Working abroad in our time is a completely achievable goal, and you can go to work almost anywhere if you want. But in this article we consider employment offers in those countries where our compatriots travel most often.
Poland
One of the most attractive is working abroad in Poland: the mentality of the local residents is close to us, and the language is not too difficult to learn. And most importantly, there is plenty of work: for example, electricians, masons, tilers, welders and representatives of other construction specialties are waiting here.
Those who speak English can find a position in the tourism sector. They also need packagers of cosmetic products, clothing sorters, supermarket workers, bakers and others. Seasonal earnings are also famous in Poland, where workers are needed for harvesting.
Czech
If you are interested in working abroad, pay attention to the Czech Republic. This country also needs construction specialists, drivers, gift wrappers, cooks, etc. Even doctors can get a job with a visa and work permit.
Competition, however, is much stronger here than in Poland, for example, because the employer will first prefer a local resident or a migrant worker from the EU countries, and will consider the remaining applicants last. It is also worth considering that it is not always possible to do without knowledge of the Czech language, especially when working in positions of medium and higher qualifications.
Lithuania
Working abroad opens up a large field of activity for construction specialists - just like in Lithuania, façade builders, painters and plasterers, concrete workers, reinforcement workers, plasterboard installers and others are needed.
Car mechanics, car mechanics and car electricians are also requested. Well, if you are a seamstress and are thinking about where to go to earn money, then in Lithuania there is a great demand for this profession.
USA
Despite the difficulties associated with strict compliance with a number of conditions for obtaining a work visa, working abroad in the United States remains the most desirable among the majority of foreigners and our compatriots.
Highly qualified positions are in demand in the States, for example, doctors, engineers, programmers, teachers, but applicants without qualifications also have a chance to get a job: these are cleaners, waiters, nannies, maids, handymen. However, remember that almost all positions, even low-skilled ones, require knowledge of English.
Türkiye
Work Visa It is not provided to foreign applicants in Turkey, but having received a tourist permit and having gone through the legalization process, a migrant can work here. There is an opportunity to get a job in a hotel that requires receptionists, bartenders, maids, cleaners, waiters, sports animators, and tour guides. You can work in some of these positions without even knowing foreign languages, since most tourists speak Russian.
But there is work abroad in Turkey outside of hotels: nannies, housekeepers, fitness trainers, salespeople, secretaries are needed - at least you can’t do without English.
Traveling is cool, and even cooler is traveling and earning money at the same time. In search of such opportunities, I monitored many websites of companies offering work abroad for students and people who could not find themselves in the domestic labor market; I talked to intermediaries, as well as friends and acquaintances who made it work. I share my experience.
Work and Travel USA
This summer program is intended exclusively for full-time students at Ukrainian universities who speak English at a basic level. Work and Travel USA is an opportunity for young people to see the world, raise their language level, broaden their horizons and earn their first start-up capital.
Age: 18-23 years old
Program cost: from 1000 euros + 1500 euros (for tickets, consular fees and job selection)
Vacancies: store clerk, fast food restaurant worker, supermarket cashier, waiter or waiter assistant in a restaurant or cafe, hotel assistant and others
Salary: from $6 per hour + bonuses;
Work schedule: 8 hours a day;
Housing: provided by the employer;
Nutrition: at the expense of the participant;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine, certificate from the institute, copy of the grade book and student card;
Maximum up to 5 months.
Au pair
The program is suitable for young girls who have basic knowledge of the language of the country they are traveling to, are unmarried and have no children. However, studying at a university is not compulsory. All participants are offered one type of work - look after the children (feed them in the morning, take them to school, keep their rooms in order and for an additional fee - babysit in the evenings). A mandatory requirement is to have a driver's license. Such an assistant has several hours of free time a day. He does not have the right to officially use this time to earn extra money on the side. He also has 1.5 days off during the week and 4 weeks of vacation per year. Additional benefits that a program participant receives are the opportunity to travel for free with his family, as well as discounts on studying at foreign universities. Countries where Au-pair operates: USA, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Holland, Belgium.
Age: 18-26 (27) years old;
Program cost: from 6000 hryvnia + ticket to the selected country, services visa center– 25+35 euros;
Vacancies: nanny-educator;
Salary: from 260 euros per month + bonuses, payment for medical insurance and language courses;
Work schedule: 6 hours a day;
Housing: with a host family in the same house;
Nutrition: included;
Documentation:
Duration of stay: up to 6 to 12 months.
Work Visa
If you do not meet the criteria set by the programs mentioned above, then you can go to work abroad legally on a work visa, having previously received an invitation from the employer. Below is a list of countries with which Ukrainian agencies work and the conditions for staying in them.
Poland
Conveyor work in Poland
Poland is the easiest place to move to - most vacancies do not require knowledge of the language, work experience or even special skills. The main requirement is efficiency and the absence of bad habits. For a salary that is small for Poles, starting from 70 zlotys per day, Ukrainians are ready to work hard; they willingly work for 10-12 hours, sparing no effort. Workers with knowledge of Polish and specialized specialists with experience can count on wages of up to 50 euros per day.
Age:
Job cost: from 6000 hryvnia + ticket, payment for visa center services – 23+35 Euro;
Vacancies:
Salary: from 18,000 hryvnia;
Work schedule: 10-12 hours a day, one day off per week;
Housing:
Nutrition: at your own expense;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Duration of stay: from 6 to 12 months;
Time until departure: 1-2 months.
Czech
Sewing workshop in the Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, unlike Poland, is considered a more developed country, and because of this, Ukrainians sometimes have a false idea about working there. Yes, in the Czech Republic you can earn the same money for fewer hours of work, but nothing more. At the same time, the cost of the company’s services to find a vacancy will be much more expensive. After talking with an employee of one of these organizations, I found out that for 400 euros you can only get a visa for 3 months, and then you will have to return back to Ukraine. If the candidate wants to stay on a working visit in the territory of a given state for a year, then he will have to pay at least another 260 euros. For this money, he will be given a contract from the employer for 1 year, at the consulate his visa will still be cut to three months, and already abroad the owner of the enterprise will be able to extend it. In this case, the question arises: is it worth overpaying and adding problems to yourself for the sake of an extra 20 hryvnia a day? Personally, I think not.
Age: 20-50 years old, women and men;
Job cost: from 12,000 hryvnia + ticket, payment for visa center services;
Vacancies: general workers, builders, drivers, maids, seamstresses, cooks, vegetable harvesting workers;
Salary: from 18,000 hryvnia;
Work schedule: 8-10 hours a day;
Housing: in some cases the employer pays;
Nutrition: at your own expense;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Duration of stay: from 3 to 12 months;
Time until departure: 1-2 months;
France
Grape harvest in France
The main thing that anyone who wants to earn extra money in France should know is the French language. And not just learn 150-200 words, as they say on agency websites, but be able to answer in French all the questions posed during the interview. So realistically, it will take 6 to 8 months before leaving for the country. And there is also one taboo - married couples are not hired due to possible pregnancy. The advantage of working in France is high earnings and an 8-hour working day.
Age: 20-50 years old, women and men;
Job cost: from 16,000 to 29,000 hryvnia + ticket, visa fee – 20 Euro;
Vacancies: laborers for farms and factories, maids;
Salary: from 29,000 hryvnia;
Work schedule:
Housing: at your own expense;
Nutrition: at your own expense;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Duration of stay: 12 months;
Time until departure: 3 months.
Italy
Elderly care
You can go to Italy with or without knowledge of the language. But unskilled workers are paid only 500-600 euros per month; it is quite difficult to live on this money on the Apennine Peninsula. Obtaining a work visa to Italy can take a long time - the consulate may even ask for information about the financial well-being of the applicant, so reputable companies do not promise to provide employment in this country. If you succeed in concluding an employment contract and a visa is issued, then vacancies in this country will be suitable primarily for women with good physical health - you can get a job as a maid or nurse. Being a nanny for an elderly person is quite a difficult job - a person may need care at any time of the day; and, according to those who have already tried on the role of a nurse, elderly Italians have no less ardent disposition than young ones, so it’s worth stocking up on a lot of patience.
Age: 25-55 years old, women, preferably with medical education;
Job cost: from 29,000 hryvnia + ticket, visa fee – 20 Euro;
Vacancies: maids and nurses;
Salary: from 17,400 to 35,000 hryvnia (with knowledge of the language);
Work schedule: 8 hours a day, 1 day off per week;
Housing and food for caregivers provided by the employer;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Duration of stay: from 6 to 12 months;
Time until departure: 3 months.
Türkiye and Egypt, UAE
Workdays of an animator
In hot weather southern countries During the tourist season you can make good money in hotels. The vacancies are varied, but mostly they are staff serving vacationers. You will have to communicate directly with visitors from various countries Therefore, knowledge of English is mandatory. The advantages of working in Turkey, Egypt and the UAE are free flights, accommodation and meals, low cost of agency services.
Age: 18-28 years old, girls and boys;
Job cost: from 5,000 hryvnia;
Vacancies: dancers, trainers, guides, animators, administrators, waiters, bartenders, hostesses;
Salary: from 20,000 hryvnia + bonuses + tips;
Work schedule: 8-10 hours per day, 1 day off per week;
Accommodation, food and flights– at the expense of the employer;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Duration of stay: from 6 to 12 months;
Time until departure: The group gathering for the season begins immediately after the New Year;
Norway
Working at a fish factory in Norway
Norway usually requires fish packers for production and male cleaners for oil platforms at sea. According to reviews from employees of intermediary companies, this type of work is characterized by increased difficulty; upon return, even men do not want to go there anymore. A work visa for unskilled workers is only available for a period of up to 6 months.
Age: 18-55 years old, women and men;
Job cost: from 12,000 hryvnia + flight;
Vacancies: laborers for factories and ships;
Salary: from 80,000 hryvnia;
Work schedule: 10 hours a day, 2 days off a week;
Housing and food provided by the employer;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Duration of stay: 3 to 6 months;
Time until departure: from 3 months.
Lithuania and Latvia
Construction work
Work in the Baltic countries will be of interest to physically healthy and disciplined men who know what working in construction is like. No work experience required. Employers promise high wages to truck drivers with licenses in the corresponding categories.
Age: 20-50 years old, men;
Job cost: from 11,000 hryvnia + ticket, visa fee – 18.5 Euro;
Vacancies: drivers, builders;
Salary: from 300 hryvnia per hour or from 100 hryvnia per square meter of work;
Work schedule: 10 hours a day, 1 day off per week;
Housing and food: at your own expense;
Documentation: international passport, passport of a citizen of Ukraine;
Duration of stay: 6 months;
Time until departure: from 3 months.
Pitfalls of intermediary companies
Before contacting a company that provides employment abroad, check whether it has a license to provide such services. If such a document is available, then it would be a good idea to visit the company’s website, read the reviews, and then go straight to the office. It is best to give preference to reputable companies with many years of experience, whose representative offices are located directly in Kharkov. This approach guarantees minimal risks for your financial investments.
Be careful: there are countries that do not provide work visas for Ukrainians or are almost impossible to obtain!
Some intermediaries who work remotely for dubious companies may offer jobs with high salaries in countries such as the USA, Canada, Israel, Germany, Korea.
At the same time, employees openly inform you over the phone that crossing the border will be carried out on a tourist visa, and upon arrival in the country you will receive migrant status in order to be able to legally stay on the territory of the state. Besides the fact that such actions are illegal, no one can guarantee that you will be able to cross the border and get a job. In some countries it is almost impossible to obtain legalization, and in Israel they completely refused to assign the status of migrants to Ukrainian citizens due to the large flow of seekers better life after cancellation visa regime with us. Thousands of Ukrainians are returned home directly from Tel Aviv airport every day. Moreover, all of them have already spent from 8 to 10 thousand hryvnia on purchasing a tourist voucher.
Workers are illegally sent to Germany on a Hungarian work visa, because unskilled foreign specialists are practically not needed there. These niches are filled by foreigners from less successful EU countries who, unlike Ukrainians, do not require a work permit.
Therefore, be careful! And carefully read the cooperation agreement, which must contain a return clause Money, in case the vacancy is not found for you.
Elena Rosityuk
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Today, many people remain dissatisfied with their earnings. In this case, there are several options for the development of events. You can come to terms with the state of affairs and plan your personal finances so that you have enough for basic expenses. You can look for an additional source of income or a second job. Or you can change your place to a higher paying one. The most courageous are willing to move to another country for a decent salary. So, where should you go to earn money?
Earnings in Moscow
Moscow attracts not only Russians from the provinces, but also citizens of other countries who cannot earn a living in their homeland. Rumors about the large incomes of Muscovites are heard in almost all countries of the world, but what pitfalls should you pay attention to in order to ensure that you make a profit from moving to the capital of Russia, and not a loss? Below we will discuss the most important questions, after reading the answers to which you can decide whether to go to Moscow to earn money.
Employment
As in any large city, you need to look for work in Moscow in advance. Many people travel through acquaintances to booked places with the confidence that they will not get into trouble upon arrival. The first step is to determine your desired salary and cost of living (housing rent, food expenses). If the costs do not exceed the expected income twice, then the choice can already be considered successful.
As soon as you manage to get a job, you need to use the main rule - do not stay in one place, but through certain time look for more lucrative jobs for yourself. You can count on success if you have specific skills and are a professional in your field. Knowledge of English or another foreign language will be a plus.
Financial control
A person who comes to Moscow to earn money must be able to control all expenses and closely monitor finances. Here are some rules that will help you avoid spending your entire salary in a few days, and live comfortably, gradually accumulating funds:
- order any debit income card that will allow you to return part of the funds from large purchases;
- do not spend your entire salary, have extra money in reserve;
- many stores in Moscow offer lucrative discount programs, so purchasing a discount card will not be superfluous;
- If you do not plan to move to Moscow for permanent residence, it is better to refuse any loans.
Permanent residence
Moscow is a city of opportunities, so if a visitor decides to stay in the capital forever, it would be a good idea to purchase his own home. An apartment in Moscow costs from six million rubles. It is advisable to take out a mortgage with a salary of one hundred thousand rubles a month, otherwise debt obligations can leave a visitor without housing.
Life and work in the North
The question “where should I go to earn money?” always remains one of the most relevant. After the capital, many residents of Russia and neighboring countries choose the North. The qualifications of work in the North are quite diverse; drivers, oil workers, and a host of other specialties are required. Here are some tips regarding making money in the North:
- Work in the North on a rotational basis can last from fifteen days to a couple of months. To travel to your place of employment, it is better to use airlines rather than trains.
- There are a few basic principles to consider when working on a rig. At the rig, the worker, one might say, “will start a new family,” because there will be communal food and cleaning on a schedule. The main thing is to be sociable, friendly and try to fit into the new company.
- Salaries vary depending on the employee’s position: the more highly qualified the vacancy requires, the larger the increase will be. For the largest companies, such as Lukoil or Gazprom, the salary for two months on a shift reaches one hundred and fifty thousand rubles.
- High earnings in fly-by-night companies are a myth. You should not apply to places that promise to pay huge sums for completely unremarkable vacancies. Employers launder money at the expense of workers, and when the time comes for accrual, they simply disappear.
- Shift work is psychologically difficult. You will have to part with your family for a long time, completely change established habits, make new acquaintances and adapt to new conditions. It is important to be positive.
- The difficulty lies in how to get to the place of work. Heavy flights exhaust a person even before work begins.
We can summarize: working in the North is not profitable for everyone, but if you are already excited about this idea, the above information will help you learn more about what to expect.
Where to go to work abroad
Many people, of their own free will or due to circumstances, go to work abroad. But which country should you go to to earn money?
One of the wonderful countries is Canada. Easily accessible immigration opens up a wide range of legal employment for Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusians. In an English-speaking country, knowledge of English or French at a sufficient level will be a great advantage for visitors. Promising professions where there is a shortage of employees and where you can get a job without problems are qualified doctors, engineers, lawyers and project managers.
As in many other countries of the world, highly qualified employees are held in high esteem, but even an ordinary food seller receives up to two thousand dollars per month of work. What is noteworthy is that both a Canadian citizen and those who come to work are under government protection, which provides a simple solution to most problems.
Is it worth going to Canada to work? If English and French are at a sufficient level for free daily communication, the answer is clear - it’s worth it.
South Korea as a country where you can go to earn money
Is it worth going to Korea to earn money? Men have access to an extensive list of vacancies for which unqualified candidates are considered. The monthly income is up to a thousand dollars, in the first stages of work (during the probationary period) the minimum living wage is paid - six hundred dollars. Here are some places of employment that most often require workers without experience (although experience will be an advantage):
- construction (we need general workers, loaders and workers of various specialties);
- seafood processing;
- various factories that make clothes, shoes, accessories;
- farms (men are needed who will care for animals, clean, and work in the fields).
Depending on which job the candidate chooses, the salary will be no more than $850 per month. For overtime the clock is ticking a significant increase, but more on that later.
Vacancies for the fair sex, which do not require specific skills and abilities, are:
- preparation of confectionery products;
- textile production;
- work on conveyors (assembly, packaging, quality control).
In the above-mentioned jobs, women can expect wages of up to $760 per month and overtime hours that are optional and paid separately. Most often, living conditions are negotiated before arriving in Korea, and the employer provides a room or trailer with everything necessary for an overnight stay.
If a foreigner is a highly qualified specialist in a certain field and has significant work experience, then there will be no problems finding a highly paid position. You are invited to Korea:
- scientific employees with a master's degree;
- programmers (web developers, designers, mobile application developers);
- chemists, biologists, physicists.
If a visitor plans to stay in South Korea for a long period of time, it is better to find a highly skilled job. During a temporary stay, you can get a job in a blue-collar job to save up some money.
Is it worth going to Poland to work?
Besides Canada and South Korea, there are job search options nearby. Where to go to earn money? For example, to Poland. On average, a person without work experience in unskilled vacancies is offered payment of no more than $500 per month, and the work most often involves physical labor. The downside is that even with high qualifications without the necessary connections and good knowledge Polish language A high salary will be very difficult to achieve. Even good English won't save you.
Many employers provide their workers with free housing and minimal food throughout the day, but they have to work 10-12 hours, depending on the specifics of the job. For an hour of such exhausting work, a person earns about ten zlotys (local currency), for a day this will be 100-120 zlotys. This is approximately 1600-1900 rubles.
One of the most common seasonal work in Poland - harvesting, fruit, and mushrooms, regardless of the time of year. Both men and women are hired for these vacancies, with special preference given to Ukrainians.
The current job in Poland for women is a maid. Cleaning in hotels and houses, ability to work at night. The total salary per day is one hundred zlotys or seven to nine zlotys per hour of work.
No qualifications are required to get a job washing dishes, as an assistant cook in the kitchen, or to work in cafes and catering establishments, where women from Ukraine are often hired. Pay is about the same as in other places - up to ten zlotys per hour.
The road to construction sites is open to men. Everyone has the opportunity to work as an auxiliary worker, and you can earn eight zlotys per hour. Those people who are qualified in such work can take a higher paid position and receive up to fifteen zlotys.
Finally
There are a lot of recommendations on where to go to earn money. When choosing, you should carefully review the most interesting options and compare the minimum rate in other foreign countries. Every city (and even more so, country) has its pros and cons; it’s worth choosing the best option. To achieve your goals, you need to stay on your intended path.
Oleg Potapov was a very successful commercial agent. But this is the second time he hasn’t worked in his homeland – he wanted something different. And Oleg went to work abroad - hitchhiking.
17/5/2001
He slept in good conditions, had the opportunity to shower twice a day, ate heavily in the morning and evening. Moreover, all his expenses (take, for example, his last tour of Europe - three months, five countries: the Czech Republic, Germany, Holland, Belgium and France) amounted to $256. And he earned $1,236.
Oleg’s story is about how to independently find a job abroad, what difficulties guest workers will face and how to avoid these difficulties.
WHY INDEPENDENTLY
Well, first of all, the pleasure of concluding a contract to work abroad through a licensed intermediary company, that is, through a legal company, will cost about $1,000. Very few job seekers can afford this expense.
Secondly, the notorious contract and payment of money to the intermediary is not a guarantee of getting a job. There are often cases when, instead of the position promised in the contract, having arrived in an unfamiliar country, a person is faced with a completely different reality: instead of picking oranges, for example (which, it turns out, has already ended or has not yet begun), cleaning of cesspools is offered, instead of the agreed upon room for two - an ordinary barracks, and the salary is not at all what is in the contract. Without knowing anything about a foreign country, without having acquaintances and friends here, without any housing, with a minimum of money or no money at all, a person is forced to agree.
And thirdly, the most important thing: finding a job abroad is possible on your own. In accordance with the law, we have the right to independently search for work and find employment abroad. We can and have the right ourselves - without any domestic or foreign intermediary - to conclude an employment contract. You can independently search for work abroad not only from the country of your permanent residence, but also from abroad.
HOW TO SEARCH FOR A JOB
IN European cities Construction is constantly underway. Craftsmen of various profiles are needed: somewhere clinker tiles or paving stones are waiting to be laid, someone needs to build walls. But don’t look for a construction site in the center - legal workers work there and there is a high risk of getting caught by the police. It is better to come to the construction site early in the morning, before the start of the working day, at 7:30. In this case, if there is a need for additional workers at a construction site, you can start working immediately. You can only count on the vacancy of a laborer - collecting and taking out garbage, carrying bricks or cement. If you say that you can, for example, lay tiles or bricks, you will be asked to demonstrate this in practice by giving a small task. If you succeed, in addition to the fact that you will most likely be hired, your payment will be higher than that of an auxiliary worker. In Central European countries it is no less than $20 per day. It's minimum. The average payment is about $30-40. Although I've met guys who managed to lay tiles for $100 a day.
After you have been hired - first for a day or two, to see you at work - you should definitely discuss the amount of payment and the timing of its receipt (best of all - at the end of each working day). If you perform well and are retained, your salary may be paid once a week or a month. Here you should take a good look at your boss - how obligatory he is. There was a case when one of my acquaintances, after working for a Portuguese for several days, was still unable to get his money from him.
Besides us, in Europe there are a dime a dozen such illegal immigrants from other countries. When I arrived in Paris, I didn’t want to work in construction, but chose the job of an advertising postman. The foreman did not ask me for any documents. He was also not at all interested in where I was from. For him, the only important thing is whether I know the language - whether he can communicate with me, explain something, and how quickly I can manage magazines and move from entrance to entrance. All.
The important thing is to be persistent. Arriving at the place on the first day, I spent a long time interviewing everyone: “Zhe shersh travai” (“I’m looking for a job”). More than a dozen foremen answered me - no - a complete set, no assistant needed. I came here the next day, again for my own sake. But one of yesterday’s foremen came up to me and said, let’s go to work.
Another possible way to earn money in major cities- work as an assistant in a cafe, restaurant, of which there are a great many in Europe. The chances of finding such a job are especially high during the peak tourist season. Of course, you will still have to visit several dozen cafes before you agree on a job. But when you find it, you won’t regret the effort: no extra costs for food, everything is here, plus good money. It’s true that you will never be bored. You will have to do all the unskilled work - washing dishes, floors, unloading food and peeling vegetables.
You can also find work in rural areas - in the harvest. During the harvest season there is always a need for additional labor. If you end up in an international brigade somewhere in the center of Europe, it will consist mainly of residents of Eastern Europe And Arab countries, somewhere in the south of Europe there will be many people from Africa.
Personally, I didn’t have time for the grape harvest, arriving in France in late autumn. But several of my friends are successfully going to the grape harvest for the second year in a row. Daily payment is about $50. Housing, food - everything on the farm, in the form of a tolerable barracks for sleeping or one of the master's rooms, plus two or three meals a day with real French wine. True, getting up at 6 am, and working under the hot sun, and heavy baskets. The collection lasts about 10-15 days. At the end of the harvest, you can go to another area where the harvest is harvested later, but there is another option - to remain in the same farm as an assistant.
In addition, in rural areas there are practically no problems with the police - here they treat assistants more than loyally. If the police appear, the employer himself warns the brigade about this.
It is also possible to combine work in cities with work in rural areas. For example, on weekdays, work on city construction sites, and on weekends, go to farms.
PROBLEMS WITH THE POLICE
There is no strict supervision of foreign workers and no strict sanctions against them. I myself have witnessed how many times a police car drove right along the place in Paris where illegal immigrants and employers offering them work gather. We drove slowly, looked carefully - everything was calm - and continued.
It’s one thing when you come to work, and quite another when you’re caught stealing in a store. In this case, a trial is required and then either a local prison or deportation to one’s own country with a ban on subsequent entry. And do not forget that the rest will be judged by one person - our compatriots already have a dubious reputation abroad.
The second most important condition is compliance with visa deadlines. It’s not a problem if you got a job with your tourist visa, it’s worse when your visa has expired and you’re still in the country. In this situation, at any (as always, inopportune) moment, your documents can be checked and this may be discovered.
This happened to me too - my monthly visa expired, after that I spent two months in France, when during one of the checks in the metro they asked me for my passport. And then off we went - interrogations in two police stations, three days in a cell at the police commissariat, a tribunal, four days in a camp behind barbed wire before being sent home. Overall, I was lucky - I was in France and not Germany. They simply sent me back without putting me on any blacklists, and even the judges at the tribunal answered my direct question that I could return to France in a week, only with a visa. And upon my return, I had the usual arrival stamp in my passport. And in Germany, a delay of a week means a black stamp immediately in your passport. You don't have to appear here for at least two years.
Compliance with visa deadlines will eliminate 90% of possible problems. If for one reason or another you end up in police custody, the best behavior in this case is calm submission. Don't ask for a lawyer (or consul), don't shout. Without you they know what to do.
Where to sleep if you have no friends abroad, no one to stay with, and don’t have enough money for a hotel, even the cheapest one? Option one. Don't sleep anywhere. In the sense of not worrying about which room to sleep in. The climate in Central European countries is quite mild even in winter time. I spent the whole winter in Paris, and I can say that the coldest temperature there was minus six degrees. Snow fell once during the entire winter, and by lunchtime it was only a memory.
During most of the year, the temperature at night is not lower than 10-15 degrees Celsius. Here you will need the hitchhiker's equipment you took with you, mainly the “foam” - a hiking mat. By laying it on a bench in the park, under a tree or bush, and putting on a second sweater, you will have a great night's sleep in the fresh air. Any non-central (there is a risk of getting caught by the police) parks, or forest areas adjacent to the city, will do.
Option two. Train stations and bus stations are a way to get a good night's sleep and relaxation, accessible at any time of the year. However, they may close at night. For example, in Holland all train stations are closed from one in the morning to six in the morning. But it was enough for me to sleep after 20 until closing and from 7 to 10 in the morning. I spent the night exploring the sights of Amsterdam. I assure you, I didn’t want to sleep. And in Paris, train stations are open all night, there is always the opportunity to deeply relax on a bench and fall asleep soundly. Three to four hours of such sleep will charge you for the whole day. It is useful to change stations - besides the fact that you will know where is better, you will not become very familiar with the station police.
Option three. Free shelters for the homeless are a perfectly acceptable option. Most often these are empty wards of a hospital or some other place specially designed for this purpose. In any case, this is a normal building with normal premises - everything is clean and tidy. There is a shower everywhere - disposable shampoo, towel, soap, toothpaste and brush, and disposable bed linen are provided. This is a great option for getting a good night's sleep and maintaining hygiene. Such places are organized and operate from various humanitarian organizations (in France, for example, the Salvation Army). While there is an obvious advantage - it is completely free, there is also a significant difference - here you can meet a lot of lice-infested Parisian homeless people (in fact, this is all created for them), and the smell in the room from them and their clothes will be such that you would prefer a cold, sleepless night .
NUTRITION
Free options include breakfast in the shelter, special canteens and food distribution points for the homeless. All large and medium-sized European cities have such places. There are more than 20 such places in Paris. You can have breakfast in one place, go to another for lunch, and in the evening have dinner at a third and take a free bag of food at a fourth. I repeat, there are places of this kind from various humanitarian organizations. The canteen is a spacious, clean room, with a long serving area, behind which there are workers, always wearing white aprons and disposable gloves. A person takes a tray and, walking along the distribution, fills it. All utensils are disposable. The first is liquid instant soup, the second is cereal, beans or potatoes with meat, fish or sausage, a package of yogurt or jam, fresh bread, some kind of fruit - an apple, banana or orange, coffee with milk or a drink.
There is another very a good option- food distribution points. A small car, like our UAZ, drives up to a certain place, at a set time, with “Salvation Army” written on the cab. A team of several people unloads large food bins with soup, which is immediately poured into plates and distributed. Or you can come up and just take a bag of food - a piece of bread in cellophane, canned food - meat pate or fish, a bag of chips, a package of confiture (jam), juice or milk and fruit.
You can buy food yourself - in supermarkets. Most low prices on the outskirts of the city in large stores. Per day – $3-7. With an average daily salary of $30-40, this is a completely acceptable expense. You can also visit inexpensive Arabic or Chinese restaurants. The food there is delicious, fresh, everything is prepared before your eyes and the price is right - $5-10 per lunch.
It’s interesting that if you appear somewhere 4-5 times in a row, they remember you and greet you as an old friend upon entering.
Oleg POTAPOV.
