Don’t Let Geography Stop Your Maritime

What to do when your ideal candidate lives in a country where you don't have a legal entity.

You've spent weeks, or even months, searching for the right person.

After reviewing CVs, interviewing candidates and comparing experience, you've finally found someone who ticks every box. They understand the maritime industry, have the technical expertise you're looking for and are excited about joining your business.

Then a new challenge emerges.

They live in a country where your business doesn't employ people, and the will not consider relocation.

Suddenly, the conversation shifts from recruitment to employment. Can you hire them? Should they work as a contractor? Do you need to establish a legal entity? How long will that take? Most importantly, how do you secure the candidate before another employer does?

It's a situation many maritime employers face when recruiting internationally. With specialist talent in high demand, limiting your search to countries where you already have a legal presence can mean missing out on exceptional people.

Fortunately, there are several ways to move forward. Understanding your options helps you make an informed decision while keeping your recruitment process on track.

Key Takeaways

Restricting your search to countries where you already have a legal entity can reduce access to specialist maritime talent.
When your ideal candidate lives overseas, there are several employment options to consider, including using an Employer of Record (EOR).
Combining specialist maritime recruitment with an Employer of Record service can help you secure exceptional talent without delaying your hiring plans.

Why geography shouldn't define your talent pool

Maritime has always been a global industry.

From commercial shipping and offshore energy to ports, marine technology and yacht operations, specialist expertise is spread across the world. The person with the skills, experience and industry knowledge you need may not live in the same country as your business.

That is becoming increasingly common.

As competition for experienced maritime professionals grows, employers are widening their search to access a larger and more diverse talent pool. Recruiting internationally often leads to stronger hiring outcomes, particularly for niche or hard-to-fill positions.

The challenge comes when you've identified the right person but don't yet have the legal infrastructure to employ them.

You've found the right person. What happens next?

Once you've identified the ideal candidate, your next step depends on one key question.

Do you already have a legal entity in the country where they live?

If the answer is yes, you can usually proceed with your standard recruitment and onboarding process.

If the answer is no, you'll need to decide how to employ them compliantly.

There are three common approaches.

Option 1: Establish a local entity

If your business is making a long-term investment in a new market, establishing a local entity may be the right decision.

It gives you full control over employment, payroll and compliance, while creating a permanent foundation for future growth.

However, establishing an entity often requires significant time and investment. Depending on the country, the process may involve company registration, tax obligations, banking arrangements and ongoing administrative responsibilities before you can employ your first person.

If you're recruiting one employee or testing a new market, this approach may be more than your business currently needs.

Option 2: Engage the individual as a contractor

For some roles and projects, engaging someone as an independent contractor may be appropriate.

However, contractor arrangements need careful consideration.

Employment laws vary between countries, and classifying someone as a contractor when they should legally be treated as an employee can create compliance risks.

Before choosing this route, it's important to understand the local legal requirements and seek appropriate professional advice.

Option 3: Use an Employer of Record

An Employer of Record (EOR) enables you to employ someone legally in a country where you don't have your own legal entity.

The EOR becomes the legal employer, managing employment contracts, payroll, statutory benefits and local employment compliance, while your organisation manages the employee's day-to-day work and performance.

For maritime employers, this can provide a practical way to secure exceptional talent without delaying recruitment while a local entity is established.

It also offers flexibility if you're entering a new market or recruiting a small number of employees internationally.

Why speed matters

Exceptional candidates rarely stay on the market for long.

While your business is deciding how to employ someone internationally, they're often progressing through recruitment processes with other organisations.

Every additional delay increases the risk of losing a candidate you've already invested time in attracting and assessing.

Having a clear international hiring strategy allows you to move confidently when the right person becomes available, helping you secure talent while maintaining compliance with local employment laws.

Beyond employment: building a stronger international workforce

International recruitment gives maritime employers access to skills, experience and market knowledge that may not be available locally.

It allows organisations to:

Access specialist skills that may be difficult to find locally.
Build diverse teams with broader market knowledge.
Respond more quickly to commercial opportunities.
Support international clients with local expertise.
Expand into new markets with greater confidence.

Removing employment barriers gives your business greater flexibility to recruit the people who will have the biggest impact, wherever they're based.

Why maritime employers partner with Faststream

International hiring often begins with recruitment and ends with employment.

Faststream supports both.

With more than 25 years of experience in maritime recruitment, we help employers identify exceptional talent across the global maritime industry. Our Employer of Record service then enables businesses to employ people compliantly in countries where they don't yet have a legal entity.

Working with one specialist partner means you can focus on selecting the right person while we help you navigate the complexities of international employment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hire someone in another country without setting up a local entity?
Yes. An Employer of Record enables businesses to employ people legally in countries where they don't have a registered legal entity, while remaining responsible for the employee's day-to-day work.
Is an Employer of Record suitable for hiring one employee?
Yes. Many businesses use an Employer of Record when recruiting one or two employees internationally, particularly when entering a new market or hiring specialist talent.
Can I move an employee from an Employer of Record to my own entity later?
Yes. As your international operations grow, employees can often transition from an Employer of Record to your own local entity once it has been established.
Should I hire someone as a contractor instead?
That depends on the role, the working arrangement and local employment legislation. Contractor arrangements can be appropriate in some situations, but it's important to understand local legal requirements before making a decision.
How quickly can an Employer of Record help me hire internationally?
Timeframes vary by country and individual circumstances, but using an Employer of Record is generally much quicker than establishing a local legal entity before beginning the hiring process.

About Faststream

Faststream has specialised in maritime recruitment since 1999, helping employers find exceptional people across the global maritime industry.

Alongside our recruitment expertise, our Employer of Record service enables maritime employers to recruit and employ talent compliantly in countries where they don't have a legal entity. Whether you're hiring one specialist or building an international team, we can help you move forward with confidence.

Speak to our Employer of Record specialists to discuss your international hiring plans.