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Working remotely for my home employer while I settle — how did you handle the grey area?

Emma Thompson ⭐ Helpful member
4 Jul 2026, 20:19

Slightly nervous posting this. I moved to Portugal still employed by my company back in Sweden, working remotely while I sort out my longer-term status. It feels a bit grey and I don't want to jeopardise my residency.

How did others handle the gap between arriving and having proper long-stay paperwork? Not looking to do anything dodgy — just want to understand the shape of it.

6 replies

Diego Fernandez ⭐ Helpful member
7 Jul 2026, 11:22

Went through basically the same grey period myself — kept things low-key and didn’t actively advertise the arrangement locally while I sorted out longer-term status.

Rajesh Patel ⭐ Helpful member
8 Jul 2026, 01:18

Following, in exactly this position right now.

Jimmy ⭐ Helpful member Admin Premium
9 Jul 2026, 20:22

Careful, sensible question. Honest general answer: working for a foreign employer while you regularise your stay is usually fine — but "usually" is carrying a lot of weight, because the rules are country-specific and they change. The Visa section of your destination guide is the place to check the actual long-stay / nomad-visa options rather than relying on forum anecdotes, mine included. If you're staying long term, a proper long-stay visa is worth it for the peace of mind alone.

Fatou Diallo ⭐ Helpful member
28 Jul 2026, 08:25

Building on that — actually checking the specific rules for my situation properly was worth the hour it took. More nuanced than I’d assumed going in, in a way that mattered.

Anna Kowalski ⭐ Helpful member
28 Jul 2026, 20:23

Does this change at all once you’ve got a lease and a local address, or is it purely about visa/permit status regardless of that?

Kwame Mensah 🏆 Community expert
28 Jul 2026, 20:24

No advice, but following closely, same grey area here.