Your Ultimate Guide to Digital Nomad Visas & the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Many thanks to the digital nomads who have shared their expertise with us for this blog.

If you’re seeking a change of scenery, the digital nomad lifestyle is one to consider. Can you see yourself working by the sea, or from a bustling coworking space in a European city, or deep in the mountains? If you can, you’re not alone, with the amount of people working remotely around the world quadrupling between 2015 and 2023, with 7% of these being from the UK (USA take the lead with this, with 46% being from the states). Part of this astronomical rise has been facilitated by the increase in countries offering digital nomad visas. So, if you want to dip your toe into the global community of wanderlust-driven professionals, we’ve summarised everything you need to know.

What is a Digital Nomad Visa?

A digital nomad visa allows remote workers to live and work in a foreign country for a set period of time. Unlike traditional tourist visas, which are often limited to a few months (if that!), digital nomad visas typically offer longer durations. These can be anywhere from six months to two years. Digital nomad visas have been created to attract freelancers, entrepreneurs, and remote employees who earn their income from sources outside the host country.

Benefits of a Digital Nomad Visa:

• Extended Stay: Tourist visas will limit you to the amount of time you can stay in a country. This way, you can live in a new country for a much longer period.
• Legal Working Status: Most normal visas will prohibit you from working or looking for work whilst in that country, but these digital nomad visas are explicitly designed to allow you to work legally.
• Access to Local Services: Depending on the country and the visa requirements, they can sometimes include benefits like healthcare or banking access.

Digital Nomad Lifestyle: The Reality

So now you understand a little more about the availability of digital nomad visas, are you actually cut out for the lifestyle? We were lucky enough to be able to speak to several people who’ve been living the dream, and they’ve shared their best advice with us.

Tips for Newcomers to the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Digital nomads Burak Özdemir, a remote entrepreneur, Gabrielle Marie Yap, culinary adventurer, Jacqueline Renouard of Nomadic Writers, Yulia Saf, a travel guru, and Kevin Mercier, a travel blogger, have all been living the lifestyle for a few years now. We asked them to share their tips for those planning on sticking a toe into digital nomadism, and we’re thrilled with the insights they’ve been able to share.

Plan ahead:

Ideally, don’t just hop in your car or on the train with your laptop and sprint off to the most appealing country. There are key areas that you should research or make a plan for before setting off:

• Cost of living: The same budget won’t work in every country. Some have a much higher cost of living than others. Get a good idea of this before you arrive so you know your budget will work for you there.
• Research visa requirements: As we’ve mentioned, many normal visas will prohibit any kind of work. Ensure you arrive under the right sort of visa and you’ve completed all the paperwork required. This also applies for stay durations.
• Get the most out of your money: Reward credit cards can often come with great travel spend deals, discounts on hotels and transport, and even travel insurance.

Get the right tech:

• Internet speed: There’s one key thing that will make or break for your productivity as a digital nomad: internet connectivity. If the country you’re staying in has poor WiFi availability you may want to reconsider the destination.
• VPNs: Virtual Private Networks will help secure you in the event of having to use public unsecured WiFi. They’re also useful if you need to ‘appear’ as working from a particular country.
• Travel apps: The list of these could go on and on, but a few of our favourites are: Google Maps offline maps (download them before you go, and if you aren’t sure if you’ll get signal, you can still navigate). Citymapper is your public transport go-to. Wise is great for all those international payments if you plan on having a global clientele.
• There are other really useful tools and hardware to consider such as time-zone calculators, hard drives to protect your data, or cloud storage if you want something less physical.

Find your communities:

Even before you travel you can start networking by exploring Facebook, online forums, and other nomad communities and platforms such as meetup.com or Bumble to find people living and working in the area you’re headed for. This way, you can get first-hand experiences of what it’s like and even arrive with a ready-made network of people.

Enjoyment:

You’ve got to find enjoyment in the everyday when pursuing a nomadic lifestyle. Either that’s from the travel itself, or a job you find meaningful. Find what makes you tick and ensure you can follow it.

Flexibility:

Things will go wrong. They just will. You can do all the research in the world and still have things go pear-shaped – 2020 and the arrival of Covid-19 has certainly taught us that. Having a certain level of flexibility means you can cut a trip short if something isn’t right, or if you want to explore somewhere else when you hadn’t planned to. Being rigid won’t get you very far with this lifestyle.

Contingency:

If the above hasn’t made it obvious, have a contingency plan! Take major elements of your digital nomad adventure and work out what you’ll do if they fail.

• Cash: Make sure you have a good chunk of cash squirrelled away in case you suddenly end up on reduced income – or none at all. Or for emergencies; last minute flights or accommodation can be incredibly bank account draining. You could also keep a credit card open with a healthy credit limit that you don’t use unless for absolute emergencies.
• Connectivity: When you’re a digital nomad the operative word is digital. There’s a requirement to be connected. How much will it affect your work and therefore income if you end up without internet for a prolonged period? Ensure you know nearby locations you can visit with WiFi, or if you need total certainty, you might need to drop a wad of cash on something like Starlink to ensure you’re connected 24/7.

With the rise of digital nomad visas, do you think the landscape will change much?

The general consensus from those that have been doing this for several years was that the rise of visas will not make too much of an impact. Some aspects of working remotely abroad have become much easier – Kevin Mercier mentions the growing acceptance of remote work as companies become more used to the idea post-pandemic, but warns that this has led to greater competition for jobs and resources.

Yulia raises the valid point that the rising costs of travel has become a bigger barrier than it used to be.
Chris Oberman, who, along with his family, has become a digital nomad, mentions that you may have to look further afield to places like Asia to find more opportunities and lower rent/food prices.

Digital Nomad Lifestyle Pros and Cons:

Thanks to Yulia Saf, travel guru, Amanda Benson, the owner of Dusty Trail RV, Mac Steer, an entrepreneur, Ed Santos, travel blogger, and Chris Oberman for these responses.

Pros

• Work-life balance
• Flexibility and freedom
• Explore new cultures
• Ease of travel
• Meet diverse people
• Adventure opportunities
• Learn new skills

“When working abroad, you encounter many local aspects such as househunting with local agents, learning local business etiquettes, and something as simple as finding a place to buy furniture. Finding your way in these things can be truly eye-opening.” – Chris Oberman, Moving Jack

Cons

• Jobs are very competitive
• Stressful: Unreliable connectivity, visa complications
• Loneliness
• Draining to be on the move all the time
• Lack of community
• Managing finances
• Homesickness
• Time-zone issues

“I sometimes miss having a routine and the comfort of a permanent home.” – Pradeep Guragain, Magical Nepal

What’s the difference between Digital Nomads, Remote Workers, or expats?

In a post COVID-19 world it’s easy to confuse these words. We used to commonly refer to expats when it came to those living abroad, but this term mostly refers to those who seek permanent residence in one specific country. Remote Workers can be anyone who works away from a dedicated office – this could be at home, or in cafés or coworking spaces. Digital nomads have no one set workplace and no one set home. They move around frequently, usually from country to country, without a set office or living space.

Which countries have a digital nomad visa?

These details were up-to-date at the time of publishing, but you should always confirm the latest regulations with the country you intend to work in.

FAQ: All About Digital Nomad Visas

Q: How do I apply for a digital nomad visa?

A: The actual requirements will vary depending on the country but most will expect to see proof of income, adequate savings, health insurance, or more. Always check the specific requirements of the country you’re interested in.

Q: Can I bring my family with me?

A: Many countries allow digital nomads to bring their families, but additional requirements may apply. Check the specific visa guidelines for family members.

Q: What happens if my visa application is denied?

A: If your application is denied, the country may allow you to reapply or appeal the decision, but this is down to the individual country. The best way to avoid this is to make sure all your documents are in order and meet the specified criteria.

Q: Are there tax implications for digital nomads?

A: This really varies by country as well as your own home country. Some countries have tax systems in place or offer tax exemptions for digital nomads. If in any doubt, consult an accountant who is well versed in foreign tax rules.

Q: What should I consider when choosing a country for my digital nomad adventure?

A: It is important to decide what your non-negotiables are. Distance from your home country, cost of living, stability of the internet, local culture, language, and safety are all things that should be considered. Of course, visa requirements are also something you should check carefully.

Digital Nomad Resources

We’ve put together some resources that you may find useful if you’re considering the digital nomad lifestyle.

Nomad List: this website is a treasure trove of information about different places to work. It includes information on the cost of living as well as personal experiences.
Global coworking spaces: Such as WeWork, Spaces, The Hive and Hub Australia – a company with coworking spaces across the world. Sometimes it’s nice to work in a familiar location even if you’re in a brand new country.
NomadPick have done the hard work for you by collating the best tools and resources for your travels.
The Digital Nomad subreddit: An online forum community where digital nomads can discuss common issues, seek advice or even find other local nomads.
Remote-friendly job boards : Sites such as RemoteOK, Remote.com, Remote Friendly, and WeWorkRemotely all list available jobs.
Nomad-friendly banks: Travelling internationally requires a bank account that understands your needs. There are lots of options such as Wise and Revolut but there are also plenty of others.