Glossary/Local hire
People
Local hire
In most of our markets, finance, HR, EHS, regulatory, and field sales seats are filled by nationals or residents. The country general manager and some plant director seats are the ones that still go to an expatriate during a ramp.
A local hire still needs a lawful employer in that country. If you have no entity yet, that is in-country employment, not a headquarters contract emailed to someone on the ground.
FAQ
Questions we get
- Do local hires need a work permit?
- Citizens and, in many markets, permanent residents do not. Other nationalities need the work pass that country issues, even if they already live there.
Related
Other terms
Expatriate
A person sent to work in a country that is not their home employment market, usually on a work pass and a package that is not a pure local hire.
In-country employment
A way to hire someone under the labour law, payroll, and social charges of the country where they work, without incorporating a local company first.
Work permit
The government authorisation a foreign national needs to be employed in that country. A business visa is not a work permit.
Monthly gross
Base pay for one month in local currency, before bonus, allowances, and employer social contributions. This is the basis of the ArkTalents 2026 salary tables.
Reviewed 11 September 2026. Statutory figures follow the country hiring guides. This is a briefing for multinational employers, not legal advice.
Plan an in-country hire