Packing a laptop and hopping on a plane sounds simple—especially if you hold two passports. But dual citizenship doesn’t automatically smooth out every legal wrinkle of working from another country. The rules that matter—taxes, employment status, social insurance, data protection—follow you across borders, and sometimes they collide.
Before you book that long-stay Airbnb, remember that even seasoned expats lean on specialists to map the fine print. Firms that advise on residency and citizenship pathways, such as Savory and Partners, often collaborate with tax and immigration professionals to explain where a “right to live” ends and “authorization to work” begins. That distinction is essential for dual citizens, who can mistakenly assume both of their passports unlock unlimited work in any context.
Start with three anchors: where you are physically located, where your employer or clients are based, and where you’re a citizen or tax resident. Dual citizenship gives you a legal “home” in two countries, but it doesn’t override the place where you’re actually working. If you’re physically present in Country A while employed by a company in Country B, you may trigger obligations in both.
Also note the difference between immigration status and labor rules. Being a citizen often confers a “right to work,” but local labor codes, tax regimes, and social contributions still apply. Meanwhile, your employer’s home country might continue to treat you as on-payroll there, creating overlap. Your goal is to identify every jurisdiction that can plausibly claim you and learn what each one expects from you and your employer.
If you’re a citizen of Country A and Country B, you generally have the right to live and work in those two places without a visa. But that doesn’t mean you can work in Country C just because you used your Country B passport to enter visa-free. Immigration permissions are not interchangeable: a visa-exempt tourist entry usually does not include work authorization.
For dual citizens shuttling between their two countries, keep your entries and exits clean. Use the “matching passport” rule: enter, reside, and deal with local authorities using the passport of the country you’re in. If you must register with a municipality, obtain a national ID number, or enroll in health coverage, complete those formalities on the correct passport. Overstays, sloppy passport switching, or skipping local registrations can complicate tax filings and benefits eligibility later.
Taxes hinge on residency tests and source-of-income rules. Many countries treat you as a tax resident if you spend more than a set number of days (often 183) in a year, maintain a “permanent home,” or center your life there—family, property, economic ties, memberships. As a dual citizen, it’s common to become resident in one country while retaining filing obligations in the other (e.g., on worldwide income, or at least on certain categories of income).
Two tools help manage overlap: tax treaties and domestic relief (credits or exemptions). Treaties allocate taxing rights—say, on employment income or pensions—and often provide credits to avoid double taxation. Even without a treaty, many systems grant foreign tax credits. Keep immaculate records: day counts, leases, utility bills, contracts, flight receipts, and proof of taxes withheld. If you maintain ties to a state or province back “home,” check their residency rules too—subnational tax traps are real, and “moving abroad” posts don’t erase them.
Your classification affects nearly everything. As a payroll employee, working from a foreign country can create a “permanent establishment” risk for your employer, prompting local corporate tax, payroll registration, and mandatory benefits. Many employers require written approval for remote work abroad and may impose a time cap or limit permissible countries to those with favorable rules. Confirm whether your work location is stated in your contract, and whether the employer will run local payroll or keep you on home payroll with shadow reporting.
As an independent contractor, you carry more compliance yourself. You may need a local tax number, business registration, or VAT/GST registration once you exceed thresholds. Your contract should clarify governing law, dispute forum, confidentiality, intellectual property, and data security—especially if you’re handling client data from another jurisdiction. Ask for clauses that recognize cross-border realities: electronic signatures, digital delivery, and explicit acceptance of remote performance.
Social security systems don’t always travel with you. Some countries have totalization agreements to prevent double contributions and preserve benefit credits when careers span borders. Employees may remain in their home system under a certificate of coverage for a limited period; contractors typically contribute where they work. If both countries claim contributions, an agreement can decide which system takes priority.
Health coverage is equally nuanced. Being a citizen might make you eligible for public healthcare, but that often depends on residency or registration, not just nationality. Private insurance can fill gaps—especially for the waiting periods that often apply when (re)establishing residency. Review retirement accounts too: contributions from abroad, tax treatment of withdrawals, and whether your new country taxes the growth. If you’re moving temporarily, ensure that your home country coverage doesn’t lapse, or understand how to re-enter without penalty.
Where your body is located can determine where your data is deemed processed. If you’re handling customer information from a kitchen table abroad, your employer or clients may face new privacy obligations. Follow company policies on approved devices, encryption, and connections (no café Wi-Fi without a secure tunnel). Some industries restrict data transfers outright; you may be asked to use remote desktops that keep data on home-country servers.
Hardware can be regulated too. Certain laptops or software with strong encryption are subject to export controls, and some countries require device declarations at entry. If you invoice clients as a freelancer, check e-invoicing or VAT rules: many jurisdictions require local registration once sales cross a threshold, and you may need to collect and remit tax. Maintain a compliance checklist: device inventory, password managers, MFA, and a secure data-disposal plan.
Before you go
Get employer/client consent in writing. Confirm permitted location(s), duration, and who handles payroll, taxes, and equipment.
Map your tax footprints. Determine likely residency and whether a treaty or credits apply. Set up day-count tracking and a document folder.
Sort insurance. Health, travel, professional indemnity, and equipment coverage. Obtain a certificate of coverage if applicable.
Update contracts. Add governing law, IP, confidentiality, data-handling, and remote-work clauses.
Register where required. If you’ll be a resident, line up ID numbers, municipal registration, and bank access.
While abroad
Use the right passport. Enter, register, and sign official forms with the passport of the country you’re in.
Track everything. Days in/out, rent, utility bills, flights, taxes paid, and client invoices.
Stay compliant. File provisional payments if required; keep VAT/GST logs; follow company security policies.
Re-evaluate at milestones. At 90/183 days, check whether your status or obligations change.
On return (or when moving on)
Deregister cleanly. Close local registrations, cancel utilities, and update address records.
Reconcile taxes and benefits. File final/exit returns, claim foreign tax credits, and verify social insurance records.
Update status with employer/clients. Confirm your work location and any payroll switches back to home country.
Archive records. Keep evidence for the audit window in both countries.
Dual citizenship is an asset, but it’s not a universal work permit or a tax shield. Treat it as a head start: you can live and work in two jurisdictions with fewer immigration hurdles, yet you still need a plan for payroll, taxes, social insurance, and data compliance. Because the rules change frequently and hinge on your facts, consult qualified tax and immigration professionals in both countries before you go. Do that, keep tidy records, and your two passports can power a smooth, legal, and genuinely flexible remote-work life.
