50+ Countries You can work remotely From

Oct 17

So you want to work remotely outside of your home country, but are not sure how it works with visas?

Generally speaking, you have 4 options which I’ll cover briefly below. Please note that this is NOT legal/ tax advice- I am just giving you an overview of your options and you should seek expert advice for your individual situation.

Ok let's cover them now:

Get sponsored by a company

This is a good solution if you don’t want to move around much, but is very difficult to obtain.

Work remotely as a freelancer

You can set up as a freelancer pretty easily and this gives you the ultimate freedom to move around, however, the tax and legal implications can be complicated. Generally speaking, you can’t work for longer than 180 days in one country.

Work for a ‘work from anywhere’ company.

There are hundreds of ‘work from anywhere’ companies that don’t care where you’re from or where you live (to a certain degree). These are the holy grail of remote companies and use an employee of record to stay! I have a list of over 350 of these that I share with my Rebels, but if you want a taster of remote first companies- you can get them in the free guide here.

Get a digital nomad visa

If you want to stay longer somewhere and truly enjoy everything a country has to offer while you work remotely, digital nomad visas are a great way to do this! These allow you to work in that country for 6 months- up to 3 years in some cases.

They do involve a lot of paperwork, but the good news is that there are over 50 countries that now have these!

Let’s explore how they work…

Digital Nomad Visa Requirements

Generally, the application processes are very similar in each country. They will all ask you to gather the required documents, like passport copies, proof that you can work remotely, proof of income and accommodation, etc.

Most times, you’ll need to attend an interview and wait for several months before getting your visa approval.

Digital nomad visas are usually granted to anyone who can prove they have sufficient funds to support themselves (and their families, if needed) while working for a company outside the one issuing the visa.

Countries That Offer Digital Nomad Visas

There are over 50 countries that offer digital nomad visas or special permits for remote workers.

Here are the top 20 across Asia, North & South America, Europe & Africa. You can find more here.

Barbados - The Barbados "12-Month Welcome Stamp" allows visitors to work remotely for up to a year.
Bermuda - The "Work from Bermuda" visa program provides a 12-month residency for remote workers.
Estonia - The country was one of the first to introduce a Digital Nomad Visa allowing remote workers to live and work in Estonia for up to a year.
Georgia - Under the "Remotely from Georgia" program, freelancers and remote workers can stay in Georgia for up to a year.
Iceland - The long-term visa allows remote workers and their families to stay in Iceland for up to six months.
Croatia - Croatia's digital nomad visa allows remote workers to stay in the country for up to a year.
Cayman Islands - The "Global Citizen Concierge Program" offers digital workers the opportunity to live and work in the Cayman Islands for up to two years.
Costa Rica - The country introduced a "Remote Worker Visa" that permits qualifying individuals to stay for up to a year.
Dubai (UAE) - The emirate introduced a "Virtual Working Program" for remote workers to live and work in Dubai for up to a year.
Greece - The country proposed a digital nomad visa program to attract remote workers to its islands and main cities.
Portugal - The country has been receptive to digital nomads, especially in cities like Lisbon and Porto, and has provisions for long-term stay for remote workers.
Mexico - The Temporary Resident Visa allows remote workers to stay in Mexico for up to a year.
Malta - The "Nomad Residence Permit" allows digital nomads to reside in Malta and work remotely for up to a year.
Mauritius - The "Premium Visa" allows visitors to stay and work remotely for up to a year.
Anguilla - The "Work from Anguilla" program lets remote workers stay on the island for up to a year.
Antigua and Barbuda - The "Nomad Digital Residence" program allows for a stay of up to two years.
Czech Republic - While not specifically labelled as a digital nomad visa, the country offers a "Zivno" freelance visa that many digital nomads use to live and work in the country.
Aruba - The "One Happy Workation" program allows U.S. visitors to work remotely in Aruba for up to 90 days.
Dominican Republic - The "Remote Working Stay" program lets digital nomads and remote workers stay for up to a year.
Cape Verde - Located off the northwest coast of Africa, Cape Verde has been becoming a popular destination for digital nomads. While as of my last update in January 2022, they didn't have a dedicated "digital nomad visa," the country's tourist visa policy and an increasing number of coworking spaces on islands like Sal and Boa Vista were attracting remote workers.