Working Remotely from Another Country — What You and Your Employer Both Need to Know
Moving abroad while keeping your job sounds simple. For you, it mostly is. For your employer, it can create tax obligations, legal exposure, and payroll headaches in a country they've never operated in. Here's the full picture.
Millions of people moved abroad during and after the pandemic while keeping their existing jobs. Most did it quietly — working from a different country without telling HR, assuming it was nobody's business as long as the work got done.
That approach works fine for a two-week trip. For anything longer — especially beyond 90 or 183 days — it creates real legal and financial exposure for both you and your employer. Not in a theoretical, "technically illegal" way, but in a "your employer could owe corporate tax in a country they've never registered in" way.
This guide explains exactly what's at stake, what the typical solutions are, and how to have the conversation with your employer so you both end up on solid ground.
If you're self-employed or a freelancer, you don't have an employer to worry about — but you have your own visa and tax registration requirements. See our Best Countries for Freelancers guide instead.
The 4 risks your employer faces
This is the big one. If you are working in a country on behalf of your employer — especially if you have authority to sign contracts, close sales, or make decisions — the local tax authority may decide your employer has a "Permanent Establishment" there. That means your employer could owe corporate tax in that country on income attributable to your activities.
PE risk is highest when the employee has a senior role (manager, salesperson, decision-maker) and lowest for pure knowledge workers with no client-facing authority. But even individual contributors can trigger PE in some jurisdictions after a certain period.
Once you become a tax resident in a new country (usually after 183 days), the host country may require your employer to withhold local income tax from your salary and pay local social security contributions. If your employer isn't registered in that country, they may have no legal mechanism to do this — and they could be non-compliant with local labour law.
This is why HR departments at larger companies often simply say "no" to foreign remote work requests — not because they don't want to help, but because they genuinely can't run payroll in 40 different countries.
Many countries apply their employment law to anyone working there, regardless of where the employer is based. This could mean you gain rights (minimum wage, notice periods, redundancy protection) under the host country's law that differ from your contract — and your employer may be obligated to comply with them without knowing it.
Germany, France, and the Netherlands are particularly assertive about applying local employment protections to remote workers present for extended periods.
Your employer's workers' compensation insurance, professional liability coverage, and group health plan may not extend to another country. If you're injured at your "home office" in Portugal while employed by a UK company, coverage may be unclear or absent. This affects both you and your employer's liability.
When do these risks actually activate?
The timing depends on the host country and the nature of your work, but here are the general thresholds:
| Duration | Typical status | Employer risk level | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30 days | Tourist / business visitor | Minimal | Usually nothing — check entry requirements |
| 30–90 days | Still usually tourist status | Low–medium | Check visa for work permission; inform HR |
| 90–183 days | Grey zone — may need visa | Medium | Digital nomad visa or employer approval required |
| 183+ days | Tax resident in host country | High | EOR arrangement, formal policy, or contract change |
| Ongoing / permanent | Full local employment requirements | Very high | Full EOR or local entity registration by employer |
The 4 solutions employers typically offer
1. Short-term approval (under 90 days)
For stays under 90 days, many employers will simply grant informal approval — recognising that the risk is minimal and easily managed. This is usually handled by HR with a brief check on the destination country's rules. If you're asking for 2–4 weeks abroad once a year, this is the most likely outcome.
2. Employer of Record (EOR)
An Employer of Record is a third-party company that legally employs you on paper in the host country on behalf of your actual employer. The EOR handles local payroll, tax withholding, social security, and employment law compliance. Your actual employer pays the EOR a fee (typically $500–2,000/month per employee), and you continue doing your same job.
EOR is the most common solution for longer-term arrangements. Companies like Remote, Deel, Oyster, and Papaya Global specialise in this. If your employer doesn't know about EOR services, this is worth raising.
3. Contract change to self-employment / contractor
Some employers will convert your employment to a freelance/contractor relationship when you move abroad. This shifts all the tax and compliance burden to you — you invoice the company and manage your own local registration. It's administratively simpler for your employer but may affect your benefits, pension contributions, and employment protections.
4. Local entity registration
For companies with multiple employees in the same country, registering a local branch or subsidiary is sometimes the right answer. This is more common when an employer has 5+ remote workers in the same country and decides the overhead of a local entity is justified.
How to have the conversation with your employer
The single biggest mistake people make is framing this as a personal request ("I want to move to Portugal"). Reframe it as a business problem you've already thought through ("here's how this works compliantly for both of us").
Research EOR providers in your target country and get a rough cost estimate. Know the tax treaty between your employer's country and your destination. Have an answer for PE risk (most pure knowledge workers with no sales authority pose minimal risk). Come with a proposal, not a request.
Practical steps:
- Choose your destination carefully. Countries with digital nomad visas specifically designed for remote employment (Portugal D8, Spain DNV, Germany Freiberufler) are much easier conversations than countries with no clear legal pathway.
- Get the tax position clear first. Understand the DTA between your employer's country and your destination. Know how your salary will be taxed and by whom.
- Identify an EOR provider upfront. If your employer has never done this, showing them a specific provider with a cost quote removes 90% of their objections.
- Propose a trial period. "Let's try 3 months with an EOR arrangement" is much easier to say yes to than an open-ended permanent relocation.
- Get agreement in writing. Even if it's just an email chain, document what has been agreed — duration, location, payroll arrangement, and any restrictions.
Countries your employer is more likely to say yes to
Not all destinations are created equal from your employer's perspective. Countries with established EOR ecosystems, English-language government services, and clear digital nomad frameworks are far easier to navigate.
| Country | Employer friendliness | Why | Visa route |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | High | EU, EOR widely available, DTA with most countries, D8 visa designed for this | D8 Digital Nomad Visa |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Medium-high | EU, Digital Nomad Visa, EOR available — but Spanish labour law is complex | Digital Nomad Visa |
| 🇬🇪 Georgia | High | Simple registration, low PE risk, visa-free, minimal bureaucracy | Visa-free 365 days |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | Medium | US timezone overlap, EOR available — but complex labour law for employers | Temporary Resident Visa |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | Medium | Low PE risk for knowledge workers, LTR Visa — but EOR less mature | LTR Visa |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Low-medium | Complex labour law, high social security costs — but EOR available | Freelancer visa (if applicable) |
Managing your salary across borders
Once you're set up abroad, receiving your salary and managing money across countries becomes a practical daily concern. Two common scenarios:
Your employer continues paying your home-country account — you then transfer money to your local account as needed. The cost here is FX conversion on every transfer. Using a fee-free account in your new country's currency eliminates most of this friction.
An EOR pays you locally — you receive a local salary in local currency. A European account (like N26) is useful for managing any European savings, EU-side expenses, or income from previous employment still being cleared.
N26 gives you a German IBAN (BaFin regulated, full EU bank) that you can open from your home country before you leave. Useful as a bridge account during the transition period, for managing EU-side expenses, and as part of your residency evidence trail. Free on the standard plan.
Open your N26 account before you move →Affiliate link — RelocateLab may receive a referral fee at no extra cost to you.
Your pre-move checklist
- Confirm your visa permits you to work remotely for a foreign employer (not all do)
- Get written approval from your employer before you move — not after
- Establish the payroll arrangement (existing, EOR, or contractor)
- Understand how your salary will be taxed in the host country and whether a DTA applies
- Confirm your employer's insurance and benefits coverage in your new location
- Set up a local bank account or EU bridge account for receiving salary
- Understand the Schengen 90/180 rule if relevant to your destination
- Keep your employment contract and all written approvals accessible
Related: Expat Tax Guide · Proving Tax Residency Abroad · Schengen 90/180 Rule · Best Countries for Freelancers
This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or employment advice. Cross-border employment law is complex and jurisdiction-specific. Requirements vary significantly by home country, host country, employer size, and role. Always consult qualified legal and tax professionals before making any cross-border work arrangement.