Is it permissible to pay Zakat al-Fitr to a brother who lives in another country?

The basic principle concerning zakat (whether zakat al-fitr or zakat on wealth) is that it should be given to its rightful recipients in the same country where it became obligatory, as they have the primary right to it. Zakat should not be transferred from them unless there are no deserving recipients in the country, or if it is highly probable that its recipients will find sufficient zakat. However, transferring it might be more preferable if there is an urgent need for it in the destination country, especially if it is nearby, in which case it becomes both zakat and the upholding of kinship ties.