Right to work by country: where each passport can take a job under treaty rules
Updated August 2026 · compiled from treaty texts and official government guidance · reviewed annually
A treaty-bloc right to work is a standing rule that lets citizens of one country take a job in another because a treaty between the two says so, with no individual work permit to win first. 10 such blocs touch the 70 countries in the cityparity dataset, from EU/EEA free movement down to the two-country Common Travel Area. The table shows, for every covered country, which blocs its citizens belong to and where those blocs let them work.
One thing before the table: these are rules, not advice. Every right here follows the passport. A German citizen living in Houston keeps full EU rights; an American living in Berlin gains none of them. Dual nationality, family members and transitional arrangements all change the picture, so check the linked primary source before you act on a row. We review bloc membership annually; the current data was verified on 2026-08-07.
Two kinds of right appear below, and they deserve different weight. Work permit exempt means citizens can start a job with no permission beyond registering like a local: EU/EEA, the Swiss agreements, the CTA, Trans-Tasman, Nordic, GCC and EAEU work this way. Residence-based means the treaty guarantees a residence card with work rights on nationality alone, and you still apply for that card: Mercosur, the Andean Community and ECOWAS.
| Country | Treaty blocs | Basis | Citizens can work in (covered countries) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP); Common Travel Area | Work permit exempt | 23: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom |
| Austria | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Belgium | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Bulgaria | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Czechia | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Denmark | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP); Nordic Common Labour Market | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Estonia | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Finland | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP); Nordic Common Labour Market | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| France | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Germany | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Greece | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Hungary | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Italy | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Lithuania | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Netherlands | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Norway | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP); Nordic Common Labour Market | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Poland | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Portugal | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Romania | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Slovenia | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Spain | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland |
| Sweden | EU/EEA free movement; Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP); Nordic Common Labour Market | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland |
| Switzerland | Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP) | Work permit exempt | 22: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden |
| Argentina | Mercosur Residence Agreement | Residence-based | 6: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay |
| Brazil | Mercosur Residence Agreement | Residence-based | 6: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay |
| Chile | Mercosur Residence Agreement | Residence-based | 6: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay |
| Colombia | Mercosur Residence Agreement; Andean Community Migration Statute | Residence-based | 6: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay |
| Ecuador | Mercosur Residence Agreement; Andean Community Migration Statute | Residence-based | 6: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay |
| Peru | Mercosur Residence Agreement; Andean Community Migration Statute | Residence-based | 6: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay |
| Uruguay | Mercosur Residence Agreement | Residence-based | 6: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru |
| Kuwait | Gulf Cooperation Council | Work permit exempt | 3: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE |
| Qatar | Gulf Cooperation Council | Work permit exempt | 3: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE |
| Saudi Arabia | Gulf Cooperation Council | Work permit exempt | 3: Kuwait, Qatar, UAE |
| UAE | Gulf Cooperation Council | Work permit exempt | 3: Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia |
| Armenia | Eurasian Economic Union | Work permit exempt | 1: Kazakhstan |
| Australia | Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement | Work permit exempt | 1: New Zealand |
| Kazakhstan | Eurasian Economic Union | Work permit exempt | 1: Armenia |
| New Zealand | Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement | Work permit exempt | 1: Australia |
| United Kingdom | Common Travel Area | Work permit exempt | 1: Ireland |
| Ghana | ECOWAS free movement | Residence-based | 1: Nigeria |
| Nigeria | ECOWAS free movement | Residence-based | 1: Ghana |
| Azerbaijan | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Bangladesh | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Canada | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| China | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Costa Rica | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Egypt | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Georgia | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Hong Kong | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| India | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Indonesia | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Israel | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Japan | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Kenya | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Malaysia | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Mexico | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Morocco | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Pakistan | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Philippines | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Serbia | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Singapore | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| South Africa | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| South Korea | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Sri Lanka | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Taiwan | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Thailand | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Turkey | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| USA | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Uzbekistan | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
| Vietnam | None | n/a | Work permit or visa required in every covered country |
Counts include only the 70 countries in the cityparity dataset. Most blocs have further members; each bloc note below names them.
A passport that opens a border says nothing about whether the move pays. The other five tables price taxes, childcare, leave and healthcare across the same 70 countries, and the calculator runs your own salary and family through any two cities. If Europe is the question, start with is moving to Europe worth it.
The 10 blocs, rule by rule
EU/EEA free movement
Covered members (22): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta and Slovakia (EU) plus Iceland and Liechtenstein (EEA) are also members but are outside the cityparity dataset.
Citizens can take up employment or self-employment in any other member state with no work permit, on equal terms with nationals. The EEA Agreement extends the same right to Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
Caveats: Stays over three months usually require registering residence with the local authority, and some countries ask you to report your presence earlier. For workers the registration cannot be refused; it is still a duty.
Source: TFEU Article 45 and Directive 2004/38/EC (europa.eu); EEA Agreement Article 28 (efta.int). Verified 2026-08-07.
Switzerland-EU/EFTA (AFMP)
Covered members (23): Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. All other EU states plus Iceland and Liechtenstein are covered by the same rules but are outside the cityparity dataset.
The 1999 Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons lets Swiss citizens work in the EU and EU citizens work in Switzerland without a quota or labour market test; the EFTA Convention applies the same rules between Switzerland and the EEA-EFTA states.
Caveats: Switzerland keeps a registration layer: jobs up to three months per calendar year need an employer notification filed before work starts, and longer jobs need an EU/EFTA residence permit (L or B). The permit is an entitlement rather than a discretionary grant, and B permits are not tied to one employer, but you must apply. A safeguard clause lets Switzerland temporarily cap permits for specific newer EU states.
Source: Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (sem.admin.ch). Verified 2026-08-07.
Common Travel Area
Covered members (2): United Kingdom, Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are also inside the CTA.
British and Irish citizens can live and work in each other's country, employed or self-employed, with no visa, residence permit or employment permit of any kind. The arrangement predates the EU and survived Brexit; a 2019 UK-Ireland Memorandum of Understanding reaffirmed it.
Caveats: The right attaches to British and Irish citizenship only. Other residents of either country get nothing from the CTA.
Source: UK Home Office CTA guidance (gov.uk); Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (gov.ie). Verified 2026-08-07.
Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement
Covered members (2): Australia, New Zealand. None.
New Zealand citizens arriving on an NZ passport receive Australia's Special Category Visa (subclass 444) automatically at the border, with no advance application or fee, and can live and work indefinitely. Australian citizens are treated as resident-visa holders on arrival in New Zealand and can live and work without applying in advance.
Caveats: A political arrangement from 1973 rather than a binding treaty. The subclass 444 visa is technically temporary: it lapses on each departure, is re-granted on arrival, carries health and character requirements, and does not by itself confer permanent residence or citizenship rights.
Source: Australian Department of Home Affairs; NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Verified 2026-08-07.
Nordic Common Labour Market
Covered members (4): Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden. Iceland is a member but is outside the cityparity dataset.
Citizens of the Nordic countries need no work permit and no residence permit in another Nordic country. The 1954 agreement (replaced by the 1982 agreement, in force 1983) predates EU law and removes even the residence-registration step that EU/EEA movers face.
Caveats: Movers still register with the local population registry, the same as nationals changing address.
Source: Agreement Concerning a Common Nordic Labour Market (norden.org). Verified 2026-08-07.
Gulf Cooperation Council
Covered members (4): Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE. Bahrain and Oman are members but are outside the cityparity dataset.
The 2001 GCC Economic Agreement grants GCC citizens equal treatment in any member state, including taking up work in private and government jobs, with no work visa or sponsorship required.
Caveats: Employers still register GCC-national hires with the host labour ministry and social insurance system, and some sovereign public-sector roles stay reserved for the host state's own citizens. The treaty right is broad; day-to-day practice runs through each ministry's procedures.
Source: GCC Economic Agreement 2001, Article 3 (GCC Secretariat General). Verified 2026-08-07.
Mercosur Residence Agreement
Covered members (7): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay. Paraguay and Bolivia also apply the agreement but are outside the cityparity dataset; Venezuela is suspended from Mercosur and takes no part.
Citizens of party countries can obtain a two-year temporary residence permit in another party country on the basis of nationality plus a clean criminal record, with the right to work, convertible to permanent residence.
Caveats: Near-automatic residence with work rights: you still apply for the residence card, so this is a different animal from permit-free entry. In force since 2009 for the original parties; Peru, Ecuador and Colombia acceded later.
Source: Mercosur Residence Agreement 2002 (mercosur.int); IRB Canada compilation ZZZ201445.E. Verified 2026-08-07.
Andean Community Migration Statute
Covered members (3): Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. Bolivia is a member but is outside the cityparity dataset.
Decision 878 (in force August 2021) lets Andean citizens visit for 90 days, obtain two-year temporary residence and then permanent residence in another member country on the basis of nationality, and work employed or self-employed on equal terms with nationals once resident.
Caveats: Residence-based work rights, with the paperwork done at the host country's migration authority. For Colombia, Ecuador and Peru the statute overlaps the Mercosur Residence Agreement; the only extra member it adds is Bolivia.
Source: Andean Community Decision 878 (comunidadandina.org). Verified 2026-08-07.
Eurasian Economic Union
Covered members (2): Armenia, Kazakhstan. Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Russia are members but are outside the cityparity dataset; Uzbekistan is an observer only, with no work rights.
Article 97 of the EAEU Treaty lets employers hire workers from other member states without work permits or quotas, and member-state citizens take up employment without a permit.
Caveats: Migration registration with host-state authorities still applies within set deadlines, and the right covers employment rather than permanent settlement.
Source: Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union 2014, Article 97 (WTO deposited translation). Verified 2026-08-07.
ECOWAS free movement
Covered members (2): Ghana, Nigeria. Nine further West African states are members and are outside the cityparity dataset; Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger withdrew in January 2025.
The 1979 Protocol gives ECOWAS citizens visa-free entry for 90 days; the 1986 Supplementary Protocol adds the right to reside and take up income-earning employment in another member state through an ECOWAS residence card issued by the host state. Card processing may not delay the start of an employment contract.
Caveats: A residence card is required and host-state rules govern issuance; implementation varies by country in practice.
Source: ECOWAS Protocol A/P.1/5/79 and Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/7/86 (Refworld). Verified 2026-08-07.
More country data
Figures come from cityparity's per-city engine, computed from official sources with a per-value audit trail; currency conversions use rates from 2026-08-03 and drift daily. Treat any single number as a strong estimate and run your own. See the methodology.