Which European city for a 1-month workcation?
 

Hi guys,

I'm thinking of taking advantage of the fact I'm working remotely to spend a month in Europe. It's something I've always wanted to do.
What would be a good city/place to base myself for one month? I'm looking for somewhere that's lively, with nice cafes to work from, and good day trip opportunities during the weekend.

I've already been to Paris (3 times), Prague, Dresden, Istanbul, and toured most of Italy and Spain.

Are you American? Working in Schengen and/or the UK isn't allowed. With technology it is harder and harder to regulate/oversee working, but it actually is against the rules.

Why is against the rule? I'll be working temporarily for my company back home but from Europe. I'm not taking up an EU job. Europe is actually encouraging workcations to boost tourism.
If it were against the rule, AirFrance wouldn't have sent me a statycation offer encouraging me to "make Paris my temporary home for the summer and live and work like a local without exhausting my vacation days".

This is the emailer they sent me.

With respect to Janisj's comments, if you decide to go ahead with this, what are you looking for in a "home base"? What kind of touring do you expect to do while you're there? Mountains or water? Any countries you've been thinking about? More detailed information on what you have in mind would be helpful.

A few places for your consideration
Aix en Provence, France
Ghent, Belgium
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Vienna, Austria
Alicante, Spain
Valencia, Spain

It depends on what time of year you want to go, but if outside of summer, I would recommend Split, Croatia. It is lively, has a perky expat community, and lots of easy day trips. Plus they do not give a fig if people are working on their computer there. Seems like more countries are jumping on this bandwagon with that email you got!

It's against the rules because you're working. The standard ninety day Schengen visa is a tourist visa with no right to work. The fact you aren't taking a job from an European is a pretty slippery slope. Europe is already full of companies moving people around for a month or two to get around work rules.

I wouldn't count on AirFrance caring if you're breaking the law.

I'd think about what you need for work. A basic internet connection? Or do you need something faster? Do you need any support services? It's easier to find everything from print shops to electronics stores in large cities.

But when does make a big difference. There are events. At least if we ever return to normal. Seasonal openings.

I'd go to Dublin. Nice small city, lots of IT people around, lots of pubs and a good culture of inclusion.

I would not trust AirFrance to back in you in court

I'd go to Amsterdam.
Gent or Antwerp would be nice too, but Amsterdam is more welcoming to foreigners, and it is easier to make friends.

Before deciding, you need to check the rules for each individual country. In the UK, before I was granted settlement status, the Border Force immigration officials would always ask "What is the purpose of your trip?" when I entered the country. You would be unwise to lie to an immigration official.

It seems some countries are more liberal than others regarding working online with a tourist visa. I found this reference for Digital Nomad Visas in EU Countries. While it is mainly concerned with people who wish to stay longer than the standard tourist visa allows, it may give you some perspective on how different countries treat digital nomads.
https://www.etiasvisa.com/etias-news...s-eu-countries

The world is changing.....

Interesting read Heimdall. While initially foused on freelancers it seems as though COVID has expanded the thought to regularly employed folks who can work remote.

For those that are more up on the rules, can you tell us what the difference is between reading a single work email or taking a single work call while traveling vs a full work day - in terms of technicality that is....

If any work, period, is forbidden, then it would seem that even reading that one work email on your phone would be an offense, and a full work week would make you a habitual offender....

All the more reason for me to get my EU citizenship & passport... work in progress. Either that, or head to the Caribbean for the winter...

"Hi guys,

I'm thinking of taking advantage of the fact I'm working remotely to spend a month in Europe. It's something I've always wanted to do. What would be a good city/place to base myself for one month? I'm looking for somewhere that's lively, with nice cafes to work from, and good day trip opportunities during the weekend."

Work restrictions aside, almost any city/town in Europe (depending on your definition of lively) - you need to be far more specific for anyone to make sensible recommendations.

Look at Bologna, a university city with long history and a huge food scene.It is on a major train line, has an airport.

Maybe check with your employer about any concerns or preferences in location. This is as much about tax risk to the company as it is about working while on a tourist visa.

See this Bloomberg article: "An employee performing certain key functions—an executive or even a mid-level worker—in a jurisdiction can create a permanent establishment, or taxable presence, there for their employer. That means the company could face corporate income tax, as well as a number of obligations related to employment tax."

Would one month trigger a problem, given the current circumstances? Who knows, but type of work performed could affect that. I am far from an expert, but I did work on some articles on this topic in the past with a major tax firm (pre-pandemic), and I gained a real appreciation for how complex it is and how much effort companies expend to track and report where their people are working. Tax jurisdictions are looking for new revenue, and this has been one area of focus. It can also be an issue between states in the United States, by the way.

Where ever you go, make sure your flat has excellent wifi and is quiet.

AF may have sent out the staycation email to lots of people but that does not mean they are giving you permission to work from France or any other European country without any kind of entry formality. Are there no T&Cs at the bottom of that email or a link to them?
You are responsible for ensuring you have the correct entry requirements for the country you want to visit and the purpose of the visit. Working remotely for any length of time usually requires a visa - of course, not for general business trips where you attend meetings and answer emails etc, obviously no visa necessary for that. And some companies do not allow it due to tax and other HR issues, there are many complex issues.

Unless something has changed, business trips have never been an issue as long as it is to attend meetings, meet customers, go on a training course etc. And reading/replying to emails is all part of that. Same if I go to the US on a business trip, it is allowed under ESTA as long as I keep to attending meetings, conference etc

And the Caribbean has several digital nomad long stay visa schemes especially for those who want to work remotely for any length of time eg Barbados, Antigua.

I personally wouldn't worry about the so-called illegality. I know a corporate lawyer who has done the work from France thing for years and years. That means conference calls, emails and whatever she does on her laptop to prepare.

I would agree that Dublin would be my first choice, having not been to Ireland.

I would have suggested Portugal but the COVID situation is getting worse.

A lot comes down to the status of restrictions. It would suck to get somewhere and have a lockdown happen in the middle. I think the legal question is much ado about nothing (at least for a one month stay) and wouldn't let that deter me.

As for locations... I agree about Ireland, but might do a couple of stops - maybe Dublin and Cork. Denmark would also be a good option.