Move abroad and live in Scandinavia on one of the Scandinavian Working Holiday Visas

Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe that is known for its royal families, snowy winters and tall, blonde people and it provides opportunities for people to live, work, play and travel.  The Scandinavian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in Europe and it extends from the Arctic Circle to the North and Baltic Seas. It is mostly defined as the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden that historically shared the Peninsula however, Finland and Iceland are generally included also, and I have included details of those counties in this post.

If you are considering an extended stay to live, work, play and travel in Scandinavia there are a number of options that allow you an extended stay.

Denmark, Finland and Sweden – Part of the European Union (EU)

Denmark, Finland and Sweden are country members of the European Union (EU), therefore citizens of other member countries are allowed to live, work, play and travel in these. For more details about the European Union visit the official website www.europa.eu.int.

Scandinavian countries are Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland

Working Holiday Visas available in Scandinavia

Five Scandinavian countries have working holiday visas available that allow an extended stay in the region. They are:

Denmark

Visa: Working Holiday
Available to citizens of:  Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea
Length of stay: 12 months
Age: 18 to 30 years
Contact: your nearest Danish Embassy or Consulate

Finland

Visa: Working Holiday
Available to citizens of:  Australia, Japan and New Zealand
Length of stay: 12 months
Age: 18 to 30 years
Contact: your nearest Finnish Embassy or Consulate

Iceland

Visa: Working Holiday
Available to citizens of:  Australia
Length of stay: 12 months
Age: 18 to 30 years
Contact: your nearest Icelandic Embassy or Consulate

Norway

Visa: Working Holiday
Available to citizens of:  Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand
Length of stay: 12 months
Age: 18 to 30 years (35 years depending on country agreement)
Contact: your nearest Norwegian Embassy or Consulate

Sweden

Visa: Working Holiday
Available to citizens of:  Australia, Canada, Chile New Zealand and South Korea
Length of stay: 12 months
Age: 18 to 30 years
Contact: your nearest Swedish Embassy or Consulate

READ MORE: Sweden Working Holiday Visa Guide

As you can see, there are a number of options so your main decision is which country will you choose to live, work, play and travel in as each has a lot to offer.

Work Types for Travellers in Scandinavia

Types of work will vary for whether you are bi-lingual or not. Knowing the language will definitely help in your job search however, these regions include English as part of their school curriculum so you will find many people speak English very well. This means if you only speak English you can find work in office based positions, hostels and in coffee shops, bars and restaurants, particularly during the warmer months when many tourists visit.. Most of Scandinavia is covered in snow during the winter months. This means there is the possibility of working in the ski centres as they require a vast number of people, particularly to fill hospitality position, so the centres run efficiently.

Where Will You Live While in Scandinavia

You will need both short and long-term accommodation during your time in Scandinavia. I highly recommend staying in either a hostel or a hotel room until you find something longer term. Check out HostelWorld for a hostel room and Booking.com for a hotel room. Read our blog on finding work in a hostel. For longer term accommodation I suggest you decide on the area you wish to live in first and then go house hunting.

Which ever country you decide to have an extended stay in I hope you enjoy your time when you Live, Work, Play, Travel in Scandinavia.

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