The way of the digital nomad is being accepted all around the world with many countries inviting foreigners to live and work in their shores to boost tourism and foreign investments.
In this article, we have compiled a list of these countries offering digital nomad visas, as well as discuss the most common questions regarding this new lifestyle.
Freelancing has become especially popular because of the growth of the internet, as people can now work from anywhere with a data connection.
This has allowed the digital nomad to come to be, a wanderer who works remotely on far-off countries untethered to offices and cubicles, enjoying tropical vistas and low cost of living in countries that will allow them.
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What countries are offering digital nomad visas in 2023?
Many nations have recently introduced the digital nomad visa, which enables people to live and work in their nation for a predetermined amount of time.
Typically, a requirement is that you are self-employed and have a business that you can run from anywhere in the world, or that you work for an employer or firm outside of your host nation.
In most situations, digital nomad visas are short-term and do not provide a road to citizenship, though there may be a chance to obtain a residence permit in specific circumstances, depending on the country’s regulations. There are currently national programs for digital nomad visas in many nations.
The following countries offer or are in the process of offering digital nomad visas—that is, special visas that allow for residency and the right to work within a country’s borders— to such travelers as of the beginning of 2023.
- Andorra
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Aruba
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Cabo Verde
- Cayman Islands
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Dominica
- Dubai
- Ecuador
- Estonia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Goa (State of India)
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Latvia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Namibia
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Panama
- Portugal
- Romania
- Saint Lucia
- Seychelles
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Taiwan
- Thailand
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely and lives in places other than their home country. They can be from anywhere, but they tend to be younger and more tech-savvy than traditional workers.
Digital nomads work where they want to go, when they want to go there—and don’t typically have set hours or days off like regular employees do. Many wander from country to country, enjoying a life of adventure and freedom, as they use the internet to do work on the road.
Popularized by social media influencers and internet content creators, the lifestyle only managed to become more accepted around the world when the pandemic forced many countries into lockdown.
Now, such countries are offering residence visas and permits—digital nomad visas, in essence—for remote workers to attract nomads to bolster tourism. As long as they make a minimum income from their work outside these countries, digital nomads can stay, live, and work in these countries for months, up to years.
Take note that digital nomad visas are fundamentally different from tourist and work visas.
While it is technically illegal to work as a digital nomad abroad on a simple tourist visa, many nations ignore the issue, if not view it as a legal gray area. However, digital nomads by nature only work online and do not compete with locals for jobs.
Digital nomad visas are express permits from countries that specifically allow one to live and work within those countries’ territories, provided that the digital nomad meets the requirements.
If you’re looking for a way to enjoy more freedom and flexibility in your career, then becoming a digital nomad may be right up your alley. There are many advantages to the lifestyle, but there are drawbacks as well.
With no fixed address, it’s easy to move around the world with just your laptop, tablet or phone. You can work remotely from anywhere in the world at any time during the day—and often at night too.
This means that you’ll have more control over where and when you work than if you had permanent office space—and no commute costs either (unless there’s no Wi-Fi available).
Plus if something doesn’t work out such as when business opportunities fall through in your time abroad, there are fewer reasons to worry. You can always just go back to your home country whenever things get difficult.
Digital nomad visas do come with requirements, often a minimum income that comes from abroad and not from the country you want to reside in. This is so that the countries offering the digital nomad visas get more revenues from foreign sources.
There are also considerations such as university degrees or equivalent certification from your home country, if you are to work in fields which require them. You would also need an employer who sponsors your relocation with the digital nomad visa.
Most countries require a visa or permit for digital nomads. A few countries, however, have lighter requirements, offering digital nomad visas that allow you to stay in their country for longer periods of time with fewer restrictions than other types of visas.
These may differ depending on where you want to go and what country you want to reside in. Be sure to check with experts to know the finer details of acquiring digital nomad visas.
How do I become a digital nomad?
Choose a country with a good digital nomad visa policy. It is important that you choose a country that fits with the job you plan to keep while you are there.
For example, you should make sure that your current company can send you your salary in that country.
You should also choose a country with good internet connectivity and an adequate amount of local wifi hotspots. It is also a plus to choose a country with low cost of living, especially when it comes to food, rent, and transportation.
It’s important that this aspect is taken into consideration before deciding on where to go as well since it will impact your overall finances in the long run.
Digital nomads typically have a variety of skills and abilities, but they usually have a focus on technology or project management. The skills you’ll need to be a digital nomad depend on the type of job you’re looking for.
Digital nomads typically have a variety of jobs, but most are focused on technology or project management. A web developer might spend time helping companies build websites and create online stores, or a project manager could help companies manage their projects by providing them with advice on how best to approach various tasks.
For example, if you want to work as an engineer, then it’s likely that your main skill will be coding in any language. If instead you want to manage people and projects from afar, then human resources might be more important than technical knowledge.
The most important part of becoming a digital nomad is ensuring you have work that can sustain you in your travels.
Digital nomads may not always have jobs lined up before leaving their home country, you can generate income while travelling around the world, but you should always have a plan to fall back on.
What are the benefits of becoming a digital nomad?
The beauty of the digital nomad lifestyle are location independent, which means they don’t have to worry about where they’re going next or what they’ll be doing once they get there. They can work from anywhere in the world and still make money on their travels.
They can be anywhere in the world that offers them digital nomad visas, but still have access to technology like their laptop or smartphone, allowing them to work remotely from anywhere.
Digital nomads are location-independent workers who work remotely for a variety of companies and organizations.
A digital nomad’s focus is not so much on the job itself; rather it’s about being able to travel around the world and earn money from multiple sources while working remotely as a freelancer or consultant.
There is also the benefit of enjoying low cost of living in other countries while still enjoying the same income as you would in your home country, allowing you more freedom to fully immerse yourself in the local culture.
What are the drawbacks of becoming a digital nomad?
Being a digital nomad is not for everyone – it can be tough living out of a backpack and being away from family and friends who likely can’t visit you in your new home.
Becoming a digital nomad also is not all that cheap. You can live in a country with low cost of living, but still face unexpected costs. The requirements for digital nomad visas for your destination could also be a hindrance.
You will also need to pay for flights, accommodation, food, and other utilities wherever you go.
Digital nomads typically travel with their laptops and internet connection in tow so that they can work from anywhere—but if you plan on staying in one place for any length of time (say, more than three months), then you might want to consider renting out rooms or houses instead of staying at an Airbnb hostel rooming house, hostel, or hotel.
Quality of life may not be what you are used to in your country of origin, especially if you want to reside in a country that is still a developing economy.
You may find yourself lonely if you’re traveling alone. If you can make friends in your current environment, then all the better as it could help keep things interesting! However, it still is something to consider.
Lastly, and most importantly, in general, if you hold a digital nomad visa, you must file a tax return in the county where you now reside.
As a relatively new concept, digital nomad taxes are not considered in many tax systems. As such, digital nomad taxes are in a legally uncertain gray area found in between being classified as domestic income or foreign income.
Tax residency is complicated business. You may need to consult a tax expert to work out how you need to pay your taxes while working abroad on a digital nomad visa.
You should also be ready to pay taxes twice, to your home country and the country you plan to reside in, for destinations without tax treaties preventing double taxation.
Keep in mind that this will change based on the nation you are working from. To give you an illustration, if you work in Estonia on a Digital Nomad Visa and remain there for longer than 183 days, you will be regarded as a tax resident there.
Nonetheless, several nations offer a one-year tax exemption to digital nomads. Check with your tax attorney to go through the details offered by your host nation to be certain regarding whether you must pay taxes.
If you’re considering becoming a digital nomad, weigh all the pros and cons before making the leap. It’s important to know what your lifestyle will cost—and how much of that expense is related to living abroad. For example, if you’re paying for health care in another country, that could add up fast.
If you’re looking for an adventure and want to live abroad but don’t want any responsibilities or commitments outside of work then this may be right for you. But if money is tight and there are kids involved then it might not be worth it financially or emotionally.
Not everyone can and should be a digital nomad, because it’s an unconventional lifestyle. You need discipline and organization.
There are many pros and cons to being a digital nomad, but it’s definitely worth considering if you want to travel the world and work remotely. Becoming a digital nomad isn’t for everyone, but if you’re interested in exploring new cultures while making money doing so – go ahead and do it!
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Adam is an internationally recognised author on financial matters with over 830million answer views on Quora, a widely sold book on Amazon, and a contributor on Forbes.
