Jobs for Moving Abroad: Which Jobs You Can Take with You Instead of Searching Locally

I've been reading up again on the problems people are dealing with. This time among people who want out. Out of Germany, out of the grey, into a life by the sea or in the mountains. And almost all of them trip over the same question: What will I actually live on over there?

If you search for jobs for moving abroad, you quickly end up on job boards in the destination country. That's understandable, but often the riskiest route. I moved to Cyprus with my family in 2021, and one thing I understood very early on: The move can be planned. The income afterwards can only be planned if you bring it with you.

Three Reddit threads and a post from a job group show pretty precisely where the job search goes wrong for people moving abroad.

Case 1: German Salary, Spanish Sun

In r/arbeitsleben, someone with a data background, currently without a job and looking, wrote about their plan (see the original post). The dream: to live in Spain for a while at least, to find out whether life there really suits them better. Because salaries in Spain are much lower, the wish would be a remote job with a German salary. Coming into the office every two to three months would be no problem.

The replies were honest. One person who is currently posted abroad themselves wrote: Jobs based in Germany with work abroad barely exist. It quickly comes down to the 183-day rule, taxes, social security contributions and a lot of paperwork. Anything beyond six months basically only works with a local employment contract on local terms.

Another person actually works remotely from Spain and found the job through the company's website. Their most important tip: If you want to stay longer, you need a company with a branch in the country, otherwise it gets difficult, or you go freelance. And anyone who wants to stay in Spain permanently would need a lot of luck to get a German salary. A third comment got to the point: The easiest way is to work as a self-employed external on longer projects.

Case 2: A Few Months in Asia, but Doing What?

In r/Ratschlag, someone wanted to live in Asia for a few months and find a simple remote job to do it, explicitly outside the IT bubble (see the original post).

The replies paint a clear picture:

• Who offers this: most likely start-ups that use it as a perk, and international corporations with so-called work-abroad programmes. For smaller companies, the effort for HR, legal and payroll is too high.
• The time zone: Your meetings stay your meetings. That can mean working very early or very late.
• The visa: Entering on a tourist visa and then working remotely isn't allowed in most countries. For the employer, that's a real risk.
• Tax: In many countries, tax liability doesn't only start after 180 days, in extreme cases even earlier.

And then came a sentence that made me prick up my ears. One user wrote that on the commercial side, such models are conceivable in audit or in international sales, for example. A later comment added: Customer service, back office, assistance, recruiting or sales support often work remotely too. You should specifically look for companies that have been set up as remote from the start.

Case 3: Remote Without Experience and the Scam Trap

In r/AskGermany, someone asked about reputable sites for remote work that don't require experience (see the original post). The most upvoted answer was harsh: Anything you can do remotely without experience is badly paid, a scam or illegal. Others mentioned employment at a large company with a site in the destination country, an international call centre for example, or simply self-employment.

How real the risk of fraud is shows in a post from the Skool group Remote Jobs Only (see the post). A job listing for beginners redirected interested people and then demanded an application fee. In another post from the same group, applicants report that they keep applying for remote jobs and never get a reply (see the post).

Moving Abroad and Local Jobs: Why the Search So Often Fails

When I lay the cases side by side, I see three patterns:

1. The income gap. Time passes between arrival and the first salary. In that time, rent, insurance and living costs keep running. If you only start searching once you're there, you pay for the search out of your savings.
2. The local job market. In many countries, jobs are filled through personal contacts. Without a network and without the local language, you're invisible to many employers. And if you do find a job, local salaries usually apply.
3. Too many things at once. Housing, authorities, school, language and then a job search or starting a company on top. That overwhelms even well-prepared people.

The solution is the same in all three cases: Bring an income that doesn't depend on where you live.

The Three Routes to a Job When You Move Abroad

Route 1: A local job. Works if you have an in-demand profession, speak the language and your qualification is recognised. You get a local contract and local terms.

Route 2: Taking your job with you. You keep working for your employer. That works if they play along and the rules on tax and social security are properly sorted out. How long that's allowed and why many companies only allow a few weeks, I've explained in detail in the article Remote Work Abroad.

Route 3: Self-employed and location-independent. You work for clients or partners, no matter where you sit. That's exactly what several voices recommended in Case 1 and Case 2. You carry more responsibility, but you don't depend on a boss's permission.

Which Jobs You Can Take with You When You Move Abroad

From the threads and our own experience, an honest list emerges:

• Data, IT and development: in demand, but competition from all over the world.
• Marketing, copywriting and design: very doable remotely if you have a portfolio.
• Customer service, assistance and back office: often through companies with sites in several countries.
• Recruiting and sales support: underrated and often fully remote.
• Sales: conversations by phone and video, results clearly measurable, language as an advantage.

Important here: If you start without experience, you need a legitimate offer with onboarding. Otherwise you end up in exactly the traps from Case 3.

Why Sales Is an Underrated Job for People Moving Abroad

In sales, what counts is what you achieve in the conversation, not where you sit. If you speak German and look after companies in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, your native language is an advantage, not an obstacle. And from many destination countries, in the Mediterranean region for example, you're close to the DACH time zone.

To be fair: Commission-based sales also means your income depends on your results. That doesn't suit everyone. That's why it pays to look closely: What are you selling, where do the conversations come from and how are you paid? You'll find more in the article on remote sales jobs for career changers.

How to Spot Dubious Remote Offers

• You're asked to pay upfront. For the application, training, "starter pack" or placement. Legitimate clients don't ask for money to let you work.
• No product, no company. After the first conversation you don't know what you're actually selling or who you're working for.
• Promises instead of facts. High earnings without any explanation of how they come about.
• You're asked to recruit friends and family. Then it's usually not about a product, but about you as the customer.

Five Questions Before You Quit Your Job

1. Is my income already running before I move, or am I hoping to find something once I'm there?
2. Do I have a cushion for the first few months?
3. Do I know whether my model works legally and tax-wise in the destination country? (Get advice. This isn't legal advice.)
4. Does my working time fit the time zone of my clients or my team?
5. Would I do this job even if I stayed in Germany?

What You Get Out of It

Maybe you know this: In the evening you scroll through pictures of Lisbon, Limassol or Chiang Mai, and then comes the thought that stops every dream in its tracks. What will I do for work there? You don't want to be hoping for something on job boards in a foreign language with an empty bank account.

With an income you take with you, moving abroad becomes a move and not a leap into the unknown.

Here's what you gain:

• Calm in the early phase. If your income is already running, you can spend the first months sorting out housing, authorities and settling in instead of writing applications.
• Free choice of country. You decide by quality of life, climate and family, not by where jobs happen to be available.
• Independence from local salaries. If you work for clients in the DACH region, your earnings don't depend on the pay level where you now live.

How much you earn depends on you, on your effort and on your offer. Nobody can promise you that, and anyone who does is one of the warning signs from above.

What This Looks Like at Plaith

Plaith is based in Cyprus and helps the self-employed and small businesses win customers through Meta Ads. At Plaith, 6 specialists, combining people and AI, take care of videos, ad messaging and campaign management, from €26 a day plus a one-time setup, cancel monthly.

For this offer we're looking for self-employed sales partners who work remotely, whether from Germany, Portugal or Thailand. You talk to businesses, the team in the background delivers. To be upfront: as of today, our partners still win most of their customers themselves. If you want to know whether that fits you, find out how to become a partner. No sales pressure, and we'll tell you honestly if it's not a fit.

And if you're self-employed and moving abroad with your own offer, this very team can take over your customer acquisition online. If you want to know whether that fits your business, book a short call with René. Fifteen minutes, no sales pressure, and we'll tell you honestly if it isn't a fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Jobs Are Suitable for Moving Abroad?

The safest jobs are the ones you can take with you: work done on a laptop and by phone, for example in IT, marketing, customer service, assistance or sales. A local job fits if you have an in-demand profession and speak the local language.

Should I Have a Job Before Moving Abroad?

If possible, yes. An income that's already running before the move closes the gap between arrival and the first salary.

Can I Work Remotely on a Tourist Visa?

In most countries, no. Many countries offer their own digital nomad visas or residence permits for the self-employed. Check the rules of your destination country and get advice.

How Do I Find a Remote Job When Moving Abroad?

Look specifically for companies that have worked remotely from the start, and for jobs that explicitly mention working from abroad. Or become self-employed and work for clients in your home market.

How Do I Spot a Dubious Remote Job Offer?

If you're asked to pay money upfront, don't know who you'd be working for, or are promised high earnings without any explanation.