If your employees travel internationally for work, certain compliance obligations apply: for you as the client, for your employee, and for Remote People as the Employer of Record. This article sets out the key rules, responsibilities, and the support Remote People can provide.
What counts as a business trip?
For the purposes of this policy, a business trip is short-term travel (typically under 15 days) for the purpose of attending meetings, training, or seminars.
It is important to categorize travel correctly, as each carries different legal and tax implications. Please contact Remote People if you are unsure.
Your Responsibilities as a Client
As the client company directing the work, visa and immigration compliance in the destination country is your responsibility.
Specifically:
You are responsible for ensuring your employee holds the appropriate visa or entry authorization for their destination
Remote People does not issue invitation letters to our in-country offices (we are not actually the inviting party). If your employee needs an invitation letter, this should come from your own company
Remote People can provide a supporting letter from the employing entity in limited cases, only where the letter does not contain confidential data (e.g. director passport numbers, financial figures). Please contact us to assess eligibility.
Visas
Remote People is not a visa agency and does not assist with business visa applications (this is covered separately under our Mobility Services, available for long-term expat cases only). Your employee will need to arrange the appropriate visa directly or through you.
EU exception: Employees based in the EU travelling within the EU for fewer than 15 days generally do not require a specific business visa.
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend that mandatory travel insurance is in place for any employee undertaking a business trip on company instructions. Arranging appropriate travel insurance — including identifying providers and covering all associated costs — is the responsibility of the client.
A1 Certificates (EU Employees)
If your employee is based in an EU/EEA country and travelling to another EU/EEA country for work, they will likely need an A1 Certificate. This document:
Confirms that the employee remains covered by their home country's social security during the trip
Is required for any cross-border work-related activity, including short business trips
Is increasingly requested by companies as part of EOR compliance best practice
How Remote People supports you: For more information on A1 Certificates, see our dedicated article. Our operations team can manage the A1 Certificate application with the support of an approved CPA or law firm. This is a billable service, please contact your account manager or Support for pricing.
We recommend initiating A1 requests as early as possible before the travel date to allow sufficient processing time.
Per Diem / Business Trip Allowances
A per diem (daily expense allowance) is not automatically applied. Where relevant under local law or tax regulation, it can be arranged on a per-trip basis upon request. Our local experts will calculate and apply the correct rate. Per diems are tax-deductible as a business expense and are included in our normal payroll calculations, similarly to expenses.
Notifying Remote People of Business Travel
To ensure compliance, please notify your Remote People account manager before any planned business trip, providing:
Employee name
Destination country
Travel dates
Purpose of travel
Summary of What Remote People Can and Cannot Do
Topic | Remote People Support |
Visa applications | ❌ Not provided (except Mobility Services) |
Invitation letters | ❌ Not provided |
Supporting letters | ✅ Case by case (no confidential data) |
Travel insurance | ❌ Not provided — client arranges directly |
A1 Certificate (EU) | ✅ Supported as a billable service |
Per diem calculation | ✅ Included in normal payroll calculations (not a separate billable service) |
Questions?
Contact your Remote People account manager or reach out to our Support team. For country-specific guidance on business trips, see our country-specific articles.