In the first article in our job search series, we examined what happens when you expand your job search beyond your home area. Opportunities may increase significantly when you consider a slightly wider geographical area. In the second article, we discussed the mobility allowance, which can make it easier to accept a job when the workplace is located far from home.
But how can the many practical challenges of everyday life be solved, such as long commuting distances, travel arrangements or family arrangements, that accepting a job further away may bring?
In A-kassa’s February newsletter, we asked our members what prevents them from applying for jobs further away. The responses provide valuable insight into the main practical barriers to accepting work at a distance.
The main barriers are related to everyday life
According to our member survey, the main barriers to applying for jobs further away are related to everyday life:
- Family and daily arrangements – 34%
- Commute length – 32%
- Travel costs – 18%
- Uncertainty about relocation – 7%
Ten percent of respondents reported that they are already applying for jobs broadly.
The results show that it is usually not a question of unwillingness to relocate or commute to work. The main issue appears to be how everyday life can be organized in practice.
Fortunately, there are often more options than initially come to mind.
1. Is daily commuting necessary?
One very common assumption is that working further away automatically means a long daily commute. However, this is not necessarily the case in many jobs.
Possible solutions to make commuting easier may include:
- remote or hybrid work, meaning you only need to be at the workplace part of the week
- shift work or longer working hours, meaning the commute is made less frequently
- staying near the workplace for part of the week
Even staying near the workplace for just a few days a week can significantly reduce the time spent commuting.
2. Carpooling makes a long commute easier
A long commute does not always mean driving alone. There may well be others in your local area travelling to the same workplace, and arranging carpooling with them can be a practical solution.
It can:
- share travel costs
- reduce the time spent driving
- make the commute more social
In some companies, carpooling arrangements are organized, or the employer may help you find such solutions.
3. Could you stay temporarily near the workplace?
If the workplace is located so far away that daily commuting is not practical and relocating is not an option, the situation can be managed, for example, in the following ways:
- by renting a second apartment near the workplace
- by staying near the workplace during the working week
- by returning home for the weekends
Find out whether affordable accommodation is available near the workplace or if the employer offers housing arrangements for those commuting from a distance.
In taxation, it is possible to receive a tax deduction for a second home if, due to work, you need to maintain two residences at the same time.
In 2026, the tax deduction for a second home is a maximum of €450 per month and applies to a rented apartment when the location of the primary workplace requires maintaining two residences. The deduction cannot exceed the actual rent paid for the second home. The deduction must be claimed by the individual in earned income taxation.
Read more about the second home deduction on the Tax Administration’s website
4. Mobility allowance makes it easier to start a job
If you are unemployed and accept a job further away, you may be entitled to mobility allowance.
The allowance is paid when:
- you have received an unemployment benefit immediately before the start of the job or related training
- A waiting period, employment obligation or deductible period imposed by the labour market authority does not prevent the payment of mobility allowance.
- the employment, or the training you undertake, is related to a job that lasts at least 2 months
- your daily round-trip commute exceeds 3 hours in full-time work
- in part-time work, it exceeds 2 hours per day
- you relocate sufficiently far due to work
- you have applied for the mobility allowance no later than 3 months from the start of the job or training
The mobility allowance is equal to the basic unemployment allowance, which in 2026 amounts to €37.21 per day. This corresponds to approximately €800 per month before tax.
We provided more detailed information about the mobility allowance in the previous article in the series
5. Work further away can also be a temporary solution
Accepting a job in another location does not have to be a permanent solution. For many, it is:
- a transition to more permanent employment
- an opportunity to gain work experience
- a way to return to working life more quickly
- an opportunity to meet the employment condition
Temporary work can provide valuable work experience, which often makes it easier for new opportunities to arise.
A small change can open up new opportunities
Applying for or accepting a job further away is not just a matter of distance or an either–or decision. It is often more about how everyday life can be organized smoothly and how available support makes it a realistic option.
As our member survey shows, the main barriers are related to everyday life, but many of them can be solved with practical solutions. Your next job could therefore be somewhat further away geographically yet still feel surprisingly close with the right arrangements.
5 ways to make it easier to accept work further away
- Mobility allowance
- You may receive support if, while unemployed, you accept a job further away that lasts at least 2 months.
- Carpooling for commuting
- Travelling together can reduce travel costs and make a long commute easier.
- Shift work or longer working hours
- This means you do not need to commute every day..
- Work accommodation near the workplace
- In some situations, staying near the workplace during the working week can make everyday life easier.
- Tax deductions for commuting
- Long commutes may entitle you to tax deductions for travel expenses.
Part 1 of the article series: Have you considered extending the scope of your job search? You could see a vast increase in the number of vacancies available to you
Part 2 of the article series: Did you find a new job further away? You may receive up to €800 per month in mobility allowance