As a digital nomad, you work remotely and in most cases from a country different from your own. In the wake of Covid pandemic, more and more organisations are encouraging remote working. Digital nomads normally work in the fields of Information Technology, copy writing, telemarketing, social media space etc.
And to make things better, countries around the world have come with up with visas for digital nomads
Sounds interesting? Here are the top 5 countries you should explore as a digital nomad:
Brazil
Brazil has a digital nomad visa which was first established in January 2022. The Brazilian digital nomad visa is a residence permit that allows foreign workers to live in Brazil while working remotely. This temporary permit is valid for one year and can be extended for the same amount. You can use this opportunity to explore great tourism destinations in Brazil such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Brasilia, Porto Alegre etc.
Qualification
A digital nomad must demonstrate a work or service contract, among other documents outlining labor relations with the foreign employer. Also necessary is proving one has enough means to live in Brazil. The Brazilian Embassy has specified that one has to show a monthly income equal to or greater than USD 1,500.00 (one thousand five hundred U.S. dollars) or availability of bank funds in the amount of USD 18,000.00 (eighteen thousand U.S. dollars).
Estonia
Estonia is another great country to work as a digital nomad. This visa provides entrepreneurs around the world a legitimate way to live and work in Estonia for up to a year.
The Estonian Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) covers a broader range of digital nomads — in addition to freelancers, it also allows teleworking from Estonia if the person has a foreign employer or is a partner in a company registered abroad. The intention behind the DNV is to attract talented people from around the world to Estonia, who can work independent of location and timezone.
Qualifications
- You work for a company that is registered in a foreign country and you have a contract of work with that company;
- You conduct business activity for a company that is registered in a foreign country and of which you are a partner/shareholder; or
- You offer freelance or consulting services mostly to clients, whose permanent establishments are in a foreign country, and with whom you have contracts.
The other important eligibility requirement to be aware of is the income threshold, which is meant to evidence how you will support yourself during your time in Estonia. An applicant must provide evidence of their income during the six months preceding the application. Currently, the monthly income threshold is €3504 (gross of tax).
Portugal
Portugal’s digital nomad visa comes as part of the amendments to the nation’s immigration law in July 2022. Anna Catarina Mendes, minister in the cabinet of the Prime Minister and for Parliamentary Affairs, said: “Portugal is a country for immigration.
“Every year, we receive thousands of immigrants, seeking opportunities in our country. A country that wishes to welcome immigrants as it wishes its emigrants to be welcomed, too”.
From October 30, location-independent professionals can apply for the new visa, officially named as a “residence visa for the exercise of professional activity provided remotely outside the national territory”.
Qualifications
To qualify for the new visa, applicants need to earn at least €2,800 per month (four times the minimum wage in Portugal); they must come from a country outside of the EU or the European Economic Area; and they must either be self employed, or employed by a country outside of Portugal.
Iceland
In Iceland , the digital nomad visa is called remote work long-term visa.
Qualifications
Applicants for a long-term visa must show that their income while working from Iceland will amount to 1,000,000 ISK per month for individuals – or 1,300,000 ISK if their spouse is joining them. The currency exchange is calculated on the date of the decision. See the Central Bank of Iceland website for currency exchange rates.
Applicants who are employed can provide a copy of their employment contract if it states their monthly salary. Self-employed applicants could provide information on the work they will be doing from Iceland and how much they will earn for that work, e.g., a contractor agreement.
In other words, it does not matter how much money applicants have in the bank. More important is the proof of the amount contracted employees and self-employed workers will be earning while working from Iceland.
Croatia
The Croatia Digital Nomad Visa will allow digital nomads to legally work and live in Croatia for up to 1 year. It’s a travel authorization a remote worker can use to experience everything Croatia offers.
When applying for the Croatia Digital Nomad Visa, you’re actually applying for a temporary residence permit. As soon as you have your temporary residence permit, you must travel to Croatia to register your temporary address and apply for your Residence Card.
Qualifications
To be eligible for the Croatia Digital Nomad Visa, you need to work for a company that is not registered within Croatia. Furthermore, if you work for your own company, your company must be registered abroad, not in Croatia.
Proof of funds is also mandatory for this type of visa. The financial means amount for digital nomads is 17.822,50 kuna per month.
There is no restriction on the source of income. It can come from working income, pension, investments, etc.
If you do not have a regular monthly income, then you can instead show that you have 12 months X the monthly amount in a bank account at once, e.g. 12 x 17.822,50 kuna = 213.870,00 kuna.
Other countries offering digital nomad visa
Countries like Spain, Italy, Norway, Mexico, Costa Rica and German also offer this type of visa.
In Conclusion, a digital nomad visa is a very good opportunity to work in a new country while exploring a new culture. You could make new friends and hopefully new business partners.
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