Seasonal employment for 3-9 months or Visa D: how to choose the right route

On paper the choice looks simple: short need - up to 90 days, medium - 3 to 9 months, long - Visa D. In practice the middle option is the one we recommend least often. Not because it does not work, but because the arithmetic of effort versus result is usually against it.

What the 3-9 month route offers

It is designed for genuinely seasonal work - mainly hospitality, restaurants and agriculture - and allows employment of up to 9 months within a year. The worker receives a long-stay visa and can support you through an extended season.

The catch in the timelines

The procedure for 3-9 months runs through almost the same administrative steps as the long-term route - and takes almost as long. You invest months of preparation for a stay that ends within a season, and next year the whole procedure starts from zero. With Visa D the same administrative effort buys you a worker for 1 to 3 years, with the option to renew.

When Visa D is the better choice

• The need repeats every year - the same positions, the same season, the same search.
• You invest in training and want to keep the people you have already built up.
• The "season" keeps stretching - many businesses discover their real need covers most of the year.

When 3-9 months genuinely fits

• The work is strictly seasonal and physically stops outside the season.
• The extended peak is real but a year-round contract cannot be justified.
• You are testing a new market or activity before committing long-term.

Our honest advice is always case-based: sometimes the 3-9 month route is exactly right, and we run it gladly. But if your need looks even slightly year-round, ask for the Visa D calculation first - the difference in what you get for the same administrative effort is usually decisive.