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Ask HN: Anyone moved to EU for work? started a company?

• pascalmemories 11y ago
  Starting a company in the UK is trivial. Any accountant will set one up for around 100 pounds (more if they're in London). For small companies, accounting rules are fairly relaxed (no audits required, just basic accountant review). Compared with North America, you don't need to have any local trading licenses or registrations. There are no requirements for lawyers to draw up articles of association and register (accountants just use pre-approved templates). Opening bank accounts was simpler (and much cheaper in my experience) too. You just take in your ID and confirmation of the company registration. Most banks will give a deal and many even have free banking. North American banks are generally eye-watering in their fee scales in comparison. Having done both, the UK is way simpler, quicker and less onerous than North America. It also opens up the entire EU as you don't need to keep registering or licensing in each place (unlike in North America). On residence/citizenship (note, NOT required to have a UK company!), the UK is a pain in the ass. They have become all crazy about immigration and put all sorts of obstacles in your way. Find a different EU country for residence - forum shop. Some grant based on even a small amount of heritage (like multiple generations back) and some grant based on ca$h. If you have a few hundred thousand $, you should be able to buy your way in. Otherwise, a business startup with employment within a number of months is another route. Once you have EU citizenship in one country, you have a Charter Right to go to any other you please.
  • vijayr 11y ago
    Some grant based on even a small amount of heritage (like multiple generations back) and some grant based on ca$h. If you have a few hundred thousand $, you should be able to buy your way in. Otherwise, a business startup with employment within a number of months is another route. Could you please explain a bit more on this? I'm also googling
    • pascalmemories 11y ago
      Get professional advice. Google is not a professional advisor ! However, some basic searching suggests Italy could be one route provided you have Italian heritage : http://www.italyheritage.com/genealogy/citizenship/ http://www.italyheritage.com/genealogy/citizenship/ And Malta is generous on the financial front : http://www.ccmalta.com/publications/malta-citizenship-investment http://www.ccmalta.com/publications/malta-citizenship-invest... A house purchase looks cheaper than pure capital investment. Malta is a nice place to live too. You need proper professional advice though. Google will get you started on places to inquire.
  • hackerboos 11y ago
    >Having done both, the UK is way simpler, quicker and less onerous than North America. Canada ranks 2nd in "opening a business" section of the Doing Business site, only beaten by New Zealand.
• atroyn 11y ago
  I live in Berlin. I have worked, freelanced, and started a company here. Getting a self employment visa if you are in technology is very, very easy, as is finding full-time work if that's what you're after. My current permit allows me to stay for four years, with indefinite extension so long as I'm doing work in tech. Starting a company is about on par with the U.S. (I also incorporated in Delaware as a foreigner). There's some beaurocracy where knowledge of the language and the required forms, or else friends to help, is very necessary. Taxes are much simpler, payroll is a little more complicated than in the U.S.
  • vijayr 11y ago
    Thank you. When you say "very very easy", what do you mean? How long did the process take?
    • seekingcharlie 11y ago
      I'm on the exact same visa. It took a month from getting to Berlin to getting the visa in my hands. I hired a lady for 800 Euro to help me do all the paperwork, forms etc as it's all in German and I had no friends/family to help me through the translation process. Having done it, I think you could get away with doing it yourself - most speak at least a little bit of English. The paperwork is not really that intensive, but you can often only book appointments 1 month out at the Ausländerbehörde (where they will do your interview & process your visa application). I'm not 100% certain if it's the same process for US (I'm Australian), but roughly I needed: - Registered address in Berlin (It's supposed to be a rental lease, but I had my airbnb host write a letter saying this was my address in Berlin). - Bank statement of savings - 3 references from clients saying that I was being paid X amount each month - Portfolio of work (web designer)
      • atroyn 11y ago
        This is precisely the process I followed (down to being Australian), except I made friends quickly and came to the Ausländerbehörde with a native speaker (and also client) backing me up.
  • 11y ago
• jkldotio 11y ago
  It took me a long time to get set up in Austria, over a month and seven visits to various agencies compared to two days with a single online process in my native Australia. They also had mandatory "social insurance" payments. These payments don't actually cover you very well if you are foreign, at least they didn't cover me after I'd been in normal employment paying them for a long time and the company I was working for went through insolvency. When I went for self-employment to do consulting I was told I didn't have to make social insurance payments for the first year which sounded positive. I wasn't told however that that process was not automatic and there was yet another another form to fill out. So I got hit with them anyway, and received no sympathy when I explained my situation. I didn't use it but I gather the legal system there for business matters is also extremely complex and expensive. In Australia we have fairly straight forward small claims courts where people can settle small to medium disputes without a lawyer. I would say it was all very unforgiving, bordering on hostile. My interpretation is certainly influenced by the fact I know, having done it in Australia, that 90% of the processes and paperwork were entirely pointless, but that doesn't really excuse any of it.