Can you work remotely there?
Being allowed to stay somewhere is not the same as being allowed to work from it. Each country below shows what an official source says, the route for remote workers where one exists, and the social-security arrangements. Every claim links to its source and says when it was checked.
This reports published official positions. It is not legal advice and does not say whether you may work, because that depends on your visa, contract and nationality. Check the source, and an adviser, before relying on it.
How social security works across borders
Inside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, social security is coordinated so a person normally pays into one country’s system at a time. An employee working temporarily in another member state can usually stay in their home system with an A1 certificate from the home institution. The rules for people working in several countries, and for the self-employed, depend on where they live and how much they work in each.
Outside that area, protection comes from bilateral agreements. The United States has totalization agreements with a list of countries. Where one is in force, a certificate of coverage can keep a short-term worker in one system and avoid paying into both. Where there is none, contributions can be due in more than one country.
None of this decides your case. Whether you qualify depends on your employer, where you live and how long you work abroad; ask your social security institution. EU Regulation 883/2004 · US totalization agreements
Albania
Law does not say clearly for remote workShort stay is capped at 90 days in 180 (Arts 29, 31); employment in Albania needs a unique permit (Art 56). The law is silent on whether remote work for a foreign employer counts as such employment.
Route: Unique residence permit for digital mobile workers (Law 79/2021 Art 68)Checked 2026-10-17
Argentina
Law does not say clearly for remote workNo express ban or permission for remote work by tourists. The immigration authority's 2022 disposition says the tourist category covers rest and leisure and does not fit people staying to work, which is why it created a separate nomad residence.
Route: Residencia transitoria 'Nómada Digital' (Disposición DNM 758/2022)Checked 2026-10-17
China
Law does not say clearly for remote workState Council rules bar tourist (L) visa holders from working in China, and the Exit-Entry Law requires a work permit for work. Visa-free entry covers business, tourism and similar purposes. Remote work for a foreign employer is not expressly addressed in the sources read.
Checked 2026-10-17
Colombia
Permitted on conditionsCancillería's rule lets digital nomads and remote workers from visa-exempt nationalities enter without a visa and stay on an entry permit, provided the stay generates no payments from Colombian companies. 90 days, extendable to 180 a year. The Labour Ministry words it differently.
Route: Visa V (Visitante) - Nómadas Digitales / Trabajadores RemotosChecked 2026-10-17
Czechia
Official sources: visitor status gives no right to workThe Interior Ministry's foreigners portal says a visa-free stay is exclusively for non-profit purposes, so you cannot be employed or do business. Remote work for a foreign employer is not specifically addressed, though the wording is broad.
Route: Digital Nomad Program (Government Resolution No. 475/2023)Checked 2026-10-17
Estonia
Not establishedNo official page that could be read says whether a visa-free visitor may work remotely for a foreign employer. Official sources describe a teleworking D-visa for such work; the Aliens Act text itself was inaccessible.
Route: Long-stay (D) visa for teleworking (digital nomad visa)Checked 2026-10-17
Georgia
Permitted on conditionsThe Labour Migration Law Art 1(4)(k) excludes work or services for a non-resident, tied to activities outside Georgia, from the right-to-work regime; remote work for a local employer needs a right to work (from 1 March 2026).
Route: C5 category ordinary (short-term) visa for remote work for non-resident persons (Aliens Law, Art 7)Checked 2026-10-17
Greece
Not establishedNo official Greek source found that states whether a visa-free or short-stay visitor may work remotely for a foreign employer. Law 5038/2023 art. 68 creates a dedicated digital nomad route, but does not address visitors.
Route: Digital Nomad national visa, then digital nomad residence permit (Law 5038/2023, art. 68)Checked 2026-10-17
Hungary
Law does not say clearly for remote workOfficial guidance says visa-exempt nationals may work only with the required Hungarian work permit. The extra bilateral-agreement stay (e.g. for US citizens) cannot be used for gainful activity. Remote work for a foreign employer is not addressed.
Route: White Card (residence permit for remote work from Hungary)Checked 2026-10-17
Indonesia
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe official C1 tourist-visa page bars selling goods or services and taking payment from Indonesian parties; remote work for foreign employers is not mentioned. The Director-General of Immigration called remote work a regulatory problem under study (Aug 2026, press report).
Route: E33G Remote Worker (Second Home) visaChecked 2026-10-17
Malaysia
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe Immigration Department lists working or doing activities contrary to pass conditions as an offence. A September 2026 press report quotes its Director-General that social visit pass holders may not be employed or run a business. Remote work for foreign clients is not addressed.
Route: DE Rantau Nomad Pass (Professional Visit Pass)Checked 2026-10-17
Mauritius
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe Labour Ministry says tourist-visa visitors may not take up employment. The Non-Citizens Act bars occupation for reward or profit in Mauritius without a permit. Neither addresses remote work for a foreign employer. The Premium Visa is aimed at remote workers.
Route: Premium Visa (Economic Development Board)Checked 2026-10-17
Mexico
Law does not say clearly for remote workVisitor status (up to 180 days) gives no permission for activities subject to remuneration in the country. The law does not say whether remote work paid from abroad counts. The consulate says temporary residents may work only if paid from abroad.
Route: Residente temporal (temporary resident) by economic solvency; no dedicated nomad visa foundChecked 2026-10-17
Poland
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe 2025 foreigners-employment act (art. 1(4)(5)) excludes only occasional, incidental activities for a foreign entity by a foreigner staying for another purpose. It is silent on regular remote work for a foreign employer. The permit requirement attaches to work performed in Poland.
Checked 2026-10-17
Portugal
Not establishedNo official page found that states whether remote work for a foreign employer is allowed on a visa-free or short-stay visit. The visa portal treats remote work as its own D-category visa, but that is not an explicit rule for visitors.
Route: Temporary stay visa or residency visa for remote professional activity ("digital nomads", commonly called D8)Checked 2026-10-17
Serbia
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe official portal lets visa-free visitors work up to 90/180 days without a single permit only in listed categories (business contacts, owners, events); remote work for a foreign employer is not listed and no official page addresses it.
Route: Temporary residence on the 'digital nomad' basis (Law on Foreigners Art 40(4); listed on the Welcome to Serbia portal)Checked 2026-10-17
South Africa
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe Immigration Act bars visitor's-visa holders from conducting work, defined as business, commercial or remunerative activity in the Republic. Nothing official says whether remote work for a foreign employer counts. The home affairs department created a Remote Work visa for it.
Route: Remote Work visitor's visa (s11(1)(b)(iv), prescribed activity of remote work)Checked 2026-10-17
South Korea
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe foreign ministry states a C-3 short-term visa cannot be issued for profit-making, while allowing market research, business contact and contracts. Visa-free entry and remote work for foreign employers are not specifically addressed; the workation visa exists for this.
Route: Digital Nomad (Workation) visa, F-1-DChecked 2026-10-17
Spain
Law does not say clearly for remote workOrganic Law 4/2000 art. 36 requires authorisation to reside and work before any lucrative, labour or professional activity. It does not address a visitor working remotely for a foreign employer. The 2022 remote-work regime implies a dedicated route is needed.
Route: Visado / autorizacion de residencia de teletrabajo de caracter internacional (international remote-work visa)Checked 2026-10-17
Taiwan
Law does not say clearly for remote workVisa-exempt entry covers tourism and business activities; anything needing a permit under other agencies' rules still requires one. Employment Service Act Art. 43 requires a permit for foreigners to work. Remote work for foreign employers is not addressed.
Route: Employment Gold Card (not remote-specific; combined open work permit, residence and visa)Checked 2026-10-17
Thailand
Law does not say clearly for remote workThe foreigners' working decree defines 'work' broadly (knowledge used in an occupation, paid or not) with no carve-out for work for a foreign employer. No official ruling on remote work for foreign clients was found.
Route: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Workcation trackChecked 2026-10-17
Türkiye
Official sources: visitor status gives no right to workLaw 6735 Art 6(2) bans work in Türkiye without a work permit; Turkish consulate guidance says a would-be digital nomad must enter on a Digital Nomad visa. No official text expressly addresses visa-exempt remote work for foreign clients.
Route: Digital Nomad Visa, with a Digital Nomad Identification Certificate from the GoTürkiye platformChecked 2026-10-17
United Arab Emirates
Official sources: visitor status gives no right to workThe official u.ae portal states a visit or tourist visa does not give the right to work in the UAE, and a work permit from the labour ministry is required. It does not mention remote work for a foreign employer at all.
Route: Virtual work (remote work) residence visa for working outside the UAEChecked 2026-10-17
Vietnam
Law does not say clearly for remote workLaw 47/2014 requires work permits for foreigners coming to work (Art. 10(4)(c)) and activity in line with the purpose of entry (Art. 44(2)(b)). Remote work for foreign employers is not addressed in the texts found. Read via a commercial mirror, not the official portal.
Checked 2026-10-17