Hire offshore virtual assistants, fully managed for UK businesses
Looking to hire offshore virtual assistants for your UK business? TalentDock places a dedicated, vetted VA in Sri Lanka or the Philippines, employed and managed by us and working UK-aligned hours, from £1,195 a month all-in.
What an offshore virtual assistant does
An offshore virtual assistant (VA) is a remote administrative professional based outside the UK, at TalentDock in the Philippines or Sri Lanka, who works as a dedicated member of your team. When you hire an offshore virtual assistant through TalentDock, we employ, equip and manage them, and you direct the daily work.
Day-to-day responsibilities
- Inbox and calendar management
- Travel and meeting coordination
- Research and data gathering
- Document and presentation prep
- CRM and records updates
- Personal and executive admin
Specialisms we place
The virtual assistant function covers several sub-roles — tell us which you need:
Tools & skills
Your hire works on your stack. Common tools for this role:
How much does it cost to hire an offshore virtual assistant in the UK?
A dedicated, fully managed offshore virtual assistant from TalentDock starts from £1,195 a month, all-in. That covers salary, local tax and benefits, equipment, software, HR and IT, with no separate recruitment fee. An in-house UK assistant typically costs £2,800–£3,200 a month once employer costs are included, which puts the saving at around 60%.
| Option | Typical cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| UK in-house assistant | £2,800–£3,200 a month (salary of about £27,000–£29,000 plus employer costs) | Full control, but you carry employer NICs, pension, holiday cover, equipment, recruitment and day-to-day management. |
| UK agency VA | About £30–£40 an hour (roughly £4,800–£6,400 a month at 160 hours) | Managed and UK-based, but hourly billing makes full-time cover expensive. |
| UK freelance VA | About £25–£35 an hour (roughly £4,000–£5,600 a month at 160 hours) | Flexible for small workloads, but not dedicated, and continuity depends on one self-employed person. |
| Offshore freelancer or marketplace VA | About £4–£8 an hour (roughly £640–£1,280 a month at 160 hours) | Lowest headline rate, but you handle vetting, contracts, payments, data protection and replacement yourself. |
| TalentDock dedicated offshore VA | From £1,195 a month, all-in (Entry & support band) | A dedicated full-time hire, employed and managed by TalentDock, on UK-aligned hours, with DPA and UK IDTA cover and replacement if it is not working. |
UK and offshore market ranges are indicative benchmarks from published 2026 UK virtual assistant cost guides, such as Teambuild Consultancy, and vary by provider and skill level. TalentDock pricing is indicative: the final per-seat price depends on the role, seniority and hours, so see pricing or get a quote for your exact role. More senior or specialist assistants, such as executive assistants, may sit in the Skilled band, from £1,695 a month.
Hire an offshore virtual assistant for around 60% less
Against an in-house UK assistant at £2,800–£3,200 a month, a dedicated TalentDock VA from £1,195 a month all-in is around 60% less: one fee, one invoice, no UK employer NICs, no pension and no recruitment fee.
Offshore VA vs UK VA vs freelancer: which should you choose?
Most UK businesses weigh four routes to admin support. Hire in-house when you need someone on site, use a freelancer for small or occasional workloads, and hire a dedicated, managed offshore virtual assistant when you need consistent full-time cover at a fraction of the cost.
| Factor | TalentDock dedicated offshore VA | UK in-house assistant | UK freelance VA | Offshore marketplace VA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working pattern | Dedicated full-time, on your hours | Full-time, on site or hybrid | Hourly or retainer, shared with other clients | Varies: often hourly, often several clients |
| Typical monthly cost (full-time) | From £1,195 | £2,800–£3,200 | From about £4,000 at 160 hours | About £640–£1,280 at 160 hours |
| Who employs and manages HR, payroll and IT | TalentDock | You | The VA (self-employed) | The VA (self-employed) |
| UK employer NICs, pension and IR35 for you | None: employed overseas by TalentDock | You carry them | IR35 status may need checking, depending on the engagement | Depends on your contract, and you arrange it |
| Data protection | DPA and UK IDTA in place | Under your own UK GDPR policies | Your own agreement | You arrange it yourself |
| If it is not working out | We replace them at no extra fee | Notice period and re-recruitment | Find another freelancer | Start the search again |
General information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your own IR35 and employment position with a qualified UK adviser.
Why hire an offshore virtual assistant through TalentDock?
The Philippines is the world’s leading market for virtual-assistant talent: experienced, English-fluent and used to Western business norms, on UK-aligned hours.
Whichever hub fits the role — Sri Lanka or the Philippines — TalentDock is the legal employer. We handle contracts, payroll, equipment, IT and HR, and cover the data-protection footing (DPA and the UK IDTA for restricted transfers). Because your hire is employed overseas and works wholly outside the UK, there’s no employer NIC, no auto-enrolment pension, and no IR35 status determination for you to make.
General information, not legal or tax advice — confirm your position with a qualified UK adviser.
Where to hire an offshore virtual assistant: the Philippines or Sri Lanka
TalentDock is the legal employer in both hubs, so the choice comes down to time-zone overlap and the kind of work. Not sure which fits? Tell us the role and we will recommend one.
The Philippines
The Philippines is the world’s leading market for virtual-assistant talent: a large English-fluent workforce, deep BPO experience and a strong fit with Western business norms. It sits 7–8 hours ahead of the UK, and running UK-aligned shifts is the norm.
Best for: inbox and diary management, customer-facing admin, sales and lead support.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka sits about 4.5–5.5 hours ahead of the UK, so a normal working day already overlaps your morning and midday. English is deeply embedded in education and business, with particularly strong written English.
Best for: documentation-heavy admin, operations and coordination, research and reporting support.
What to check before you hire an offshore virtual assistant
A good hire and a bad one often look identical on a CV. These six checks separate them, whichever provider you use.
How they are vetted
Ask how candidates are sourced, tested and vetted, including English, skills on your tools and references. TalentDock sources, tests and vets candidates before you interview them.
Time-zone overlap
Confirm the working hours in writing. The Philippines is 7–8 hours ahead of the UK and Sri Lanka 4.5–5.5. Your VA should work a UK-aligned day so you have real-time overlap.
Data protection
Check for a Data Processing Agreement and the UK IDTA for restricted transfers, plus access controls and retention rules. Neither hub has a UK adequacy decision, so the paperwork matters.
True all-in cost
Compare like with like. An hourly rate excludes equipment, software, HR, payroll and recruitment. TalentDock quotes one monthly fee per seat that includes all of them.
Who employs and manages them
A marketplace freelancer is self-employed, so you handle contracts, payments and replacement. With TalentDock as the legal employer, we handle contracts, payroll, HR and IT, and replace hires who are not working out.
Tools and first tasks
Make sure your VA can work on your stack, such as Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Notion, Slack, Calendly or HubSpot, and agree the first tasks up front: inbox, diary and recurring admin.
How to hire an offshore virtual assistant with TalentDock
Tell us what you need
Book a free consultation. Share the tasks, hours and tools, and we will map the role, recommend a hub and price it.
We source, test and vet
We build a shortlist of candidates who have been tested and vetted for the role.
You interview and choose
You meet the shortlist and pick the person you want. You always decide who joins your team.
We onboard them on your systems
Equipment, secure IT and software are ready before day one, and your VA is trained on your processes so they contribute from week one.
You manage the work, we manage the rest
You set day-to-day priorities and sign off quality. We handle employment, payroll, HR, IT, compliance and replacement cover.
Offshore virtual assistant FAQs
How much does it cost to hire an offshore virtual assistant in the UK?
A dedicated, fully managed offshore virtual assistant through TalentDock starts from £1,195 per month, all-in: salary, local tax and benefits, equipment, software, HR and IT. An in-house UK assistant typically costs £2,800–£3,200 a month with employer costs, and UK freelance or agency VAs charge around £25–£40 an hour. Final pricing depends on the role, seniority and hours, so ask for a quote.
What is an offshore virtual assistant?
An offshore virtual assistant is a remote administrative professional based outside the UK, typically in the Philippines or Sri Lanka, who handles inbox and diary management, research, travel, document preparation and CRM updates. With TalentDock they are a dedicated full-time hire, employed and managed by us and working UK-aligned hours.
Is this a shared or dedicated VA?
Dedicated. Your VA works only for you, on your hours, and is not split across multiple clients.
What is the difference between an offshore VA and a UK-based VA?
A UK-based VA works in your time zone and costs roughly £25–£40 an hour, or £2,800–£3,200 a month as an employee. An offshore VA costs materially less because of local salary levels, but you need a provider that handles employment, data protection and management. TalentDock does that, so you get the saving without setting up anything overseas.
Do I have to worry about IR35, employer NICs or pension?
No. Because your hire is employed overseas by TalentDock and works wholly outside the UK, there is no employer NIC, no auto-enrolment pension and no IR35 status determination for you to make. This is general information, not legal or tax advice, so confirm your position with a qualified UK adviser.
Which is better for a VA: the Philippines or Sri Lanka?
Both work well. The Philippines has the deepest pool of virtual-assistant and customer-facing talent and runs UK-aligned shifts as standard. Sri Lanka has closer time-zone overlap (about 4.5–5.5 hours ahead of the UK) and strong written English, which suits documentation-heavy admin and operations support. Tell us the role and we will recommend a hub.
What hours will my offshore virtual assistant work?
Your hours. We align the working day to UK time so you have real-time overlap, whichever hub your VA is in.
How is my data protected?
Data transfers are covered by a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), with access controls and retention rules built into your agreement. Your data, IP and work product stay yours.
What can I hand over first?
Start with inbox, diary and recurring admin. Most clients expand the remit fast once they see the time back.
What happens if my VA is not the right fit?
Replacing them is our job, not an extra line on your invoice. Tell your account contact and we will find a replacement.
Go deeper: guides to hiring a virtual assistant
How to hire a virtual assistant in the UK
The complete six-step guide: costs, routes, legal checks.
Virtual PA and executive assistant
Offshore executive support for diary, inbox and travel.
Explore related offshore roles
Learn more about hiring offshore
Ready to hire an offshore virtual assistant?
Tell us what you need and we will send a vetted shortlist.
Offshore teams for UK businesses, managed end to end. Dedicated talent in Sri Lanka & the Philippines, trained to your standards.
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