Business Travel Compliance: Managing Risk

International business travellers remain a common source of immigration compliance risk for organisations. Although they typically make up the largest proportion of an organisation’s global movement, the reality is, this cohort tends to fall under the radar of internal global mobility policies and programmes, meaning their movements are neither measured, nor monitored nor managed for compliance purposes.

But in the current geopolitical climate, with increased global scrutiny on worker mobility, even a few days abroad can trigger unexpected compliance risks. Business travel has become a legal minefield of immigration, tax and reporting obligations.

For UK employers, the challenge is twofold: enabling agile, international business while staying fully compliant with complex and shifting rules. In this article, we cut through the red tape to explain what business travel compliance really means in 2025, what’s at stake and how you can manage risk without slowing your business down.

 

Business travel compliance risk

 

Because business trips tend to last under 60 days, and can be frequent, they may not trigger organisations’ standard global mobility protocols. The perception among employees can be that it’s just a ‘quick trip’, they’ve been there lots of times before without any issues, so a visa or permit isn’t required. But in practice, this often couldn’t be further from the real position, and omits any consideration of the compliance issues involved.

The crux is, to ensure compliance with immigration rules (and other areas such as tax), employers need to be made aware by their employees of all business-related travel, in advance of the trip taking place.

The penalties of non-compliance with local immigration requirements vary greatly, from being refused entry into a country by border control (who won’t care less how senior the individual is), to civil and even criminal penalties for employers.

So while in theory, short-term business travel should provide a lower cost and more flexible alternative to formal overseas assignments and transfers, when issues of non-compliance arise, organisations will be faced with financial, operational and reputational consequences.

Ignorance isn’t an acceptable defence, for either the individual traveller(s) or their employer. Organisations have to think about their reputation, and the impact a breach or prosecution can have, for example, on their ability to conduct business in certain countries.

 

EU business travel

 

Post-Brexit, the days of casual EU travel for UK employees are over, and what once felt like a simple hop across borders for a meeting or site visit for UK citizens has become a minefield. Since the UK left the EU, business travel between the UK and Europe is no longer frictionless. UK nationals can no longer rely on freedom of movement and are now subject to each EU member state’s national immigration rules. For employers, this shift has introduced a new layer of complexity and risk.

UK citizens can travel to most EU countries visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period for tourism or limited business activities. However, this does not mean they can carry out paid work or undertake services. Each country defines what is considered “permissible business activity,” and working beyond that may require a visa or work permit.

There is no single “EU work visa.” Every EU country sets its own criteria for business visits and work authorisations. Activities like delivering training, installing equipment, or negotiating contracts may require pre-approval or permits.

Some EU countries require posted worker notifications, even for short-term assignments. These are formal declarations that must be submitted in advance, detailing the employee’s role, working conditions and host company.

The UK has bilateral agreements with many EU countries that determine where social security contributions are payable during short-term assignments. Employers may need to apply for an A1 certificate to confirm UK coverage continues.

Frequent or long-term travel may unintentionally create a tax presence (permanent establishment) in the host country, with potential corporate tax consequences for the UK business.

UK employers sending staff abroad must ensure they meet host country requirements. Similarly, EU nationals coming to the UK for work must comply with the UK’s points-based immigration system.

Employers should implement systems to track the frequency and purpose of overseas travel. This supports immigration compliance, tax planning and health and safety obligations.

 

Why international business travellers need immigration advice

 

With immigration high on the political and economic agenda worldwide, nations are adopting more stringent approaches to business travel to protect their domestic labour markets:

 

• Changing local immigration rules and requirements for business travellers to enter and operate legitimately and with appropriate permissions within their borders.

• More emphasis is being placed on ascertaining from travellers the exact nature and duration of their stay.

• Increasing their efforts to track travellers and find those who may be misusing work permits or trying to enter without any prior permission.

• Investing in and utilising technology to provide accurate, real-time monitoring of travellers’ movements, and sharing information with other governments to maximise effectiveness.

 

As with any area of law, interpretations and obligations relating to local immigration rules frequently change, which can catch business travellers unaware. For example, definitions of what constitutes ‘permissible activity’ under a work visa instead of a business visitor visa differ from country to country, and can change at any time within countries themselves. The same applies to definitions of what constitutes ‘business’, ‘work’ or being ‘productive’.

 

Improving compliance for international business travel

 

Organisations can only realistically achieve immigration compliance for business travel by taking a systematic, integrated approach internally, combining expertise from multiple disciplines including global mobility, HR, legal, compliance, travel and tax.

 

Business travel policies

 

Bespoke business travel policies and protocols that plug the gap with policies for other forms of mobility are essential. These should make clear employees’ obligations to alert the organisation of time, place and activity in advance of any international travel, no matter how fleeting the duration or nature of the visit. The policies should also make clear what support employees can expect in return to ensure compliance.

Demands on employees shouldn’t however be too onerous. There’s a balance between supporting immigration compliance and allowing employees to focus on work rather than immigration requirements.

Also, ensure all the reference material and guidance documentation is easily accessible, for example on the company intranet, and is kept up to date.

 

Systems and automation

 

Organisations with active global mobility programmes will in most cases already operate or have access to an immigration management system. Whether it’s this that captures business travel, or other tools are used such as web-based calendars, scope to integrate or share information with other organisational systems should be explored. The aim is to develop effective workflows, ideally in real-time. For example, it could be as rudimentary as travel bookings of certain criteria automatically alerting the global mobility team for further investigation.

Emerging technologies in this area are likely to dramatically change the profile of immigration compliance risk in coming years. GPS and smartphone apps/trackers are replacing existing solutions, but mass adoption seems some way off for the time being while the privacy issues concerned with these technological solutions are overcome.

 

Education

 

It’s not just a case of making employees aware of the process of informing the organisation of business travel. Business travellers need to understand the value and fundamental business imperative of taking advice before a trip. The message to all employees should be that it’s critical for international business travellers get on board with the organisation’s stance on global mobility – and that all employees have a part to play in mitigating immigration compliance risks.

Communicate the wide-reaching organsational impact this will have, which goes beyond immigration compliance and extends to similarly complex and critical areas such as tax liabilities (personal and organisational) and security – in the event of an overseas catastrophe, an organisation should know precisely who they have in the region so as to be able to react accordingly.

The specific benefits of following the protocol should also be made clear. For the organisation, this means compliance. For individual travellers, the likelihood of encountering issues while in transit will be greatly reduced. It can be something as simple as travellers being issued with a formal letter outlining key information about the visit which can be presented if questioned at customs.

This also raises the point of training; preparing business travellers for questioning at customs is extremely useful. These situations can quickly become tense, often for no reason, and knowing how to handle the questions about the nature and duration of the visit can avert escalation or unnecessary delay or complications.

Be familiar with the requirements of customs authorities in that area. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), for example, importing pork products or pornography is illegal. E-cigarettes are also banned and will be confiscated at the border.

Over the counter medicines and common prescriptions in the UK may be illegal in other parts of the world. Offenders risk arrest or deportation.

 

Supporting business travellers

 

Beyond the compliance complexities – it’s easy to forget that all it takes is a lost passport, a misunderstanding with local authorities or a natural disaster for things to go horribly wrong.

Supporting travelling employees through information, signposting and raising awareness of certain policies and procedures can be hugely valuable in the event something does go wrong.

 

Check travel restrictions

 

The UK Government provides foreign travel advice online, identifying country-specific risks under the headings of:

 

• Safety and security;
• Terrorism;
• Local laws and customs;
• Entry requirements;
• Health;
• Natural disasters; and
• Money.

 

Organisations should regularly monitor for travel advisory updates in the regions that employees are travelling to.

 

Emergency planning

 

Before any business trip, HR and global mobility departments should provide an employee with the following information.

Travelling employees should be told the procedures they should follow in the event of an emergency.

Before they depart, provide business travellers with contact details of the local embassy or consulate and local emergency contact numbers.

The UK’s Consular assistant team can be contacted 24 hours a day on 020 7008 1500.

Often, in less dire circumstances, it might be necessary for an employee abroad to contact someone from head office outside of business hours.

Travellers will need a reliable means of communicating, either with a local SIM card, international roaming plan or an Internet-based application like Skype.

Confirm that business travellers have made an electronic copy of their passport and are covered by travel insurance for the trip.

 

Health risks

 

At least four weeks before departing, employees should visit a health professional and check whether any vaccinations or other preventative measures are required for their intended destination. Country-specific advice is also available on the Travel Health Pro and World Health Organisation website.

A reality of global mobility is that medical standards vary around the world. Some countries require patients to pay for medical treatment in advance and claim out of pocket expenses back from their travel insurance. Treatment may be delayed where a person does not have access to sufficient funds up front.

Employees should therefore have sufficient travel medical insurance. Be aware of any pre-existing conditions that your traveling employees suffer from and confirm that any insurance policy covers these pre-existing conditions.

 

Local laws

 

Business travellers must know the law in the countries they travel, as ignorance is never an excuse. Criminal offences and penalties differ widely in other parts of the world. Alcohol, for example, is illegal in a number of countries and the measures that some countries have implemented to prevent drug usage are severe. And in Japan, police have the right to test any person for illicit substances in their system. In the UAE, possession of even a residual amount of illegal drugs will lead to a minimum four-year jail sentence. The maximum penalty for drug trafficking there is death. A person may be deported or jailed for behaviour that is deemed to be offensive in the UAE, like kissing in public.

Particular care not to cause offence should be taken if travelling to any Muslim country during the holy month of Ramadan.

Sex outside of marriage is also illegal in the UAE, as is any homosexual sex. If a woman falls pregnant outside of marriage, she and her partner may be deported or imprisoned.

 

Etiquette and culture

 

Encouraging your employees to familiarise themselves with local culture and customs, will allow an employee to avoid embarrassment, impress locals and increase the likelihood of conducting successful business.

Negotiating styles, proper introductions, suitable attire, diet, gestures, religious customs, business formalities and rules of politeness can differ hugely in different cultures. Business hours and working days may also vary.

In some places, like the Middle East, it is customary to engage in small talk at the beginning of a meeting. In Japan, being late to a business meeting is considered to be offensive and loud, rowdy behaviour is completely unacceptable.

Global mobility policies such as these may seem excessive but in the event of an emergency, your employees will be appreciative that they have been properly prepared for business travel risks.

 

Need assistance?

 

For specialist global mobility and immigration compliance guidance, speak to our experts.

 

Business travel compliance FAQs

 

What is business travel compliance?

Business travel compliance refers to ensuring that all employee travel for work purposes meets the legal and regulatory requirements of both the UK and the destination country. This includes immigration, tax, social security and employment law.

 

Do short business trips still require compliance checks?

Even short visits can trigger immigration or tax obligations, especially if the employee is carrying out productive work or exceeds a certain number of days in the host country.

 

What are the immigration risks of international business travel?

Employees may require a visa or work authorisation, even for brief assignments. Entering a country without the correct permission can lead to entry refusal, fines or reputational damage.

 

Do employers have to track all business travel?

It is highly advisable. Tracking enables employers to monitor days spent abroad, ensure compliance with local rules and identify potential tax or immigration triggers early.

 

Can business travel create a tax presence in another country?

Frequent or extended travel can create a permanent establishment risk, potentially exposing the company to corporate tax liabilities in the host country.

 

How can employers reduce the compliance burden?

By implementing a global mobility policy, using travel tracking tools and working with immigration and tax advisers to assess risk before trips take place.

 

Is post-Brexit travel to the EU more complex for UK employees?

Since the end of free movement, UK nationals now face visa and work permit requirements in many EU countries, and cannot assume access for business purposes without checking the rules.

 

Does business travel fall under the right to work rules?

Not directly. Right to work checks apply to employment in the UK, but employers must still ensure that their staff have the correct permission to work temporarily abroad.

 

What should be included in a business travel policy?

A clear business travel policy should cover approval processes, visa requirements, tracking responsibilities, allowable activities, risk assessment and duty of care.

 

Glossary

 

Term	Definition
Business Travel Compliance	The process of ensuring that international business travel meets legal and regulatory requirements, including immigration, tax, and social security rules.
Work Authorisation	Official permission required by a country for a foreign national to carry out work-related activities during a visit.
Visa	A permit issued by a country that allows a person to enter and remain for a specific purpose, such as business or tourism.
Permanent Establishment	A tax concept referring to a fixed place of business in another country which could expose the employer to local corporate tax obligations.
Certificate of Coverage	A document confirming where an employee’s social security contributions are being made, to avoid double contributions when working abroad temporarily.
Travel Tracking	The monitoring of employee business travel to assess risks and ensure compliance with immigration, tax, and employment regulations.
Schengen Area	A group of European countries with open borders for internal travel, but with strict external border controls. UK nationals now require authorisation for most work-related travel.
Economic Employer Approach	A method used by some countries to assess who benefits from the employee’s work. It can trigger tax or reporting obligations in the host country.
Posted Worker	An employee sent by their employer to work temporarily in another country. Host countries may impose notification or registration requirements.
Mutual Agreement	An arrangement between countries allowing coordination on tax or social security matters to avoid double taxation or contributions.
Duty of Care	The legal and ethical responsibility of an employer to protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of employees while travelling for work.
Short-Term Business Visitor	An employee visiting another country for a short period to carry out permitted business activities without transferring employment.
Business Travel Policy	An internal company document outlining procedures, responsibilities, and compliance requirements for international work travel.