The effect of the 1997 EU Council Regulation on access to data for scientific purposes is finally being felt as Eurostat release more and more microdata for research purposes. Though this is not open data, there is a high demand for comparative international microdata with defined access procedures, so these are very valuable resources for researchers. However accessing these data can be difficult and time consuming. This paper will look at the sources available, ELFS, ECHP/EUSILC, CIS, ESES; access methods including direct access to CD Roms, the Eurostat Data Laboratory, and the PiEP-LISSY remote access system; and provides tips and guidelines for successful data registration.