Accounting jobs in Europe for US CPAs

How I got here. I'm Nicholas Miller, a US CPA. I went from audit in Portland, Oregon to Copenhagen, and I've lived in Denmark since 2019. I moved alone, with one suitcase and a backpack. 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 through no fault of your own, Denmark gives you 6 months to find another job that qualifies; other countries have similar 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.