Everything You Need to Know: Digital Nomad Visas
In recent years, working remotely has evolved from an emergency stop-gap solution to the new status quo of employment. In fact, unmooring the work week from the office has been such a global phenomenon that countries around the world are now making it easier for the mobile workforce to become “digital nomads”, who can roam distant countries while remaining connected to their jobs. This ascendent travel trend has empowered thousands to wave goodbye to the usual commute, grab their laptop and hop on a plane.
What is a Digital Nomad Visa?
Digital Nomad Visas are temporary residency permits that allow international visitors with online professions to set up shop in a welcoming destination.
We take a look at some of the top Qantas destinations that could be your new base of operations, the requirements you’ll need to be across to be eligible, and just how easy it is to open up your world without burning through your annual leave.
Norway
1/16This is one of the more expensive destinations on the digital nomad destination board, but the sheer beauty of this Scandinavian gem makes it appealing nonetheless. Its two-year digital nomad visa isn’t too pricey at €600 (around $900), but you’ll have to prove you have accommodation sorted and earn at least €35,719 (around $60,000) annually. Then you can go aurora borealis-spotting with polar bears in Svalbard and visit the Munch Museum in Oslo.
Croatia
2/16If you’re looking for a more affordable but still fantastic digital nomad option in Europe, Croatia could be just the ticket. You’ll need to prove an income of €2,232 monthly ($3700) or €26,790 ($44,300) annually for a 12-month stay, plus pay out around €80-€130 ($130-$215) for the visa. Once you’re there, why not whip out the laptop in various Game of Thrones shooting locations, like the medieval walled city Dubrovnik or cruise around the sparkling Dalmatian coast.
Czech Republic
3/16Explore Prague's charming cobblestone streets or take that Zoom meeting while traversing the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge, Sky Bridge 721, in Dolni Morava. The year-long digital nomad visa is free and you only need €5,587 (around $9,250) in the bank, though you will be required to pay €70 ($115) monthly tax.
Cyprus
4/16If you’re yearning for island life, you could be basking in this Mediterranean hot spot for €140 ($230) in visa fees and proof of monthly earnings over €3,500 ($5,800) after tax. With the option to extend from 12 months to two years, you could answer your emails from UNESCO World Heritage Site The Tombs of the Kings or Konnos Beach in Ayia Napa.
Colombia
5/16This South American destination has everything from glittering beaches to breathtaking mountain peaks and Amazonian treks, making the paltry US$177 ($275) two-year visa and US$684 ($1060) monthly earnings requirement very worthwhile. Pop on your OOO and hightail it to the Barranquilla’s Carnival for the country’s biggest street party in February.
Germany
6/16Whether you want to work by day and lose yourself in Berlin’s pulsing club scene by night, or head further afield and take in the wild surrounds of Ludwig II’s gilt-blinged palace, Schloss Linderhof, in the Bavarian Alps, this is an ideal base for digital nomads. The application process is a bit lengthy, but you’ll be rewarded with a three-year visa for only €100 ($165).
Spain
7/16Brush up on the second-most spoken language in the world and apply for a 12-month digital nomad visa that can be extended up to five years! You just need to prove you earn over €2,160 ($3,580) monthly then you can scoff tapas near Gaudí’s astounding Sagrada Família in Catalan capital Barcelona, or work remotely from the ‘village of lemons’, Ojén, in Andalusia.
Malta
8/16Permanently sun-blushed, Malta is a blissful work retreat and the island nation also has a swift 5G network you can tap into. You can even take the whole family on a €300 ($500) visa with proof of €2700 ($4,500) monthly earnings and a rental contract. Then you can do your best work from Mdina’s silent fortress or on a boat trip around the Crystal Lagoon’s Comino islands.
Greece
9/16From the Acropolis standing sentinel over Athens to the mountainous Mani Peninsula in the south, there’s so much beauty, both man-made and natural, across Greece and her many islands. Pop your mic on mute and turn your camera off for a €75 ($125) one-year visa that can be extended to three, as long as you can prove €3,500 ($5,800) monthly earnings.
Dubai
10/16The obvious benefit of basing yourself in the United Arab Emirates’ (literal) hot spot is that you won’t pay any tax on your remote work earnings, which leaves more in your pocket to splurge on luxury goods. This nomad visa will only set you back US$287 ($450), but you must prove you earn US$5,000 ($7,780) monthly.
Mexico
11/16Fancy basing yourself in Mexico City and granting your own annual leave request for the Día de Muertos celebrations? Or exploring the less frequented ancient Mayan ruins of Coba, surrounded by jungle and azure lakes? You’ll pay around US$190-$390 ($300-$600) for the visa, and be required to do an interview, but you can stay for one-to-four years on US$1,620 ($2,500) earnings a month.
Brazil
12/16Surely everyone has dreamed of attending Rio De Janeiro’s carnival? You’ll have to pop to your nearest Brazilian embassy to secure a nomad visa, then you can stick around in this affordable and astounding country, so long as you can prove you earn US$1,500 ($2,330) monthly. Set up shop on Sugarloaf Mountain or overlooking the Iguazú Falls.
Uruguay
13/16One of the best deals going for digital nomads, you only need to pay $11 to make South America’s smallest-but-big-of-heart country your base for six months, with the option of doubling that tenure and no need to prove income, either. Knock off work for a glass of mate and catch a show at Montevideo’s Teatro Solís, or spend the weekend in the hill town of Pueblo Eden.
Malaysia
14/16If you can’t get enough of Malaysia’s mouth-watering cuisine, make every work lunch a dream with this digital nomad visa for US$220 ($342), proving you earn US$24,000 ($37,350) annually. Then you can trek between tea and strawberry crops along the Cameron Highlands, work from an ecolodge overlooking Ulu Muda Forest or party the weekend away in Kuala Lumpur.
Italy
15/16For the bonus round, why not use your professional expertise to score free accommodation in the picturesque Italian village of Ollolai in Sardinia? What’s the catch? The month-long deal simply requires a knowledge swap in sharing your professional skills with the locals. Now that IS good business.