Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department permits civil servants employed in the UK to work from overseas on a regular basis.

Overseas remote working is only permitted on a temporary basis; permanent working outside the UK in a DBT role is not allowed.

Approval is granted in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a family funeral), before or after annual leave visiting family/friends, or accompanying a spouse or accredited partner on a UK Civil Service or Military posting.

Time limits vary: up to three months for exceptional circumstances, and three weeks at a time (maximum four weeks in a rolling 12‑month period) for working around annual leave.

Exceptional circumstances including bereavement are not regular occurrences.

Remote working is not permitted in FCDO high-risk countries.