Want to work from anywhere? You may need a digital nomad visa first

Just because employees have the freedom to work from anywhere doesn't mean they automatically can. But with the proper documentation, they could be one step closer.  

There are an estimated 35 million digital nomads worldwide today, according to remote work insights website ThinkRemote, up nearly 20 million since 2020 as a result of remote work. But in order to work on their own terms, this demographic of flexible workers — and those who aspire to join them — must first make sure they have permission to live and work in the countries they visit by acquiring what's called a digital nomad visa. 

"These are specialized visas that are designed to offer a residency permit for independent workers that are desiring an extended stay," explains Keith Spencer, career expert at FlexJobs. "It gives digital nomads the opportunity to stay in a country longer than you would with just a tourist visa — from a couple months, up to a couple of years."

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Flexjobs compiled a list of countries that currently offer a digital nomad visa, which include Argentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Malta and Mexico. For some countries, like Portugal and Germany, these documents predate the pandemic and the subsequent shift to remote work. But as more employees have taken advantage of loosened workplace policies and restrictions, more countries have added the nomadic visas to meet the rise in demand, without sacrificing the labor needs of their country.

"Host countries can attract skilled workers and boost their tourism to stimulate their local economy without displacing the jobs of permanent residents," Spencer says. "Or on the flip side, if a country is experiencing a skilled labor shortage, they could add a stipulation in their visa where they actually need you to freelance for local companies. It's a benefit for both the digital nomad and the host country. " 

The requirements vary from country to country. For example, to qualify for a digital nomad visa in Argentina, an applicant must have a rent contract, health insurance coverage and proof of income. And while many of those requirements can overlap, to work in Hungary, for instance, the same applicant would additionally need to prove that their monthly income is 2,000 euros or higher. 

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"You want to make sure that you are doing your research and reaching out to your embassy in that country to find out what those requirements might be," Spencer says. "The application process time also varies: sometimes the response time is about two weeks and sometimes it takes several months. Getting a digital nomad visa is not necessarily challenging if you meet all the requirements, but it can take time." 

Spencer also encourages employees to think about the organizational risks on top of the logistics when applying for digital nomad visas. Working in other countries could mean different time zones and tech trouble if a worker's equipment needs certain ports and outlets, or if Wi-Fi isn't as reliable in some areas versus others. It could also mean a significant financial commitment should a nomad choose to continue to pay rent or their mortgage in their home country while they're paying short-term leases in new cities, on top of groceries and leisure. 

"These potential drawbacks shouldn't necessarily be a deterrent," Spencer says. "They're just more things to plan for in terms of being a digital nomad."