Digital nomadism was a factor earlier than the pandemic. However now, with the rise of distant work, the development has blown up.
Nations in Europe are waking as much as the advantages — not least the money — that digital nomads can deliver each to cities and to sparsely populated villages, and are designing methods to make it simpler for them to settle. A technique is the digital nomad visa — one thing a bunch of European nations have launched lately.
What’s a digital nomad visa?
“Digital nomad visa” is a fairly unfastened time period, however it typically refers to a short lived residency allow that enables foreigners to remain in a rustic for anyplace between six months and two years.
For distant staff from outdoors the EU, they’ll provide an ideal solution to decide on the continent with out being sure by restrictive vacationer visas.
However not all digital nomad visas are created equally. In Iceland, for example, candidates to the scheme should show they earn a minimum of €7,100 a month, whereas Portugal’s visa asks individuals to remain within the nation for at least 16 months within the first two years of being authorized for the scheme.
The nations in Europe that supply a digital nomad visa
We’ve unpacked how these digital nomad visas work within the European nations that supply them, and added what we all know in regards to the nations that anticipate to have one quickly.
Croatia
Croatia launched its digital nomad visa in January 2021. It permits profitable candidates to remain for a 12 months, which may be prolonged for a second 12 months.
The necessities embody a government-issued background verify from your own home nation, proof of well being and journey insurance coverage, proof of a Croatian deal with and proof that you just’re a digital nomad.
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Candidates should be capable to show they earn a minimum of €2,370 per thirty days, however is not going to be taxed by Croatia.
Extra information right here.
Cyprus
Cyprus’s digital nomad visa permits non-EU or non-EEA nationals to remain within the nation for as much as one 12 months, with the chance to resume the visa for 2 extra years.
You must show a month-to-month revenue of a minimum of €3,500 after contributions and tax, and have legitimate well being and accident insurance coverage of €30k during your keep.
Relations of visa holders can keep in Cyprus for a similar period of time and be granted a residence allow that expires the identical time because the allow of the person. The catch is that members of the family can’t take part in any financial exercise within the nation.
One other constructive facet of the scheme is that visa holders who spend greater than 183 days in Cyprus in the identical calendar 12 months shall be thought of Cyprus tax residents, and are subsequently entitled to plenty of tax advantages.
To pay money for the digital nomad visa in Cyprus, you will need to submit an software to the Civil Registry and Migration ministry inside three months of arriving.
Czech Republic
Not like typical digital nomad visas, the Czech model is a long-term residency allow that enables non-EU nomads to work independently within the nation as a freelancer for as much as one year. Nomads eager to work within the Czech Republic ought to apply for a “Zivno” visa in individual by way of the embassy of the Czech Republic of their dwelling nation.
You must present a minimum of €5,061 in your checking account, and medical health insurance that covers a minimum of €60k of bills. The method for making use of for this visa isn’t totally easy — it might probably take between 90 and 120 days and the applicant should pay a charge of CZK1,000 (round €40) to use, plus pay round €40 for a commerce licence and round €100 for the visa.
Extra information right here.
Estonia
Estonia launched its digital nomad visa in August 2020, and the brand new scheme permits profitable candidates to remain for a 12 months.
The visa prices €100, and may take anyplace from two weeks to 2 months to be processed.
You’ll must show a month-to-month revenue of €3,504, and have to be self-employed or working for a international firm. For the primary 183 consecutive days within the nation, digital nomads can pay no taxes — after that they’ll be thought of Estonian tax residents.
Extra information right here.
Georgia
Georgia’s digital nomad visa, Remotely from Georgia, permits distant staff that earn a minimal of $24k yearly to remain within the nation for as much as a 12 months. Throughout this time, nomads are registered as a resident in Georgia and may join native healthcare.
Past its stunning countryside — the place nomads can discover loads of outside actions within the Caucasus mountains and alongside the shoreline of the Black Sea — Georgia is without doubt one of the most cost-effective nomad locations in Europe. The method of making use of for the digital nomad visa is comparatively simple too: you’ll be able to apply on-line in simply 10 minutes and obtain the visa inside 10 days.
Extra information right here.
Greece
Greece launched its digital nomad visa in September 2021 and permits individuals to remain within the nation for 12 months, which may then be prolonged for a second 12 months. Digital nomads must show they’ll be in work during their keep by producing an worker contract and present proof of a Greek deal with.
The minimal month-to-month revenue requirement is €3,500 and there’s an software charge of €75, plus a €150 admin charge. Nomads received’t pay any tax for the primary six months within the nation, but in addition received’t be capable to use public healthcare or training providers. After that, Greek legislation signifies that solely half of month-to-month revenue is taxed, and this is applicable to nomads for seven years.
Extra information right here.
Hungary
Getting a digital nomad visa is a barely tough and convoluted course of in Hungary. It lets you keep for a 12 months with the potential of extending it by another 12 months.
Distant staff should submit a DNV software on the Hungarian embassy of their dwelling nations. As soon as the appliance is authorized, they’re going to obtain an entry visa, which permits them to enter the nation. Employees need to show they make a minimum of €2,000 a month, and don’t pay taxes if staying fewer than 183 consecutive days.
As soon as nomads come up with the entry visa, they’ve to attend 30 days to enter Hungary and apply for a White Card (a brand new sort of residency allow permitting people to work legally and dwell in Hungary; generally often called the DNV). This have to be completed in individual at your native Nationwide Directorate-Normal for Aliens Policing (sure, that is an actual factor).
There are charges connected to making use of for a White Card, and some different caveats that you just want to concentrate on.
Extra information right here.
Iceland
Iceland’s digital nomad visa, introduced in November 2020, is maybe the least engaging of the bunch, with a month-to-month revenue requirement of 1m Icelandic Krona, greater than €6,600 at present charges. There’s additionally a $83 software charge.
Profitable candidates will be capable to keep within the nation for as much as six months and pay no native tax.
Extra information right here.
Latvia
Latvia’s digital nomad visa lasts for one 12 months, with the chance to increase it for one more 12 months. After the two-year interval, nomads can’t apply for a brand new digital nomad visa for six months — they both have to use for one more visa or residence allow, or go away the nation totally.
A number of issues to contemplate: nomads wishing to settle in Latvia will need to have a medical health insurance coverage that’s legitimate in Latvia and Schengen member states, and employers should even be registered in an OECD nation.
Nomads should earn a month-to-month wage of a minimum of 2.5 occasions the typical month-to-month gross wage in Latvia to acquire a visa (which quantities at the moment to €2,815). They need to additionally get proof by the tax administration of a member state of the Organisation for Financial Cooperation and Improvement to certify the revenue they earned within the final six months.
Extra information right here.
Malta
Mediterranean sea, solar, sand… and a comparatively simple visa course of make Malta place to be a nomad. candidates should fill in a typewritten kind and signal it, stating how lengthy they plan to remain within the nation, and in addition write a letter of intent, explaining their motivations for making use of for the Nomad Residence allow (in addition to submitting the same old paperwork: passport, proof of revenue and so on).
The allow is issued for a 12 months and is renewable — and normally takes as much as 30 days to be authorized. Candidates who plan to remain for lower than a 12 months will as an alternative be issued with a Nationwide Visa during their keep.
A number of situations to notice: nomads will need to have a month-to-month revenue of €2,700 gross to be thought of for the digital nomad visa and pay an software charge of €300.
Extra information right here.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands as an entire doesn’t have a digital nomad visa — the closest factor is its Dutch Self Employment and Startup Visa, however for this candidates normally need to work for a Dutch employer or show that their work shall be helpful to the nation’s financial system.
Two of the Dutch Caribbean islands, Aruba and Curaçao, do have nomad visas. The Aruba visa lasts for 3 months, the appliance course of is free and nomads don’t need to pay tax. For Curaçao, the visa lasts for six months and may then be prolonged by one other six, and in addition doesn’t require the holder to pay tax. There’s an software charge of €260.
Norway
Norway doesn’t have a devoted digital nomad visa however self-employed nomads (with a enterprise overseas) can apply for an impartial contractor visa, which permits them to remain in Norway for as much as two years — in the event that they earn a minimal of €35,718 per 12 months.
To use for the impartial contractor visa, candidates should fill in an software kind, print and signal this guidelines and pay an software charge of €600. You’ll be able to apply for the visa in individual both at a police station in Norway, or by way of a Norwegian embassy in your house nation.
Key factor to notice: digital nomads with an impartial contractor visa must pay native taxes whereas residing in Norway and should apply for a VAT quantity.
Extra information right here.
Portugal
Portugal’s D7 visa is without doubt one of the longest-standing digital nomad residence permits, having been launched in 2007. Candidates should be incomes €9,870 yearly and have a Portuguese tax quantity and checking account. One catch is that candidates should be capable to keep within the nation for 16 months for the primary two years of their keep.
There’s a reasonably prolonged software course of, and other people will need to have medical health insurance and proof of a Portuguese deal with.
Extra information right here.
Romania
Romania introduced its digital nomad visa in December 2021. It is out there for all non-EU residents and is legitimate for a 12 months — with the chance to resume for one more 12 months.
So what is the course of like?
Apparently, it is fairly simple. You create an account on the Romanian eVisa platform, ship in your required paperwork and apply. There are some charges which need to be paid upfront, although the Romanian authorities hasn’t but confirmed what they’re. Usually visas are processed between 10-14 days.
There are some caveats to the Romanian visa, together with the truth that nomads need to earn 3 times the typical Romanian month-to-month wage of €1,100. Nevertheless, the Romanian authorities does not cost nomads for revenue tax, assuming they’ve tax residency out of the country.
Extra information right here.
Spain
Launched earlier this 12 months, Spain’s digital nomad visa lets non-EU nomads keep within the nation for 12 months, however may be renewed for as much as 5 years. Candidates must show that they’ve been working for his or her firm/purchasers for over three months, and that the corporate they work for has been operational for a minimum of a 12 months — additionally they must earn 200% of the nation’s month-to-month minimal wage, which is round €2,334 per thirty days or €28k per 12 months.
Stays underneath 183 days are tax-free, and for the primary 4 years distant staff incomes underneath €600k will pay a lowered charge of 15% (in comparison with 24% usually).
Nations with visas coming quickly
Italy
Italy authorized and signed the digital nomad into legislation in March 2022 — however it’s nonetheless but to be carried out, and there isn’t a lot info on what it would entail but.
There are different visa choices for startups:
The Italy Startup Visa, for individuals eager to discovered a startup within the nation to take up an exec position in an current startup based mostly there.
The Italy Freelancer Visa.
The Italy Entrepreneur Visa, for funding plans of a minimum of €500k that may profit the nation’s financial system.
Montenegro
Although plans for a digital nomad visa had been revealed in December 2021, Montenegro remains to be but to launch its scheme. As of now, the visa is predicted to permit nomads to dwell in Montenegro for 2 years, with the choice to resume it for one more two years after that. There’s additionally been speak of tax breaks for nomads who maintain this visa, although additional particulars are but to be launched.
Extra information right here.
Learn extra: The place are Europe’s prime digital nomad villages?
This text was final up to date on Could 24, 2023.
