Is it permissible for a person to take Zakat money instead of his own money which he gave to the poor in a foreign country, based on a prior agreement that he would be compensated from Zakat funds in his own country due to the inability to deliver Zakat to them?

If the money you will receive upon returning to your country, equivalent to what you paid, is held by a specific entity or person to whom you were referred by the one who took your money, then there is no objection to that. However, if the Zakat (definition) money to which they referred you is not specifically designated with a person or organization, then it is not permissible for you to demand Zakat from people's wealth as compensation for what was taken from you. This is because what you paid is considered a loan, and a loan is repaid by the one to whom you lent it, or by the one to whom the borrower referred you. It is a condition that the referred party be specifically designated. If this is not the case, then the referral (hawalah) is invalid, and you have the right to demand repayment from the one who took the money from you.