What is global mobility?

February 2, 2022

Kreston global mobility expert, Ian Miles, talks us through the benefits of using a global network to relocate businesses and employees overseas.

What is global mobility?

Global mobility is the movement of individuals around the globe moving from one country to another, usually, but not always, for work.

What is the Kreston offering?

Our offering is to help to efficiently move employees and businesses to new countries by offering the necessary and relevant tax advice before, while and following living in a new country. A good global mobility strategy should cover tax, visas and immigration, payroll and benefits and relocation services.

Why is it important?

A smooth transition benefits the business and the individual moving, whether it is the CEO of a company or an employee. Understanding the culture, local employment laws, working visas and settling in families, if needed, minimises the risk of the relocation failing

Is global mobility part of HR?

The HR department is often involved and can offer assistance to an employee or CEO looking to relocate, however, tax and legal advice is specialist and dependent on the locality. Businesses can choose to source multiple services or use a network that can coordinate everything with one point of contact.

What is a global mobility specialist?

Kreston Global works with two partners to deliver specialist global mobility services.

• Expatland can signpost an individual or company to their network of global partners around the word, assisting with everything from finding schools to understanding the local culture.
• Harmony Relocation Network is a network of moving companies around the world, experienced in handling all aspects of the physical move between two countries.

What global mobility services do you offer?

At each country location is a hub, with a contact from each of the three partners who, together, offer a complete global mobility service. The members of the hub are one person whose business is to physically move people around the world, another member finds housing for the Expat, another finds schools for the Expat’s children, another moves their pet, a wealth manager and so on. The Expat will also need tax advice to help understand the tax laws in the country that they are going to and how the rules of their new country interact with their home country or vice versa if they return home in later years.

What should a global mobility package include?

Expatland has created a travel planner checklist from their wealth of experience of working with clients around the world, highlighting tasks you should do before, during and after relocation. Follow the link to their website here to use their useful relocation planner tool, download the checklist and research the support we can offer you in each location.

Which Kreston member firms offer global mobility services?

Kreston Global offers tax advice as part of the partnership, which can both advise individuals on the tax aspects of what it means for them to move country and also advise globally mobile entrepreneurs about how to set up a business venture in a new country.

Who do I contact to find out more about the global mobility services at Kreston Global?

All of our member firms that offer global mobility services are listed here. This list is expanding all the time. You may contact the member firm in the country you wish to expand into, or the country where you reside. Please email us here