Buenos Aires · ArgentinaWONE Global Partner · Argentina
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Cases · People & private matters · Employment, labour & workplace disputes
Hire in a country with no existing entity
Can we hire someone abroad without setting up a company there?
WONE Global compares an employer-of-record, a contractor arrangement and a local entity, and puts the right one in place.
Countries in the typical case United States · Portugal
The situation
What is happening
What is at stake
Hiring directly without an entity can breach employment law and create a taxable presence.
A scenario
Start-upFounder-led company · from United States · in Portugal
It wants to hire one engineer in Portugal.
Where it ends One hire, done properly.
A representative scenario of the work WONE Global coordinates, not a specific client’s matter.
Also asked as “Employer of record vs own entity”“Hiring a remote employee abroad”“We need to classify overseas contractors correctly”
The solution
How WONE Global handles it
WONE Global compares an employer-of-record, a contractor arrangement and a local entity, and puts the right one in place.
Usually led by Employment, Payroll & Mobility, with Tax & International Structuring and Legal & Contracting.
Step by step, in the scenario
- Day 1WONE Global compares employer-of-record and contractor routes.
- Week 1Contract prepared.
- Week 2Engineer starts.
- ThenReviewed as the team grows.
Timings are typical. They depend on the countries, the authorities involved and how quickly documents are available.
Decisions
The decisions involved
- 01Employer of record, contractor or set up an entity
- 02Misclassification and permanent-establishment risk
- 03Benefits and terms the hire will expect
Outcomes
What you receive
- A compliant hiring route
- Contract and onboarding documents
- Risk review of the arrangement
This is a general guide. Your WONE Global professional confirms the work, timing and fees for your markets before anything starts.
Services
The services involved
One area of expertise usually leads; the others move with it. WONE Global keeps them connected across every country involved.
Who handles it
Employment, Payroll & Mobility, market by market
The status of the lead service in the markets that matter for this case. A named WONE Global Partner acts under their own licence; where none is in place yet, WONE Global confirms availability before anything else.
- Portugalin the typical case On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- United Statesin the typical case On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- Argentina WONE Global Partner Dr. Diego A. Adam · Lawyer Brief this Partner →
- Australia WONE Global Partner Dimitrios Katsaros · Principal Solicitor Brief this Partner →
- Ethiopia WONE Global Partner Mekonnen Shiferaw · Managing Partner Brief this Partner →
- Germany WONE Global Partner Ulrike Berner, MBA · Managing Partner Brief this Partner →
- South Africa WONE Global Partner Johan Beer · Partner Brief this Partner →
- Spain WONE Global Partner Marc Navarro Gracia · Labour and Payroll Manager Brief this Partner →
- Switzerland WONE Global Partner Michael Sterchi · Founder Brief this Partner →
- India On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- Saudi Arabia On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- Singapore On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- United Arab Emirates On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
- United Kingdom On request Availability confirmed before any work begins Bring a requirement →
Other markets: WONE Global covers 100 countries. Name yours in the requirement →
Buenos Aires · Argentina
Brunswick · AustraliaWONE Global Partner · Australia
Dimitrios Katsaros
Addis Ababa · EthiopiaWONE Global Partner · Ethiopia
Mekonnen Shiferaw
Munich · Germany
Pretoria · South AfricaBarcelona · Spain
WONE Global Partner · Spain
Marc Navarro Gracia
Discover
Where this case connects
The markets, corridors and guides behind this case, and the questions to put to Ask WONE below. Every link opens a page that links back here.
Markets in the typical case
Corridors
Services and subject
Worked examples
How it goes in practice
Researched corridor journeys, and representative scenarios on the same subject. None is a specific client’s matter.
- India ↔ United States · researched journeyAn Indian software company sets up a US subsidiary to sell and later raise capitalRead the journey →
- United States ↔ Brazil · researched journeyA US company opens a subsidiary in BrazilRead the journey →
- Founder-led company · from Netherlands · in BrazilIt wants three salespeople in Brazil before it has a Brazilian company. Hiring them directly could create back-pay claims and a taxable presence.How WONE Global handles it →
Employment, labour & workplace disputes
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WONE Global Intelligence
Ask about doing business across borders
Ask in your own words. Answers come from WONE Global's checked records, with every source shown, and end with the named Partner who can act. Go deeper on any point, or build a decision file.