Digital Nomad Visa

Strictly speaking, Digital Nomads are essentially remote workers. However, the term remote worker more commonly applies to somebody who works from their permanent home location as a pose in a foreign country. In order to work remotely, you must have permission from your employer to do so outside of an office.

Remote working has become the norm for many over the last two years, offering a more flexible lifestyle for a new working demographic.

Whilst you can enter a country abroad on a Tourist visa, it does not absolutely mean you are permitted to work there. Hence, why the Digital Nomad residence permit was implemented to allow foreign nationals to do so.

Digital Nomad visa cost depends on the country you are applying to travel to and work remotely from.

In some countries, it is free to apply for a Digital Nomad visa, whilst in others it can cost up to 2,000 USD$.

It is important to note that in most cases, the application fee itself is only a small part of the cost. You may have to pay fees for the following necessities:

• Private health insurance
• Customs tax
• Income tax
• Travel insurance
• Accommodation rental costs
• Everyday cost of living

It is wise to calculate the total cost of living and cost of applications before you apply to a specific company, to ensure living and the ability to work remotely is viable.

Whether or not you must still pay taxes depends on your home country. For instance, if you are a British Citizen, you must continue to pay taxes to the United Kingdom during your time working remotely in a different country as a Digital Nomad.

It has been known that people have avoided paying taxes by renouncing their citizenship and no longer becoming a tax resident. However, this is a complex process that requires continuous relocation.

The exact application process will vary depending on the country you are applying to for a Digital Nomad visa.

In some instances, you must apply for a Digital Nomad visa online via the country’s official Government using the allocated application form. Whilst in some cases, you must approach the countries embassy in person or by post to register your interest in applying for a Digital Nomad visa. Whatever the required method, you will be required to submit supporting documents and potentially pay an application fee at the discretion of the country’s visa services.

Once your application has been processed, you will be contacted and informed on whether or not it has been successful.

If your Digital Nomad visa is approved, you can travel to your chosen country and start to work remotely.

It can be important to consider the pros and cons of applying for an Official Digital Nomad visa before doing so.

One of the obvious benefits of a Digital Nomad visa is that Digital Nomads can enjoy a long holiday whilst maintaining their stable income. This is ideal for anybody looking to explore different countries to settle in before giving up their current employment.

Secondly, with more and more countries opting for the Digital Nomad visa scheme, certain countries have devised an infrastructure ideal for remote workers. For example, super-high broadband speeds and reliable connection.

During unprecedented times with Covid-19 many countries have created safe spaces away from the pandemic- allowing people to isolate if required if places with minimal Covid cases whilst still getting to work remotely and travel.

Whilst Digital Nomad visas seem like the ideal way to have the best of both worlds in terms of travel and work, there are some scenarios that may be considered as disadvantages.

Naturally, remote workers in a new country may experience a time difference to their employer’s country. In some cases, this is not an issue. However, if the time difference is too significant to accommodate efficient working, it may be a deal breaker for your employer.

Not to mention that the process could be incredibly expensive for Digital Nomads if they plan on making it a full-time lifestyle. Applying for new Digital Nomad visas once yours has expired can incur high costs, not to mention ensuring you can meet the cost of living requirement.

In addition, constant travel can mean it proves difficult to sustain relationships. Moving around a lot can make it harder to plant roots for your future, but for some, the Digital Nomad lifestyle is a favourable one.

Below are a select few countries that offer visas to Digital Nomads.

The Bahamas

The Bahamas allow Digital Nomads to work remotely for one year from any of the 16 islands. The application fee stands at $25 USD with an additional 1,00 required for a remote workers permit. Remote workers can usually expect a decision on their Digital Nomad visa application within 5 working days.

Germany

A Nomad Residence Permit allows self-employed individuals and freelancers to live in the country for up to three months- although this can be extended for up to three years.

It costs €60 to apply for a German Digital Nomad visa. As part of the application, Digital Nomads must be able to provide proof and references of previous freelance work along with a cover letter.

Greece

Greece is an incredibly popular location for Digital Nomads due to its low cost of living and dynamic climate. In addition, A Nomad Residence Permit in a country like Greece is valid for up to 2 years and can be extended for 2 additional years following its expiry.

Portugal

On a Portuguese Digital Nomad visa, independent Digital Nomads can live and work in Portugal for up to one year at a time.

The application for a Digital Nomad visa in Portugal currently costs €83, with an additional Resident Permit fee of €72.