Accounting jobs in Europe for US CPAs

How I got here: US CPA, left audit in Portland, moved to Copenhagen in 2019 with one suitcase. 5 applications, 2 offers.

I'm Nicholas Miller, and I made the move alone. US GAAP and SOX experience is in demand at European offices of US companies and at European companies that report to US investors, and English is the working language at many of them.

On language, from my own experience. If the job ad is written in English, that's a good sign English is enough. If it's written in the local language, English-only is hit or miss. And when an ad says the local language is "preferred", remember a US CPA is in short supply here: you can often talk them out of it. Whether to try is up to you.

Nice things to know before you move.

1. Get the job offer first. The permit follows the job. In most of these countries a signed contract above a set salary is the main requirement (see the country cards below), and an experienced CPA clears those floors comfortably.
2. Offer to meet in person. In 2019 I applied to 5 controller roles on LinkedIn, saying I'd be in Copenhagen a certain week and free to interview. I got 2 interviews and 2 offers above the pay floor. That says less about me than about how hard it is to find experienced accountants here.
3. Translate the job titles. On the continent a "controller", "financial controller" or "business controller" is usually hands-on, close to a US senior accountant: month-end close, annual accounts, reconciliations. In Germany "Controlling" means management accounting and budgets. In the UK a "Financial Controller" runs the finance team, closer to a US controller. "Group", "Head of" or a team under you means manager level and up.
4. Plan for an in-person step. Most permits need fingerprints and a photo, taken at an embassy or application center. I had mine taken at the Danish consulate in San Francisco. In Denmark you can wait in the country while it's decided, but you can't start work until it's approved.
5. The permit is tied to your job. If you lose it, Denmark's main work schemes (pay limit, positive list, fast track) let you apply for a job-seeking permit of up to 6 months, but the application is due within 2 days of the job ending, so know this before you need it. Other countries have their own grace periods. Employers rarely let go of hard-to-find accountants.
6. Budget 1 to 2 months of short-term housing. Your ID number (CPR in Denmark, BSN in the Netherlands, PPSN in Ireland, the Anmeldung in Germany) unlocks a bank account, and a bank account unlocks a lease. I hopped between Airbnbs for about 2 months.
7. English is enough in the big hubs. Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Dublin and London run on English at work. Learn the language anyway: it opens more jobs and makes daily life better.
8. Expect a different pace. Denmark's standard week is 37 hours, and working much past that is frowned on.