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What Is a Digital Nomad Visa and How To Get It

Rapid Translate Team

Updated: July 17, 2025 | 9 min read

You heard about the digital nomad visa from someone you know or a video on your favorite social media platform. And it looks exciting because you get to travel to another country and work. So, you want to know everything. What is a digital nomad visa, and what are the requirements to get one?

Well, this guide is what you’re looking for because it answers all your questions about this document. Keep scrolling to find out about digital nomad visa requirements.

 A person sits on a purple-colored bean bag on the beach and uses their laptop.

What Exactly Is a Digital Nomad?

A digital nomad is anyone who works remotely while traveling and living in different countries. They rely on technology, like access to the internet and a laptop or tablet, for work. Their office is wherever they’re staying at the moment. 

For example, a digital nomad can move to Japan while working as a freelance software developer for three months. Then, they can go to Dubai and continue working remotely for another three months. By definition, this is a digital nomad.

Why Do Digital Nomads Need a Special Visa?

Digital nomads need a special visa because what they do doesn’t fall under conventional visas. For instance, they cannot apply for a tourist visa because they are not just visiting another country. 

Because they’re working, even though it’s remote, violates the terms of their visa. In some instances, it can be a legal gray area because the employer is from another country. However, this comes with a lot of risk. If caught, they can face fines or deportation.

On the other hand, a work visa doesn’t make sense because you’re not visiting the country for work. Nor are you working for a company that’s operating in the country you’re visiting. 

As you can see, digital nomads don’t fall into either visa category. The digital nomad visa slots perfectly between a tourist and work visa. It allows you to visit a country and work remotely, and you don’t have to worry about breaking any laws.

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How Do You Apply for a Digital Nomad Visa?

The application process for a digital nomad visa depends on which country you’re going to. However, most regions have a similar framework. The following sections explain how to apply for a digital nomad visa.

Requirements for a Digital Nomad Visa

Here are the general requirements you need to meet to apply for a digital nomad visa:

  • Minimum income: Countries that offer this type of visa will check if you meet their minimum income requirements. This ensures you have the funds to support yourself while living in a foreign country.
  • Proof of employment: You must show you’re working for a foreign company, your own company, or as a freelancer with international clients.
  • No criminal record: You shouldn’t have any criminal records, and you must do a background check to show that your history is clean.
  • Health insurance: It lets the officials know you have medical coverage in case there’s a medical emergency or something goes wrong.

A close-up of a passport with multiple stamps.

Documents Required for a Digital Nomad Visa

You know you meet the general eligibility requirements. The next step is determining what documents you must submit for the digital nomad visa. Here are all the documents you need:

  • Passport 
  • Employment contract or a similar document
  • Proof of income, pay slips, pay stubs, or bank statement
  • Proof of accommodation booking in the destination country 

If these documents are in a language different from the country’s official language, you must use document translation services.

Pros and Cons of Having a Digital Nomad Visa

At a glance, it looks like a digital nomad visa is perfect. You get to do all the things you want with a single visa. However, you must consider several pros and cons before applying for this visa.

Pros:

  • You get to travel and work in multiple countries and never have to think about your visa terms. It’s the closest you can feel to true freedom or living in a world without borders.
  • It’s better for your mental health because you get to step out, meet new people, and have different experiences.
  • You can save money by temporarily moving to a country with a lower cost of living.
  • It’s excellent for personal growth because you’re no longer in your comfort zone. This means you pick up new skills, make new friends, and do different things.
  • You no longer waste time every day traveling to work.

Cons

  • Filing taxes can be confusing because you need to know the laws of multiple countries.
  • You may not be eligible to travel to certain countries because their minimum income requirements are extremely high.
  • You need a good internet connection and speed to work remotely. Plus, power outages can become problematic.
  • You will have to use certified translation or other similar services to ensure your documents are legally acceptable.
  • Maintaining a good work-life balance is hard. Seeing new places daily is tempting, which can affect your productivity. On the other hand, you may work too much because it takes a lot of time to complete your tasks.

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Which Countries Offer Digital Nomad Visas?

Okay, it’s decided — you’re getting a digital nomad visa. From whatever you read, you’re convinced that this is the best decision for you, right now. The next question is, ‘Which countries offer digital nomad visas?’ We created a comprehensive list, so you can pick a country you have always wanted to visit or live in.

Europe

Europe is a top destination for digital nomads because there are many things to do. Here are all the countries that offer this incredible visa:

  • Albania
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Estonia
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Malta
  • Montenegro
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Spain

Other countries in Europe offer visas similar to the digital nomad visa. For example, in Germany, there are self-employed and freelance visas. In the Netherlands, the self-employed residence permit allows you to live and work in the country. 

If you want to visit Armenia, you can stay up to six months, provided you’re from a specific country. After this period, you can apply for a one or five-year residence permit as a private entrepreneur. You may need to use immigration translation services to change the language in your documents.

North & Central America

The following North and Central American countries are popular among digital nomads:

  • Costa Rica
  • El Salvador

Belize offers the Work Where You Vacation program, and Mexico offers a temporary resident visa. Panama has the Short Term Remote Worker visa, which you can renew every nine months. 

But what about Canada? Does Canada have a digital nomad visa? Not exactly. Canada doesn’t offer a digital nomad visa, but allows stays up to six months using a standard visitor visa.

Use passport translation services if your passport is in a foreign language.

South America

If South America is your calling, you can apply for a digital nomad visa in the following countries:

  • Argentina
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • Ecuador

Note: Peru announced the digital nomad visa in 2023. However, as of 2025, it has not been implemented. We recommend checking with officials or expats before moving to this country as a digital nomad.

Caribbean

The Caribbean is an excellent destination, and the following countries have a digital nomad visa:

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Barbados
  • Bahamas
  • Bermuda
  • Cayman Islands
  • Curaçao
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Monsterrat
  • St. Lucia

Middle East & Asia

If the Middle East or Asia is your cup of tea, you should go to one of these countries:

  • Abu Dhabi
  • Dubai
  • Japan
  • Malaysia
  • South Korea
  • Sri Lanka
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand

Bali offers something similar to a digital nomad visa.

Africa

If you always wanted to visit Africa, start your workation from one of these countries:

  • Cabo Verde
  • Mauritius
  • Namibia 
  • Seychelles
  • South Africa

Oceania

Australia has a Working Holiday Visa, and New Zealand offers a Visitor Visa similar to the digital nomad visa. However, the Australian visa has age requirements. 

Are you looking at the list of countries offering digital nomad visas so you can visit them? Or are you researching how to get a digital nomad visa for one of those countries? You should know that your documents should be in the country’s official language. Otherwise, your application will face delays. Rapid Translate can make your documents digital nomad-ready as soon as possible.

With our online translation service, your documents will always meet the country’s document submission requirements.

FAQ

Do you want to know anything specific like, how long does a digital nomad last? We answer questions like this in the following section.

How much does a digital nomad visa cost?

The cost of a digital nomad visa depends on the country you want to visit. Generally, it can cost between a few hundred and thousands of dollars. Always check with the embassy before applying for a remote worker visa.

Do digital nomads have to pay taxes?

Yes, digital nomads have to pay taxes. However, to whom you must pay the taxes depends on the country.

How long does it take to get a digital nomad visa?

The processing time for digital nomad visas depends on the country. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months.

How long can a digital nomad stay in each country?

The length of time you can stay as a digital nomad in every country depends on the region’s rules. For example, it is up to one year in Italy, but only six months in Canada.

What is the difference between a digital nomad visa, a work visa, and a tourist visa?

Here are the differences between digital nomad, work, and tourist visas:

Digital nomad visas: You can work and stay in a country, as long as you’re not working for a local company.
Work visas: You can reside in a country and work for a local company.
Tourist visas: You can only visit a country for a specific period.

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