Working Visa or Tourism Visa?

[Gandalf]

Hello,

Despite the country and its regulations I wanted to ask if there is a general rule for Freelancers/Self Employers working abroad, when employed by a company located in a different country compared to where the work will take place.
(As an example, a company from France might send me to Chile to work for 10 days as the tour leader of a group).

If I'm getting paid, it means I'm "working" and most of the countries will require me to get a working visa. Problem is that all working visas I've seen so far are made for people that have the intention to go to Chile (just to keep Chile as the example) because they have an employer there and a job contract. The forms are not for freelancer/self-employed like myself.

I'am a tour leader and I teach people during seminars, courses and trips of packages that me or 3rd companies organise and sell. I see competitors that have 10/20 people working for them traveling around the world doing what I do and I can't figure out how they are doing. Maybe many are doing it illegally? But big companies aren't doing it illegally. They must have figure out a solution to this.

Such as maybe as a freelancer, you don't have a contract and you are paid after the job is done so technically you are not working and getting paid until you leave the country. (I don't know just an idea )

I was wondering if anyone have experience on this and can point me out to someone that can help me.
Cheers

 

[KJK]

Usually nothing changes if you are an employee - you have a contract with French company and you do something for 10 days in Chile. You were employed by French company, you pay French taxes, you may pay some local fees / taxes as well. Chile does not really enter the picture if you're there for just 10 days - of course it's good to check if what you are doing is legal in Chile.

You can check how airlines and travel agencies do it - they employ flight attendants, stewards, guides, delegates - which change location very often but the accounting and all this stuff is done in the country of the employer/company.

The situation is different for freelancers, tourist or visitor visas usually do not allow you to work or freelance.

 

[Gandalf]

Hey thanks for the help!

Usually nothing changes if you are an employee - you have a contract with French company and you do something for 10 days in Chile. You were employed by French company, you pay French taxes, you may pay some local fees / taxes as well. Chile does not really enter the picture if you're there for just 10 days.

Yes Tax wise I agree, Chile does not enter the picture.

You can check how airlines and travel agencies do it - they employ flight attendants, stewards, guides, delegates - which change location very often but the accounting and all this stuff is done in the country of the employer/company.

Do you have a source or any suggestion on how can I check this? Even if probably all flights attendant is a different story since they work on the air/international ground.
As myself instead I will be working/offering my service on national ground.
Seems very hard to get a working visa for what I'm doing since the employer is in another country and is paying me do to the Job (for a short period of time) in another country.

 

[jscargo]

So you are from country A and you work for a company in country A but you want to live and perform this work most of the time from country B? i think it will really depend on how many days you want to spend in country B.
If you want to actually live in country B, you can explore a few options:
Tell your boss to open a branch in country B and hire you in the branch, this would give you a visa. (but requirements vary wildly from country to country).
Open a company in country B and instead being an employee of your company, invoice B2B services to them. You'd hire yourself in your newly founded company and that would give you grounds to get a work permit/visa/residency. (this also varies wildly from country to country).

 

[Gandalf]

So you are from country A and you work for a company in country A but you want to live and perform this work most of the time from country B? i think it will really depend on how many days you want to spend in country B.
If you want to actually live in country B, you can explore a few options:
Tell your boss to open a branch in country B and hire you in the branch, this would give you a visa. (but requirements vary wildly from country to country).
Open a company in country B and instead being an employee of your company, invoice B2B services to them. You'd hire yourself in your newly founded company and that would give you grounds to get a work permit/visa/residency. (this also varies wildly from country to country).

No I will be in country B (and many other countries) for just a few weeks performing my services and go back to country "A" once the job is finished.