Just realized my fully remote employer already runs payroll through an Employer of Record (think Deel/Remote/etc.), and it clicked: in theory, that means I could be locally compliant in multiple countries without changing jobs. Is “EOR-hopping” across countries actually doable for a full-time WFH role?
I’m imagining slower moves (every 3-6 months), staying in roughly the same time zone, and asking HR to “switch host country” within the same EOR rather than terminate/re-hire. Has anyone pulled this off? What am I missing?
Questions I can’t find clear answers for:
- Contract mechanics: Can an EOR switch your work location to a new country without ending your employment each time? How often is realistic before it becomes a nightmare?
- Visas vs payroll: If I’m on a tourist or visa-exempt stay, will EORs even payroll me there, or do they require a digital nomad visa/residence permit first?
- Taxes and social contributions: Do you end up with fragmented social security histories in each country? Any experience with totalization treaties, double contributions, or tax refunds when you move mid-year?
- Permanent establishment risk: Do frequent country switches spook Legal/Finance? How do you frame this so the company sees low PE risk?
- Health insurance: Did you rely on local coverage via EOR, or keep global private insurance and opt out locally when allowed?
- Costs and approvals: Who pays the EOR country-switch fees? Any success stories convincing HR with a cost/benefit pitch?
- Operations hygiene: Banking and salary currency when you move often; KYC and address proofs; 2FA phone/SIM issues; data residency or DLP policies when your IP keeps changing; device import rules for laptops/monitors.
- Timeline: How long did your EOR country switch take end-to-end, and what docs did you need? Police checks? Notarized diplomas? Local tax numbers?
If you’ve done something like this:
- Which EOR and countries?
- How long per country before switching?
- Biggest gotchas you didn’t see coming?
- Any template you used to propose this to HR/Legal?
I’m full-time WFH and love the job; I just discovered this EOR angle and it feels like a legit path to nomading without shadow-compliance. Would love practical checklists, “don’t do this” stories, and a sanity check on whether this is actually viable.