Yes—if your right to work there, your employer’s rules and your tax arrangements allow it. A remote job is not automatically a work-from-any-country job. Permission to enter a country and permission to do your planned work there are separate questions.

Before booking, check the destination, your passport or residence status, your work arrangement and the exact travel dates. A holiday with occasional work and a months-long overseas working base may need different immigration routes.

1. Get approval for the country and dates

If you are an employee, request written approval through the people responsible for overseas working—not just an informal yes from your manager. Ask them to confirm:

  • The approved country, dates and maximum stay.
  • Required meeting hours and which time zone governs them.
  • Whether payroll, legal and IT teams need to review the arrangement.
  • Whether you may access client data and company systems abroad.

These checks are not just administrative caution. For employers operating UK payroll, HMRC’s overseas-working guidance explains that payroll and social security treatment depend on where and how long someone works. The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group also identifies possible foreign employment-law, data-protection and employer tax consequences.

If you freelance or run your own business, replace employer approval with a review of client contracts, data obligations and your own cross-border tax position. Being self-employed does not answer the immigration question.

2. Check permission for the work—not just entry

Use the destination’s immigration authority or the consulate serving your place of residence. Describe what you will actually do: employed or self-employed work, where the employer or clients are based, whether you will serve local clients, and how long you plan to stay.

Rules differ. As of October 30, 2026:

  • UK: Visitors may undertake remote activities relating to overseas employment, but those activities must not be the primary purpose of the visit. That is the condition in rule PA 4(h)—not unrestricted permission to establish a remote-working base.
  • Spain: Its international teleworker route allows eligible non-EU foreigners to work remotely for companies outside Spain. Employees must work only for companies outside Spain; qualifying professional activity can include Spanish-company work within a limit of 20% of total professional activity.

Your citizenship or existing residence rights may already provide work permission. Otherwise, check whether visitor status covers your activity or you need a work or remote-worker route. For a longer stay, use our digital nomad visa comparison to build a shortlist, then verify the applicable official requirements.

3. Do not treat 183 days as a universal tax exemption

A shorter trip does not automatically mean no local tax or reporting obligations. Tax residence and taxation of work performed in a country are separate issues.

For employees of UK employers, the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group’s guidance explains that even nonresidents may owe tax on employment duties performed overseas unless a tax treaty protects them. A treaty’s 183-day provision typically has additional conditions concerning the employer’s residence and whether a local permanent establishment bears the pay; day count alone is not enough. Social security must also be checked separately from income tax.

For U.S. citizens and resident aliens, the IRS says worldwide income remains subject to U.S. tax rules. Foreign tax credits or exclusions may be available, but leaving the country does not automatically remove filing obligations.

Before committing, have payroll or a cross-border tax adviser check the obligations in both countries for your planned stay. Keep a record of travel dates and workdays.

4. Build a stay that supports ordinary workdays

Once those checks are complete, make the first stay easy to adjust:

  • Choose one base. Put transfers on nonworking days and keep arrival day clear of important calls.
  • Verify the workspace. Ask about a desk, evening noise and recent upload and download speeds—not merely “Wi-Fi included.” Identify a backup connection or workspace.
  • Map meeting hours locally. Check the whole stay, including daylight-saving changes.
  • Confirm insurance coverage. Ask about overseas remote work, medical treatment, trip length and work equipment.
  • Keep bookings flexible. Avoid a nonrefundable long lease while approval or immigration permission is unresolved.

If overseas work is not approved or permitted, make the trip genuine time off—or choose a destination and status that support the work you intend to do.