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Finding work in East Timor as an expat

This is an island nation located in the eastern part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, at the south end of the Malay Archipelago. It covers the east side of the island of Timor, bordered by the small islands of Atauro and Jaco, the enclave of Ambeno, and Pante Makasar, on the North West. The Papuans, Malayans, and Polynesians originally dominated the island.ย  Its official language is Portuguese, spoken by a small fraction of its population.

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Dili

Dili is the capital and largest city in the country. Other than this urban city, a higher percentage of the population is rural. With its developing economy, the nation still offers residents good infrastructure, healthcare, quality education, and an average standard of living. Foreign employees enjoy most of these benefits as well as more attractive pay than those formerly earned in their home countries. Despite the high cost of living, expats still flock to the Island to study or work. However, landing a good job with an attractive salary in its major city, Dili is not easy. Any foreigner looking to work here needs to meet the requirements of the position and be highly skilled.   

Are you thinking of relocating to the country for job opportunities, or you are an expat looking for employment while residing here? You are in luck! This article provides information on how to find a job in East Timor as an expat.

Types of jobs available to expats

The various kinds of jobs vary from working online as remote jobs to full-time, hybrid, part-time, contract-based, internship, freelancing, et cetera. The options are available for interested foreigners to choose from, depending on their schedules. 

Finding work as a foreigner 

There are job openings available to skilled foreigners; they include work in thriving sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, industry, pharmaceutical, etc. At present, the common ways people find work are through social media, job apps such as LinkedIn, recruitment websites, career portals of companies, local newspapers, etc., contrary to the outdated method of getting to know relatives or local connections working in fancied companies. Expatriates should search for job vacancies online, and then filter the results to their fields of interest and level of qualifications. Note that multicultural companies looking for hands tend to consider only highly skilled expats for employment. 

Work requirements for expats 

Even though there are tons of jobs available for expats in the country, finding one is difficult as the competition is high. Since thousands of foreigners daily apply for the few job spaces available, companies tend to choose only highly skilled and experienced applicants with a high level of qualification. 

Language proficiency

An expat looking for work here must be able to speak English and Portuguese to a certain extent. Usually, applicants have to show proof of their proficiency in the language by presenting a certificate of English proficiency during visa application. The ability to communicate easily with locals will help expats to work better and build stronger relationships. 

Work visa/permit

The need for a work visa and permit to work for a domestic company is based on where a foreigner comes from and the nature of the job. Nationals from non-EU countries usually require a work visa to enter the country after landing employment. This visa allows their legal stay within the territory and the right to work for an employer for a certain period stated in the work permit. The only difference between a work visa and a permit is that permits are for expats already living in a nation who needs approval from the ministry of labor to work, whilst the former is issued by the embassy to foreigners who have gained employment in their home country.

You may also find these articles helpful

East Timor: immigration guide

Main reasons why visas in East Timor get denied

Options of becoming East Timor Citizen

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