Hire International Contractors
With Horizons, you can hire, onboard, and manage contractors. If you’re looking to eventually hire full-time staff overseas, hiring a contractor (also known as a freelancer) could be an important first step in the process– either to “try out” prospective employees or to test your own organization’s ability to work asynchronously. If you hire international contractors, you can also save on benefits costs (although you have the option to offer insurance).
Horizons can help you hire international contractors in over 150+ countries worldwide. Click the button below to get started.
Why choose our contractor solutions?
Horizons’ contractor solutions are simple, straightforward, and fast. Onboard your new freelancer in as little as 48 hours. Manage your contractors on Horizons HR management platform alongside any global employees you have.
One Invoice
Pay your global team in one invoice. All contractors and employees distributed around the world can all be paid in one convenient invoice.
Insurance Options
Horizons Health isn't just for employees. Any workers affiliated with Horizons are eligible for participation in the plan: coverage in 180+ countries worldwide at a low monthly cost.
Costs
Hiring a contractor is less expensive than hiring an employee. These costs can be driven even lower if you consider hiring on any market worldwide.
Ease of Compliance
Employees are far more protected by employment law than contractors or freelancers. When you hire international contractors, there are fewer rules & regulations to know and follow, reducing administrative burden.
Flexibility
Much of the time, the relationship between a business and a contractor is governed by general contract law (rather than employment law), meaning the relationship is far more flexible than that of an employee.
Cloud Platform
The Horizons platform provides you with a secure and seamless online portal to manage your contractors and their data. Anytime, anywhere, GDPR compliant.
Are there risks if I hire international contractors?
While the benefits above are great for companies looking to hire globally, there are risks that come if you hire international contractors. Luckily, there is a solution: by hiring a full-time employee, you eliminate these risks. Click the button below to learn more about hiring employees.
Legal and Compliance Uncertainty
A contract alone can not define an employment relationship. If a regulatory body determines that you have an employment relationship with a contractor, the penalties can be devastating.
Tax
As well as standard due diligence of specific tax obligations, having a contractor in some countries could cause a ‘dependent agent permanent establishment’, making you liable for corporate income tax there.
Enforceability
In cases of contractor misconduct or breach of contract, enforcing penalties in such a contract abroad can be time-consuming and expensive. By hiring an employee, you gain an additional level of protection.
International Contractor Coverage
With coverage that spans more than 150 countries, Horizons supports your business to hire international contractors. Our team of in-country specialists facilitates your global hiring, allowing you to hire, onboard, and pay your global contractors and employees in one invoice.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Armenia
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macedonia
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Algeria
- Angola
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mayotte (France)
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Republic of the Congo
- Reunion (France)
- Rwanda Senegal
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
- Tunisia
- Western Sahara
Your global hiring partner
Horizons’ suite of tailored expansion solutions allow you to fast-track your compliant hiring in overseas markets- and not just when you hire international contractors. With solutions that encompass our global contractor, global PEO, HR, recruitment, payroll, and legal compliance, you can extend your international operations with the support of one dedicated partner.
Hire in 150+ Countries
With global capabilities that span the Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Europe, and North America, we support companies to extend their operations on a truly global scale.
International Recruitment
As the only Global PEO with a localized, in-house recruitment team, our specialists source, hire, and onboard top talent across all industry verticals.
Cross-Industry Coverage
No matter what industry you're in, our customized PEO solution enables you to quickly, compliantly, and cost-effectively grow your business in new markets throughout the globe.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Horizons can help you hire international contractors. Please contact us today to get started with your hiring.
Horizons also offers a full suite of services related to global hiring and international expansion. In addition to our contractor service, we offer recruitment, payroll, and EOR services to help companies hire abroad.
Unfortunately, it is not risk-free to hire an international contractor. However there are other solutions to limit the risks that come with employing contractors. By hiring the contractor as a full-time employee, the main risks are reduced or eliminated.
The three main risks are:
- Legal and compliance uncertainty (“misclassification risk”)
- Hidden tax liability (“permanent establishment risk“)
- Ability to enforce contracts from abroad (risk to IP or competitor scalping)
The easiest way to eliminate the risks associated with hiring international contractors is to hire full-time international employees; the initial costs slightly are higher, but the tax, legal, and compliance certainty are worth the additional costs for many companies.
