Local Law and Leisure: What Is Legal at Home May Not Be Legal Here
Rules on alcohol, driving, medicines, photography and gambling differ sharply between countries. A visitor is expected to know them.
The principle
As an expatriate you are subject to the law of the country you are in. Your contract may add stricter rules of its own, and breaking either can end an assignment.
Areas that catch people out
- Medicines. Some common prescriptions are controlled substances elsewhere. Carry the prescription and check before travelling.
- Alcohol. Legal ages, licensing hours and where you may drink all vary.
- Driving. Whether your licence is valid, and for how long.
- Photography. Government buildings, airports and military sites are often off limits.
- Gambling. Legal in one form and prohibited in another, sometimes within the same country.
Gambling as an example of how fine the lines are
Many jurisdictions permit a state lottery or licensed betting while treating other forms differently. A guide written for readers in Taiwan illustrates the point by setting the government-licensed sports lottery beside online operators and explaining how the two differ: a beginner's guide to sports wagering formats and odds (運彩怎麼買). The lesson for a visitor anywhere is to find out which category an activity falls into before taking part.
How to find out
- Your own government's travel advice for the country.
- The briefing from the organisation that sent you.
- Colleagues who live there. Ask early, and ask plainly.
When in doubt
Do not. The cost of missing an evening's entertainment is small; the cost of a legal problem abroad is not.
Entry reviewed 2026-10-13