Every American thinks they need to move to London or Paris or Amsterdam. Meanwhile, there’s a random city in Poland throwing visa sponsorships at anyone who speaks English and can turn on a computer. They’re literally desperate.
These aren’t “teach English to kids” jobs. These are actual careers with European contracts, 25 days vacation, and health insurance that actually works. Companies can’t find enough English speakers and they’re panicking.
Quick Easy Tips
Focus on city-specific job markets rather than country-wide assumptions.
Target international sectors like tech, customer support, tourism, and education.
Apply using local job platforms, not just global listings.
Treat English as a gateway skill, not a permanent substitute for integration.
One controversial belief is that Europe no longer needs English speakers because locals are fluent. In reality, conversational English does not always translate to professional or customer-facing competence, especially in fast-paced industries.
Another misconception is that these jobs are low quality or temporary. While some roles are entry-level, many lead to long-term contracts, residency pathways, and career growth once inside the system.
There is also resistance from locals who view English-heavy hiring as cultural erosion. This tension exists, but employers prioritize survival and competitiveness over ideology when labor shortages hit.
Finally, many assume this demand is permanent. It is not. Cities cycle through shortages based on demographics, migration, and economic shifts. Those who act early benefit most, while late movers often miss the window entirely.
1. Kraków, Poland – Tech Companies Having Meltdowns
Every tech company in Kraków is trying to be the next Spotify and they all need English speakers NOW. Not Polish. Not “learning Polish.” Just English.
Who’s desperate: Google, IBM, Motorola, every fintech startup you’ve never heard of What they need: Developers, project managers, customer support, literally anyone who can spell JavaScript Pay: €2,000-4,000 monthly (seems low until you realize rent is €500) Visa situation: They handle everything. Some companies have dedicated visa teams because they’re so desperate
Cost of living is stupid low. Like, €1 for a beer low. €5 for lunch low. Your American remote salary goes further here than anywhere except maybe Bulgaria.
Polish company just offered my friend €3,500/month plus apartment plus relocation costs plus Polish lessons (optional) plus annual flight home. For customer service management. CUSTOMER SERVICE.
They’re so desperate they’re recruiting on LinkedIn with messages like “Please? Please just consider it? We have pierogi!”
2. Brno, Czech Republic – The City Nobody Knows Exists
Brno is Czech Republic’s second city and nobody can pronounce it (Burr-no). Which means no competition for the insane amount of jobs they’re trying to fill.
Red Hat, IBM, Microsoft all have massive offices here. They need English speakers because all documentation is in English, all meetings are in English, all everything is in English.
Desperate for: IT support, technical writers, QA testers, data analysts Pay: €1,800-3,500 monthly Reality check: Rent is €400, beer is €1.50, you live like royalty
Czech government fast-tracks work permits for tech workers. Two months max. Some companies get you started remotely while paperwork processes because they can’t wait.
Local HR manager told me they’ve been trying to fill 200 positions for eight months. Eight months! The jobs just sit there, empty, waiting for English speakers who never come because everyone’s fighting over Dublin jobs instead.
3. Porto, Portugal – Customer Service Gold Rush
Every company worldwide needs Portuguese customer service but wants English-speaking managers. Porto can’t find enough.
Teleperformance, Sitel, Concentrix – these huge companies are basically importing Americans. €1,200/month starting sounds terrible until you realize:
- Rent: €500
- Lunch: €5
- Wine: €2
- Beach: Free
- Weather: Perfect
They’re offering signing bonuses, paid relocation, free Portuguese lessons, and visa sponsorship for jobs that require “speak English and don’t be an asshole.”
But here’s the secret: Get hired for customer service, transfer to management in six months. Everyone does it. The companies expect it. They just need bodies initially.
4. Tallinn, Estonia – Digital Everything
Estonia runs their entire country online and every company needs English speakers to go international. They’re so desperate they created a digital nomad visa just to trick people into coming and hopefully staying.
Who’s hiring: Wise, Bolt, Skype, every crypto company, every fintech Salaries: €2,500-5,000 Bonus: No language requirement. Ever. Everyone under 40 speaks perfect English
Estonian work permits take three weeks. THREE WEEKS. Because the government told immigration to stop blocking their tech growth.
Company called Pipedrive offered someone I know €4,000/month, relocation package, and said “If you have friends, bring them too. We’ll hire them.” They weren’t joking.
Winter is brutal but summer has 20-hour daylight and the entire country moves to beach houses. Plus, Finland is 2-hour ferry away when you need actual civilization.
5. Valencia, Spain – The Remote Work Invasion
Valencia just realized they can steal all of Barcelona’s English-speaking talent by being 40% cheaper and 100% less touristy.
Tech companies, marketing agencies, customer service centers all moving here. They need English speakers because their clients are international. Spanish is genuinely optional.
Desperate sectors: Digital marketing, customer success, sales, content creation Pay: €1,800-3,000 (goes far here) Life hack: Get hired locally, negotiate remote work, move to beach town 20 minutes away
Spanish work visa usually takes forever. Not for English speakers in tech/marketing. Companies have lawyers who know exactly which paperwork makes it fast. Two months if the company wants you badly enough.
My coworker’s daughter just got €2,200/month plus health insurance plus 30 days vacation for social media management. She posts on Instagram for a living. In Spain. By the beach.
6. Wrocław, Poland – The Finance Surprise
Every bank and financial company opened shared service centers in Wrocław because it’s cheap and has universities. Now they can’t find enough English speakers.
JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, UBS all hiring hundreds of people. Not for Polish market – for global operations that happen to be based in Poland.
Jobs: Financial analysts, accountants, compliance, risk management, internal audit Salaries: €2,500-4,500 Catch: There isn’t one
They’ll sponsor visas, pay for relocation, provide temporary housing, and some even pay for your MBA while you work. Because they’re that desperate.
City is beautiful, beer is €2, pierogi is life-changing, and you can afford a huge apartment in the center on entry-level salary.
7. Ljubljana, Slovenia – The Hidden Tech Scene
Nobody knows Slovenia has a tech scene because nobody knows where Slovenia is. Their loss, your gain.
Every startup here needs English speakers because Slovenian market is 2 million people. They have to go international immediately or die.
Growing companies: Outfit7, Bitstamp, Zemanta, dozens of gaming companies Salaries: €2,000-3,500 Life quality: Imagine Switzerland but affordable
One hour to Venice, two to Vienna, mountains everywhere, and everybody speaks English because their language is impossible and they know it.
Work permits fast-tracked for tech. Country is in EU so once you’re in, you’re in. No additional visa drama.
Company here just hired three Americans with zero Slovenian knowledge. Gave them each €3,000/month and said “Please don’t leave for Berlin.”
8. Vilnius, Lithuania – The Fintech Explosion
Vilnius has more fintech companies than cities 10x its size. They all need English speakers yesterday.
Revolut, TransferWise regional offices, hundreds of startups. They’re building the “Baltic Silicon Valley” and can’t find enough English speakers to make it work.
Desperate for: Developers, compliance officers, customer support, marketing Pay: €2,000-4,000 Reality: Rent is €400, city is beautiful, everyone under 30 speaks English
Lithuanian government gives visa answer in 15 days. FIFTEEN DAYS. Because they’re trying to build a tech hub and bureaucracy was killing it.
9. Cluj-Napoca, Romania – The Outsourcing Capital
Every major company outsources something to Cluj. They all need English-speaking managers because Romanian managers are busy getting poached by other companies.
Who’s there: Bosch, Office Depot, Sykes, dozens of IT companies Salaries: €1,500-3,000 (but living costs are basically nothing) Apartment in center: €300
Romania fast-tracks EU Blue Cards for tech workers. Some companies start you as “consultant” while paperwork processes because they need you working NOW.
American friend got hired at €2,500/month. Thought it was low. Realized his quality of life is better than when he made $120k in San Francisco. Does the math make sense? No. Is it real? Yes.
10. Bratislava, Slovakia – One Hour from Vienna
Bratislava is Vienna’s affordable little brother. Every company wanting Vienna presence without Vienna prices opens here.
Big employers: Dell, IBM, Lenovo, AT&T, Johnson Controls They need: IT, customer service, finance, shared services Pay: €1,800-3,200
One hour to Vienna by train (€10). Live in Bratislava, party in Vienna, save thousands.
Slovak visa process is smooth for shortage occupations (everything tech-related). Companies have visa specialists because they’ve done this hundreds of times.
The Hidden Benefits Nobody Mentions
Healthcare: Actually free. Not American “free but here’s a bill for $5,000.” Actually free.
Vacation: 25-30 days standard. Plus public holidays. Plus sick leave that doesn’t count against vacation.
Work culture: Leave at 5 PM. Don’t check email weekends. August is basically optional.
EU residency: After 5 years, permanent residency. Work anywhere in EU. The golden ticket.
Remote work: Most companies now offer hybrid/remote. Get hired in Kraków, move to Portuguese beach town, keep Polish salary.
How to Actually Get These Jobs
LinkedIn: Set location to target city, turn on “Open to Work,” watch recruiters panic-message you
Companies directly: They all have English career pages. Apply to everything. They’re desperate, remember?
Facebook groups: “Expats in [City]” groups have job posts daily. Companies literally begging.
Remote job boards: Many hire “remote in EU” meaning anywhere once you have visa
Recruitment agencies: Randstad, Hays, Manpower all have English-speaking recruiters
The Visa Reality
EU Blue Card: For high-skilled workers. Fast-track to permanent residency. Company sponsorship: Most handle everything. You just sign papers. Digital nomad visas: Estonia, Portugal, Croatia have them. Gateway drug to real visa. Student visa loophole: Do a cheap master’s, work part-time, get hired full-time after.
The Brutal Truth
These cities are desperate because English speakers don’t know they exist or think they need to speak local language. You don’t. English is enough. Often preferred.
While Americans fight over Austin and Seattle jobs, European companies are literally paying relocation bonuses for basic English-speaking roles.
The math:
- Kraków tech job: €3,000/month
- Expenses: €1,000/month
- Saved: €2,000/month
- Life quality: 10x better than American grind
These aren’t teaching jobs. Not tourism jobs. Real careers with progression, benefits, and European quality of life.
But sure, keep applying to that same SF startup offering equity instead of salary.
Meanwhile, someone just got hired in Brno with zero Czech knowledge and is living their best life on salary that would be poverty in NYC.
The jobs exist. The desperation is real. The only question is whether you’ll apply or keep reading about how impossible it is to move to Europe.
The demand for English speakers across Europe is less about language dominance and more about economic reality. International business, tourism, tech, and education have expanded faster than local workforces can adapt. Cities that once required fluency now prioritize immediate operational needs.
What surprises most newcomers is how localized this demand is. It is not evenly spread across countries, but concentrated in specific cities where global exposure outpaces population growth or skills training. This creates short windows of opportunity that many people overlook.
For English speakers, these cities offer a rare entry point into Europe without perfect language skills. While long-term integration still benefits from learning the local language, initial access is often far easier than expected.
Ultimately, this trend reflects a shifting European job market. Cities that embrace international workers tend to grow faster, diversify economically, and remain more resilient during labor shortages.
About the Author: Ruben, co-founder of Gamintraveler.com since 2014, is a seasoned traveler from Spain who has explored over 100 countries since 2009. Known for his extensive travel adventures across South America, Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Africa, Ruben combines his passion for adventurous yet sustainable living with his love for cycling, highlighted by his remarkable 5-month bicycle journey from Spain to Norway. He currently resides in Spain, where he continues sharing his travel experiences with his partner, Rachel, and their son, Han.