gringo91

Hi,

I was wondering whether anybody had information on the status of being a remote worker (working solely from my laptop). I would be working for a European company as a consultant, but unlikely to maintain my permanent residence in the UK. Are there any working visas or laws allowing work on a tourist visa in any central american countries?

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

HLJ

I don't know about Central America, but if Ecuador would interest you, let me know.

Ohrdruf

Based on over twenty years' experience of doing much the same thing in Argentina (including Uruguay from time to time), the work you mention does not need to be declared to the fiscal authorities since you are not one of their nationals nor are you are doing what they consider "working" in their country. Your three month's stay can be renewed by simply leaving Argentina for Uruguay (in the latter you can get a three month renewal ONCE at an immigration office, so leaving after six months) and coming back next day with a fresh stamp for another three months, no questions asked.

alfista1

Did you manage to make it over here?

Ohrdruf

Before reaching UK pensionable age I worked in both Argentine and Uruguay on a come-and-go basis as described above from 2002 until 2009. In that time I lived in a residential hotel on the money I earned from translating books for UK publishers. If your fees, etc would be coming from Europe and you want to receive them in dollars or euros, you should open a bank account in Uruguay (Colonia del Sacramento is only an hour away on the ferry) and not Argentina. The Argentine bank seizes foreign currency and pays out in pesos, not always at a good rate of exchange.

alfista1

Just be aware that most banks charge to recieve money in Uruguay. Can be as much as 100 USD!! Daylight robbery. (Brou atm will charge you 100 pesos for each withdrawal, banred 200 pesos!!) . Nearly all shops will accept foreign debit cards to pay for groceries etc (cheapest way to pay for everything).
Make sure you have opened accounts in the UK such as transferwise borderless with a debit card, Revolut/Starling/Monzo/Weswap etc.

Many choices in the world of digital banks in the UK that enable you to spend and withdraw money without commission and fx fees. I used Weswap for many years while travelling but there are better fintechs out there now.

I'd recommend a transferwise account with card, Starling and Revolut possibly.

Ohrdruf

I opened an account with Banco Republica Oriental the State Bank of Uruguay in 2013. I have never had a card, I always go to the bank. On my latest payment of 950 dollars I was charged 35 dollars commission. Those 950 dollars buy you about 42,000 pesos in Argentina if you know where to go, currently about 32,500 Uruguayan pesos in houses of cambio. Pension payments from UK come to my Uruguayan pesos account, I do not think the bank charges for these since though it lists all deductions in dollars and euros it does not do so for its own currency.

alfista1

IMHO if you are here for a few months/even a couple of years there is no point using an old legacy bank.

Use your debit cards as mentioned - save money/better exchange rates/real time transaction data on your app (22% vat discount in restaurants). I really advise not to use the banks here (You lose money on transfers, fees and exchange rates.)

If you have Euros or GBP you are first changing to USD and then back to pesos plus the bank charge. More loss.

Transferwise/Starling/Revolut will use the mastercard rates which are far better than any cambio.
Plus no bank fees. It's a no brainer. Revolut will even send out a new card if lost to any address for a small fee.

I once transfered 1000 USD to a bank here - cost me 25 USD min. rip off. Also then the issue of exchanging to pesos. More money lost and more money for the rich legacy bank.

Use your transferwise or other fintech card debit card.
1 GBP = 44.2 pesos and no fees in this moment as I write. Use XE to see the rates as they just about match mastercard. Cambio will only give you about 40 pesos for 1 GBP and it's a risk carrying the cash in hand with you.

Also worldremit/western union services can send you cash for pick up if you are really stuck but with the debit cards you can withdraw cash up to 10,000 pesos a day anyway. Just a small fee at the atm here.

alfista1

Check out N26 and Bunq also for the EU company.
Curve is another excellent debit card which uses your current underlying cards without any fx fees!

Standanista

Ditto the above on using one of the new generation of app-based UK banks.

I use Starling in Argentina, Paraguay and elsewhere, and they have been excellent. No overseas fees, interest on your account and everything manageable by app. If you withdraw money from an ATM, the transaction arrives as an alert on your phone even before the money has started counting in the machine.