Got itchy feet 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 that’s not 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 offering the longest visa stays.
Topping the list in joint first place with five-year digital nomad schemes are Spain and Albania.
Spain’s attractive scheme allows non-EU workers the chance to work remotely there for 12 months, but this can be extended for up to five years
Albania’s digital nomad scheme is initially issued for 12 months, but can be extended for up to five years
Spain’s attractive scheme allows non-EU workers the chance to work remotely there for 12 months, but this can be extended for up to five years.
A similar scheme in Albania is also available, where the visa is initially issued for 12 months but can also be extended to a maximum of five years.
However, the process is not straightforward. Applicants for Spain’s digital nomad visa must have an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from a university, college or business school of prestige – or at least three years of work experience in their current field.
Digital nomads must provide proof that they have worked for their company for at least three months, need proof of accommodation in Spain and must earn at least double Spain’s minimum wage. As of February, the minimum wage is €1,134 (£960/$1,213), according to the government of Spain – that means digital nomads must earn €2,268 (£2,055/ $2,426) per month.
To register for the visa, digital nomads will be required to pay a €75 (£64/$81) registration fee, as well as €15 (£13/$16) for a residency card.
Meanwhile, wannabe nomads looking to move to Albania will have to apply for a ‘visa for digital mobile workers’ – a type D visa. This requires you to have a valid contract with an employer, a document proving professional capacity, proof of accommodation in Albania, a 12-month back-dated bank statement, an invitation from a resident of Albania and several other documents and forms.
There is currently no minimum income listed on the Republic of Albania’s visa website.
People who don’t want to move to Europe might find Mexico’s digital nomad scheme attractive. 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
El Salvador’s digital nomad visa initially lasts for two years, but can be renewed for an additional two years
Applicants need to have a monthly income equivalent to 300 days of the minimum wage in Mexico City – around £3,417 ($4,338) – or they’ll need to own a property in Mexico worth 40,000 days of minimum wage in the district the property resides in.
Currently the daily minimum wage in the ‘geographic area 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 embassy of Mexico for the UK.
In joint third position with Mexico, El Salvador’s digital nomad visa initially lasts for two years but can be renewed for an additional two years. Digital nomads will need to ensure the amount they earn per month ‘is not less than $1,460’ (£1,112), according to El Salvador CIP.
Rounding off the top five longest digital nomad visas are Germany in joint fifth with Malta, Taiwan and Cyprus, where remote workers can obtain a visa for up to three years. Norway (9th) and Portugal (10th) round off the top 10, with schemes offering up to two years.
William Cooper, marketing director at William Russell, warns: ‘There are many things that you need to think about before relocating to another country and officially becoming a digital nomad. For example, in most countries, it’s deemed necessary for you to have international health insurance.
‘This ensures that you will be covered for the cost of things such as doctor visits, diagnostic tests and hospital treatment when living abroad.
‘However, to minimise the chance of you needing to claim on your international health insurance, it’s a good idea to research the state of the healthcare system in the country that you’re planning on relocating to.
‘Countries such as Malta and Taiwan have excellent healthcare systems in place for their residents, including expats and digital nomads, so it’s unlikely that you would be left with expensive medical costs.’