7 Signs You Should Apply for a Digital Nomad Visa

As a remote worker traveling the world, you’ve likely heard about the more than 40 digital nomad visas available worldwide. They’ve piqued your interest, but what are the signs you should apply for a digital nomad visa?

The digital nomad lifestyle looks different for everyone. Some digital nomads choose to nomad around their own countries, while others make the globe their playground. Some digital nomads only travel during the winter, while others live out of their suitcases for full-time travel. Others choose to apply for a digital nomad visa and live abroad for a year or more in one place. 

Look, living a digital nomad lifestyle means choosing how and where you want to live. There aren’t strict guidelines other than that you must work remotely and travel to be considered a digital nomad. 

This blog post is dedicated to those digital nomads who want to set a path for their nomadic lifestyle and decide if they should follow their signs to apply for a digital nomad visa. 

What is a Digital Nomad Visa?

A digital nomad visa allows remote workers and usually their immediate family members to live in a foreign country temporarily. 

These visas were introduced in 2020 when remote work spiked, and we struggled with border closures during the pandemic. 

Typically, a digital nomad visa is valid for at least six months to one year with an option to renew. Some of these digital nomad visas even lead to permanent residency. However, each digital nomad visa is different, so it’s important to learn about the one you’re interested in in-depth. 

Don’t worry, we offer plenty of in-depth articles about each digital nomad visa at Nomads Embassy! 

Undeniable Signs You Should Apply for a Digital Nomad Visa

A digital nomad visa isn’t for everyone. But if you notice the signs you should apply for a digital nomad visa we’re about to get into below; then it may mean it’s time to consider it as the next step in your digital nomad journey. 

Your Remote Work is Stable

One of the hardest things about becoming a digital nomad is finding a steady and stable remote income. Sometimes, this is in the form of a remote employment role, freelancing work, or running your own business. 

Once you’ve achieved a reliable remote income for at least six months – because that’s what you’ll have to show for most digital nomad visa applications – it’s one of the signs you should apply for a digital nomad visa!

Every digital nomad visa has a different minimum income requirement. Usually, it is tied to the cost of living in the country to ensure the applicants can live comfortably. Going through all of these numbers can be tedious. 

Nomads Embassy makes it easier to see which digital nomad visas your income is eligible for with our free digital nomad visa eligibility assessment.

You’re Tired of Moving to a New Country Every Few Months

For our full-time digital nomads, who carefully plan out their digital nomad itineraries to take advantage of tourist visas, know how exhausting moving to a new country every three months can be.  

Traveling around the world allows you to plan to enjoy the best possible weather, escaping cold countries in the winter and excruciatingly hot countries in the summer. Sometimes you just want to settle down somewhere but don’t want to go home. 

That’s where a digital nomad visa can help! 

With a digital nomad visa, you can have some stability while still traveling and exploring a new country and culture. Only this time, you get to stay in one apartment for a year and leave your things unpacked just a little longer. 

You Have Long-Term Goals Abroad

Did you know that if you invest spending a few years in a country that it could lead to permanent or even citizenship? 

If you’ve been considering getting a second passport or permanent residency abroad, then a digital nomad visa could be your key to unlocking this opportunity. 

Countries such as Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Greece allow digital nomads who live there as their primary residence for at least five consecutive years to apply for permanent residency. 

In the case of Portugal, you can also apply for citizenship after five years! 

So, if you’ve been considering increasing your global mobility, you may want to start by considering a digital nomad visa as the first step to achieving these long-term goals. 

You Want to Fully Embrace a New Destination and Culture

When digital nomads travel on tourist visas, they get little bite-sized experiences of different cultures. Within those couple of months of embracing new customs and ways of doing things, you can get an idea of the culture. But usually only a surface-level insight. 

If you’re drawn to a particular country and want to fully embrace its culture and really dive into the lifestyle it offers, then it’s a sign you should apply for a digital nomad visa. 

Living in a country for at least a year offers four times as much experience and insight into a culture than if you were to spend just three months there as a tourist. As a resident, you get to integrate yourself into the culture while building a new lifestyle for yourself abroad. 

Don’t worry; you can always go back to nomading around after a year! 

You Want to Explore Tax Benefits and Exemptions

One of the best things digital nomads can do is take advantage of tax benefits. Yes, digital nomads still pay taxes, but where they pay it depends on where and how they spend their time.  

Digital nomads and taxes are a whole other topic that we can dive into in another blog post, but we’re here to let you know that there are digital nomad visas with no tax liabilities that you should consider if you’re looking to optimize your tax situation. 

Some of these tax-free digital nomad visas include Costa Rica, Croatia, Greece, Curaçao, and Dubai. 

Other digital nomad visas, such as Spain and Portugal, offer specialized tax rates for digital nomads and foreigners living there. 

While we always encourage you to speak with a specialized tax accountant, knowing that there are opportunities to save on taxes with digital nomad visas is a great start! 

You’ve Been Researching Digital Nomad Visas

Do you find yourself scrolling through Reddit threads or Facebook groups reading about people applying for digital nomad visas – or maybe you’ve watched some of Nomads Embassy’s YouTube videos? Then this could be one of the signs you should apply for a digital nomad visa! 

As you’re planning your travels, you’re probably noticing that some of your destinations offer a digital nomad visa. If this is the case, then it’s the perfect opportunity to dive further into staying in the country for a year or more with its digital nomad visa!

You’re Up for a Challenge

Now, let’s set realistic expectations when it comes to applying for a digital nomad visa. 

It can be a complicated, bureaucratic, and lengthy process. 

Of course, this depends on the visa you’re applying for. Some there are some easy digital nomad visas to apply for and some with online applications. Others require you to attend appointments at a consulate or embassy before arriving in the country. 

No matter the challenging process of applying for a visa, relocating to a brand new country to temporarily leave is also a challenge! 

Now, this isn’t to discourage you from applying for a digital nomad visa, especially if you’ve seen all of the signs listed above. Digital nomads choose to live a challenging lifestyle, and if you’re up to continue your habit of overcoming challenges, a digital nomad visa application is the next step. 

But, since you’ve met Nomads Embassy, we offer a simpler way to apply for digital nomad visas with dedicated legal assistance. We’ve partnered with hand-selected local immigration lawyers and built Done-for-You Digital Nomad Visa Services for 20+ countries to simplify the process and ensure a 100% compliant application. 

Is a Digital Nomad Visa Right for You?

So, have you seen any of the signs you should apply for a digital nomad visa?

If yes, then it may be time to talk with a visa expert at Nomads Embassy to see exactly which digital nomad visa is right for you. 

Remember, there are plenty of digital nomad visas available, all with different eligibility requirements and implications. 

That’s why Nomads Embassy offers a 30-Minute Digital Nomad Visa Exploration Call with a visa expert to review your eligibility, goals, and lifestyle to select the digital nomad visas that best match your situation. 

Once you decide on a digital nomad visa, we can introduce you to our immigration lawyers to assist you throughout the entire process! 

Schedule your Digital Nomad Visa Exploration Call to get started.