Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Remote Job Offer From Abroad

Most offer-stage advice online is written for people who live in the employer's country. Their pay arrives in a local bank account, their hours match the office and their benefits follow national law. Your situation is different. You might be a contractor or an EOR employee. You might be paid through Deel or by SWIFT transfer. "9 to 5" could mean 3pm to 11pm in Lagos.

This guide sets out the questions by topic, explains why each one matters from Nigeria and shows what a good answer looks like. It also includes a sample email you can adapt.

Quick answer

Before accepting a remote job offer from Nigeria, confirm in writing:

• your contract type: contractor or employee (direct or through an employer of record)
• the exact pay, currency, payment date and platform, and who covers fees
• your working hours in WAT
• leave, equipment and any internet or power allowance
• probation, notice and termination terms
• that the company and recruiter are genuine and nobody wants money from you

Asking these questions is normal and won't cost you a genuine offer.

When to ask and how to ask

Ask once you have a written offer or a clear verbal one, and before you sign. Until then the company is still deciding about you. Once the offer exists, the company has chosen you and expects some questions. Recruiters handle these conversations every week.

A few habits make this go smoothly:

• Put the questions in one email. One organised message comes across as professional. Six separate messages over three days look anxious.
• Ask for answers in writing. A friendly call is fine, but follow it with "Just to confirm what we discussed..." so you have a record.
• Ask about money plainly. "How will I be paid, and which fees will I carry?" is a business question. Nobody sensible thinks it's rude.
• Give yourself a deadline. "I'd like to confirm by Thursday" shows you're serious and stops the conversation dragging on.

If the company won't answer basic questions about pay or contract type before you sign, treat that as information about the company.

Questions about the employment arrangement

This is the first thing to settle, because the answer shapes pay, tax, benefits and job security. Foreign companies usually hire people in Nigeria in one of three ways:

• Independent contractor: you sign a services agreement directly with the company, invoice it or get paid through a contractor platform, and handle your own tax.
• Employee through an employer of record (EOR): a provider such as Deel or Remote legally employs you in Nigeria on the company's behalf, runs payroll and deducts tax and pension.
• Direct employee of a local entity: less common, and only possible where the company has its own Nigerian subsidiary.

Our guide to being a contractor versus an EOR employee in Nigeria explains the differences in depth. At offer stage, ask:

1. "Will I be engaged as an independent contractor or as an employee? If employee, through which entity or employer-of-record provider?"
2. "Which legal entity signs my contract, and in which country is it registered?"
3. "If I start as a contractor, is there a route to EOR employment later, and what would trigger it?"
4. "Is this role permanent, fixed-term, or a project with an end date?"

Here's why this matters. Nigeria treats contractors and employees differently. Remote's Nigeria contractor guide says "Different laws and regulations apply to each group" and warns that misclassification can lead to fines for the company. Employee entitlements such as paid leave and notice don't automatically apply to a contractor agreement. If you're offered contractor terms, the protection you get is whatever the contract says.

Questions about pay and how it reaches you

The salary in the offer letter and the money that lands in your account are often different numbers. Close the gap before you accept.

The number itself

• "Is this figure gross or net, and is it monthly, annual or hourly?"
• "Which currency is the contract in: USD, GBP, EUR or naira?"
• "Is this pay localised for Nigeria, or is it the same band you pay everywhere?"
• "When is pay reviewed, and what does a raise depend on?"
• "Is there a bonus, commission or equity component, and is it written into the contract?"

An hourly contract needs extra questions. Ask whether hours are capped, whether overtime is paid and how time is tracked. For commission-heavy sales roles, ask what the base pay is and what share of the team hit target last quarter.

The payment mechanics

• "What date am I paid each month, and in arrears or in advance?"
• "Which platform or method do you pay through: Deel, Remote, Payoneer, Wise, or a direct bank transfer?"
• "Do I need to send an invoice? If so, by what date and in what format?"
• "Who pays the transfer fees and any intermediary bank charges?"
• "If a payment is late, who do I contact?"

The platform matters because fees and speed vary by withdrawal method. When we checked Deel's contractor withdrawal guide in October 2026, it listed the following:

Deel says availability varies by country, so check which options your account offers in Nigeria. For the app-by-app picture of Grey, Raenest, Cleva, Payoneer and the rest, read how to receive dollar payments in Nigeria.

Example (hypothetical): turning an offer into naira

Say a contractor offer pays $2,000 a month through Deel and you withdraw to Payoneer.

This is before Payoneer's own fees for moving money to a Nigerian account, any spread from the app you sell dollars through, and your tax. As a contractor, you budget for tax yourself. As an EOR employee, tax and pension come out before you're paid. See tax for remote workers in Nigeria for how that works under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, and the planned guide on calculating your take-home pay for a fuller worked method.

Questions about working hours and time zones

"Flexible hours" can mean anything from "work whenever, hit your deadlines" to "be online from 2pm to 10pm WAT every day". Ask:

• "Which hours do you need me online, and in which time zone are they set?"
• "How many hours overlap with the team, and how many meetings a week fall in them?"
• "Is there on-call, weekend or public-holiday cover?"
• "Do Nigerian public holidays apply, or the company's home holidays?"

Then convert the answer into Lagos time. Nigeria stays on WAT (UTC+1) all year, but the UK and US change their clocks, so the same "9am to 5pm" moves twice a year in Lagos.

UK clocks went back on 25 October 2026. US Eastern moves to EST on 1 November 2026, when it becomes 6 hours behind Lagos. If a US role expects full Pacific overlap, ask whether a partial overlap (say, until 11pm WAT) is acceptable before you commit to months of overnight shifts.

Questions about leave, benefits and equipment

Leave and statutory benefits

• "How many paid days off do I get, and are public holidays extra?"
• "Is there paid sick leave? What about parental leave?"
• "If I'm an EOR employee, which benefits come from Nigerian law and which are company extras?"
• "Is health insurance included? Which provider, and does it cover dependants?"

For EOR employees, Nigerian law sets a floor. Remote's Nigeria guide (checked October 2026) says employees are entitled to six paid days off a year after 12 months with the same employer, and 12 sick days a year. Many international employers offer far more, so ask for the actual figure. Pension also applies to employees: under the Pension Reform Act 2014, the minimum is 10% from the employer and 8% from the employee of monthly emoluments. In July 2026, PenCom said a proposed increase would apply only to the employer's share, but no decision had been made then. Ask the employer, or the EOR provider, which Pension Fund Administrator they'll use.

Contractors usually get none of this unless the contract says so. Some companies offer contractors paid time off, but most pay only for hours or days worked. Ask directly and get the answer in writing.

Equipment, internet and power

• "Do you provide a laptop, or do I use my own? If yours, how is it shipped and who pays the customs duty?"
• "Is there a home-office, internet or co-working allowance? Is it monthly or one-off, and does it need receipts?"
• "Are there minimum internet speed or backup requirements?"

These questions matter more in Nigeria than in most of the employer's other hiring countries. You'll probably need an inverter, solar setup or generator for power cuts, and two internet connections (a fibre or Starlink line plus a MiFi or phone hotspot). A monthly allowance covering part of that changes what the offer is worth. If the company ships a laptop, customs clearance and duty can slow it down, so ask who handles it.

Questions about probation, notice and ending the contract

Remote contracts end more easily than people expect, especially contractor agreements. Ask:

• "How long is probation, and what does it take to pass?"
• "What notice does each side give, during probation and afterwards?"
• "If the contract ends, am I paid for the notice period and for any untaken leave?"
• "Can the contract end without notice? If so, in which situations?"
• "Do you need me to stop other freelance work or client contracts? Is there a non-compete?"

The last question matters if you have side clients. Some contracts ban all outside work. Others only ban work for competitors. The planned guides on what to check in a remote work contract before signing and notice periods in remote employment contracts cover the clause wording. At offer stage, you just need the answers.

Questions about the role and the team

These questions help you avoid accepting a job that turns out to be different from the one you interviewed for.

• "Who will I report to, and where are they based?"
• "What should I have achieved in my first 30, 60 and 90 days?"
• "How is performance measured: tickets closed, revenue, deliverables, hours logged?"
• "Do you use time-tracking or screenshot software? If so, which?"
• "Why is this role open? Is it new or a replacement?"
• "How do onboarding and training work across time zones?"

Answers about monitoring software (Hubstaff, Time Doctor and similar tools) are useful if you value autonomy. A vague answer to "what does success look like?" often means a vague role, and vague roles are easy to end.

Questions that check the offer is real

Fake job offers often look like real ones, and remote roles are a favourite cover. The US Federal Trade Commission describes a common pattern in its consumer alert. The "employer" sends a cheque for $4,000, tells the new hire to keep $1,000 as a salary advance and send $3,000 back for equipment, and the cheque later bounces. The FTC's advice: find the opening on the company's own careers page, and never pay to get hired.

The Nigerian version usually arrives as a "training fee", "onboarding kit", "visa processing" charge or a request to buy equipment from a named vendor. Before you accept, check:

• "Is this role listed on your official careers page?" Then find it yourself, rather than clicking a link the recruiter sends.
• "Can you send the offer from a company email address?" Gmail or Outlook addresses for a large company are a warning sign.
• "Will there be any cost to me at any stage?" The honest answer is no.
• "When will you need my ID and bank details, and through which system?" Legitimate employers collect these after the offer, through an HR or EOR platform, not over WhatsApp or Telegram.

Our guide to spotting remote job scams in Nigeria lists the other warning signs, and the planned guide on checking whether an international employer is legitimate goes further on company research.

How to read the answers

Use the questions above in conversation. This table shows what to look for in the replies.

A single vague answer isn't a reason to walk away. A pattern of vague answers about money and contract type usually is.

Example (hypothetical): an email asking your offer questions

You can adapt this. Keep it short and keep the tone warm.

Subject: Offer for Customer Support Specialist: a few questions before I confirm

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for the offer. I'm excited about the role and expect to confirm by Thursday. Before I do, could you confirm a few details?

1. Will I be engaged as a contractor or as an employee through an EOR provider? If EOR, which provider? 2. Is the $2,000 monthly figure gross, and which platform and pay date will you use? Who covers transfer fees? 3. My working hours will be 9am to 5pm US Eastern, which is 3pm to 11pm in Lagos from November. Is that correct, and is there weekend cover? 4. How many paid days off are included, and is there an equipment or internet allowance? 5. What are the probation length and notice terms?

Thanks again. Happy to jump on a short call if that's easier.

Best, Tolu

Write the actual times into your email. When a recruiter has to confirm "3pm to 11pm Lagos", any mismatch comes out before you sign.

Accepting, negotiating or walking away

Once you have the answers, you have three options.

• Accept if the pay, hours and contract type work for you and the answers were clear and in writing. Reply confirming the start date and attach or quote the agreed terms.
• Negotiate if one thing is off: the pay after fees, no internet allowance, or hours that don't fit. Ask for one or two specific changes rather than reopening everything. The planned guide on negotiating a dollar salary covers how to frame it, and comparing international salary offers helps if you're weighing two.
• Walk away if anyone asks you for money, if the contract type stays vague, or if the terms in writing don't match what you were told.

Turning down a weak offer costs you a few weeks of job searching. Accepting a bad one can cost you months of unpaid work.

Frequently asked questions

Is it rude to ask questions after getting a remote job offer?

No. Employers expect questions at offer stage, especially about pay, hours and contract type. Ask them in one clear, polite email and give a date when you'll confirm. Questions only look bad when they repeat things already answered in the offer letter.

Can asking questions make a company withdraw a remote job offer?

Rarely, if you ask politely and don't stretch the process out for weeks. A genuine employer that pulls an offer because you asked how you'll be paid has told you something useful about working there. Aggressive demands carry more risk than reasonable questions, so keep negotiation separate and specific.

How do I know if I'll be a contractor or an employee?

Ask directly and check the document you're asked to sign. A services agreement or contractor agreement, often through a platform like Deel, means contractor. An employment contract issued by an employer-of-record provider for Nigeria, with tax and pension deductions, means employee. Our contractor versus employee guide explains the consequences.

Should I accept a remote job that pays in naira instead of dollars?

It depends on the amount and how often it's reviewed. A naira salary avoids conversion fees, but its dollar value can shrink if the exchange rate moves. Ask how often naira pay is reviewed and whether it's linked to the exchange rate. Then compare it with dollar offers at the current rate, not the rate when you applied.

What if the employer wants me to buy equipment and claim it back later?

Treat it as a likely scam. The US FTC describes this exact pattern in its fake job alerts, and legitimate employers either ship equipment or pay an allowance through payroll. Never use your own money on a "required" vendor the recruiter names, and never send back part of a cheque or transfer.

Do I need to tell my new employer about my other freelance clients?

Yes, if the contract has an exclusivity or non-compete clause, or if the clients could be competitors. Ask at offer stage whether outside work is allowed and get the answer in writing. Hiding it can breach your contract and end the job.

Should I accept a verbal remote job offer?

Say yes to the conversation, but don't stop job hunting or resign until you have a written offer or contract. The written version should state the pay, currency, contract type, start date and notice terms. A company that won't put an offer in writing isn't offering you a dependable job.

Key takeaways

• Settle the contract type first: contractor, EOR employee or local employee. It decides your tax, leave and job security.
• Ask what will actually reach you: the currency, payment date, platform and who covers withdrawal and SWIFT fees.
• Convert the required hours into WAT for both winter and summer before you agree to them.
• Nigerian law gives EOR employees statutory leave and pension. Contractors get only what the contract says, so ask.
• Any request for money, or a refund-later equipment purchase, means you should walk away.
• Get every important answer in writing before you sign or resign from your current job.

Next steps

If you're still looking for the right offer, browse remote jobs open to applicants in Nigeria. Each listing shows the company, its website and where applicants may live. After a search, you can turn on free email updates for new matching jobs. If you have interviews coming up, our role-by-role interview question guides will help you prepare. If you want hands-on help with interviews and applications, WorkRemote Premium includes one-on-one interview prep.

Sources

• Contractor payment withdrawal options on Deel, Deel
• Job hunting? Look out for phony job postings, US Federal Trade Commission consumer alert
• Nigeria contractor management, Remote Country Explorer
• PenCom DG says proposed pension contribution increase applies only to employers, Nairametrics (22 July 2026)
• CBN exchange rates by currency, Central Bank of Nigeria