Jobseeker's family
If you are an EU citizen who's moved to another EU country to look for a job, EU rules make it easier for your family to join you. On this page, you can find out how your family members can join you.
Warning
Even if you are an EU citizen, if you have not moved to another EU country and live in your home country, EU rules do not apply. National rules will apply then.
Staying abroad for up to 6 months
If you are an EU national looking for work in another EU country, your husband or wife, (grand)children or (grand)parents, if EU nationals, may stay there with you, subject to the same administrative conditions that apply to EU nationals.
Check conditions and formalities for:
If your spouse, (grand)children or (grand)parents are not EU nationals or don't meet the residence conditions for EU nationals, they may still stay with you in your new country as family members of an EU national looking for a job.
Some EU countries require your family members to report their presence to the relevant authorities (often the town hall or local police station) within a reasonable period of time after arrival.
Residence card
Non-EU family members of EU citizens can be required to apply for a residence card.
Equal treatment
During their stay in your new country, your spouse, (grand)children and (grand)parents should be treated as nationals of the country, notably as regards access to employment, pay, enrolment in schools, etc.
Request to leave / expulsion
Your spouse, (grand)children or (grand)parents may live in the country with you as long as they continue to meet the conditions for residence. If they no longer do so, the national authorities may require them to leave.
In exceptional cases, your new country can decide to expel them on grounds of public policy or public security, but only if it can prove they pose a very serious threat.
The expulsion decision or request to leave must be given to them in writing. It must state all the grounds and specify how they can appeal and by when.
Staying abroad for more than 6 months
Your spouse, (grand)children or (grand)parents, whether EU or non-EU nationals, can stay with you in your new country on certain conditions:
- if you lost your job after working in your new country, you must be able to demonstrate that and meet the necessary conditions, OR
- if you're looking for your first job in your new country, you must be able to prove that you're actively looking for work and you have realistic chances of finding it.
Sample story
Pierre, a French citizen, was living in Rome when he resigned from his job. While he was looking for new opportunities, he began to enquire about arranging for his wife, a Chinese national, to join him in Italy. He discovered that indeed, his wife Lin could join him in Italy as the spouse of an EU citizen, provided Pierre complied with EU rules. Specifically, that meant that after registering as a jobseeker, he could stay in Italy for at least 6 months to look for a job, and if the authorities requested it, provide evidence that he was job-hunting. After the initial 6 month period, he was able to remain in Italy as long as he could continue to provide evidence that he was looking for a job (and that he had a genuine chance of getting hired).
To obtain her own residence card from the Italian authorities, Lin had to provide evidence of her relationship to Pierre (for example via a marriage certificate), and of Pierre’s residence rights as a jobseeker. During this time, Pierre was able to receive the same assistance from the national employment office as Italian nationals. However, Pierre and Lin did not have a right to social assistance as jobseekers.
Sample story
Joy, who is Nigerian, married Gunther, a German citizen who was out of work. They assumed that she would be able to benefit from his EU citizenship to come and live with him in his home city, Berlin. However, though Joy was indeed able to come and live with Gunther, it was due to her rights as the wife of a German citizen under national immigration rules, and not EU free movement rules. EU free movement rules only apply to EU citizens who move from their home country to another EU country, and the family members who accompany or join them. If an EU citizen hasn’t exercised their free movement rights, only domestic rules apply. When Gunther finally found a job in neighbouring Austria where he then moved, Joy was able to join him in Austria thanks to EU free movement rules. In fact, no matter where Gunther moved for work in the EU, Joy found she was able to join him.