Most of the people who find me have already decorated the apartment in their head. They know the neighbourhood, the walk to the bakery, the view they want from the desk. What they haven’t settled is the part that decides whether any of it happens: how they’re legally allowed to be there, and how they’ll earn once they are.
I don’t blame anyone for starting with the daydream. It’s the fun part. But a move built around a location tends to collapse in the same place every time: a city someone loves with no realistic visa route for their situation, or a budget that runs out before the plan ever had a chance to work.
So I run it in the opposite order. I call it Route Before Rent, and it has four stages. The sequence is what makes it work. Do these out of order and you pay for it later, usually in time and savings you can’t get back.
Stage one: eligibility before geography.
Before we talk about where, we settle what you actually qualify for. Not the routes on a “move abroad” listicle, but the ones your real profile opens. Someone with a degree and a European job offer may be looking at the EU Blue Card, where Germany’s 2026 salary threshold sits around €50,700 a year, dropping closer to €45,900 for roles on its shortage-occupation list. Someone with steady income from outside Europe may be looking at a route like Portugal’s D8, which in 2026 asks for roughly €3,680 a month in qualifying income. These numbers are real, and they shift every year, which is exactly why guessing is expensive. Your eligibility sets the board. Everything after it is a move on that board.
Stage two: income model before income target.
Here’s the fork most people miss. Will you be employed in Europe, or will you bring income that isn’t tied to an address? Those aren’t two versions of the same plan. They’re different visa categories and a different version of you on paper, and committing to one is what lets you prepare properly for it. People who try to keep both options alive usually find neither one ready when it counts.
Stage three: position before you apply.
This is where most of my work with clients happens, and it’s the stage people underrate. An employer or an immigration officer is reading a very particular story about you. Your CV, your LinkedIn, the way your experience is framed for that specific market: all of it either makes your route obvious or quietly makes you look like a risk. I want to be clear about what this is and isn’t. I can’t make anyone hire you. Only an employer can do that. What I can do is make sure that when the right person looks, your positioning is already doing the persuading.
Stage four: place and logistics last.
Now, finally, the city. Except now you’re choosing it with real information behind it: which routes you qualify for, which income model you’ve committed to, and what a budget actually looks like on the ground. The bakery and the view are still there. They’ve just moved to the end of the plan, where they belong, instead of driving decisions they were never equipped to make.
If you’ve read this and realised you’ve been planning from stage four, you’re in good company. Almost everyone does, until someone shows them the order.
That’s what a Compass Call is for. In one focused session we figure out which stage you’re actually standing in, which routes are genuinely yours, and what the honest next step looks like. No promises about jobs, because I don’t make those, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Just a clear read on your situation and the sequence to work it.
Can Americans work in Europe?
Yes. Americans can work in Europe through routes such as employer-sponsored work permits, the EU Blue Card, and remote-work or digital-nomad visas. Which route is open to you depends on your profile.
What income do you need for the Portugal D8 in 2026?
For 2026, the Portugal D8 visa asks for roughly €3,680 per month in qualifying income. The figure is indexed to Portugal’s minimum wage and updated each year, so confirm the current amount before you apply.
What’s the EU Blue Card salary threshold in Germany for 2026?
In 2026, Germany’s EU Blue Card salary threshold is around €50,700 per year, dropping to about €45,900 for roles on the shortage-occupation list. The thresholds are set annually, so check the current figures before applying.
Do I need a job offer before moving?
It depends on your route. Employment-based routes like the EU Blue Card require a job offer first, while remote-work visas such as Portugal’s D8 are built around income you already earn. Sorting out which route fits you is the first step.
