Do you want to start but don’t want to give up your career?
A digital nomad visa could be the answer. It gives you the legal right to work remotely from a country other than your permanent place of residence.
But where to go? A destination you can call home for a while might be a good idea.
Here we reveal, courtesy of research by recruitment firm William Russell, the 10 destinations that offer the longest visa stays.
Topping the list, shared in first place with five-year digital nomad programs, are Spain and Albania.
Spain’s attractive plan allows non-EU workers the opportunity to work remotely there for 12 months, but this period can be extended up to five years.
Albania’s digital nomad scheme is initially granted for 12 months, but can be extended up to five years.
Spain’s attractive plan allows non-EU workers the opportunity to work remotely there for 12 months, but this period can be extended for up to five years.
A similar system exists in Albania, where visas are initially issued for 12 months but can be extended up to a maximum of five years.
However, the process is not straightforward. Applicants for Spain’s digital nomad visa must have a college or graduate degree from a reputable university, college, or business school, or at least three years of work experience in their current field.
Digital nomads must prove they have worked for their company for at least three months, need proof of accommodation in Spain, and must earn at least twice the Spanish minimum wage. As of February, the minimum wage is €1,134 (£960/$1,213), according to Spain’s government, meaning digital nomads must earn €2,268 (£2,055/$2,426) per month.
To register for the visa, digital nomads will need to pay a €75 (£64/$81) registration fee, as well as €15 (£13/$16) for a residency card.
Meanwhile, would-be nomads who want to move to Albania will need to apply for a “digital mobile worker visa” – a type D visa. This requires having a valid contract with an employer, a document proving professional capacity, proof of accommodation in Albania, a 12-month retroactive bank statement, an invitation from an Albanian resident, and several other documents and forms.
There is currently no minimum income indicated on the Republic of Albania visa website.
People who don’t want to move to Europe may find Mexico’s digital nomad program appealing. Slightly shorter than the options available in Spain and Albania, digital nomads can extend their visa for up to four years, but will need to provide some proof of income to qualify.
Digital nomads can extend their visa for up to four years in Mexico, but will need to provide some proof of income to qualify.
The El Salvador digital nomad visa has an initial duration of two years, but can be renewed for two more years.
Applicants must have a monthly income equivalent to 300 days of minimum wage in Mexico City (around £3,417 ($4,338)) or own a property in Mexico worth 40,000 days of minimum wage in the district in which the property is located.
Currently the daily minimum wage in the ‘geographical zone of the free zone on the Northern Border’ is 374.89 Mexican pesos (£16/$20.23) and in the rest of the country the daily minimum wage is 248.93 Mexican pesos (£10.77/$13.62), according to the Mexican embassy in the UK.
Thirdly, alongside Mexico, is El Salvador’s digital nomad visa, which initially lasts for two years but can be renewed for a further two years. Digital nomads will need to ensure that the amount they earn per month “is not less than $1,460” (£1,112), according to El Salvador’s CIP.
The top five longest-term digital nomad visas include Germany, in fifth place along with Malta, Taiwan and Cyprus, where remote workers can obtain a visa for up to three years. Norway (ninth) and Portugal (tenth) round out the top 10, with programs offering up to two years.
William Cooper, Marketing Director of William Russellwarns: ‘There are many things you need to consider before moving to another country and officially becoming a digital nomad. For example, in most countries, it is considered necessary for you to have international health insurance.
‘This ensures that you will be covered for the cost of things like doctor visits, diagnostic tests and hospital treatment when living abroad.
‘However, to minimise the chance of having to claim on your international health insurance, it is a good idea to research the state of the healthcare system in the country you plan to move to.
‘Countries like Malta and Taiwan have excellent healthcare systems for their residents, including expats and digital nomads, so they are unlikely to face high medical costs.’
