Remote Work for Families: How to Start & Make It Work (2026)

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💻 How Remote Work Works for Our Family

One Laptop, Four of Us and a Lot of Flexibility

Remote work is the reason our family can live abroad. Without it, none of this would be possible.

I’m Vanessa. My husband Marty is Dutch, I’m Australian, and we travel with our sons Louie (9) and Leo (2). Right now we’re living in Vietnam. 🌏

Marty works remotely for a Dutch company. It’s a modern employer that trusts its people, and honestly, I think that trust is why it works. Happy employees get more done, and his company cares about results, not about which desk he’s sitting at.

My work is Worldly Tribe. It takes up most of my time at the moment, alongside looking after Louie and Leo.

We live on Marty’s salary, and we share the full numbers in our guide to becoming a digital nomad family. This page is about the work side: how to find or keep a remote job, the legal basics, and what a working day looks like when your office keeps moving.

The short answer: remote work with kids is very doable, but sort out the job first. Check that your employer allows you to work abroad, understand the tax side, and choose a base whose time zone fits your working hours. Flights and visas come after that.

💼 Employed or Freelance? The First Decision That Matters

Choosing the Right Income Model for Your Family

Before job boards, tools or destinations, this is the decision that shapes everything. Most remote-working parents either stay employed or work for themselves. Each path affects your stability, your flexibility and your legal set-up abroad.

Staying Employed Remotely

Plenty of families don’t quit their jobs. Instead, they agree a remote arrangement with their current employer, then travel. That’s our route. This model offers:

• Stable, predictable income: useful for visa applications, accommodation deposits and family budgeting.
• Employer benefits: such as paid leave, pension contributions and sometimes health cover.
• Less admin: your employer usually handles payroll and tax withholding.

The catch? Some employers restrict where you can work from, especially across borders. Your contract may also tie you to one country for tax or legal reasons. We cover this in the tax section below.

Freelancing and Self-Employment

Freelancers work for several clients under their own name or business. This model offers:

• Flexibility: you choose your hours, your clients and your workload.
• Higher earning potential in some fields: experienced specialists can set their own rates.
• Control over your schedule and where you work from.

The trade-offs are real, though. Income goes up and down, there are no employer benefits, and the taxes, invoicing, insurance and admin all fall on you. With children, steady income matters. Rent, school fees and visa income requirements don’t pause in a slow month.

When Only One Parent’s Job Can Go Remote

This is one of the most common blockers we hear about. One partner can work from anywhere, and the other can’t.

In our family, Marty earns the income and I focus on the boys and on Worldly Tribe. Living on one salary works for us partly because we chose a lower-cost country. Other families run a hybrid, with one parent employed and the other freelancing part time.

Neither set-up is right for everyone. Work out which income your family can rely on before you build your plans around it.

⚖️ The Legal and Tax Side of Working Abroad

The Most Important Section on This Page

Working across borders creates legal and tax questions that catch many families off guard. Getting it wrong can mean back taxes, penalties, or an employer who stops letting you work remotely.

First, a quick note: visas, work permission and tax are three separate things. A visa that lets you enter a country doesn’t automatically let you work there, and neither tells you where you pay tax. Our family visa guide covers the entry side.

We’re not tax advisers. This section explains the basics, so you know what to ask a professional.

The 183-Day Rule Isn’t the Whole Story

Many countries use 183 days as one test for tax residency. It’s not the only test, though, and it doesn’t work the same way everywhere.

Leaving a country before 183 days doesn’t automatically mean you stop being tax resident at home. Australia, for example, also looks at where your home and your ties are. Other countries look at your overall circumstances.

Our situation: Marty works for a Dutch employer, so his salary still runs through Dutch payroll and tax is handled there. That keeps things simple for us. Freelancers and families with employers in other countries may have a very different picture.

Before you go, check the rules for your home country and for any country where you plan to stay a long time. An adviser who specialises in expat tax is worth the fee.

Double Taxation Agreements

Many countries have double taxation agreements (DTAs) with each other. These treaties are designed to stop the same income being taxed twice. Australia, the UK, the Netherlands and the US all have large DTA networks. An adviser can tell you if one applies to your situation.

Your Employer’s Restrictions

This is where many remote workers get caught out. Even if your employer allows remote work, your contract may name a country of work. Working from somewhere else can create:

• Permanent establishment risk: your presence abroad could create a taxable presence for your employer in that country, which most companies want to avoid.
• Employment law issues: some countries expect locally compliant contracts for people physically working there.
• Payroll tax obligations: your employer may need to withhold local taxes, even for a temporary stay.

Before you book flights, talk honestly with your employer about where you can work from and for how long. Many companies are flexible, but they need to know.

Employer of Record (EOR) Services

Planning to live in one country long term while staying employed? An Employer of Record may help. EORs such as Remote.com, Deel, Oyster and Multiplier become your legal employer in another country on behalf of your actual employer. They handle local payroll, tax and employment law, so your company doesn’t need to set up there.

It’s mostly relevant for families who’ve found a country they love and want to stay a year or more. Your employer has to agree and pay for it, so raise it early.

Freelancers: Know Your Tax Home

As a freelancer, you need a clear tax home: the country where you’re officially tax resident and file your returns. Some nomads keep their home country, such as Australia or the Netherlands. Others move their tax residency, which usually requires genuine ties to the new country.

Either way, set this up deliberately. Before you start working on the road full time, book an hour with an accountant who specialises in expat tax. It costs far less than fixing a mistake later.

🤝 Negotiating Remote Work With Your Current Employer

You May Not Need to Change Jobs at All

If you already have a career you enjoy, negotiating remote work with your current employer is often the most practical path. It can also be more achievable than you’d expect. That’s how it works for Marty, whose company cares about results rather than location.

How to Frame the Conversation

Present remote work as a professional arrangement, not a personal favour. Lead with value:

• Start with a proposal, not a question. For example: “I’d like to propose a fully remote arrangement from [date]. Here’s how I’d keep my output the same or better.” It shows you’ve thought it through.
• Answer their concerns before they ask. Cover time zone overlap, availability, data security and how you’ll stay connected with the team.
• Offer a trial period. Three months with agreed goals is an easier yes than “permanently remote”.
• Be specific about your set-up. Explain your internet back-up plan, your workspace and your core hours.

What to Agree Beyond Location

If your employer says yes, get these details in writing too:

• Which countries you can work from. Some employers are fine with Portugal but not Japan.
• For how long: three months, six months or ongoing?
• What happens to payroll and tax withholding, especially if you’ll spend long periods in one country.
• Any changes your contract needs.

Having it in writing protects you and your employer.

💰 What Can You Realistically Earn Working Remotely?

A Realistic Look at Remote Salaries

Remote work can pay well, but salaries vary hugely with experience, specialisation and where your employer is based. The figures below are rough, indicative annual ranges for US-based employers. They’re not guarantees, and pay is often lower with European, Australian or Asian employers. Check current listings in your own field before you plan around a number.

👨‍💻 Tech and Engineering

Senior technical roles tend to pay the most:

• Software architect or engineering manager: about US$150K to US$250K
• Cloud solutions architect: about US$120K to US$220K
• Cybersecurity specialist: about US$100K to US$175K
• AI or machine learning engineer: about US$130K to US$220K

These roles need significant experience, but they’re in demand worldwide and usually suit remote work.

📊 Data and Analytics

• Senior data scientist: about US$130K to US$210K
• Data engineer: about US$110K to US$185K
• Quantitative analyst: about US$100K to US$155K

Data work is largely judged on results, which fits a flexible schedule. The top of each range reflects senior roles at large tech companies, so budget around the middle unless you’re already there.

📣 Marketing, Sales and Strategy

• Enterprise sales executive: about US$100K to US$200K base, plus commission
• Performance marketing manager: about US$90K to US$155K
• Head of content: about US$95K to US$160K
• Head of growth: about US$120K to US$180K

Marketing pay varies a lot with company size. Freelance rates can be strong for specialists in SEO, paid ads or email marketing with a proven track record.

⚖️ A Note on Regulated Jobs

Healthcare, legal and finance roles can pay very well remotely, but location flexibility isn’t automatic. Medical licences are usually tied to one jurisdiction. A doctor licensed in Australia can’t normally treat patients elsewhere, and many telehealth employers require you to live in a specific country. Check your licensing rules carefully before you go.

🚀 How to Move Into Higher-Paying Remote Work

• Build skills remote employers want: AI tools, data analysis, cloud platforms and clear written communication are all in demand.
• Get certified: credentials from AWS, Google, PMI (for the PMP) or HubSpot can add credibility quickly.
• Show your work: for creative, tech and marketing roles, a portfolio often matters more than where you studied.
• Network on purpose: many well-paid remote roles are filled through contacts rather than job boards. LinkedIn, industry Slack groups and coworking communities are all worth your time.

🖥️ Setting Up a Reliable Workspace Anywhere

You need a workspace that works, even if it changes every few weeks. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs the right tools and a place to focus.

What to Look for in a Productive Set-Up

• Stable internet: a steady connection matters more than a headline speed. Allow for more if two adults work or a child does online classes at the same time.
• A quiet spot for calls: a separate room or corner that isn’t the kitchen table makes a real difference.
• A comfortable set-up: a decent chair and screen height prevent the neck and back problems that build up over months on the couch.
• Good light: natural light helps on video calls and with your energy.

Smart Solutions on the Road

• Coworking spaces: most nomad hubs have them, and many sell day passes for call-heavy days. A few offer family areas or childcare, so it’s worth asking.
• A local SIM with plenty of data: your back-up when the rental Wi-Fi lets you down.
• A travel router: brands such as GL.iNet and TP-Link make small routers that create your own network from a hotel or rental connection.
• Noise-cancelling headphones: close to essential when you work near children.
• A foldable laptop stand and compact keyboard: they turn any table into a workable desk.

Test the internet when you arrive with Speedtest, and find the nearest coworking space before your first big deadline. A back-up plan is never wasted.

For more detail, see our ranking of 50 family bases by internet reliability and our guide to staying connected on the road.

🕐 Managing Time Zones When Your Employer Is in Europe

What We’ve Learnt Working Dutch Hours From Abroad

Time zones decide more about where we live than almost anything else.

Vietnam is five hours ahead of the Netherlands in the European summer and six hours ahead in winter. Marty’s Dutch colleagues come online around lunchtime or early afternoon our time. His mornings are quiet focus time, and his afternoons fill up with calls.

We’ve also tried the harder version. When we spent time in Brisbane, Queensland was eight to nine hours ahead of the Netherlands, and Marty’s meetings landed in our evenings and late nights. It worked, but it wasn’t his favourite way to work.

That experience is a big part of why we chose Southeast Asia. We compare the two most popular options in Thailand vs Vietnam with Kids.

Rough Time Differences for European Working Hours

• Most of Europe, Africa and the Middle East: 0 to 3 hours. The easiest option.
• Southeast Asia: 5 to 7 hours ahead. Mornings free, afternoons and early evenings for calls.
• Australia’s east coast: 8 to 10 hours ahead. Calls land in your evening.
• The Caribbean and the Americas: 5 to 9 hours behind. You lose European mornings, and early starts become normal.

Daylight saving shifts these gaps by an hour at different times of year, so check the exact offset for your dates.

Practical Tips for Time Zones

• Use a time zone tool: World Time Buddy or a second time zone in Google Calendar shows your overlap at a glance.
• Agree core hours with your employer or clients: the window when you’re reliably available for calls.
• Lean on asynchronous work: many remote teams use written updates and recorded video messages to cut down on live meetings. That creates flexibility.
• Plan around your children’s day: if mornings are for schoolwork, your focus time may need to move to early starts or after bedtime.
• Be clear about your hours: a simple line in your email signature, such as “I’m based in Vietnam and reply within 24 hours”, sets expectations.

Choosing where to go next? Our guide to winter bases for nomad families sorts 13 destinations by time zone.

⚖️ Balancing Work and Family Life

Finding Your Flow, and Being Honest When You Haven’t

Remote work doesn’t automatically mean more family time. Without some intention, it can mean less, because the laptop is always nearby and work and life blur together.

A bit of structure helps. Not a rigid timetable, just a rhythm everyone in the family understands.

What Marty’s Working Day Really Looks Like

Marty usually starts around 9:00 and finishes around 18:30 Vietnam time. Every day is different, though. Some days he finishes early for a family outing, and others run later because of a call.

His office changes all the time. He’s worked from our apartment, cafés, coworking spaces and once or twice the corner of a hotel lobby. Honestly, he works all over the place. 😄

Flexibility is what makes it work for us. Marty does Louie’s Dutch schoolwork during his lunch break, and he can step away when one of the boys needs him. We share how that schooling fits together in Homeschooling on the Move.

It isn’t always smooth. A two-year-old doesn’t care about your meeting schedule. But compared with our old life of commutes and school-holiday prices, we see a lot more of each other.

What Helps Most Families

• Protect your focus hours. Early mornings before the kids wake, or the hours after a learning session, work well for many parents.
• Tag-team parenting: if both parents work, staggering your hours so one of you is always available is far more sustainable than hoping the kids will entertain themselves. Parenting solo? Our guide to solo parenting abroad covers childcare options.
• Plan screen time: audiobooks, documentaries, educational apps and creative projects work better as part of the day than as emergency measures.
• Keep some time offline: meals together, afternoon outings and a weekly family activity without anyone’s phone.
• Be honest about your availability with clients or your employer. Realistic expectations are a strength, not a weakness.

Some days won’t go to plan. That’s part of it. In our experience, it helps to stop trying to copy the office workday and build something that fits the life you’re actually living.

🌍 Choosing a Base That Works for Working Parents

Some Places Make Remote Work Easier

Not every destination suits a working family. The right base supports your routine and gives the kids space to play. It also keeps daily logistics simple, so your energy goes into work and family rather than problem-solving.

What to Look for

• A time zone that fits your job: often the deciding factor for us.
• Reliable internet: check recent reviews and our internet rankings before you commit.
• A coworking scene: a good sign of decent infrastructure and other remote workers nearby.
• Family-sized accommodation: room to work and live without sacrificing one for the other. Our accommodation guide has tips.
• Safe, walkable neighbourhoods with playgrounds, markets and clinics nearby.
• A cost of living you can sustain: compare options in our cost comparison of 50 nomad family destinations.

Cities That Can Work Well for Remote-Working Families

• Da Nang, Vietnam: we spent a month here in 2026. It’s five to six hours ahead of the Netherlands, the beach is close to the city, and the costs worked for us on one income.
• Chiang Mai, Thailand: affordable, with plenty of coworking spaces and cafés and an established homeschooling community. The burning season, roughly February to April, brings poor air quality, so many families leave then.
• Lisbon, Portugal: an EU base with good transport, walkable neighbourhoods, an English-speaking expat community and international schools. Rents are high compared with local incomes, so check current listings.
• Medellín, Colombia: mild weather all year, an established coworking scene and good Spanish immersion for kids. Choose your neighbourhood carefully and check current travel advice.
• Tbilisi, Georgia: affordable, close to European time and visa-free for up to a year for many passports. Since 1 March 2026, though, foreigners need a work permit to work in Georgia, including remote work. Check current details before you plan.

Want more options? Browse all our family destination guides.

📚 Schooling and Education on the Road

Families handle education in lots of different ways while travelling. The right approach depends on your children’s ages and needs, and on how long you plan to travel.

Some families worldschool and treat the world as their classroom. Others homeschool with a structured programme. Some enrol in local or international schools for longer stays, or use online programmes for formal qualifications.

For us, it’s a mix. Louie follows Dutch schoolwork with Marty, and the rest of his learning happens wherever we are. Leo, at two, mostly learns by following his big brother around.

The main thing is having a deliberate plan rather than hoping it sorts itself out. Our guide to education and childcare for nomad families explains each option in more detail.

🛠️ Remote Work Tools: What We Use and What’s Worth Knowing

You don’t need a huge tech stack to work remotely. A few reliable tools cover most of it.

The Tools We Actually Use

• Wise: we use it for international transfers and for holding money in different currencies. It’s usually much cheaper than a traditional bank. We explain our set-up in how we manage money across borders.
• Google Drive: where our family documents, photos and work files live, so we can reach them from anywhere.
• Asana: Marty uses it to track tasks and projects with his team.

Other Popular Tools

We haven’t used all of these ourselves, but they’re widely used by remote teams and freelancers:

• Communication: Slack or Microsoft Teams for team messaging, Zoom for video calls, and Loom for recorded video messages across time zones.
• Scheduling: Calendly shows your availability in the other person’s time zone.
• Planning: Notion and Trello for notes, projects and to-do lists.
• Finance and admin: QuickBooks or FreshBooks for freelance invoicing, and YNAB for budgeting with an irregular income.

Hardware Worth Packing

• Noise-cancelling headphones: for calls with children nearby.
• A portable laptop stand: folds flat and saves your neck.
• A travel router: for a more reliable, private connection in rentals and hotels.
• Cloud back-up or an external drive: losing weeks of work to a stolen or broken laptop is a nightmare.

💶 Budgeting for a Working Life on the Move

Keeping Finances on Track

Remote work brings freedom, but the bills still arrive. The income model you choose shapes how you budget.

If You’re Employed

Your income is predictable, so the challenge is managing costs that change from place to place, such as accommodation, flights, visas and childcare. Track three groups:

• Fixed: accommodation, subscriptions and insurance.
• Variable: food, transport, activities and childcare.
• Buffer: medical bills, last-minute flights, visa fees and tech repairs. Many families aim to keep two to three months of expenses aside.

If You Freelance

Uneven income is the biggest risk. Budget from your lowest likely monthly income, not your average, and top up your buffer in good months. With children depending on you, an emergency fund isn’t optional.

Habits That Help Either Way

• Separate business and personal accounts: it makes tax time much simpler.
• Check your spending weekly: a budgeting app or a shared spreadsheet both work. Small drifts are easier to fix early.
• Budget for experiences: day trips, classes and cultural activities are part of the point. Plan for them rather than cutting them as luxuries.

For real figures, see our guide to what it really costs to live abroad with kids.

🏥 Health and Insurance for Working Families Abroad

Not Something to Skip

When you work remotely and travel with children, health insurance matters as much as your laptop. Healthcare systems and costs vary hugely between countries, and a medical emergency without cover can be financially devastating.

What to Look for in Family Health Insurance

• Cover for children: not every international policy includes dependants automatically, so check.
• Emergency evacuation: important if you spend time somewhere remote.
• Outpatient and routine care: not just hospital stays.
• Mental health support: some policies now include online counselling.
• Dental cover: dental costs vary a lot between countries.
• Long stays while working: some travel policies exclude long trips or people working abroad, so read the conditions.

Providers families often compare include Cigna Global, Allianz Care, AXA, Foyer Global Health and SafetyWing, which is more budget-focused. Cover and prices change often, so compare current policies carefully. Our health insurance guide for nomad families walks through the options.

Keep Digital Records

Store these in a secure cloud folder: vaccination records, prescriptions, allergy information, your children’s medical history, insurance policy numbers and emergency contacts. If something happens in an unfamiliar country, you’ll be glad you can find them quickly.

Don’t Overlook Mental Health

Working, parenting somewhere unfamiliar and managing constant change is demanding. Online therapy services, such as BetterHelp, can make regular support possible wherever you are. Real rest, not just sightseeing, matters as much as any productivity system.

Our guide to staying healthy on the road has more on this.

🤝 How to Meet Other Nomad Families

Community Makes a Huge Difference

Life on the road is better with people around you. Shared meals, familiar faces and honest conversations about what’s hard all matter, especially when you’re parenting far from family.

Friendships with other travelling families help prevent burnout. They also give your kids regular playmates and make a string of temporary homes feel more like a life.

Where to Find Your People

• Facebook groups: search for worldschooling, nomad family and destination-specific expat groups. Quality varies, so join a few and see which feel right.
• Worldly Tribe Facebook Group: our own community of travelling families. Come and say hello.
• Coworking spaces: show up regularly and chat to people. Remote workers are often happy to connect.
• Worldschooling hubs: places like Bali, Cascais, Chiang Mai and Medellín have groups of travelling families who organise meetups, co-ops and playdates. Our directory lists more than 420 hubs and communities.
• Family gatherings and retreats: groups such as Project World School run worldschooling retreats. Check current dates and prices directly.

Our guide to building community on the road has more ideas.

🔋 Dealing With Burnout and Overwhelm

It Happens, Even Somewhere Beautiful

Constant movement, decision fatigue, work pressure, parenting somewhere unfamiliar and the invisible admin of nomad life: it all adds up. Burnout rarely announces itself. It tends to show up as irritability, flatness and a sense that none of this is as good as it’s supposed to be.

Don’t wait until you’re running on empty.

What Actually Helps

• Take proper days off: not just from work, but from planning, optimising and documenting. Let some days be unstructured.
• Slow down: staying longer and moving less makes a big difference. A month in one place often isn’t enough to feel settled, while two or three months gives you time to build a routine.
• Talk about it: with your partner, your children or a professional. It can feel lonely to admit you’re struggling when life looks great from the outside. Say it out loud anyway.
• Revisit your why: not to defend the lifestyle, but honestly. Does your current rhythm still match what brought you here? If not, what needs to change?
• Build predictable anchors: rituals that stay the same wherever you are, like family dinners, weekly calls with grandparents or a morning walk. Predictability is what makes adventure feel safe.

🌱 Explaining Your Lifestyle to Others

Living Differently, and Owning It

Not everyone will understand why you work and travel as a family, and that’s okay. You don’t need to convince everyone.

When the questions come, keep it simple:

“We work online and travel so we can spend more time together as a family and see the world while our children are young. It’s working really well for us.”

That’s usually enough. You don’t need to defend your schooling choices, your visas or your long-term plan. Lead with joy, not justification.

Share stories rather than arguments. A word your child picked up at a market, a history lesson that came alive at an ancient site, a friendship that started in a playground. Stories like these say more than any statistic.

Curiosity often hides inside criticism. Answer with warmth and confidence, and you might just show someone what’s possible.

❓ Remote Work FAQs for Families

Can I work remotely from another country for my current employer?

Only if your employer agrees. Many contracts name a country of work, and working elsewhere can create tax or legal issues for the company. Get written approval that covers which countries you can work from and for how long.

Do I pay tax in the country I’m living in?

It depends on your home country’s rules, the country you’re in, and how long you stay. The 183-day figure is one common test, not the only one. Get advice from a cross-border tax specialist before you go.

Do I need a digital nomad visa to work remotely?

Not always, but entering as a visitor doesn’t automatically mean you’re allowed to work. Rules differ by country and by passport. Our visa guide for families explains how to check, and our guide to staying longer without a nomad visa covers the alternatives.

Can a family live on one remote income?

Some can. We do, mainly because Marty’s job was already remote and we chose a lower-cost country. Our digital nomad family guide shares what that looks like in real numbers.

What time zones work best with a European employer?

Europe, Africa and the Middle East are easiest, with a gap of 0 to 3 hours. Southeast Asia works well too: you get quiet mornings, and calls land in your afternoon. Australia and the Americas are possible, but calls often fall late at night or very early.

How fast does the internet need to be for remote work?

For video calls, a stable connection matters more than a headline speed. If two adults work or a child does online classes at the same time, you’ll need more capacity. Always have a back-up, such as a local SIM with plenty of data.

How do you work remotely with a toddler around?

Flexibility and teamwork. I look after the boys during Marty’s working hours, and he steps in at lunchtime. Noise-cancelling headphones help too!

✨ Our Takeaways

When people ask how we make this work, I always say the same thing: start with the job. Flights, visas and destinations come later.

For us, it came down to an employer who trusts Marty to do his work wherever he is. Not everyone has that, and we know we’re lucky. But more companies work this way than you might think, and the conversation is often worth having.

Remote work hasn’t given us a perfect life. Some days the Wi-Fi drops, Leo skips his nap and Marty’s calls run over. It has given us more time together, though, and that’s what we came for. 💻

If you’re still planning, these guides cover the next steps: visas for families, finding family accommodation, education and childcare, real living costs and staying healthy on the road.