As someone who worked in aviation for a while (and enjoyed all the perks of traveling for over 10 years!), jumping on any plane that’d land me in a random visa-less (or quick-and-easy visa process) country is second nature to me!
So becoming a digital nomad was the natural next step for me! (click here to read how I used my previous experience as a flight attendant to start my online business!). That said, old habits die hard, and I assumed a tourist visa would be enough to travel even as a digital nomad. Boy, was I wrong!
But now that my travel benefits are long gone living the slomad life suits me better. You see, I want to enjoy every place I go to for a few months before I move on to the next adventure!
But enjoying places for an extended period (while working remotely) comes with difficulties: in case you’re not aware – most countries don’t allow you to work while you’re visiting on a tourist visa (and Indonesia is one of them, for example).
After the pandemic, countries have come up with a solution for tech-lovers who use this tool to their advantage and explore the world freely.
That’s why they’ve launched digital nomad programs.
If you’re curious to know what a digital nomad visa is and what the top 5 countries offer them today in the EU are, keep reading for the tea!
Navigate to where you want to go
First things first: what is a digital nomad visa?
In a nutshell, a digital nomad visa is granted to those who use technology to work remotely. But you need a contract with a company that allows you to work remotely or run your own business. Every country may have its own definition, but those are two of the main requirements I’ve seen from countries offering the EU digital nomad visa.
The difference between a digital nomad visa and a tourist visa.
The most significant difference is that a digital nomad visa recognizes you as a remote worker and gives you the right to work remotely from the country.
Some countries have programs targeting digital nomads (like Malta and Cyprus), while others also target those with sufficient income to finance their stay.
Digital nomad visa benefits.
The greatest thing about the digital nomad visa is the number of benefits that it offers its beneficiaries, which (of course) varies with each country. For example, Costa Rica allows you to open a free bank account, while Georgia gives you medical insurance.
Who can get an EU digital nomad visa?
Now: to the matter at hand!
A regular trend I saw while researching was that EU digital nomad visas are offered to anyone who is not a European Union citizen, which makes sense since EU citizens have the freedom to move around and reside in different EU countries.
Some usual requirements for EU digital nomad visas:
A passport valid at least 6 months beyond your stay and proof of income and/or funds to sustain your visit.
Some countries may additionally ask you for bank statements, employment contracts, non-objection letters to work remotely, or, if you own your own business – proof that you do so.
5 countries where you can apply for the EU digital nomad visa:
Croatia
Croatia launched its digital nomad program in 2021. The cool thing about it is that you are exempted from paying income tax with this visa, and it’s valid for one year. It can also be requested online and only takes 20 days to process!
Here are the requirements:
- Remote work contract.
- Proof of a minimum of $2700 monthly.
- Proof that you can support your stay (a bank balance of $32000).
- A rent agreement for the duration of your stay.
You can find the online application by clicking here.
Greece
Crete has launched its initiative “work from paradise” to promote remote work on the island and hopes to extend its 5G network to cover the entire island. This visa is also extendable after your 12-month period is up.
Here are the requirements:
- Monthly income of minimum 3200 euros.
- Applying from the Greek Embassy of your own country.
- Declaration letter.
- Proof of employment.
Romania
This country launched its Digital Nomad program at the beginning of 2022. On top of it being a beautiful country, its living costs are desirable for digital nomads.
These are some of the requirements:
- Making three times the monthly salary of Romania (around 3700 euros).
- Proof of income for the last six months.
- Proof of employment.
Estonia
Estonia pioneered the e-residency program for entrepreneurs launching it in 2020, which targets remote workers and freelancers.
Here are the requirements:
- Having your own company registered abroad or working for a foreign company.
- Having a minimum monthly income of €3504 (gross of tax).
- Proving that you sustained this income for the 6 months preceding your application.
If you want to start your process, click here to go to the official site.
Czech Republic
This visa can be extended for 2 additional years, so it’s an excellent opportunity for those who want to stay in Europe for a longer time! The requirements are a bit bizarre compared to the rest, but it may be because it’s a freelancer visa.
Here are the requirements:
- Online resume (and yes, LinkedIn counts!).
- Minimum monthly income of 5600 euros.
- A website.
- A business card.
Conclusion
My best advice when it comes to choosing a place as your base would be to really evaluate:
Budget, the lifestyle you’d like to live, and the weather.
Personally, defining the pace at which I want to travel is what defines my choices.
What I mean by this is: if, for example, you want to be on the road and not do the “slomad” thing (staying for a few months in the country), Croatia may not be the best option for you because you have to commit to a 1-year rental, however, if you don’t mind and want to live in a digital nomad hub, Croatia might be the perfect option for you!
I made a lot of compare-and-contrast when deciding where to move next, and I recommend you put your own chart together where you can balance out the pros and cons, budgets, and visas of the places you’re interested in going to.
If you want to steal my personal chart with the best 8 digital nomad hubs I considered, you can download it here, it’s got every detail you need to choose between these 8 fabulous places!
Click here to get my FREE DIGITAL NOMAD HUBS Guide.
Leave a Reply
COPYRIGHT © 2021 mindful nomad |
digital marketing
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT