Welding and Metalwork Jobs in Europe for Foreign Workers (2026)

Welders are on shortage occupation lists across most of Europe. Shipyards, steel construction firms, machine builders, pipeline contractors, and energy projects all compete for the same shrinking pool of qualified people - and European vocational schools are not producing enough replacements. For a welder or metalworker from outside the EU, this is one of the strongest positions you can be in. Here is how to turn skill into a legal European job.

The certificates that actually matter

In Europe, welding is a certificate-driven trade. Experience counts, but paper proves it:

• EN ISO 9606 welder qualification - the European standard for welder certification, issued per process and position. This is the certificate European employers ask about first. Many will test and certify you on arrival, but arriving with a current ISO 9606 (or being ready to pass the test) puts you at the front of the queue.
• Process codes: know your processes by their EU numbers - 111 (MMA/stick), 135 (MAG), 136 (flux-cored), 141 (TIG). TIG welders and multi-process welders are especially sought after.
• Position qualifications: all-position certification (including overhead) is worth real money, particularly in pipe welding.
• Related tickets: plate reading, cutting, grinding, and safety cards (such as VCA/SCC in the Benelux and Germany) all help.

Certificates expire and must reference the specific process and material - keep yours current and bring the originals plus translations. Our checklist of documents you need to work in Europe covers the rest of the paperwork.

Where the demand is

• Germany: machine building, steel construction, automotive suppliers - a persistent official shortage.
• Netherlands and Belgium: shipbuilding, offshore, petrochemical maintenance; high day rates for certified pipe welders.
• Poland, Czechia, Slovakia: huge manufacturing bases that hire non-EU welders in volume, often with the fastest permit procedures in the EU.
• Nordic countries: shipyards, energy, and steel projects, with high wage floors set by collective agreements.
• Italy and Spain: shipyards and metal fabrication, where local language matters more.

Beyond welders, the wider metalwork family is in demand too: CNC machine operators, fitters, pipefitters, sheet-metal workers, and industrial mechanics.

Permits and the job offer

As with all non-EU hiring, the route is employer-driven: job offer first, then a work permit application by or with the employer. Because welding appears on many national shortage lists, labour market tests are often waived and processing is faster. Countries such as Germany can also admit workers with solid vocational qualifications under their skilled worker rules. The details differ by country - see EU work permits and visas explained - and rules change, so check the official immigration site of your target country.

Pay - what moves the number

We deliberately do not quote exact wages: they vary by country, certification, and industry, and change yearly. What consistently raises a welder's pay in Europe:

• Certified TIG and pipe welding, especially on stainless and exotic materials;
• All-position qualifications and passed employer weld tests;
• Willingness to travel for project work (shutdowns, shipyards) - project rates beat workshop rates;
• Working in Western or Northern Europe under collective agreements, which set binding wage floors.

Avoid the traps

Welding recruitment attracts the same scams as the rest of industrial hiring: fake "agencies" charging fees for guaranteed jobs or visas, and subcontracting chains where your real employer is unclear. Nobody legitimate charges a worker for a job offer. Insist on a written contract with a verifiable company before you travel, and never surrender your passport or original certificates to a middleman.

Preparing for the employer weld test

Almost every serious European employer will test you, either on arrival or via a certified test centre. Treat it like an exam: ask in advance which process, material, thickness, and position will be tested, and practise exactly that. Bring your existing certificates and a simple portfolio - photos of your welds, radiograph results if you have them, references naming the projects and standards you worked to. Welders who fail tests usually fail on positions they rarely practise, not on skill. Arriving prepared can be the difference between a labourer's contract and a certified welder's pay grade.

This is general information, not legal advice. Permit rules and recognised qualifications vary by country and change over time. Verify with the official immigration authority of the country where you plan to work, or via eures.europa.eu and europa.eu.

Put your certificates in front of employers

European fabricators and shipyards search abroad for welders constantly - and a profile listing your processes, positions, and certificates is exactly what they filter for. Workuro is a free registry where employers contact workers directly: no agency, no fees, no credit card. Take five minutes to create your free profile and list your welding processes today.