Hire in 170+ countries
Every country has different employment law, tax obligations, worker classification rules and compliance requirements. Our country guides break it all down so you can hire with confidence — or let us handle the complexity entirely through EOR or contractor of record.
170+
Countries covered
EOR, contractor of record or direct hire in every major market
4
Data regions
Americas, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific — data stays local
$39
Contractor of record from
Per worker per month, no annual commitment
$399
EOR from
Per employee per month through a Corpshore entity
Select a country
Each guide covers employment law, tax rates, social contributions, compliance requirements, worker classification rules, entity requirements, typical hiring timelines and cultural context. Select a country to view its full hiring guide.
63 countries shown. Corpshore Work supports hiring in 170+ countries overall.
Regional hiring landscape
What hiring looks like in each region
Employment law, costs, and complexity vary dramatically by region. These overviews highlight the key considerations before you drill into specific country guides.
Americas
US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and 20+ more
- !US: 50-state compliance — employment law varies by state (California, New York, and Texas differ dramatically on non-competes, overtime, and leave)
- !Brazil: CLT framework adds ~70% to gross salary in mandatory costs (13th salary, FGTS at 8%, INSS, vacation bonus, transportation allowance)
- !Mexico: Mandatory profit-sharing (PTU) requires distributing 10% of pre-tax profits to employees annually
- !Argentina: Highly protective labour law — severance can exceed one month per year of service, plus a 50% surcharge in many scenarios
- !Canada: Provincial variation — Quebec requires French-language employment agreements; Ontario has different ESA standards from British Columbia
Typical employer costs
Employer-side costs range from ~8% above gross in the US (FICA, FUTA, state UI) to ~70% above gross in Brazil (CLT mandatory obligations). Mexico adds ~35%, Argentina ~30-40%, and Canada ~10-15%.
Entity considerations
US entity formation is straightforward but state-specific (Delaware vs. California registration). Latin America typically requires longer entity setup times (4-12 weeks) with local legal representation.
Europe
UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Romania, and 30+ more
- !Germany: Works council (Betriebsrat) participation rights apply to companies with 5+ employees — co-determination is not optional
- !France: Employer social contributions average 45% of gross salary; the RTT system, 35-hour workweek, and complex CBA (conventions collectives) framework are all mandatory
- !Netherlands: Dismissal requires UWV approval or cantonal court consent; probation periods are limited to 1-2 months
- !UK: IR35 off-payroll working rules shift classification liability to the hiring entity for medium and large companies
- !Spain: Two main contract types (indefinite and temporary) with strict reform since 2022 limiting temporary contracts; severance of 33 days per year for objective dismissal
Typical employer costs
Employer-side costs range from ~14% in the UK (NIC, pension auto-enrolment) to ~45% in France (URSSAF, complementary pension, training levy). Germany adds ~20%, Netherlands ~18%, Italy ~35%, and Spain ~30%.
Entity considerations
EU member state entities benefit from freedom of establishment. UK entities post-Brexit require separate consideration. Swiss entity registration is canton-specific. Pan-European EOR is the fastest path to hiring across the EU without multiple local entities.
Middle East & Africa
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Egypt, Israel, Qatar, Oman, Mauritius, Senegal, Tunisia, and 40+ more
- !GCC states: Sponsorship (kafala) system requires local sponsor/entity; nationalisation quotas (Saudisation, Emiratisation, Omanisation) mandate minimum local hiring percentages
- !Nigeria: Pension Reform Act requires 18% combined contribution (employer 10% + employee 8%); NSITF and ITF also mandatory
- !South Africa: BBBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) compliance affects hiring, procurement, and enterprise development
- !Kenya: NSSF (12% combined), NHIF, and Housing Levy all mandatory; employment contracts must be in writing for engagements over 3 months
- !Israel: Complex social security (Bituach Leumi) at ~7.6% employer, mandatory pension at 6.5% employer, and recreation pay (dmei havra'a) obligations
Typical employer costs
UAE and Saudi Arabia have zero personal income tax but end-of-service gratuity accrues at 21-30 days per year. Nigeria adds ~15% in statutory costs. South Africa ~2% (UIF + SDL). Kenya ~12%. Israel ~20-25% with full pension and social security.
Entity considerations
GCC entities typically require local sponsorship or free zone registration. Sub-Saharan Africa entity setup varies from 2 weeks (Kenya) to 8+ weeks (Nigeria). Israel entity setup is well-regulated but complex due to security considerations for foreign companies.
Asia-Pacific
India, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Philippines, China, South Korea, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and 25+ more
- !India: State-level variation in labour law (28 states, each with different Shops & Establishments Acts); PF at 24% combined, ESI for lower-wage workers, and gratuity after 5 years
- !Japan: Strict dismissal protection (courts examine 'social reasonableness'); mandatory semi-annual bonuses are customary; complex social insurance (shakai hoken) system
- !China: Hukou system affects social insurance rates and housing fund (zhufang gongjijin) contributions; open-ended contracts after two fixed-term renewals; termination requires severance of one month per year
- !Australia: Modern Awards system (122 industry awards) sets minimum terms above the National Employment Standards; superannuation at 11.5% mandatory
- !Singapore: CPF contributions up to 37% combined (for citizens/PRs under 55); foreign worker levies and quotas apply through the Fair Consideration Framework
Typical employer costs
India adds ~20-25% in PF, ESI, and gratuity provisions. Japan ~15% in social insurance. China ~35-45% (varies by city: Beijing differs from Shenzhen). Australia ~12% (super + workers' comp). Singapore: CPF at up to 17% employer for citizens/PRs; zero for most work permit holders.
Entity considerations
China WFOE (Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise) registration takes 3-6 months. India entity setup is 4-8 weeks with Registrar of Companies. Japan KK/GK formation is relatively fast (2-4 weeks). Singapore PTE LTD is one of the fastest (1-2 weeks).
What can go wrong
The four highest-cost compliance risks in international hiring
These are the failure modes that turn a competitive hire into a six-figure liability. Each country guide explains how the local rules work and how the platform mitigates the risk.
Permanent establishment exposure
Hiring employees in a country where you have no legal entity can create a permanent establishment (PE) for corporate tax purposes. Once a PE is deemed to exist, the country can tax your global profits attributable to that PE. This is the single most expensive compliance failure in international hiring.
How Corpshore handles this: EOR eliminates PE risk entirely — the employer of record is the local entity, not your company. For contractors, the risk is lower but not zero — a contractor who negotiates deals, signs contracts, or acts with binding authority on your behalf can trigger PE in most jurisdictions.
Worker misclassification
Every country has its own test for distinguishing employees from independent contractors. The US uses the IRS common law test (control + financial + relationship factors). The UK applies IR35 through CEST. Brazil presumes employment under the CLT if there's habituality, subordination, and personal performance. Australia uses the multi-factor test from Personnel Contracting (2022 High Court ruling).
How Corpshore handles this: The platform's classification engine applies the local test before any engagement starts. If the engagement structure fails the local test, the system flags it and recommends EOR instead. For contractor-of-record engagements, the contract language, IP assignment, and payment structure are all designed to support independent contractor classification in the worker's jurisdiction.
Statutory benefit failures
Missing a mandatory benefit — 13th salary in Brazil, recreation pay (dmei havra'a) in Israel, aguinaldo in Mexico, end-of-service gratuity in the UAE — doesn't just create liability for the missed payment. It can void the employment contract, trigger penalty multipliers, and in some jurisdictions create personal liability for company officers.
How Corpshore handles this: Every EOR employment contract encodes the full statutory benefit stack for that country. The payroll engine calculates and provisions for all mandatory benefits automatically — you see the total cost upfront, not an unpleasant surprise at year-end.
Data protection violations
Transferring employee personal data across borders without the right legal mechanism can attract fines up to 4% of global revenue under GDPR (EU), 2% of turnover under LGPD (Brazil), or significant penalties under POPIA (South Africa), PDPA (Singapore), and DPDPA (India). Some jurisdictions (China, Russia, India under certain conditions) require data localisation.
How Corpshore handles this: Corpshore operates four regional database clusters. Employee data is stored in the region closest to the worker and never transferred out of that region for processing. Data residency is enforced at the infrastructure level, not by policy alone.
Why country-specific guidance matters
Every jurisdiction is unique
Worker classification risk
Misclassifying an employee as a contractor can trigger back taxes, penalties and even criminal liability in some jurisdictions. Rules differ dramatically: the US uses the IRS 20-factor test, Brazil presumes employment under the CLT, and the UK applies IR35. Each country guide explains the local test and how to stay compliant.
Mandatory employment costs
Base salary is rarely the full cost of employment. France adds ~45% in employer social contributions. Brazil mandates a 13th salary and FGTS deposits. Germany requires co-determination through works councils. Our guides quantify the real cost of employment in each country.
Termination complexity
In the US, most employment is at-will. In the Netherlands, you need UWV permission or court approval. In Japan, dismissal requires "just cause" and is nearly impossible without it. Understanding termination rules before you hire prevents costly disputes later.
Data residency requirements
Employee personal data is regulated differently in every jurisdiction. The EU enforces GDPR, Brazil has LGPD, India's DPDPA includes data localisation provisions, and China requires security assessments for cross-border transfers. Corpshore stores employee data in the region closest to the worker.
Common questions
International hiring questions
Do I need a local entity to hire in a country?+
Not with EOR. Corpshore (or a vetted EOR partner) acts as the legal employer in the target country. Your company has a service agreement with Corpshore, and the employee has a local employment contract with the Corpshore entity. You direct the work; Corpshore handles employment law, tax withholding, social contributions, and statutory benefits. For contractor-of-record engagements, no entity is needed at all — the contractor agreement runs through the platform.
How quickly can I hire in a new country?+
For contractor-of-record engagements, the contract can be generated and signed within 24-48 hours. For EOR employment, typical timelines range from 3-5 business days (countries where we have our own entity) to 7-14 business days (countries through partner entities). Some jurisdictions with additional registration requirements (e.g., social security registration in Germany, PF registration in India) may take slightly longer.
What's included in the per-employee EOR cost?+
The $399/month EOR fee (through a Corpshore entity) covers: the legal employment relationship, employment contract in local language, payroll processing, tax withholding and filing, social contribution management, statutory benefit administration, compliance monitoring, and HR support. It does not include the employee's gross salary, employer-side social contributions (which are passed through at cost), or any mandatory benefits that are part of the employment cost.
How do country-specific employment costs affect my budget?+
The country guide for each market shows the full cost stack: gross salary + employer social contributions + mandatory benefits + platform fee. For example, a €60,000/year gross salary in France costs approximately €87,000-90,000 fully loaded (45% employer contributions). The same gross in the UK costs approximately €68,400-69,600 (14% employer NIC + pension). The country pages make these costs transparent before you commit to a hire.
What happens if employment law changes in a country where I have workers?+
Corpshore monitors regulatory changes across all covered jurisdictions. When a change affects your engagements (new minimum wage, updated leave entitlements, changed social contribution rates), the platform updates automatically and notifies you. For material changes (new classification rules, significant benefit changes), you'll receive a compliance briefing with recommended actions.
Can I convert a contractor to an employee in the same country?+
Yes. The platform supports contractor-to-EOR conversion. The process includes: an end date for the contractor agreement, a new employment contract through EOR, continuity of the working relationship (no gap), and transfer of any applicable service tenure. The country page shows whether the target jurisdiction requires specific formalities for the conversion.
How does EOR work for countries where Corpshore doesn't have its own entity?+
For countries outside our direct entity footprint (85+ countries), we work through vetted EOR partner entities. From your perspective, the experience is identical: same platform, same dashboard, same payroll cycle. The partner entity acts as the legal employer, and Corpshore manages the relationship. The per-employee cost may differ slightly for partner-entity countries — this is shown clearly in the country guide.
What about intellectual property when hiring through EOR?+
IP assignment is built into every EOR employment contract. The contract includes: assignment of work product to your company (not to Corpshore), a waiver of moral rights where local law permits, and a confidentiality clause. The specific IP language varies by jurisdiction because different countries have different rules about what can be assigned (e.g., moral rights in France cannot be waived entirely). Each country's contract is drafted to maximise IP protection within local law.
Don't see your target country listed?
This page shows our most actively covered markets. Our full coverage runs to 170+ countries. Post a role and specify the location, and we'll confirm coverage and provide a full compliance briefing before you hire.
Post a role for freeReady to hire internationally?
Post a role for free. Specify the country and engagement type. The platform handles compliance, classification, and payroll — so you can focus on finding the right person.