“Zoom on the Beach, Anyone?” How to Move your Procurement Job
Tempted to work remotely from a Caribbean island? Or maybe a cosy mountain retreat in the Swiss Alps? Here are the top countries to work remotely, and what you should know before you move.
Billionaire Elon Musk made headlines last year by moving from California to Texas.
It’s not hard to see the appeal: cheaper real estate, lower taxes, lower cost of living.
He’s just one of many who fled Silicon Valley during the pandemic. Experts say the exodus has been a long time coming. Tech workers were growing weary of outrageous rents, tiny living spaces, rising crime levels, and impossible traffic. So when the pandemic forced employees to work from home, it sparked a literal movement.
People questioned the need to live in expensive, crowded areas. Especially when their healthy salaries could go much further elsewhere. As TechCrunch explains, the average tech salary in Silicon Valley is $155,000 – which is the equivalent of $224,000 in Austin, thanks to the much lower cost of living.
For that reason, you can buy a five bedroom house with a whole acre of land in Austin for the price of a three bedroom flat in Silicon Valley, writes Nellie Bowles in the New York Times.
“Tech workers and their bosses realised they might not need all the perks and after-work schmooze events,” Nellis writes. “But maybe they needed elbow room and a yard for the new puppy. A place to put the Peloton. A top public school.”
Silicon Valley residents are hardly unique. Thanks to remote working, employees all over the world are reconsidering their living situations.
Is that you? Perhaps you’re daydreaming about joining your next Zoom call from a beach somewhere. Or maybe a cosy mountain retreat is more your style?
Here’s what you should know before you pack your bags.
Where should you go?
The big question – which part of the world will you call home? Lots of countries would be happy to have you. Take Dubai or Barbados, both of which will give you a yearlong visa if you pay a fee and prove you make enough money.
Other countries like Germany, Mexico, and the Czech Republic have well-established programs that allow remote workers to stay for a while.
So, where should you go? It all depends on what’s most important to you. Here are some ideas to spark your imagination.
Best secluded areas for working remotely
If you’re looking for somewhere scenic, off the beaten path (but with great wifi), check out Switzerland.
Interlaken, Switzerland takes the prize for best secluded remote working, according to Small Business Prices. Evidently, it ticks the boxes for beautiful landscapes, a small population, and amazing internet.
Enjoy the view while you get work done using one of the area’s 2500+ wifi spots. Or check out one of these other top rated, secluded areas:
Top 5 secluded areas for remote working:
- Interlaken, Switzerland
- Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway)
- Tórshavn, Faroe Islands (Denmark)
- Albarracin, Spain
- Fairfield, Iowa, USA
Best cities for remote working
Maybe you’re a city dweller at heart, and hate the thought of leaving city amenities behind (like the luxury of getting McDonald’s delivered at 2am). But at the same time, you’re sick of spending a small fortune to live in a tiny shoebox.
Tallinn could be the perfect city for you. The Estonian capital rated the highest on Big 7 Travel’s list of best cities for digital nomads – based on criteria like affordability, internet access, work visa availability, and friendliness to expats.
If Estonia isn’t quite your vibe, consider one of the other cities that round out the digital nomad top 10.
Top 10 cities for digital nomads:
- Tallinn, Estonia
- Tbilisi, Georgia
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Bali, Indonesia
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Berlin, Germany
- Singapore
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
But before you leave the country
Now that you have a destination, you’re ready to pack up and go. But first, read the smallprint.
There probably won’t be many hurdles if you move within your own country. But if you’re looking at somewhere more exotic, there’s a lot to consider.
Visa requirements
If you plan to stay for a long period of time, will you need a visa? Are there rules about working while staying on that visa?
Data protection
You need to tell your employer if you plan to move abroad. That’s because they are likely bound by strict data laws and regulations. If you break those rules, it could get you and your company into trouble.
Taxes
Even if you keep working for a company based in your home country, you might be liable for local taxes, says UK law firm Stevens & Bolton.
“Tax residence can be surprisingly easy to acquire in some countries and this has the potential to impact the individual’s wider tax status,” the firm wrote recently. “Remote working overseas for any extended period could result in the employee being treated as tax resident in two jurisdictions at the same time.”
It’s smart to check with a specialist tax advisor and avoid nasty surprises.
Company policy
It’s also important to know your company’s remote working policy, and speak to your boss about your plans in advance. That will help you understand expectations, and work out any needed arrangements. For example, will you be expected to come back to the office at some point? Some employers require even remote staff to work in the office occasionally. And if you do need to attend a meeting in person, will your company take care of your travel bill?
Enjoy the freedom
Don’t let those details crush your island vibe, though. There are plenty of amazing places in this world, and remote working could give you the option to work anywhere with a decent internet connection.
Just make sure you cover all your bases first. That way, you can look truly smug as you join the team Zoom call from the beach.
