Digital Nomads Abroad-Latest News
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Digital Nomads Abroad-Latest News: I began my global solo travel as a teenager, However, now having worked remotely for a decade, I have quickly learned that this is not the same as being on perpetual vacation. While Bali and other distant tropical paradises are getting a lot of media, for American residents new to working remotely starting out within the US or nearby Mexico may be an easier transition. Although Europe is pricier, multiple EU and non-EU countries are already popular spots for digital nomads of all nationalities.
(See most recent news highlights below.)
Technology advances and the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the already growing demand for opportunities to work apart from a fixed location. Expats used to be primarily retirees looking for a lower cost of living in sunny climes. Today they also include a wide range from both younger workers starting out to mid-career executives and entrepreneurs.
With the global growth of the Internet, software developers and IT professionals have led the way to redefine the concept of an “office”. More broadly though, the pandemic has redefined “work” as we know it.
Digital Nomads Abroad-Latest News Roundup:
Highlights from Around the Web:
More Countries Welcome Digital Nomads:
Netherlands is now offering a Dutch American Friendship. These new e-visas are being offered on a country-by-country basis. They are limited to expats looking to start a business in-country. While the Netherlands has an active economy and a very popular destination, one challenge is that it is one of the most expensive places to live in the world.
Sri Lanka is growing as a top digital nomad destination, selected by the Club Med Index as #2 globally!
More Digital Nomad Villages: Portugal’s Madeira Island and Croatia’s, Borik, Zadra Valley
Top Destinations for Solos to Work Abroad:
More Best Digital Nomad Countries
Hungary Digital Nomads (a Growing Destination)
Exotic Options:
SONY DSC
Thai 10-Year Visa (for Wealthy Foreigners)
Practical Tips-Remote Work Abroad:
Choosing a Digital Visa: Tips to Get It Right
Issues to Consider:
A few caveats:
- Wi-Fi: Some of the sunniest spots and favorite tourist destinations don’t have the infrastructure/high-speed Internet-Wi-Fi for a work environment.
- Cost of Living: Our daily research of lodging costs abroad has shown that costs of living vary widely.
- Transportation: Getting around can add substantially to costs. (In SE Asia, plan to commute via motorbike.)
- Visa Restrictions: Each country sets its own requirements for residence visas and work permits once you are no longer a tourist. You may be taxed or face other fees, including for overstaying your visa. Before you pack, check the fine print!
- Language and Culture: While English has become the “lingua franca” of business, day-to-day living in a country where you can’t understand or read can be challenging. In addition, consider whether you are comfortable with customs and restrictions you don’t experience at home.
Finding a Flexible Job or Career Path at Home or Abroad:
Option One: Try to DIY:
There are those rare Internet influencers who have developed millions of followers and generated income from blogging to attracting substantial advertisers. However, if you don’t fall into that category, a popular path has been to get a contract teaching English (or your native language) in select locations around the world for set periods of time. While teaching jobs have been in person, they may also currently involve some virtual options part or full-time. In addition, if you have a local employer, they could assist in working out visa requirements. Lastly, upon the expiration of of the contract’s term, the next step can be obtaining a new contract in a different part of the world. Once you establish a hub, you can move ahead to explore the region on weekends and holidays.
Option Two: Connect with an online search firm:
Spotlight on FlexJobs: “The #1 job site to find vetted remote, work from home, and flexible job opportunities since 2007.”
FlexJobs works connecting job seekers with employers offering positions not based on a fixed location. They range from remote to flexible or part-time.
When you are considering locations for a possible move abroad to work remotely, check out their aptly-named: “Worst Countries for Digital Nomads”.
Spotlight on Indeed:“(T)he #1 job site worldwide, with over 250 million unique visitors per month… available in more than 60 countries and 28 languages”.
In the US since 2004, they currently have 7 North American offices and 9 abroad.
See Indeed: “Digital Nomad Careers and Employment”.
For US taxpayers, your citizenship means that nomad or not, you still will owe taxes at home. com has just published a practical roadmap to check out as well: “Working from Anywhere: Tips to Avoid Tax Nightmares”.
Select Spots for Digital Nomads Abroad
Estonia Leads the Way with the “Digital Nation”:
Estonia offers two options:
- Remote entrepreneurs gain digital access to Estonia’s e-services:
- Establish and run a company online
- Declare taxes & access banking/payments
- Low-cost, minimal bureaucracy alternative
- For digital nomads who can work online & independent of location:
- For an employer registered abroad
- For their company registered abroad, or
- As a freelancer for clients mostly abroad
To learn more, contact the Estonian Embassy in the US (or your own home country’s national capital.)
Croatia:
Per Expat in Croatia:
As of Jan. 1, 2021 Croatia began to offer a special residence permit, not the same exactly as a “digital nomad visa” which they translate from the new law as follows:
- “digital nomad is a third-country national who is employed or performs work through communication technology for a company or his own company that is not registered in the Republic of Croatia and does not perform work or provide services to employers in the Republic of Croatia.”
To learn more, contact the Croatian Embassy in the US (or in the national capital for your home country).
Portugal:
Portugal offers special visas or residence permits:
- Temporary stay visa for independent work
- Volunteer work for over 3 months
- People living on their own income for over 3 months
- No visa needed for EU citizens and those from the Schengen Area
- Portugal is the first nation to have an actual “digital nomad village“!
To learn more, contact Portugal’s Embassy in Washington (or in the national capital of your home country.)
See also our posts on:
Digital Nomads, Full or Part Time
Digital Nomads-5 Tips to Avoid
Digital Nomad Revolution: Solo Travelers a Natural Fit
For weekly updates and tips for remote work-digital nomads, check out our
To keep on top of new developments, our monthly newsletters have an added special “Digital Nomad” feature in the mid-month edition. While we are continuing to showcase top solo travel deals and practical travel tips in every issue (see below), our expanded edition will focus on ways to reboot your lifestyle by working remotely or apart from a fixed location. The benefit? At home or abroad, you can combine a lifetime of travel whether you are looking only to break even or more broadly to build a career or to own a business.
