 Everyone has been talking about digital nomad visas! These are also commonly called "remote worker visas" and more and more countries are starting to offer them. These are visas that are designed to encourage remote workers to bring their laptops (and their money!) to a new, exciting country. Digital nomads understand that there are plenty of opportunities to grow professionally while experiencing a different way of life in a foreign nation. #1: Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa
Announced in October of 2021, the Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa invites international residents to work remotely. A visa with huge tax benefits, as Digital Nomads will not be considered "residents" for tax purposes, and the income they receive from abroad will not be considered taxable in Costa Rica. You can use your country of origin driver's license in Costa Rica, and you can open a bank account, as well, two huge benefits. Costa Rica also has a high degree of internet access, allowing digital nomads to keep in touch with their companies anywhere in the world. Costa Rica has long been a favorite for international expats to live. With its great weather and relaxed lifestyle, it is a perfect choice for nomads to settle and work remotely. Anyone that works as a freelancer doing remote work in Costa Rica could potentially apply for this visa, as long as you have proof of income. The financial requirements are a little steep compared to other similar programs in Columbia and Brazil. To qualify for the Costa Rican digital nomad visa, you must earn at least $3,000 USD a month if you are single, or $4,000 USD a month for a family. And you cannot work within Costa Rica, although the income could come from multiple outside sources. The Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa allows digital nomads to stay in Costa Rica for up to 1 year, and the visa can be extended for an additional year (so, 2 years total). Before applying for the additional year, you must prove that you have stayed in Costa Rica for at least 80 days. #2 Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa
Ecuador is one of the easiest countries to obtain a long-term visa. The Ecuador Digital Nomad Visa is relatively new, but immediately popular. With the Ecuador digital nomad visa, remote workers can live in the country for up to 2 years. This 2-year temporary residence visa allows foreigners to work remotely. Applicants must have the following documents:
It takes about three months to process Ecuador’s digital nomad visa. Digital nomads are not taxed on their foreign income sources. # 3 Panama Digital Nomad Visa
Panama is one of the most developed and financially stable nations in Central America. Residents have a relatively high standard of living. The climate is warm and you can choose to live in a cooler mountain region, or a balmy beach. Also known as the Short Term Remote Worker visa, this visa was introduced by the Panamanian government in 2021. This visa allows digital nomads to live in Panama for 9 months. It has an option to extend the visa for an additional 9 months (so a total of 18 months). To be eligible for this digital nomad visa, you must earn an income remotely and cannot work for a Panamanian company. Panama has literally dozens of visa options. Navigating these generally takes the help of an attorney, and the short term worker visa is no exception. You must have assistance from an immigration lawyer to file your application. The fees for application are affordable (compared to, for example, the Cayman Islands digital nomad visa). There is a $250 application fee and a $50 visa card issuance fee. #4 Colombia Digital Nomad Visa
In 2022, Colombia joined Argentina and Brazil in offering a short term temporary visa for digital nomads. This is a brand new digital nomad visa for Colombia and only took effect on October 22, 2022, so there is little information yet. The digital nomad visa will be issued for a period of up to 2 years. But we know that Colombia's new digital nomad visa has one of the lowest income requirements of any nomad visa currently available. Eligible applicants only have to earn approximately $700 USD in income monthly. No other South American visa's requirements even come close to being this affordable and easy to fulfil. Colombia has a low cost of living compared to other destinations in South America, and up to 80% less cost of living than the United States. Columbia has a large expat population in coastal areas as well as Medellín. These expats know that in Columbia, their foreign dollars will go much farther. Since this visa is so new, everyone is waiting on the government for guidance on how to apply. But this one is one to watch! #5 Brazil Digital Nomad Visa
Brazil's digital nomad visa is another new visa program, just implemented by the Brazilian government in January 2022. The Brazilian digital nomad visa is for remote employees as well as self employed digital nomads. Applicants cannot work for a company inside of Brazil. The visa allows one year of residence, with the option to renew for another year. In order to qualify, applicants must earn more than 1,500 USD per month or prove they have at least 18,000 USD in savings, which can be proved with a bank statement. You must have the following to apply:
#6 Belize Digital Nomad VisaBelize is a small but lovely Central American Nation that boasts English as its national language, making your transition easy as pie if you are a native English speaker. The Belize digital nomad visa was launched as part of Work Where You Vacation Program, which aims to attract more visitors into the country, which suffered a great deal during the pandemic when tourism screeched to a halt. Unlike some other visa programs, if you have children, this program also lets them learn in Belize. All kids under 18 are eligible to enroll in Belize’s outstanding school system. The cost to apply is $500 BZD per adult and $200 BZD per child under 18 years of age (this translates into abut $250 USD for adults and $100 per child). To be eligible for this visa, you must:
#7 Mexico Temporary Residence VisaWhile technically not a "digital nomad" visa, Mexico's Temporary Resident Visa is an easy choice for digital nomads who love the beauty of Mexico but aren't sure if they want to apply for permanent residency. This visa is designed for foreign visitors who intend to remain in Mexico as temporary residents for a period greater than 180 days and less than 4 years. You need proof of economic solvency, showing an average monthly balance of $55,655 Canadian dollars during the past twelve months; or employment or a pension with a monthly tax-free income of over $3,339.00 Canadian dollars during the past six months. The Temporary Resident visa is a renewable, long-term visa. After four years, you may apply for a Permanent Residence Visa if you wish to stay in Mexico. Applicants should generally consult an attorney if they wish to apply, as navigating the application process can be rather difficult. We used EDUARDO CHAVEZ FREGOSO as our attorney for this process and were very pleased with how easy it went. #8 Dominican Republic Temporary Residence VisaWhile technically in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic is only a a short 2.5 hour flight from Miami. Like Mexico, there is technically no digital nomad visa in the Dominican Republic, however, the country does offer a Temporary Residence Visa which allows you to stay for up to one year. You can renew and this for up to five years and then you can apply for permanent residency. Applications for renewal must be made within thirty days before the expiration date. The Dominican Republic is one of the best countries in the Caribbean for digital nomads The country is friendly, Spanish speaking, and has good infrastructure and affordable prices for rent, food, and utilities. #9 Antigua and Barbuda Nomad Digital Residence Program
The Antigua and Barbuda Digital nomad visa (officially called the "Nomad Digital Residence Visa") is for any digital nomad that wants to move to the country for up to 2 years. The application process is very easy as long as you meet the income requirements. How to Apply
Before starting your application, please ensure that you have the following:
#10 Argentina Digital Nomad VisaThe Argentinian government launched a visa for digital nomads in May 2022. This visa allows foreigners who are employed outside of Argentina to work remotely. This visa will supposedly be available for a one-year term, but there are few details yet, and the government has not yet started accepting applications. But stay tuned!
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About UsJust a middle-class dad and mom with three young kids, looking to escape the rat race. This is our journey! If you have a question for us, please contact us directly using our email here.
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