Is it permissible to give Zakat in the province where the Zakat payer works, instead of the province where he resides?

If the zakat-eligible wealth is located in the same province as the questioner, then it is valid to disburse the zakat there, because the poor of the zakat's locality are given precedence. However, if the wealth is in the province of the questioner's residence, the distance should be considered:

If the distance does not reach the limit for shortening prayers (qasr): It is permissible to transfer the zakat according to many jurists, and it is preferable to prioritize the poor of the closer locality. If the distance reaches the limit for shortening prayers: This is considered a transfer of zakat without a valid excuse, which is impermissible. However, it does not invalidate the zakat according to most scholars, so the questioner is not required to disburse it again. Valid excuses for transfer include the absence of poor people in the locality, or the poor in the distant locality being in greater need.

Scholars have differed on the ruling concerning the transfer of zakat: Ibn Qudamah held the view that transferring zakat is disliked if the distance is less than that for qasr, and forbidden if it reaches the qasr distance, though the zakat of one who transfers it is still valid. Al-Nawawi held the view that the sounder opinion is that the zakat is not valid if it is transferred while there are eligible recipients in its own locality, and that there is no difference between transferring it for a qasr distance or less. He maintained that the decisive factor is the locality of the wealth at the time zakat becomes due.