Remote work turned “where do you live?” into a real choice. Dozens of countries noticed and launched digital nomad visas: residence permits for people who bring foreign income, spend it locally and don’t take local jobs. From a finance ministry’s point of view, you’re the perfect immigrant – until it sends you a tax return.
This guide explains what these visas are, compares ten relevant programmes as of 2026, and covers the part the tourism-board landing pages with the laptop-on-the-beach photo skip: tax.
What a digital nomad visa is (and isn’t)#
A digital nomad visa (DNV) – sometimes called a remote-work visa or nomad residence permit – allows you to live in a country for a set period while working remotely for employers or clients outside that country.
What it usually is:
- A residence permit or long-stay visa, typically for one year, sometimes renewable.
- For third-country nationals. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens already have freedom of movement within the EU and register under ordinary rules.
- Conditional on your work and income coming from abroad.
What it usually isn’t:
- A work permit for local jobs. Many programmes forbid working for local clients.
- A path to permanent residence or citizenship. Some countries count the years, many don’t. See second passports.
- A tax exemption. More on that below.
Typical requirements#
Details differ, but most programmes ask for the same core documents – and at least one of them will need an apostille you didn’t know existed:
What you’ll typically need
Tick them off – your progress is saved in this browser only.
An employment contract with a foreign employer, or client contracts and invoices if you’re self-employed, or proof you own a foreign company.
Payslips or bank statements, usually covering the last three to six months. The threshold is often tied to the local minimum or average wage and changes yearly.
Valid in the country for the whole stay. Travel insurance with low limits is often rejected.
From your country of nationality and sometimes countries you lived in recently, apostilled and translated.
A rental contract or booking for at least the start of your stay.
Valid well beyond the planned stay.
Ten programmes compared (as of 2026)#
The table covers programmes our readers ask about most. Figures are for a single applicant, as published or derived from official rules as of 2026. Thresholds tied to wages change every year – check the official page before applying.
| Country | Programme | Income requirement (single applicant) | Initial duration | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | D8 visa (remote work) | 4× the Portuguese minimum wage: €3,680/month in 2026 | Temporary stay visa or residence visa, renewable residence permit | AIMA / Portuguese visa portal |
| Spain | International telework visa / residence | 200% of the minimum wage (SMI): about €2,849/month gross in 2026 | Up to 1 year as visa; longer as residence permit | Spanish Foreign Ministry / UGE |
| Estonia | Digital Nomad Visa | €4,500 net per month | Up to 1 year | Estonian Police and Border Guard / e-resident.gov.ee |
| Malta | Nomad Residence Permit | €42,000 gross per year | 1 year, renewable | Residency Malta Agency |
| Croatia | Temporary stay for digital nomads | Tied to the average net salary (2.5×); check the current amount | Up to 18 months | Croatian Ministry of the Interior |
| Greece | Digital nomad visa / residence permit | €3,500 net per month | 1-year visa, convertible to a 2-year permit | Greek Ministry of Migration |
| Cyprus | Digital nomad visa | €3,500 net per month; annual quota applies | 1 year, renewable | Civil Registry and Migration Department |
| Romania | Digital nomad visa | 3× the Romanian average gross salary; check the current amount | Up to 1 year, extendable | General Inspectorate for Immigration |
| UAE | Virtual work (remote work) residence visa | $3,500/month for employees (higher for business owners) | 1 year, renewable | GDRFA Dubai / UAE government portal |
| Georgia | No nomad visa needed for many nationalities | None for visa-free stays | Up to 1 year visa-free for citizens of many countries, including the EU | Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
A few notes on the table:
- Family: most programmes add a percentage per spouse and child to the income threshold.
- Georgia isn’t a visa programme. Citizens of many countries (including EU citizens) can stay up to a year without a visa, which is why it’s popular with nomads. Check your nationality on the official list.
- Spain also asks for qualifications: a university degree or recognized vocational training, or at least three years of professional experience.
- Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Croatia also require that you don’t work for local clients.
- Estonia’s DNV is a visa, not a residence permit – it doesn’t come with Estonian residency rights beyond the visa period. Don’t confuse it with e-Residency, which is a digital ID and no right to live there at all.
Tax: the part the brochures skip#
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: a nomad visa lets you live somewhere. It doesn’t decide where you pay tax. The ordinary residency rules do, and they don’t care what your visa is called.
- Stay more than 183 days in most countries and you’re likely tax resident there. Some countries use other tests too (a home, family, centre of interests). Our tax residency guide explains them.
- Tax residency usually means worldwide income is taxable there, at normal rates, unless a special regime applies.
- Your old country may still claim you if you didn’t leave properly. For Germans, see leaving Germany.
- Your employer or company may get a problem, too. A company managed by you from your new country can become taxable there (see place of management), and an employee working abroad can create a permanent establishment for the employer.
Countries with special treatment#
A few programmes come with tax rules that make them more interesting than the headline rate suggests:
- Spain: since Law 28/2022 (the startup law), holders of the international telework visa can opt into the special impatriate regime (“Beckham law”, Article 93 of the personal income tax law) if they weren’t Spanish tax resident in the previous five years. Under the regime, employment income is taxed at a flat 24% up to €600,000, and most foreign-source income other than employment income is outside the Spanish tax net. It fits employees best; self-employed nomads should check carefully whether their activity qualifies.
- Malta: Nomad Residence Permit holders have a special tax treatment on their remote-work income. The Commissioner for Revenue publishes the current rules – check them, as guidance was updated in 2026.
- Croatia: income that digital nomads earn from foreign employers or their own foreign business is exempt from Croatian income tax, according to the Croatian rules for the nomad residence permit.
- Greece: people who become Greek tax residents may qualify for a 50% income tax exemption on employment or business income for several years under Greek law for transferring tax residence. Whether a nomad qualifies depends on the details of the move, so get it confirmed before you count the savings.
- UAE: no personal income tax, so the question is less “how much tax here” and more “have I left my old country for good?”
Everywhere else, assume normal tax rules apply after about six months. The visa gets you in; the tax office sends the bill. Use the tax calculator to see what the company side looks like and the day tracker to know exactly how many days you’ve spent where.
How a nomad visa fits with your company setup#
Most nomad visas require income from abroad. That can come from a foreign employer, foreign clients or your own foreign company. This is where most nomads get sloppy, and where tax offices get interested. Common combinations:
- Freelancer with a home-country business: simplest on paper, but if you become tax resident in the new country, your business profits move there with you. Your old registration may need to be closed.
- Own company abroad – for example an Estonian OÜ, a US LLC or a UAE free zone company. Check two things: whether the visa accepts dividends or salary from your own company as income, and where the company is effectively managed once you live in the nomad country. Running it from your laptop in Lisbon can make it Portuguese-taxable. The café Wi-Fi counts as a place of management if that’s where the decisions happen.
- Employee of a foreign employer: the employer may need to check payroll, social security and permanent-establishment risk in your new country. Get their written approval before you go. HR departments hate surprises more than they hate remote work.
If you want residence and a company in the same low-tax place, a nomad visa is the wrong tool: a residence visa through your own company (as in the UAE) or an entrepreneur permit may fit better. The Jurisdiction Finder helps compare options, and our move abroad and company formation pages show how the pieces connect.
Step by step: from idea to visa#
How to pick and apply
Decide what you want the year to look like
Base in one country? Several stops? Which country should be your tax home? The answer decides which visa, if any, you need.
Check your nationality first
EU citizens don’t need nomad visas within the EU. Many nationalities can stay in Georgia or other countries visa-free for long periods.
Compare requirements and tax
Use the table above as a shortlist, then read the official pages. Check income thresholds, net vs gross, and whether a special tax regime applies.
Prepare documents early
Criminal record certificates, apostilles and translations take weeks. Health insurance must cover the country and the full stay.
Apply – from home or on arrival
Some programmes need a consulate application, others let you apply after entering. Keep copies of everything.
Register and set up your tax position
Register your address locally, get a tax number, and settle your status with your old country. Keep your day log running.
Pros and cons at a glance#
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Legal residence without a local job | Income thresholds rise with wages |
| Often quick and paperless-ish | Usually no local clients allowed |
| A way to test a country before a bigger move | Rarely counts toward citizenship |
| Some come with special tax regimes | Tax residency follows your days, not your visa |
This guide is general information, not immigration or tax advice. Programmes change often, usually with less notice than the renewal deadline gives you; the official pages below are the final word.
FAQ#
Does a digital nomad visa make me tax resident?
Not by itself. The visa lets you live somewhere; the ordinary residency rules decide where you pay tax. Stay more than 183 days in most countries, or build a home or centre of interests there, and you’re likely tax resident. See our tax residency guide.
Do EU citizens need a digital nomad visa?
Generally not within the EU. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens have freedom of movement and register under ordinary rules; most nomad visas are designed for third-country nationals.
How much income do I need for a digital nomad visa?
Each programme sets its own figure. In the EU, thresholds are roughly €2,800 to €4,500 a month as of 2026, and many are tied to local wages, so they change every year. Check whether the figure is net or gross and apply with a buffer.
Can I work for local clients on a nomad visa?
Usually not. Many programmes forbid it, and Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Croatia require that you don’t work for local clients. A nomad visa is not a work permit for the local market.
Does a digital nomad visa lead to citizenship?
Rarely. Some countries count the years towards permanent residence or citizenship, many don’t. If a passport is the goal, check this before you apply: see second passports.
Sources#
- Portugal – AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum)
- Portugal – Visa portal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Spain – Ministry of Inclusion (UGE), international teleworkers
- Spain – BOE, Law 28/2022 (startup law)
- Spain – Agencia Tributaria, special impatriate regime (Art. 93 LIRPF)
- Estonia – Digital Nomad Visa (e-resident.gov.ee)
- Estonia – Police and Border Guard Board
- Malta – Residency Malta Agency, Nomad Residence Permit
- Malta – Commissioner for Revenue
- Croatia – Ministry of the Interior, digital nomads
- Greece – Ministry of Migration and Asylum
- Cyprus – Civil Registry and Migration Department
- Romania – General Inspectorate for Immigration
- UAE – GDRFA Dubai, virtual work visa
- UAE – Government portal, residence visas
- Georgia – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consular services and visa policy
- OECD – Model Tax Convention (residence and tie-breaker rules)
Not sure which visa, tax home and company fit together? Book a strategy session.
