Fruit Picking Season Calendar in Europe: What's Harvested When and Where (2026)

Fruit picking is the classic entry-level seasonal job in Europe - no qualifications, hired in volume, and if you plan cleverly, one harvest can lead straight into the next. The trick is knowing the calendar: Europe's harvests roll from south to north and from soft fruit to tree fruit to grapes and olives. Here is the year, month by month.

The harvest calendar

Months	Crop	Main countries and regions
Feb-May	Strawberries (early, under plastic)	Spain (Huelva), Italy, Greece
Apr-Jun	Asparagus	Germany, Netherlands, France
May-Jul	Strawberries (open field)	Germany, Netherlands, Poland, UK, Scandinavia
Jun-Jul	Cherries	Spain, France, Germany, Poland
Jun-Aug	Berries (raspberries, blueberries, currants)	Poland, Portugal, Scotland, Sweden, Finland
Jul-Sep	Stone fruit (peaches, apricots, plums)	Spain (Aragon, Catalonia), Italy, Greece, France
Aug-Oct	Apples and pears	Poland, France (Loire), Italy (South Tyrol), Netherlands, Belgium
Sep-Oct	Wine grapes (vendange)	France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal
Oct-Dec	Olives	Spain (Andalusia), Italy, Greece, Portugal
Nov-Jan	Citrus	Spain (Valencia), Italy (Sicily), Greece

Chaining seasons

Experienced pickers build routes: Huelva strawberries in spring, German asparagus in May, Polish or Nordic berries in July, French apples or grapes in September, Spanish olives and citrus to finish the year. Each employer becomes a reference for the next, and returning pickers get first call the following year. The grape harvest deserves special mention - the French vendange is short (two to four weeks per estate), intense and social, and estates often provide meals and rustic lodging; it is many workers' favourite gig of the year.

Pay: piece rates versus hourly

Two systems exist. Hourly minimum wage applies in countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands - as a rough 2026 guide, that means somewhere around 11 to 15 euros gross per hour depending on the country. Piece rates (paid per kilo or crate) are common for berries and stone fruit; fast pickers can beat the hourly minimum, slow pickers must still legally be topped up to it in most countries, but enforcement varies. Southern-European farm wages run lower, sometimes near local minimums of around 1,100 to 1,400 euros gross per month. Ask which system applies, what the rate is, and whether housing is provided and at what cost - farm accommodation ranges from decent caravans to overpriced containers, and it makes or breaks the season financially.

Who can pick, and the rules

EU citizens can take any of these jobs freely. Non-EU workers need seasonal work permits, which several countries issue in volume for agriculture - Spain, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Finland all run seasonal schemes or quotas, usually arranged by the farm or a licensed recruiter in your home country. The EU Seasonal Workers Directive entitles you to equal pay and decent housing, but paper rights only help if you have a contract: insist on a written one, keep your hours, and avoid cash-in-hand arrangements that leave you unprotected and can hurt future visa applications. Background reading: EU work permits and visas explained.

Never pay a recruiter for a picking job. Legitimate farms and licensed agencies charge employers, not workers - fee-charging middlemen are the biggest scam in agricultural recruitment.

What a picking day is really like

Harvest work starts early - often at dawn to beat the heat - and runs six to ten hours of bending, reaching, lifting and carrying. Your body adapts in the first two weeks; experienced pickers pace themselves, protect their backs, and drink far more water than feels necessary. Weather rules everything: rain can cancel a day (and its pay, under some piece-rate systems), heatwaves shift work to early mornings. Bring sturdy boots, work gloves, sun protection and clothes you will destroy. The social side is the surprise: harvest crews are international, evenings are communal, and the same faces reappear farm to farm, year after year - the informal network that tells you which farms treat people well is worth more than any website.

Legal note

This is general information, not legal advice. Seasonal permit schemes, quotas and minimum wages change yearly and differ by country - check eures.europa.eu or the immigration authority of your target country for current rules.

Farms plan each harvest weeks ahead - be visible before they hire. Create your free profile on Workuro: free, no credit card, and employers contact you directly.