While short trips may seem simple, they can still trigger important compliance obligations that employers need to be aware of. This is often the case regarding immigration, social security, administrative requirements and the application of local employment laws. A simple flight and hotel booking may not be enough – understanding these requirements is essential to avoid unexpected risks. To help employers navigate this landscape, we’ve created two resources set out below:

• A detailed table outlining the visa requirements and activities that are permitted during a business trip, together with details on the additional compliance requirements that can apply in each destination.
• A map grouping the 25 countries by the level of the additional requirements that employers need to be aware of.

Please note, in the below table the three additional requirements / considerations are based on the following questions:

• Social security confirmation – is it required or strongly recommended for the visiting employee (or their employer) to obtain a social security certificate or equivalent document confirming continued coverage in the home country?
• Prior notice / authorisation of trip – is it required or strongly recommended for the visiting employee (or their employer) to notify host-country authorities or request authorisation prior to the business trip? This isn’t intended to cover visa applications.
• Application of local employment rights – to what extent do the host country’s local employment rights apply to the visiting employee during the business trip? (i.e. they don’t apply or are unlikely to apply, only overriding mandatory provisions are likely to apply, or more than overriding mandatory provisions are likely to apply).

In our map below, each country has been given a rating from “No or very limited additional considerations / requirements” to “Strict additional requirements / considerations” based on the three additional requirements set out in the above table.

In coming to these ratings, we have assumed that the visit is genuinely a business trip as per the relevant visa requirements and ‘permitted activities’ in the table above.