EU to launch Legal Gateway Office in India for students and jobseekers

The European Union will open its first Legal Gateway Office in India to provide a single access point for Indian workers, students and researchers seeking authorised routes to EU member states, as India and the EU advance negotiations on a long-pending free trade agreement. The move was announced by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday at the conclusion of the India-EU FTA talks in New Delhi.

The office will be set up as part of a broader mobility framework being adopted in parallel with the trade talks.

What will the Legal Gateway Office do?

The Legal Gateway Office will act as a central information and coordination hub, rather than a visa-issuing authority. The EU said it will guide Indian applicants on job openings, skills shortages, qualification recognition and country-specific visa pathways across the bloc.

The office will initially focus on the information and communication technology sector, where several EU economies face sustained labour gaps, before expanding to other shortage areas. It will work in coordination with individual EU member states, which will retain control over admission criteria and visa decisions.

According to the European Commission, the gateway aims to reduce reliance on informal intermediaries and improve transparency for Indian nationals exploring work, study or research opportunities in Europe.

How is the mobility framework tied to trade talks?

The initiative is anchored in an EU–India Comprehensive Framework of Cooperation on Mobility, adopted as a memorandum of understanding alongside the finalisation of the free trade agreement. The framework covers skilled workers, young professionals, seasonal workers, students and researchers, while also linking mobility to skills development, qualification frameworks, research cooperation and innovation.

EU officials said the framework is intended to better align India’s large talent pool with Europe’s labour market needs, while ensuring mobility remains consistent with national immigration rules.

Von der Leyen said the agreement would facilitate the movement of students, researchers, seasonal workers and highly skilled professionals, adding that the legal gateway would support Indian talent “in full alignment with EU member states’ needs and policies”.

Indians in the EU: What does the current picture show?

Indians already form one of the largest non-EU national groups living and working across Europe. Based on the latest Eurostat data and national migration statistics, between 2.2 and 2.5 million Indian nationals reside in EU member states, including permanent residents and long-term visa holders.

Of these, roughly 1.1 to 1.3 million Indians are part of the EU workforce, with major concentrations in Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy. Employment is strongest in technology, engineering, healthcare, higher education and research-linked roles.

On the education side, EU data shows over 100,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in higher education institutions across the bloc. Germany has emerged as the leading destination, followed by France, Ireland and the Netherlands, driven by lower tuition costs, English-taught programmes and post-study work options.

Why is the EU formalising mobility now?

EU policymakers have increasingly framed skilled migration as an economic necessity, particularly as ageing populations and low birth rates tighten labour markets across multiple sectors. Officials say the legal gateway model allows the bloc to channel migration through regulated, demand-linked routes rather than ad hoc national schemes.

For India, the office offers a more predictable and transparent pathway into Europe, especially for early-career professionals, students and researchers navigating multiple national systems.

The initiative will also be supported by a newly endorsed EU–India Education and Skills Dialogue, aimed at improving recognition of qualifications and easing transitions from education to employment across borders.