Can you really work remotely on a tourist visa? Here is where it is allowed

Trek Guide The UK has allowed it since January 2024 if work is not the main purpose. The US does not. Thailand and Japan built visas for it, and Nepal's is not… By Bishnu Adhikari · Sep 27, 2026 Read the full story

Working remotely for your own employer while on a tourist visa is expressly allowed in only a few places; the United Kingdom has permitted it since 31 January 2024 as long as work is not the main purpose of the visit. Most countries' visitor rules say nothing… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Where the rules actually say something

Only a handful of countries address remote work for a foreign employer in their visitor rules, and they fall into three groups: expressly allowed, expressly not allowed, and silent. The pattern matters more than any one row. A visitor visa exists so you can… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The United Kingdom says yes, with a condition

Since 31 January 2024, UK visitors may carry out work for their overseas employer remotely from inside the UK, provided that is not the primary purpose of the visit. The rule sits in the Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, which allows… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The United States is the cautious case

US visitor visas list employment as something visitors may not do, and the rules contain no exception for remote work for a foreign employer, so a working holiday in the US carries real risk. The State Department's visitor visa page sets employment among the… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Thailand and Japan built a visa for it

Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa and Japan's digital nomad visa exist precisely so remote workers do not have to rely on a tourist stamp, and they set out their conditions openly. Thailand launched the DTV in July 2024, announced through the Tourism… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Where Nepal stands

Nepal has no working digital nomad visa yet, so anyone working remotely from Kathmandu or Pokhara is on an ordinary tourist visa, which stops at 150 days in a calendar year. Nepal's tourist visa costs US$30 for 15 days, US$50 for 30 and US$125 for 90, and can… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Your visa and your tax are two different questions

A visa decides whether you may be in a country; tax residency decides where you owe tax, and a long stay can make you tax resident even on a tourist visa. Many countries use a test around 183 days in a year, and some have their own rules that catch you… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Our verdict

For a holiday with some email, a tourist visa is normal almost everywhere; for months of full-time work, get the visa built for it. The UK is the rare country that says the first case out loud. Thailand and Japan offer a clean answer for the second… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Keep reading

Which countries offer one, and what they ask for. Internet, costs and neighbourhoods for a Nepal base. Why working abroad does not make you tax-free. Where the five-year visa actually stands. Sources: GOV.UK, Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Permitted… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

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