3 ms·

You're right, I didn't think of that. I wonder why at least one country in Eastern Europe that doesn't have to adhere to EU/Schengen immigration regulations has

by Aqwis 12y ago

You're right, I didn't think of that. I wonder why at least one country in Eastern Europe that doesn't have to adhere to EU/Schengen immigration regulations hasn't opened up for long-term work visas. I imagine that some US freelancer living in, say, Albania could contribute significantly to that country's economy if only by consuming considerably more than an average Albanian. On the other hand, isn't a lot of the remote working in Thailand also "technically" illegal?

toomuchtodo 12y ago
> I wonder why at least one country in Eastern Europe that doesn't have to adhere to EU/Schengen immigration regulations hasn't opened up for long-term work visas. I imagine that some US freelancer living in, say, Albania could contribute significantly to that country's economy if only by consuming considerably more than an average Albanian. I belive Estonia is at the forefront of this: https://e-estonia.com/e-residents/about/ https://e-estonia.com/e-residents/about/ > On the other hand, isn't a lot of the remote working in Thailand also "technically" illegal? Technically? Yes. You'll hear a lot about visa runs where you hop over the border for an hour or two, and then come back to Thailand for another 6 months. My guess is that you're following the spirit of the law, as Thailand hasn't really thought out how they want remote workers to be handled locally, but they're enjoying the economic benefits of them being there.
- seanmcdirmid 12y ago
  My guess is that you aren't really following the letter of the law, and the Thai authorities could throw you in jail if they wanted to (granted, they could find other reasons just as well, but Thailand is a relatively decent country). You are also probably not playing well with taxes (you are supposed to pay first in the country where the value is added, but most just pay in the country where the work is sourced). This is actually a bigger concern, especially if American.
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    > You are also probably not playing well with taxes (you are supposed to pay first in the country where the value is added, but most just pay in the country where the work is sourced). This is actually a bigger concern, especially if American. I'm paid as a resident of Florida (US citizen), and pay the required amount of US federal tax. I currently reside in the US, but if Thailand (or any other country) would like to update their tax code to make it friendly to digital nomads, I would be more than happy to contribute to their tax base if the requirement was reasonable. TL;DR I like taxes; with them, I buy civilization.
    - seanmcdirmid 12y ago
      If your income is sourced in the states, USA will say they have first dibs on it, but if you work in Thailand, Thailand technically has first dibs on it also; tax treaties don't really cover that! So what happens is that you pay Uncle Sam rather than King Rama, and hope the latter doesn't find out you are evading taxes. If you are working abroad for an american company, doing it legit is the best way to go, but that is more like "working abroad" vs. being a "digital nomad". On the other hand, most developing countries don't care as long as you aren't officially working for a company in the country without a proper visa. Anyways, you always have to check "tourist" on the immigration form, and never "employment/work".
- Aqwis 12y ago
  However, as is mentioned on that page and in previous HN discussions on the topic, an Estonian e-residency does not give the owner any rights to enter, live or work in Estonia. I suspect giving such rights to arbitrary non-EU citizens would conflict with EU regulations regarding immigration, but I don't see why a non-EU country like Albania couldn't do it.

by Aqwis 12y ago

toomuchtodo 12y ago

> I wonder why at least one country in Eastern Europe that doesn't have to adhere to EU/Schengen immigration regulations hasn't opened up for long-term work visas. I imagine that some US freelancer living in, say, Albania could contribute significantly to that country's economy if only by consuming considerably more than an average Albanian. I belive Estonia is at the forefront of this: https://e-estonia.com/e-residents/about/ https://e-estonia.com/e-residents/about/ > On the other hand, isn't a lot of the remote working in Thailand also "technically" illegal? Technically? Yes. You'll hear a lot about visa runs where you hop over the border for an hour or two, and then come back to Thailand for another 6 months. My guess is that you're following the spirit of the law, as Thailand hasn't really thought out how they want remote workers to be handled locally, but they're enjoying the economic benefits of them being there.

seanmcdirmid 12y ago
My guess is that you aren't really following the letter of the law, and the Thai authorities could throw you in jail if they wanted to (granted, they could find other reasons just as well, but Thailand is a relatively decent country). You are also probably not playing well with taxes (you are supposed to pay first in the country where the value is added, but most just pay in the country where the work is sourced). This is actually a bigger concern, especially if American.
- toomuchtodo 12y ago
  > You are also probably not playing well with taxes (you are supposed to pay first in the country where the value is added, but most just pay in the country where the work is sourced). This is actually a bigger concern, especially if American. I'm paid as a resident of Florida (US citizen), and pay the required amount of US federal tax. I currently reside in the US, but if Thailand (or any other country) would like to update their tax code to make it friendly to digital nomads, I would be more than happy to contribute to their tax base if the requirement was reasonable. TL;DR I like taxes; with them, I buy civilization.
  - seanmcdirmid 12y ago
    If your income is sourced in the states, USA will say they have first dibs on it, but if you work in Thailand, Thailand technically has first dibs on it also; tax treaties don't really cover that! So what happens is that you pay Uncle Sam rather than King Rama, and hope the latter doesn't find out you are evading taxes. If you are working abroad for an american company, doing it legit is the best way to go, but that is more like "working abroad" vs. being a "digital nomad". On the other hand, most developing countries don't care as long as you aren't officially working for a company in the country without a proper visa. Anyways, you always have to check "tourist" on the immigration form, and never "employment/work".
Aqwis 12y ago
However, as is mentioned on that page and in previous HN discussions on the topic, an Estonian e-residency does not give the owner any rights to enter, live or work in Estonia. I suspect giving such rights to arbitrary non-EU citizens would conflict with EU regulations regarding immigration, but I don't see why a non-EU country like Albania couldn't do it.