Travel writers and remote workers alike can often work from anywhere, allowing them to pick up their lives and move across the country or even across the world.
This has long been a popular lifestyle amongst the digital nomad community, and as it becomes a more popular form of employment, many countries are developing so-called “digital nomad” visas for those wishing to be nomads in their territory.
The phrase “digital nomad” was first popularized by Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners, who together authored the book Digital Nomad in 1997. This book foresaw the concept that computers could eventually take office jobs out into the world, allowing employees to work from anywhere. Today, this is reality for many remote workers, and even online there are troves of digital nomad forums, networks, and groups who share their tips for the best nomad locations.
Some locations are better than others, specifically because they offer digital nomad visas, which allow you to stay longer than the regularly allotted time on a tourist visa so long as you can prove you’re working remotely. In Europe, for example, most people can only stay in the region without a visa for 90 days. However, if you have proof of income, and can pay the cost of your desired country’s visa, then you can usually stay for up to a year before renewing your visa or relocating.
Here’s a shortlist of popular destinations that offer digital nomad visas.
Europe
- Czechia
- Georgia
- Norway
- Spain
- Croatia
- Estonia
- Greece
- Romania
- Albania
- Germany
- Iceland
- Portugal
Central America and The Caribbean
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- Belize
- El Salvador
- Panama
- Bermuda
- Anguilla
- Barbados
- Montserrat
South America
- Brazil
- Ecuador
Additional countries with nomad visas include: Thailand, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Mauritius, Taiwan, Malaysia, Cape Verde, and plenty more. Some countries are still working on developing digital nomad visas including Italy, Bali, Columbia and South Africa.
Each country has a different set of qualifications you must meet before you can apply for their digital nomad visa. For example, in Portugal, the D7 visa which can be used by digital nomads requires you to prove that you make at least 600 Euros per month, while other countries have higher income qualifications.
If the country you’ve been itching to live in doesn’t have a digital nomad visa yet, odds are they will in the coming years so keep your eyes peeled!
Click here to find out more about digital nomad visas.