Digital nomad visas compared: 10 programmes for 2026

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.

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.

• 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 their circumstances.
• UAE: no personal income tax, so the question is less “how much tax here” and more “have I really left my old country?”

Everywhere else, assume normal tax rules apply after about six months. 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. 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.
• 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.

If you want residence and a company in the same low-tax place, a nomad visa is often 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

Pros and cons at a glance

This guide is general information, not immigration or tax advice. Programmes change often; the official pages below are the final word.

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.