Any digital nomad who’s been working remotely can attest to the headache visas can cause. Here is a summary of visa information for digital nomads and travellers.
Here are the visas to think about:
Working as a freelancer on a tourist visa
As a tourist, is it legal to work from your laptop? It is sketchy ground and depends on where your business is registered. If it is registered in the U.K., you will pay tax to the U.K. and have to follow rules… you have to be in the U.K. for so many days in the year. But if you register your company in another country, you will have to abide by the rules of that particular country. Tax will depend on where your business is registered and how long you spend in a country.
If you do decide to work on a tourist visa, visas tend to be on a 60 or 90 day stay. There are a selection of countries that will let you enter for this time frame visa free. Use this website to check which countries will let your citizenship in visa free. If you want to stay longer or get into a country that isn’t on your list of visa free countries, you can buy a tourist visa (or, more legally, a working visa). You need to check out government websites for more details.
There are also options to buy long term visas which are 6 months or a year visa. If you decide on this, I’d recommend applying 2 to 3 months before your visa ends as the process can be long. When I applied for my Canadian visa, it took a year and a half to come through! If this process is too long for you, you can leave the country for a small period of time to reset your visa and re-enter the country. In the digital nomad world, this is called a visa run. A lot of people I know go to Laos from Thailand for their visa run.
To find out more on tourist visas, use this website, which I’ve already given you, and check out government websites.
The Best Countries for Longer Term Visas for Digital Nomads
If you are looking to slow travel, I’ve written a few options of longer term visas so you can travel at a more comfortable speed and manage work and travel better. This list will be especially useful for British digital nomads now that Brexit has happened and stopped europe’s no visa rule.
Schengen visa
Cost - 80 euros
If you are thinking about travelling around Europe, you’ve probably heard about the Schengen visa. It is a visa that allow you to stay in the Schengen area for 90 days in a 180-day period of time. This means you spend if you spend 90 days in the Schengen district, you’ll have to be out of the Schengen area for 90 days before returning. You can do this consecutive or spread between a 180 day time frame. Countries included are Spain, Portugal and Switzerland. You can see all the participating countries here. If you want to stay longer in one place, there are other visas you can get to go alongside the Schengen visa. See below.
Germany Freelancer Visa
Cost - 50–110 euros
Belin offers a visa for freelancers to cater those who are self-employed. This visa is open to those who are technology, marketers, writers, engineers, architects, consultants and self-employed doctors. You are eligible if you can prove your work will have a positive impact on their economy.
To apply you need:
Your CV
Proof of address in Berlin
Proof of freelancer employment
Financing plan
Revenue forecast
Proof of regular income
Professional permit if you are a practising lawyer
Health insurance
Pension plan if you are over 45 years old
You will also need to attend an appointment. See the official website for more details.
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa
Cost - $ 15.70
If you don’t have an EU passport and don’t intend on working for a Spanish company, this one-year visa is perfect for you. It should also be known that if one year in Spain isn’t enough, you can renew it for an additional two years at a time. It needs to be noted that for this visa you need to prove you have a minimal amount of about 2,150€ per month, and an extra 535€ per month for every dependent you plan to bring with you.
Passive Income Visas
Cost - Varies
Countries around the world welcome new residents who can prove a level of income to support themselves whilst visiting/living in their country. So you could be eligible to live as a resident if you have a steady source of income. The restrictions vary depending on the country and visa program, so check this website for more details. Countries include: Panama, United Kingdom, Portugal, Aruba, Guatemala, Malta and Austria.
Working Holiday Visa
Cost - Varies
There are over 60 countries that offer working holiday visas for those who are between 18-30. A working holiday allows you to experience a country whilst working for a company in the chosen country. Countries include Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Austria, and France. Check out this very detailed blog post here for more details.
Mexico Temporary Resident Visa
Cost - $36
This is a 1 year visa and can be renewed for up to 4 years. You need to show that you have enough funds to support you to be eligible for this visa. Check the official government website for more details.
Costa Rica: Rentista Visa
Cost - $50
This visa requires you to have a regular income using contracts and a past history of earning amount. You’ll need to make US$2,500 from a guaranteed source for two years. Check out this website for more details.
Thailand Education Visa and Self Defence Visa
Cost - 30k - 34k baht
Thailand have a cool education visa that allows people to stay in Thailand whilst learning self-defence, scuba diving or university courses. For around $1k, You can sign up for self-defence courses for a year.
Estonia's Digital Nomad Visa - Coming Soon!
This visa is especially made for digital nomads. It comes out soon. Stay posted and I’ll let you know what’s happening with it when it comes out. If you are interested in Estonia, they also have an e-residency program which allows people to create and run a EU based business online from anywhere in the world!
If you are interested in different visas, maybe you’d be interested in having a 30-Minute Call. Book in a call by clicking here.