Comments by "Matthew Nirenberg" (@matthewnirenberg) on "The World’s Best Tax-Friendly Passports" video.
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@arthursondheim2255 I can't go into details as I only know what I saw and what I've personally experienced. Note that these things didn't all happen in the same year, it was over about a 10 year period, so not often but still relevant and when it happened in Central Europe it was 2018.
I've seen it happen in France (at a hotel business centre), a few countries in Central Europe (at a lunch spot the locals frequent - a friend recommended it to me whilst I was there) and the Baltic States (at a hotel lounge and at a hotel business centre), the UK (at a hotel business centre), Singapore (at a hotel lounge).
Basically it can happen anywhere. When a country is either trying to stop illegal work (I'm guessing its usually based on tips and other intel) or when they assume that illegal work is happening but the only way to prove it is to check ID's and see what people are doing.
Its nothing to worry about as if you either have the correct visa, other official entitlement to work (some Commonwealth Countries have some agreements that permit some limited work without a visa for their citizens when in certain other Commonwealth countries), or happen to be a citizen of that country or (if within the Schengen Zone) a citizen of a Schengen country you won't be breaking the rules.
Just remember, if you enter a country as a tourist DON'T do ANY work and you'll be fine.
Every time I've seen these checks being done and some arrests being made I've never had an issue as I have a passport from an EU country within the Schengen Zone, a passport from a Commonwealth nation, a passport from a small country that's little heard of, and, I only work in countries that I have the legal right to do so.
When I was traveling in Central Europe I was working over lunch at a local lunch spot, the police came in and politely asked for ID's from anyone they saw working (laptop, tablet, forms, etc. visible), I simply showed my passport from a country within the Schengen Zone and I was fine as my passport being from a country within the Schengen Zone (the same country that I have a passport from) permits me to work and live in the Schengen Zone. It was one of the only times I've ever been told "sorry for the inconvenience" by the police, usually I just get my ID/Passport handed back to me and they walk away from me in other countries.
When I was traveling in the Baltic States I was doing some work over lunch at the hotel lounge, some guy was on his laptop using the hotel wi-fi. When the police checked ID's everyone could hear the police telling a guy that he was a tourist and not permitted to work and that he was working illegally and that just because work is being done online doesn't mean its not work. They arrested him and that was all I know of that.
When I was in Singapore I was having tea at the hotel lounge with those I was traveling with when the police did their ID checks - had no issue as it was obvious we weren't working unlike the guys 4 tables over who were clearly working and who didn't have visas (it was easy to over hear the arrest as the place was quiet and the policeman spoke rather loudly the moment he placed them under arrest).
People forget that hotels and business centres are still bound by the same rules as anywhere else in whatever country they're in. Most places expect people to understand that a business centre is for work and should a person only want to check emails, they should be very clear about that when inquiring about access and use of a business centre. Also people need to remember that hotels will monitor their business centres and wi-fi to ensure that only those permitted to work perform work - serious penalties can apply to hotels that let people work illegally.
All nomad capitalists need to always play by the rules. When people don't and countries catch them, they'll get in serious trouble and the rules will tighten for everyone else. Its literally the old "one person ruins it for everyone else"!
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@arthursondheim2255 Regarding your thought experiment:
Generally speaking, most entrepreneurs and executives that are traveling usually get the required work permits so they can travel, their country can sometimes have an agreement that permits a certain number of days of work without a visa, or as is more commonly the case, they have the rights to work where they travel without a visa (passport, etc.). Some CBI agents (usually lawyers) now offer the facility for companies to purchase citizenship by investment for directors and executives.
Most companies these days who require staff to travel for work, will give hiring priority to those with an EU passport (especially from within Schengen) and those with one or two other passports. Basically the more a person can legally travel and work without the company having to get work visas, the better your chances of getting hired are (providing you're qualified for the job).
As for the individual, most have the rights to work where they travel (as most people these days have an EU passport) - sure some might risk working without authority but they also risk travel bans, jail and they risk ruining it for the rest of us who do nothing wrong.
Gone are the days of governments turning a blind eye to tourists doing some work - the more they seek taxes and the more they want to be seen to be tough of border security and crime, the more they monitor and look for those breaking the rules.
To be honest, the things you mentioned can either be automated, wait until you get back or can be done air-side at most airports (one of the few places people can work with minimal issue as airside is technically both in the country and not at the same time (just make sure you're allowed to transit without restriction).
When using hotel, airport or public wi-fi, one should always use a good non-logging VPN whilst adhering to all the rules of a tourist.
Some parts of Europe even go as far as requiring those without work rights to present ID against which they wi-fi access is logged when using hotel and cafe wi-fi.
I know that when I travel, I only travel where I can work. The few times I travel anywhere I can't work, I make sure I'm 100% a tourist and catch up on work once back somewhere I can work. Disconnecting from work is great - too many people never take a holiday away from work!
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