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If you plan to work legally in any European country, you will need to make arrangements based on your citizenship.

If you are a non-EU national, you will need to get a work permit or a visa in advance. Expect to do a lot of paperwork and conquer a lot of red tape to obtain the necessary permits from the consulate of your own country. You’ll also be needing letters from your future employers as proof of your intent. Before you leave, make sure you’ve also contacted the embassy or consulate of the country that you plan to work in because employment regulations change frequently.

If you are a Commonwealth citizen between the ages of 17 and 27, you

can get a working holiday visa for Britain which is valid for two years. If you have a parent or grandparent who was born in an EU country, get in touch with that country’s embassy and inquire about dual citizenship and work permits. Use this option if you are closely related to somebody Irish. Ireland easily grants citizenship and passports to people with an Irish grandparent or parent and once you have a passport, you can travel the EU easily. If you have a British-born grandparent or parent, you may be entitled to a four year work visa from the UK with an option of residency at the end of the term. Before taking any of these options, make sure that your home country also recognizes this dual citizenship.

Once you’ve got the paperwork straightened out, you can legally hold a casual job that may provide some financial support while you are Europe. You can teach English, work in the hospitality industry, pick fruit, take pictures, or write travel articles. You can also do some other work in counseling, babysitting, telemarketing, or in factories. Bear in mind that is not always easy to pick a job because other unemployed EU citizens usually get them first before you do.

There are many students out there in Europe who want to learn English, but it is not always easy to get a teaching job. You

will need to be either very well dressed and an extremely bluffer, or you need to bring the right credentials. A recognized TESOL or TEFL certificate is useful. You’ll also need a university degree from your home country. August and September are the best times to look for teaching jobs. If you can’t get one, the other alternative is to offer your services as a private tutor to groups or individuals, but this is a riskier option. The best places to find teaching jobs would be Eastern Europe and Greece. The other countries are already quite saturated with English teachers.

The hospitality industry is probably the biggest source of temporary employment in Europe. If

you have a work permit and some experience, it is easy to get work as a waiter or bartender. The best ways to find this sort of work are to ask around restaurants and bars and watching hostel notice boards. If you time to work in this industry, you’ll need to take with you a good set of clothes.

If you don’t have a permit, fruit picking or harvesting is probably one of the easiest ways to make extra cash. Employers usually turn a blind eye to the law and pay up front. This sort of work is available almost everywhere. The best way to get a job is to approach farmers directly or ask around

the nearest village. However, timing is very important. If you are too early or too late in the harvest season, there will be no work. If you show up in the middle of the harvest, all of the jobs might be taken.

You can also earn extra money by publishing articles or photos of the places you visited. Travel photography can be very competitive, so prepare to take a hundred shots before some get accepted. Many magazines and newspapers also accept travel articles based on the pictures that go along with them. Make sure to use a professional approach when writing, as simple essays are almost never bought. Also make sure you write with

interest and depth, with the occasional offbeat angle to make your article marketable.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Europe Vacation