Employers asking 'where should we hire from?' need an honest comparison, not a list of promises. This quick reference describes the main European corridors for Indian and Nepali manpower at the level of verified, publicly available information as of August 2026.
How to read this guide
Corridors are labelled by operational status, not by promise: active (programmes in operation), emerging (under structured assessment), and conditional (legally open but compliance-heavy). Always verify current requirements with the competent authorities before planning.
Romania — active programme
- Sectors: construction, manufacturing, hospitality, logistics, agriculture.
- Route: employer work permit, then long-stay work visa at the Romanian mission in India; vocational training route also operates for trade skills.
- Employer obligations: demonstrate the role cannot be filled from the EU market (work-permit quota and procedure apply), handle registration and permit steps through the competent Romanian authority.
- Notes: Romania is not on India's ECR (emigration-check-required) country list, so eMigrate emigration clearance is not required for this corridor.
Bulgaria — emerging corridor
- A neighbouring market with growing manufacturing, construction and logistics demand.
- Operationally in early-stage assessment; requirements follow the EU work-permit model (permit first, then visa).
- Useful as a medium-term option while Romanian capacity fills.
Serbia and Moldova — emerging corridors
- Both are non-EU markets with European employers active in construction, manufacturing and processing.
- Processes are being assessed and verified; no operational promises yet.
Turkey — file-routing corridor
- Used mainly for documentation and file-routing steps for certain case types; not a primary placement corridor.
Russia — conditional corridor
- Legally open for Indian workers under specific conditions (employer accreditation, quota or high-qualified-specialist route), but compliance-heavy, and official advisories caution against certain job categories.
- Note: Nepal's government suspended new work permits for Russia — the Nepal corridor is not operational.
- Treat this corridor as research-and-monitor only.
What employers should do next
- Pick a corridor that matches the role and the timeline you can commit to.
- Engage a licensed recruitment partner who can show you the written process for that specific corridor.
- Verify current quotas, fees and procedures with the competent authorities — they change.
Note: This reference reflects the latest available official information as of the publication date. Immigration and work-permit rules change; always verify current requirements before any commitment.