I am working a full-time job of 37.5 hours a week. Luckily the company and position I am working in is allowing flexibility in organising my working hours. This means I can work remotely from home and visit the office 1–2 days a week. But does this mean I can pack my bags, catch a flight and work remotely from abroad?
Remote work inside the EU is easy to organise
As a citizen of an EU country, travelling and living in another EU country is easy up to 3 months. There is no need for any visa applying processes and moving between countries is straightforward. There are just few things I need to check before working abroad:
- Travel insurance: The employer-provided health care services are valid only in my home country.
- Pension Security: I need to contact the national pension security center for a documentation that proves I’m pension insured in my home country. This ensures that travelling/living in another country inside EU for a short period doesn’t effect my pension accumulation.
- IT Requirements: I must check with my IT team that my mobile connection includes an EU data package. They also need information concerning my remote work location to. They want to ensure I’m not useing unsecured Wi-Fi networks for my work.
My ability to work remote from abroad has some limitations
Of course the fact that I have a home and family in my home country limits the time I can spend abroad. Even without these considerations, there are practical constrains:
- Employer Restrictions: My employer is likely fine with 2–3 week periods of working abroad. By combining vacation days, I could extent this to 4–6 weeks. Longer periods are unlikely in my current position.
- Visa requirements: Travelling outside EU might involve visa process and I am unsure about specific visas needed for remote work. Regulations vary by country.
- Safety and healthcare: Outside EU, safety and health care services might vary significantly. That is something that requires careful planning.
So what is my plan for working abroad then?
Although my dream is to spend three months a year living abroad, this won’t happen immediately. My first step is to spend three weeks in Portugal next winter. This will help me experience remote work in a different environment without significantly impacting my family life or work routine. It will also allow me to see how natural light affects my mood and productivity.
In the long run, achieving my goal of living part-time abroad is possible if I adjust my living arrangements once my kids leave home. Fewer rooms mean more money for travel. Additionally, I hope to save more through my part-time entrepreneurship. With some luck, I might build an online business or grow my YouTube channel to gain more flexibility.
Wish me luck! And please share your thought on this topic.
