Accountant Jobs Abroad (2026): What Official Occupation Lists Say

How to read this page

This page does not rank countries. For each destination it gives one or two facts that an official page states about accountants specifically, names the page, and links to a longer guide where this site has a reviewed one. The amounts are quoted as the authority writes them. Read the issuing authority’s page before acting.

United Kingdom: occupation code 2421 on the Skilled Worker list

In the Home Office table of eligible occupations for the Skilled Worker visa, occupation code 2421, chartered and certified accountants, is marked Higher Skilled. The related job titles listed include auditors (qualified accountant), financial accountants (qualified), forensic accountants, fund accountants and insolvency practitioners. GOV.UK shows both tables used here as updated on 22 July 2025.

The separate going-rates table shows, for code 2421, a standard going rate of £49,200 (£25.23 per hour) and a lower going rate of £36,900 (£18.92 per hour). This page does not explain which column applies to whom or the visa’s other salary rules; the UK guide for accountants covers them.

GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa — eligible occupations and codes

GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa — going rates for eligible occupation codes

Australia: Accountant (General) on the skilled occupation list

The Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list shows Accountant (General), ANZSCO 221111, with the list entry “MLTSSL;CSOL”: the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List and the Core Skills Occupation List. The visas shown for it include the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) points-tested visa, the Skills in Demand (subclass 482) Core Skills stream and the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Direct Entry pathway. For the 482 and 186 entries the list shows caveats, including one that excludes clerical, bookkeeping or accounting clerk positions.

The assessing authorities shown are Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, CPA Australia Ltd and the Institute of Public Accountants Ltd. This revision read only the Accountant (General) row; it does not state whether other accounting occupations are listed. More detail: the Australia country page.

Department of Home Affairs: Skilled occupation list

Canada: NOC 11100 and the Express Entry categories

Canada’s National Occupational Classification has unit group 11100, Financial auditors and accountants. Its employment requirements say that for CPA, CGA and CPA, CMA accountants, certification with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories.

IRCC’s Express Entry category-based selection page, modified 2026-10-16, lists its current categories: French-language proficiency; healthcare and social services occupations; STEM occupations; trade occupations; education occupations; transport occupations; physicians, senior managers and researchers with Canadian work experience; and skilled military recruits. That list does not include a category named for accounting or finance occupations. This revision did not read the occupations inside each category. More detail: the Canada country page.

Government of Canada: NOC 2021 unit group 11100

IRCC: Express Entry category-based selection

Ireland: the Critical Skills Occupations List

The Critical Skills Occupations List published by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment includes “chartered and certified accountants, and taxation experts specialising in tax, compliance, regulation, solvency or financial management or related and relevant specialist skills, qualifications or experience”. A separate entry covers qualified accountants with at least three years’ auditing experience who are full members of the bodies the list names (AICPA, PICPA and ICAP), have relevant experience in US GAAP reporting and global audit and advisory services, and are employed in MNC Global Audit Services. The list page shows a last update of 17 January 2025; the list is set out in Schedule 3 of the Employment Permits Regulations, which the Employment Permits (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (S.I. No. 213 of 2026) replaced, and the replacement Schedule 3 keeps both of these entries.

The Department’s permit page says Critical Skills Employment Permits are only issued for a job offer of at least 2 years, and that for the occupations on the list the minimum annual remuneration is €40,904, with a relevant degree qualification or higher required. More detail: the Ireland guide for accountants.

gov.ie: Critical Skills Occupations List

DETE: Critical Skills Employment Permit

Irish Statute Book: S.I. No. 213/2026

New Zealand: chartered accountant registration in the Skilled Migrant Category

Immigration New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Category page gives “membership as a chartered accountant” as an example of eligible occupational registration, and names a registered accountant as an example of an occupational registration that requires at least 2 years of training or experience.

In a news item published 05 March 2026, Immigration New Zealand announced a new recognised registration for accountants: from 24 August 2026, accountants who can undertake the work of a Qualified Statutory Accountant in New Zealand and who hold membership with CPA Australia would be eligible under the SMC pathway. This revision could not read New Zealand’s Green List search and does not say whether accountants are on it. More detail: the New Zealand country page.

Immigration New Zealand: Skilled Migrant Category

Immigration New Zealand: further changes to the Skilled Migrant Category

Singapore: public accountant registration with ACRA

The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) says that under the Accountants Act registration as a public accountant is required to provide public accountancy services such as audit and reporting on financial statements. It says registration is not needed for general accounting work, tax preparation and advice, corporate advisory services, financial consulting or bookkeeping. ISCA membership is among the registration requirements it lists. The page shows a last update of 29 January 2026. More detail: the Singapore guide for accountants.

ACRA: public accountant requirements and eligibility

Germany: the Wirtschaftsprüfer examination

The Wirtschaftsprüferkammer (WPK) says appointment as Wirtschaftsprüfer (auditor) requires passing an examination under § 15 WPO. For the regular examination, it says admission is independent of the applicant’s nationality and that the examination is held in German only; applicants who cannot be admitted to the aptitude test must take the regular examination to be appointed. The WPK page does not cover accounting jobs other than the Wirtschaftsprüfer title. More detail: the Germany guide for accountants.

WPK: Access to the profession

Netherlands: the NBA register and audit licences

Business.gov.nl, run by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, says an accountant working in the Netherlands must be a member of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Chartered Accountants (NBA) and registered in its accountants’ register. A foreign qualified accountant must also register, and to register must pass the NBA’s Test of professional competence and obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence. The titles Accountant-Administratieconsulent (AA) and Registeraccountant (RA) are protected by law, and statutory audits need an Audit Firms Supervision Act (Wta) licence from the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). More detail: the Netherlands guide for accountants.

Business.gov.nl: registration and consultation accountants’ register

United Arab Emirates: registering as a tax agent

The Federal Tax Authority lists, among the requirements to register as a tax agent, a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in tax, accounting or law from a recognised educational institution (or a tax certification from an internationally known tax institution if the degree is in another field), and passing the Authority’s Tax Agent examination. The page shows a last update of Feb 15, 2022, so confirm the current requirements with the Authority. These requirements concern tax agents, not accounting jobs in general. More detail: the UAE guide for accountants.

Federal Tax Authority: tax agent registration requirements

What the official pages used here do not cover

They do not rank countries or say where accountants are most in demand. They do not give typical salaries, living costs, processing times or timelines to permanent residence or citizenship for accountants, and this page gives none. No professional body’s page on mutual recognition of qualifications (such as ACCA, ICAEW, CPA Australia, CA ANZ or CPA Canada) was read for this revision, so the page says nothing about which qualification transfers where. Hong Kong, the United States and other destinations were not reviewed. Where this page is silent, no primary source was read; the silence is not a rule.