably want to learn more about practical knowledge in the subject area (hard skills). To maintain self-confidence during an interview taking place in a foreign language, it is worth surfing the Internet and learning professional terminology, practicing an interview with one of your colleagues or relatives. For their part, the recruiter should ask questions about the company and the position in order to demonstrate an informed attitude towards potential cooperation.

Paperwork

The list of documents for obtaining a work visa differs from country to country. A residence permit is usually given for a period equal to the term of the employment contract. An employee traveling abroad will probably need:

• a completed visa application form downloaded from the consulate’s website;
• a passport with two blank pages, a translation, an apostille and a validity period exceeding the visa issuance period for 3-6 months;
• photos in 3.5 x 4.5 cm color;
• a certificate of non-criminal record from the Russian Federation and from countries where the candidate lived longer year;
• a copy of the workbook;
• a certificate of proficiency in the language of the host state;
• an employment contract and an invitation from the employer;
• educational documents translated into English or into the national language of the host country (the need to legalize diplomas and certificates depends on the specific state);
• rental agreement;
• medical insurance covering the cost of doctors for a certain amount;
• an extract from a bank account that has funds for living and settling in after moving.

If family members are traveling with the employee, their personal documents and proof of kinship will additionally be required: birth/marriage certificates, adoption certificates, etc.

Financial issue of relocation

The cost of relocation after obtaining a work visa is an individual amount, depending on the country of arrival, the cost of meals and rental of furnished housing, the number of people entering (only one employee or with his family), the need to transport a large number of personal belongings, and the price of air tickets. Additional expenses awaiting relocation include state fees for obtaining a residence permit, submitting biometric data, and tax registration. If possible, it is advisable to have a reserve of funds for the first six months of life in a new country, which can help out in unforeseen situations.

Upon arrival, the employee will have to obtain a local INN, register for migration at the district police station, and open a bank account.

Adaptation abroad

Communication with local residents, colleagues and representatives of diasporas from the CIS will help you get used to the new environment faster. Accommodation can be found through Russian-language Telegram channels, social media groups and forums, which are available in 9 out of 10 popular countries for relocation for work. The universal advice to a relocant is to try to preserve the usual way of life and rituals that were important at home. This will help reduce stress from climate change, language environment, and other conditions.

Before establishing social ties with the locals, you should study the traditions and mentality of their homeland. Foreigners often treat new acquaintances, the amount of social distance, handshakes, forms of leisure activities, table behavior, visits, festive traditions, and many other circumstances differently than residents of the post-Soviet space. In most cases, it is better not to share personal problems and experiences with unfamiliar people, at first to conduct small talk only in a positive way, avoid condemning others and the way of life in the host country, very carefully speak out on political, social, religious issues or avoid such topics, try to pay attention to hobbies.

It sometimes takes several months for foreign specialists to find a job abroad. This is due to high language requirements, increased intelligibility of foreign recruiters, serious competition for high-paying positions, the need to repeatedly adjust resumes, CV and collect a lot of documents. Despite various obstacles, such employment will be financially promising if you carefully prepare for moving from home and carefully study the information about the host company.