Remote work checklist
Get yourself sorted
before you go
A community-built spine of the things worth sorting before, during and after a stint working abroad. Work through it on your phone at the airport, or on a laptop the month before — it remembers where you got to.
These are prompts to check, not advice. Items about visas, immigration, tax and insurance are written as things to confirm, because what applies to you depends on your nationality, your destination, how long you're staying and who employs you. Check each one against an official source or a qualified adviser.
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63 items
Before you go
The things that are painful to sort out once you've landed.
Agree your working hours with your manager expressed in their timezone, not yours
CoreTeam & commsAsk a qualified accountant whether working from this country changes your tax position
CoreTax & moneyCheck your insurance covers you working abroad, not just holidaying
CoreHealth & insuranceCheck your two-factor authentication and recovery codes work without your home phone number
CoreSecurityCompare roaming charges against a travel eSIM, and install the eSIM before you fly
CoreConnectivityConfirm whether you need an A1 certificate or certificate of coverage before an EU stint
CoreLegal & visaConfirm whether you need permission to enter and work from your destination
CoreLegal & visaConfirm with your employer that their policy allows you to work from this country
CoreLegal & visaGet the accommodation's wifi speed confirmed in writing before you book
CoreWorkspaceSet up a way to spend and get paid without losing money to hidden exchange fees
CoreTax & moneyTest that your VPN actually reaches your work systems from the destination
CoreConnectivityArrange for post to be collected, forwarded or scanned
ExtraLogisticsAsk your employer whether your presence abroad raises a permanent-establishment question
ExtraTax & moneyBook the first two nights somewhere you are confident about
ExtraWellbeingCheck how your destination counts permitted days, and count the days you have already used
ExtraLegal & visaCheck the plug type and mains voltage at your destination
ExtraLogisticsCheck whether any vaccinations are required or recommended for your destination
ExtraHealth & insuranceCheck whether the country runs a digital nomad or remote-work route, and whether you would qualify
ExtraLegal & visaCheck whether your home or contents insurance covers kit taken abroad
ExtraLogisticsCheck whether your intended length of stay could affect your tax residency
ExtraTax & moneyCheck your passport's expiry date against the destination's minimum-validity rule
ExtraLegal & visaConfirm whether you need a state healthcare card for your destination and that it is in date
ExtraHealth & insuranceGet repeat prescriptions to cover the whole trip, and check the medication is legal at your destination
ExtraHealth & insuranceShortlist two or three places to work near where you are staying
ExtraWorkspaceStore scans of your passport, insurance and travel documents where you can reach them offline
ExtraLogisticsTell your bank and card providers your travel dates
ExtraTax & moneyTurn on full-disk encryption and device tracking on your laptop and phone
ExtraSecurityUpdate your calendar working hours, timezone and status everywhere your team looks
ExtraTeam & comms
First week
Getting set up so the second week is boring in a good way.
Diarise the date your permitted stay ends, with a reminder well before it
CoreLegal & visaRun a real speed test at your accommodation at the hour you actually take calls
CoreConnectivityBuy a local adapter and a spare charging cable
ExtraLogisticsCheck your entry stamp or electronic entry record is correct and legible
ExtraLegal & visaCheck your first local transactions went through and nothing was blocked
ExtraTax & moneyDo a test video call at the time your real meetings happen
ExtraTeam & commsFind one regular thing outside work in the first week
ExtraWellbeingNote the nearest clinic and the local emergency number
ExtraHealth & insurancePost your working hours where your team can see them without asking
ExtraTeam & commsSet a daily shutdown routine so work does not swallow the whole trip
ExtraWellbeingSet up somewhere to work with the screen at eye level, not hunched over a table
ExtraWorkspaceTell one person at home your address and rough plans
ExtraSecurityVisit your backup workspace before the day you actually need it
ExtraWorkspace
While you're there
The ongoing habits that keep work and paperwork ticking over.
Keep a running count of days spent in the country
CoreLegal & visaNever reach work systems over open wifi without your VPN on
CoreSecurityAsk your team whether your hours are actually working for them
ExtraTeam & commsBook onward or return travel before the dates get expensive
ExtraLogisticsCheck spend against your budget weekly rather than at the end
ExtraTax & moneyCheck your work is backed up somewhere other than the laptop
ExtraSecurityKeep contact with people at home on a schedule, not just when you feel homesick
ExtraWellbeingKeep receipts and note what is a legitimate business expense as you go
ExtraTax & moneyMove workspace if the one you chose is quietly wrecking your focus or your back
ExtraWorkspaceRe-test the connection before blaming the other end when calls drop
ExtraConnectivityRecord the meetings you cannot attend rather than quietly dropping them
ExtraTeam & commsTake at least one full day genuinely off
ExtraWellbeing
Coming home
Loose ends that follow you back if you leave them.
Ask your accountant whether anything about the trip needs to go on your tax return
CoreTax & moneyCancel or pause the eSIM, local SIM and any local subscriptions
ExtraConnectivityChange any passwords you typed on networks you did not control
ExtraSecurityClaim on travel insurance for anything that went wrong, before the window closes
ExtraHealth & insuranceClose out day passes and coworking memberships you no longer need
ExtraWorkspaceGive yourself a buffer day before your first day back at full pace
ExtraWellbeingReconcile your expenses while you still remember what they were
ExtraTax & moneyRecord your exact departure date for your day count
ExtraLegal & visaReset your calendar and working hours to home time and tell your team
ExtraTeam & commsWrite down what worked and what did not, and add it to the community checklist
ExtraWellbeing
Something missing?
The best items on here came from people who'd already been caught out by them. Add yours — suggestions are read by a human before they go on the checklist, and published ones are credited to you.