Digital Nomad

A salaried employee may work remotely while temporarily or permanently living elsewhere.

Examples include employees working in:

• software;

• design;

• marketing;

• finance;

• customer support;

• sales;

• consulting;

• research.

The employer remains the source of income.

This can provide more predictable earnings than self-employment, but employees may have less freedom over where they can legally or operationally work.

Freelancing is one of the most portable income models because digital services can often be delivered from anywhere with sufficient internet access.

Common services include:

• software development;

• design;

• writing;

• translation;

• video editing;

• marketing;

• consulting;

• virtual assistance;

• data analysis.

Income depends on clients and rates rather than the location-independent lifestyle itself.

Independent specialists can sell advice or implementation work remotely.

Consulting is particularly compatible with longer stays because meetings, documents, analysis, and deliverables can often be handled online.

A digital nomad may own a business that can be operated remotely.

Examples include:

• SaaS;

• e-commerce;

• digital products;

• paid communities;

• online education;

• agencies;

• websites.

A business can provide greater location independence but may also create more complicated banking, tax, company-registration, and compliance requirements.

Creators may earn through:

• YouTube;

• Blogging;

• newsletters;

• sponsorships;

• affiliate marketing;

• subscriptions;

• digital products.

MBO Partners reported that 49% of digital nomads in its 2025 U.S. study earned money in the creator economy, although this does not mean creator income was necessarily their primary source of income.

Traveling does not create remote income.

Someone planning to become a nomad should ideally establish one of the following before relying on the lifestyle financially:

• remote employment;

• recurring freelance clients;

• consulting contracts;

• a functioning online business;

• another location-independent income source.

Attempting to build income only after arriving abroad increases financial risk.

Consider whether the work requires:

• physical meetings;

• local equipment;

• secure company networks;

• specific working hours;

• regulated data access;

• access to physical products;

• frequent travel back to an office.

A technically remote job may not be compatible with unrestricted international travel.

Remote employment does not automatically mean:

work from any country

A company may allow home working but restrict international remote work because of:

• tax obligations;

• payroll rules;

• immigration;

• data protection;

• insurance;

• employment law;

• cybersecurity;

• time-zone requirements.

MBO Partners reported that 13% of U.S. digital nomads with traditional jobs in its 2025 study said their employer did not know they were working nomadically.

Another 18% said their company had no digital nomad policy but their manager had given permission.

Working from another jurisdiction without proper company approval can create risk for both employee and employer.

Being permitted to enter a country as a tourist does not automatically establish the right to work there remotely.

Rules differ substantially by:

• nationality;

• destination;

• duration;

• employment structure;

• source of income;

• local clients;

• visa type.

Some countries specifically offer residence or visa arrangements for remote workers.

Others do not.

Immigration status and tax residence are separate issues.

A person may be legally allowed to stay somewhere while still becoming subject to tax reporting or other tax obligations.

Factors can include:

• number of days in the country;

• permanent home;

• center of economic interests;

• employment arrangement;

• company ownership;

• tax treaties;

• local-source income.

Do not assume that being paid into a foreign bank account prevents local tax obligations.

Health or travel insurance may be financially useful and can also be required for some digital nomad visa applications.

Coverage should be checked for:

• destination countries;

• medical treatment;

• emergency evacuation;

• long stays;

• home-country visits;

• pre-existing conditions;

• electronics where needed.

Standard short-trip insurance may not necessarily be appropriate for someone living abroad for months.

A worker who moves internationally may need to:

• receive payments in foreign currencies;

• access bank accounts abroad;

• convert currencies;

• pay local expenses;

• receive authentication codes;

• maintain access to payment processors.

Do not depend on a single card or payment method while traveling.

Estonia offers a long-stay visa route for teleworking.

Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently lists required financial means for digital nomad teleworking at:

€132 per day, or €3,960 per month.

The applicant must also meet the applicable remote-work and visa requirements.

Estonia's digital nomad framework can apply to people working remotely for:

• a foreign employer;

• their own company registered outside Estonia;

• foreign clients as a freelancer.

Estonian e-Residency is separate from the Digital Nomad Visa.

An e-Resident does not automatically receive permission to live in Estonia.

Croatia permits qualifying third-country nationals to obtain temporary stay as digital nomads.

Applicants must demonstrate remote work for:

• a foreign employer; or

• their own company outside Croatia.

Croatia's Ministry of the Interior currently states a minimum financial requirement of €3,622.50 per month.

For a 12-month stay, an applicant can alternatively demonstrate at least €43,470 already available.

The program also requires evidence including:

• health insurance;

• the purpose of remote work;

• sufficient funds;

• criminal-record documentation;

• a Croatian address.

These figures can change because the financial threshold is linked to Croatian salary data.

Spain offers an international teleworking visa.

For 2026, Spain's consular guidance states that the principal applicant must demonstrate financial resources equal to 200% of Spain's minimum wage, currently:

€2,442 per month.

The first accompanying family member requires an additional €916 per month, and each additional family member requires €306 per month under the 2026 figures published by the Spanish consular authorities.

Applicants must also satisfy professional, employment or business, insurance/social-security, and documentation requirements.

The applicable procedure differs depending on the applicant's circumstances.

First establish:

• employment;

• freelance clients;

• consulting;

• online-business revenue;

• another remote income source.

Evaluate more than tourism.

Important factors include:

• immigration rules;

• internet quality;

• time zone;

• accommodation;

• personal safety;

• healthcare;

• cost of living;

• banking access;

• employer restrictions;

• tax implications.

Check the destination government's immigration information.

Possible routes may include:

• visa-free short stay;

• tourist visa;

• digital nomad visa;

• remote-worker residence permit;

• working holiday;

• ordinary residence permit.

Do not rely solely on travel blogs for current immigration requirements.

Short-term hotels can become expensive for longer stays.

Common options include:

• monthly apartment rentals;

• serviced apartments;

• hotels;

• hostels;

• coliving;

• extended-stay accommodation.

Before booking a long stay, verify whether the accommodation provides a workspace and sufficiently reliable internet.

Some visa applications also require evidence of a local address.

Internet is work infrastructure for most digital nomads.

Possible connections include:

• accommodation Wi-Fi;

• local SIM;

• eSIM;

• smartphone hotspot;

• coworking internet.

Someone whose income depends on uninterrupted calls or uploads should avoid relying on one untested connection.

Useful practices include:

• device encryption;

• two-factor authentication;

• backup authentication methods;

• cloud or external backups;

• screen locks;

• remote device tracking;

• separate work and personal accounts where appropriate.

Company employees may have additional security requirements.

Travel with access to more than one payment method where practical.

International services such as Wise can provide multi-currency payment and conversion features in supported countries, but availability varies by residence and account type.

Wise currently states that personal account registration is free and that international transfer charges vary by currency, with some transfers starting from 0.47%.

This is one provider example rather than a requirement for digital nomads.

Travel time consumes working time.

When changing destinations frequently, working hours may be lost to:

• flights;

• ground transportation;

• accommodation changes;

• check-in and check-out;

• connectivity problems;

• immigration procedures.

Longer stays reduce the frequency of these interruptions.

MBO Partners found that U.S. digital nomads in its 2025 study visited an average of 6.2 locations during the year and stayed an average of 6.4 weeks per location.

Both figures moved toward fewer locations and longer stays compared with previous years.

A company can permit remote working from home while prohibiting work from another country.

Ignoring the distinction can expose the employee and employer to immigration, employment, tax, and cybersecurity problems.

Being legally admitted into a country does not automatically establish the legality of all work arrangements.

Nomads planning longer stays or regular international work should investigate the specific immigration rules rather than assuming tourism rules cover remote employment.

Moving between countries does not automatically make someone tax-free.

Time spent in a jurisdiction, employment relationships, residence ties, company ownership, and tax treaties may all affect obligations.

Independent digital nomads face the normal risks of freelancing and online business alongside travel costs.

A decline in clients or revenue can become more difficult to manage when accommodation and transportation have already been prepaid.

Internet failure is an inconvenience for a traveler but can be a business interruption for someone whose income depends on online work.

Backup connectivity matters particularly for:

• client calls;

• remote servers;

• live support;

• trading;

• large uploads;

• fixed-time meetings.

A worker with clients in New York may need to take meetings at night while living in East Asia.

A theoretically location-independent job can therefore still have a practical geographic limit.

MBO Partners' 2025 U.S. survey found common reported challenges including:

• being away from family and friends: 26%;

• financial stress: 26%;

• personal-safety concerns: 25%;

• travel burnout: 23%;

• time-zone difficulties: 21%;

• loneliness: 19%.

Only 11% of current digital nomads in the study had maintained the lifestyle for more than five years.

MBO estimated that roughly 19–22% return to a more traditional lifestyle each year.

These are U.S. survey findings rather than global rates, but they show that long-term nomadic work has practical costs beyond travel spending.

No.

MBO Partners' 2025 U.S. research estimated 11.2 million digital nomads had traditional jobs compared with 7.3 million independent digital nomads.

Freelancing is only one way to obtain portable income.

Potentially, but the employer must allow the arrangement.

A remote-employment contract does not necessarily permit working from arbitrary foreign countries. Employers may impose restrictions because of tax, immigration, security, employment-law, or time-zone issues.

It depends on nationality, destination, duration, and the type of work.

Short trips may fall under visa-free or visitor rules for some travelers, while longer stays may require a residence permit or dedicated remote-worker visa.

Some countries now provide specific digital nomad programs.

There is no universal minimum.

Someone traveling domestically while keeping an existing remote job may require almost no additional work-related startup spending.

International digital nomad visa programs can impose much higher income requirements. For example, current official requirements include €3,960 per month for Estonia's teleworking long-stay visa, €3,622.50 per month for Croatia's digital nomad stay, and €2,442 per month for Spain's 2026 international teleworker requirement.

Many non-EU nationals using the Schengen short-stay regime are limited to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen Area.

However, entry rights and permission to perform remote work are separate issues. The applicable rules depend on nationality, country, and work arrangement.

Digital nomad status does not create a universal tax exemption.

A person can have tax obligations in their home country, destination country, or both depending on residence rules, citizenship, income source, treaties, employment, and company structure.

Not universally, but it can be practically important and some visa or residence programs specifically require qualifying insurance.

The policy needs to cover the countries, duration, and activities involved.

No.

Many digital nomads work from accommodation or other suitable locations.

Coworking becomes useful when reliable internet, meeting rooms, ergonomic equipment, professional surroundings, or social interaction justify the expense.

Remote-compatible fields commonly include:

• software and IT;

• design;

• marketing;

• sales;

• writing;

• consulting;

• accounting and finance;

• research;

• customer support;

• content creation.

MBO Partners' 2025 U.S. research found information technology, creative services, sales, marketing and communications, finance and accounting, research and development, and consulting among common digital-nomad professions.