Do you dream of working with a sea view, but want to keep your Dutch job? It's possible. More and more consultants and IT professionals are temporarily living and working abroad while remaining employed by a Dutch company.
It sounds fantastic, but it does involve a few things. Good preparation and time registration can make the difference between a relaxed workation and a fiscal or legal nightmare.
Key insights
- Asking for permission at least four weeks in advance prevents legal surprises
- Working abroad for a short (30 days) or long period has various tax and social consequences
- A1 statement and 183-day rule are crucial for tax and social security
- Digital time registration is mandatory and essential for compliance, billing and project insight
- Excel and separate tools fall short for international teams: errors and lost time are common risks
- Integrated systems provide an overview, save time and keep projects profitable
Why more and more people are working from abroad
You see it everywhere: developers who pack up their laptops and head to Berlin, consultants who are temporarily staying in Lisbon. For modern teams, working remotely from abroad has become increasingly common.
For Dutch companies, this offers concrete advantages:
- You retain talent that might otherwise leave
- You can visit international customers without involving your entire team
- Employees are often more productive and happier
But freedom also comes with responsibilities.
- Tax regulations and employment laws are becoming increasingly complex
- Insurance policies do not always automatically cover situations abroad
- Multi-country administration requires accuracy
If you prepare well, you will avoid unpleasant surprises.
Can you just work from abroad (temporarily)?
Yes, but only if your employer explicitly agrees. Your employment contract often determines your work location. A spontaneous workation to Portugal without permission can have legal consequences.
💡 Tip: Discuss your plans with your employer at least four weeks in advance. This way, you avoid surprises and can be sure that everything is legally correct.
Check your employment contract and remote work policy
Before you go, it's smart to know exactly what's allowed:
- Review work location clauses in your employment contract
- Check whether there is a remote work policy and what it says
- Ask HR about expectations regarding availability and working hours
- Record all agreements in writing
Short or long period?
Working temporarily from abroad for two weeks requires different preparations than moving for three months:
- Short (<30 days): most Dutch regulations remain in effect
- Long (>30 days): foreign tax and social security rules come into play
Insurance and equipment
Your Dutch health insurance often only covers emergency care. Also, make sure that business equipment is insured against theft or damage. Many liability insurance policies do not cover damage outside the Netherlands.
💡 Tip: Arrange everything well in advance so that there are no surprises during your workation.
Working abroad: tax and legal matters to arrange first
If you live and work abroad permanently, your tax obligations will change. The basic rule is simple: you continue to pay Dutch payroll tax as long as you are employed by a Dutch company. However, every country has its own rules. Double tax treaties prevent you from being taxed twice, provided you have the correct paperwork in order.
Payroll tax and social security contributions
- Dutch payroll tax continues to be handled through your employer.
- Do you work in another country for more than 183 days a year? If so, that country may also levy taxes.
- Your employer must administer this correctly
A1 certificate and the 183-day rule
- The A1 certificate proves where you pay social security contributions
- Request it from the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) before you depart (it takes about 2 weeks on average)
- The 183-day rule states that you become a taxpayer in the country where you work for more than 183 days
Data security and GDPR
- GDPR continues to apply regardless of where you work
- Some countries have stricter rules regarding where data can be stored
- Always use a VPN when handling customer data
- Do not work on public Wi-Fi without extra security measures
EU Working Time Directive
Since 2019, employers have been required to register working hours objectively and reliably. This applies in all EU countries. For Dutch consultancy firms, this means that simple retrospective timesheets are no longer sufficient. Digital time registration time tracking is mandatory, especially if you work internationally.
Why time tracking is so important when working abroad
Time tracking might sound like an administrative chore, but in reality, it is much more than that. It is an essential tool for organizing your work effectively, keeping projects profitable, and ensuring compliance.
With reliable time tracking, you can be sure that you:
- Comply with local employment laws — you can demonstrate that you are following the regulations of each country.
- Invoice accurately — customers receive detailed proof of hours worked.
- Keep projects profitable — you can see actual costs versus the budget.
- File correct tax returns — business expenses are well-substantiated.
Without proper tracking, you run risks:
- You cannot prove that you are complying with local regulations.
- You have no overview of which projects are profitable and which are not.
In short: time tracking is not just an administrative task, but a key to insight, oversight, and financial control within your team.
Excel bottlenecks and fragmented tools
Excel works great... as long as your team is all in one place. But once your team starts working internationally, the picture changes rapidly. That is when the problems begin:
- Versions get out of sync, and no one knows which file is the latest.
- Consultants forget to update their hours because it is too cumbersome.
- Operations managers lose 5 to 8 hours a week chasing hours — almost an entire working day.
Separate, non-integrated tools often do not help much. In fact, they can cause new problems:
- Synchronization: different laptops, different data.
- Accessibility: managers have no real-time overview of who is working on what.
- Integration: you have to enter data twice, which is error-prone.
- Compliance: manual processes are not compliant with EU directives and increase the risk of fines.
In short: if you're going to work internationally, it's time to say goodbye to Excel and separate tools and opt for an integrated solution. This way, you keep an overview, save time and prevent your compliance from being compromised.
Keep projects profitable, even from abroad
Working from abroad can be great, but keeping an overview of hours, projects and billing is a challenge.
TimeChimp makes it easy:
- All-in-one solution for remote teams
- Automatic timezone conversion and multi-currency support
- Integrates with 25+ tools, such as Exact and Moneybird
👉Try TimeChimp free for 14 days — no setup fees, no obligations.
FAQs
Inform your HR department immediately and check if additional A1 statements or tax returns are required. The 183-day rule counts cumulatively over the entire year. Even short extensions can have an impact on your tax position.
If you work in another country for less than 183 days a year, you will usually continue to pay Dutch payroll tax. If you work longer, the country of residence can also levy taxes. Always request an A1 statement from the Social Insurance Bank and check the tax rules of the country concerned.
Digital time registration is mandatory under the EU directive and helps you:
- Comply with local employment laws
- Correct billing to customers
- Keep project margins and costs transparent
- Properly substantiate the tax return
Without reliable time registration, you lose overview and run the risk of errors and missed billable hours.
