I'll also be doing work in Japan, Italy, Germany and UK (and probably a few others)- do they all use NEC too? Do most nations use the same permit/inspection methods the US does, or does it differ wildly from place to place?
Before reading what I've written below, note that the good news follow the bad news! No need to despair
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The inspection vary wildly from place to place, from self-certification to strictly enforced inspections. Read Redsy's answer and apply it to the world... There is no general rule.
The NEC and almost identical codes (everything is relative
) are used in the United States, Canada, Mexico and a number of countries in central and South America. (Plus the Philippines)
This makes sense because 60 Hz and American style equipment goes hand in hand. As the NEC and the equipment and devices (breakers, receptacles etc.) used for wiring are closely tied to each other, it is natural to use the NEC.
Outside this world, each country has its own code or uses someone elses. For example the British wiring regs are used in a number of countries and the French appears to be used in French speaking parts of Africa. Most of these national codes are based on a code from the IEC in Switzerland which in itself cannot be applied directly. The equipment used for the 50Hz systems are designed around the IEC standards and don't really fit with the NEC.
Now for the good news:
The basic engineering principles are the same. Things have to be grounded, cables and motors need over current protection, voltage drop has to be considered and so on. If you understand the engineering, adapting to different codes shouldn't be too hard.
