Liberty · Where to live · lesson 11.3 open
Where to live: the five questions
Choosing a destination based on visa, tax residency, timezone, internet, and cost—before the scenery—using a simple matrix to compare three places.
Promise: a matrix that compares three destinations based on what determines whether you can work from there, before thinking about the photo.
Why it matters
Those who choose based on scenery discover the problem later: the visa doesn't allow staying, the timezone eats into your sleep, the internet drops during a meeting. The five questions below eliminate most of the wrong destinations in one hour.
The five questions
| # | Question | Where to answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visa: how long can I stay, and does the visa allow remote work for an overseas client? | country's official immigration website (lesson 11.4) |
| 2 | Tax residency: after how many days do I owe tax there? And in Brazil, what changes? | country's official source + accountant (lesson 11.5) |
| 3 | Timezone: how many hours of overlap remain with the client? | timezone calculation |
| 4 | Internet: is there a second path if the primary drops? | local SIM card from another carrier, coworking |
| 5 | Cost: how much does one month cost, including housing? | budget with source and date (lesson 11.6) |
Real example: the rule changed
For visitor visa applications submitted from 27/01/2025 onwards, New Zealand began allowing remote work for an employer or client outside the country, without delivering services to anyone in New Zealand. It also indicates that income may remain tax-exempt there for up to 92 days in a 12-month period (up to 183 with a treaty). Before that, the answer to question 1 was different. That is why every answer carries a source and date.
The matrix
Score each question from 0 to 2 for three destinations. Any zero in visa or tax residency eliminates the destination, no matter how beautiful it is.
| Question | Destination 1 | Destination 2 | Destination 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | |||
| Tax residency | |||
| Timezone | |||
| Internet | |||
| Cost |
Choose three destinations and fill in the matrix with a source and date for each answer. Keep it alongside your plan (lesson 11.2).
Relying on social media group posts about visas; ignoring tax residency because "it's only for a few months"; counting the timezone only in hours without checking meeting times.
Checklist
- Did the answers for visa and tax residency come from an official source, with a date?
- Does any destination have a zero in visa or tax residency?
Sources: Immigration New Zealand, "Working remotely from New Zealand" (immigration.govt.nz), accessed on 09/10/2026. General content, not legal or tax advice.
Checked on 09/10/2026. Educational content; tax and legal: confirm with a professional.