Digital Nomad Visa

.... The US doesn't offer a digital nomad visa, plenty of other countries do ...

... find a route to a visa that will make it happen. ...I have a Spanish Golden visa that I have just renewed. ... you. In Spain you have Digital Nomad and Self-Empoyed visas, otherwise you ...

... is. remote work tools and digital nomad resources are still growing strong. ... are searching for coworking spaces, visa guides for digital nomads, and tools for remote...

... all-in-one travel companion built for digital nomads and remote workers. What...: AI-powered travel assistant that knows visa rules, costs, and local tips... visa requirements based on your passport and location Why I built it: As a nomad... "Can I even get a visa?" to "Where's the best coffee ...

Hi, I’m about to move to Italy as a digital nomad, and I’ve chosen xxxxx to help me with the digital nomad visa. I know they’re quite popular among digital nomads from the US and australia...has anyone here had any experience with them? what are they like? are they reliable?

I'll be applying for a digital nomad Visa so that isn't a concern for my stay being kept to 90 days, I would prefer to not but considering I'll be working remotely for the majority of it then it is a requirement.

... problem with the elective residence visa. They’re usually very strict about... example, Italy now has a digital nomad visa in Italy, which allows you...

The nomads might not like the internet speeds in SL. Ranke 131st in the world according to the article. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexledsom/2026/03/08/sri-lanka-launches-new-digital-nomad-visa/

Well they might at some point add an online option for that too. But the demand for 2nd extensions is smaller (also because they cost more), and generally the island wants to discourage them. If someone needs to stay longer than 3 months, a different visa (like the new Digital Nomad one) supposedly fits better. -Erik> & [Sandya]

... been reading about the Spanish Digital Nomad Visa, but I'm still a bit...

I hve been doing some research on Malaysia as an option.  From what I understand, they have a "digital nomad" visa option, and your money will go a lot further than in Europe.

... bent. Thailand heeft een retirement visa vanaf 50 jaar. Verder zijn.... Ze hebben ook een soort digital nomad visa wat niet zo moeilijk te...

Le 22 février 2026 à 17:20:08 : Le 22 février 2026 à 17:18:46 : Le 22 février 2026 à 17:18:04 : il s'est cassé où selon vous ? bangkok je pense mais tu peux pas avoir un visa long terme aussi facilement en Asie c'est plus simple en Amerique du Sud il est là bas depuis moins de 30jours et tu as un visa digital nomad en thailande c'est 5ans par exemple

... Authorisation (ETA) is a digital, mandatory, pre-travel permission required for ...do not amount to a digital nomad visa.   7. If individuals come to ...Labour building the Digital Prison.   How can they implement Pre Digital Screening unless everyone has Digital ID with all... records on digital file and searchable globally...

... 577 41 pay 576 42 digital 575 43 easy 574 44... 494 137 startup 492 138 visa 492 139 stx 491 140... 444 276 safe 444 277 nomad 444 278 delta 443 279...

... will be eligible for the Digital Nomad Visa, but we may also be ...

... Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is tailored for remote workers like digital nomads... re-apply under scrutiny while a digital nomad and can simply come in...

.... Go back to the old visa ways. If you can afford... in Thailand and are true digital nomad . retired then fine - ALONG...

... Reclame Aqui] usou meu cartão digital para fazer o [Editado pelo... entrei em contato com a Nomad pelo aplicativo e expliquei o..., liguei para a central da Visa ( eles me disseram que somente... a situação. Liguei para a Nomad, atendente Silmara( protocolo: ***** - ela ... esse absurdo ! Liguei novamente para Nomad, atendente : Ana Cláudia , protocolo : ***** desta ...

... of very attractive retirement and digital nomad visas available, and they are... mouth shut. It is the Nomad Capitalists first pick and where ... does have a investment style visa but as I recall it ...

dev_stg_prd said: this is nothing new. lots of countries have various types of visa, especially for digital nomad type peoples.

I’m considering Spanish nomad visa but it seems it’s very expensive. The taxes are kinda high (still not as high as for usual employees), most nomads won’t qualify for Beckham unless your employer has a representation in Spain but it’s not that big of a deal if you do less than $8k per month, progressive taxation won’t be that much higher. From the second year you will have to pay like 400-600 EUR monthly for social security. So in total it will be like 35% taxes with the average annual income $60k You will have to pay accountant to service your autonomo. The rent is like 1500EUR minimum in big cities like Barcelona unless you’re ok living in outskirts in a small studio. And you will likely have to pay like 3-6 months upfront for your rent considering the deposit and agent fees. But maybe there are people who do all that and are happy, if you’re one of them what town do you live in? Are taxes worth it? submitted by /u/buterbrat to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

Hello guys! May I know your thoughts on this please. I am considering migrating either Spain or Malaysia via digital nomad visa. Spain - there’s a leverage to apply for citizenship but the cost of living is more expensive. Malaysia - cheap living expenses + I’ll be near PH lang so just in case there’s an emergency with my fam I can go home. Overall, I just wanted to try living outside the PH. submitted by /u/Hopeful_Substance609 to r/phmigrate [link] [comments]

Has anyone been successful in going to Spain here by the DNV route with less than a bit of the required monthly income? I do know the requirement is around €2,850+, but mine only falls around €2,300. I don't think I can do more unless getting anothe client, and I can't handle that anymore. submitted by /u/ThiccH0 to r/phmigrate [link] [comments]

Hey all! Just wanted to do a quick update-style post and let everyone know that the income requirements have been updated for the Spanish digital nomad visa. As of February, 2026, the following rules apply: Single applicant: €34,188 per annum (€2,849 per month) Two applicants: An additional €12,820,5 per annum (around €1,068.3 per annum) I'm assuming this will not affect anyone's plans, but it's just good to know for those that are borderline cases. If you got any questions, feel free to comment them below. As our community continuous to grow, please feel free to post your questions as posts as well! submitted by /u/Alarming_Bicycle3921 to r/spaindigitalnomads [link] [comments]

Which countries you would suggest for someone who has monthly salary of EUR 4,600 and want to take nomad visa with a spouse? Considering to save 50% of money submitted by /u/Advanced_Baker_ to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

Hello everyone, I’m about to be blown away by my own stupidity. After submitting my Spanish digital nomad application in Barcelona, I returned to China. Just 10 days ago, I received the approval letter for the Spanish digital nomad visa. Today, a friend in Spain successfully helped me book a fingerprint appointment at the police station, so I bought a flight ticket and got ready to fly back to Spain. However, while organizing my passport, I realized that I had misremembered the expiration date of my Schengen visa — it actually expired two weeks ago. Applying for a new Schengen visa immediately is unrealistic for me. Does this mean I can only obediently give up on the digital nomad visa? ———————————— Update on 2 March 2026： I applied for an EXT visa at the Spanish Consulate and was granted a 7-day entry visa to return to Spain. I have since successfully re-entered Spain and completed my fingerprint appointment. I am currently waiting for my TIE card to be issued. When applying for the EXT visa, I submitted the following documents: Approval letter for my Digital Nomad Visa Private health insurance Visa application form Explanation letter Checklist document Below is the guidance email I received from the Spanish Embassy in Beijing at the time. I hope this information may be helpful for anyone in a similar situation: You must apply for an EXT visa through BLS. Requirements: The applicable visa fee must be paid at the time of application. The visa application must be accompanied by: a) Ordinary passport or travel document recognised as valid in Spain, with a minimum validity of four months. Original and photocopies of all pages. b) Documentation related to your residency status in Spain: photocopy of TIE (if available), applications for renewal or extension of residence permits, expired return authorisation, etc. c) Documentation proving the time you have spent outside Spain: passport showing clearly the date of your last departure from Schengen, certificate from the airline you travelled with when leaving Spain or boarding passes used, entry and exit records issued by the immigration bureau (with Spanish translation), etc. d) Visa application form (the same form used for a Schengen visa, available on the Consulate General’s website). e) In case of theft or loss of documents, a police report (with Spanish translation). f) Two passport-sized photographs. Applicants must provide valid medical insurance required for stay visas. In the case of students, documentation proving enrolment in studies must be provided in order to authorise entry into Spain, and entry must take place during the academic term or within the 15 days prior to its start. submitted by /u/Key-Box-2548 to r/DigitalNomadVisaSpain [link] [comments]

Hi Folks, VA ako for two years now, earning around ₱250k/month. Stable naman yung remote setup ko, so my partner and I (plus our two kids) are thinking about migrating to Spain. Plano ko sana mag-apply for the Digital Nomad Visa. But gusto ko muna marinig yung totoong experience ng mga tao na nandun na. Kamusta ba talaga yung buhay sa Spain? Family-friendly ba? Safe? Kumusta cost of living — sakto ba for someone earning remotely from the PH? And culturally, madali ba makisabay? O maraming adjustments na dapat paghandaan? If you’ve lived there or made the move yourself, ano yung mga realities na hindi masyadong napag-uusapan? Ano yung nagustuhan niyo, at ano yung medyo challenging? Trying to figure out if Spain is a good place to start fresh with the family. Any insights would really help. Thanks! submitted by /u/lily_pad17181 to r/phmigrate [link] [comments]

I can’t get a straight answers online, also, please include any other expense like accountants or similar. My situation is basically contractor for a outside-EU company, though if I understood correctly all DNVs tax as freelancers right? submitted by /u/Sensitive_Counter150 to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

Digital nomad life looks cool from the outside, but it’s actually fragile and overwhelming, visa runs, checking services, renewals, endless logistics. Sometimes it feels like you’re managing paperwork more than living. submitted by /u/Informal-Teacher4320 to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

Hey guys, Matagal na akong curious sa Spain, kaya nag-aaral pa ako ng Spanish (baka sakali, di ba? 😂). Nabasa ko somewhere here na I can go to Spain using Digital Nomad Visa kaso hindi pa ako pasok sa requirements kahit remote worker ako. To those of you who are already on this path, what’s your niche, and how do you afford it? Baka naman may ma-share kayong tips or hacks para hindi lang ako magaling sa “Hola, ¿qué tal?”😅 submitted by /u/llamobella to r/buhaydigital [link] [comments]

Are you a fellow Europoor watching rents skyrocket because American SaaS salespeople can't believe it's only 800 euros for a studio downtown? Is your city center full of perverts because they heard that "X nationality women are really easy" ? Do you now pay 5 euros for a pint and have to order in English because some asshole who works for a tech company in San Fran "fell in love with the culture" (that doesn't mean learning the language or meeting locals of course, it means living on a US salary abroad)? It's simple - report them for tax fraud! Despite what they claim about it being a "grey area", more likely than not it isn't! They're simply breaking the law. Unless they've established a shell company in the country that pays hefty taxes, they are almost certainly committing tax evasion. It isn't legal to work in a foreign country without a) a visa b) paying taxes. Had the pleasure of seeing an American receive a nice 20k fine for this! Let's normalize this :) edit: because some Redditors are fat regards - yes, there are people who are legally working on digital nomad visas. This post is referring to the ones that aren't. If you needed this explained to you then kay why ess submitted by /u/ourstemangeront to r/redscarepod [link] [comments]

Hello r/AmerExit I'm Jim Dawdy, founder of Expat Law, PLLC. I'm an attorney specializing in legal advice to expatriates, digital nomads and Americans who want to emigrate abroad. Before I became a lawyer I lived, worked or traveled in over 50 countries as a health, safety and medical advisor for the oil and gas industry and major government projects. I spent nearly a decade living in Romania and Kazakhstan, and I worked in Russia, Tajikistan, Malaysia, and numerous other countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. So I am well aware of the challenges that come with moving abroad. With the unsettled political situation in the US, more and more people are choosing to depart, but while there are countless immigration lawyers in the US, there are very few emigration lawyers. I use my international experience to advise clients on how to avoid legal and non-legal problems abroad before (hopefully) they start. You can find out more about my practice at https://expatlaw.info/ I am licensed to practice law in Illinois, and am a member of the bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. I am also admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court. AMA about moving, working, or living overseas as an American. I'll try to answer your questions consistent with the disclaimer below. Disclaimer: My responses are provided for general informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. I am a lawyer, but I am not your lawyer. My comments or answers do not create an attorney-client relationship between us. Laws vary by jurisdiction, and the information provided here may not apply to your specific situation. For legal advice tailored to your circumstances, you should consult with a qualified attorney. Any actions you take based on the information provided in this AMA is at your own risk. Opinions expressed here are my own, and are not endorsed by any body or group, including the management of Reddit and the moderators of r/AmerExit EDIT: Thanks everyone, lots of good questions and I appreciate the mods for allowing me to do this AMA. One thing I want to emphasize is that while I only handle the legal issues that arise under US law, I can't emphasize enough how valuable it can be to obtain the services of a lawyer in a foreign country for assistance with visa and residency issues. When I move abroad, it's what I do, and foreign lawyers are often cheaper than Americans, so I strongly suggest that if you run into a legal issue while abroad, you don't hesitate to contact a local attorney for advice. submitted by /u/No_Pool7028 to r/AmerExit [link] [comments]

genuine question. i thought being a digital nomad would feel like freedom and discovery and hammocks with wifi, but instead it’s just me carrying my laptop like a cursed artifact from one loud espresso bar to another, begging for a power outlet and pretending i’m not eavesdropping on a crypto pitch next to me. like yeah, i’m “working from anywhere,” but “anywhere” is usually a place with expensive toast and suspicious bathroom policies. my back hurts from 12 different chairs in 3 countries and i’m starting to think i didn’t escape the 9-to-5 i just made it portable and sprinkled it with anxiety and visa paperwork. does anyone actually feel free or are we all just tired freelancers with good lighting? submitted by /u/Glum_Inspection8045 to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

Hi everyone. I made a map with a decent number of Digital Nomad (or similar)visa programs. This is on my Google Data Studio, and it is free. I have it open to the public. Hover over the bubble to get some data, or go to page 2 for the boring table :). https://lookerstudio.google.com/reporting/b58914ce-b98d-4330-8460-a2e8d22d9061 Have a good one! submitted by /u/EdTechZen to r/AmerExit [link] [comments]

TL;DR My wife and I sold everything we owned in 2021 except our tiny backpacks and worked from hotels for 3 years in 27 countries spending < $3k per month each. We travel hacked 3.5 million points for free business class flights and almost 1000 nights in 4/5-star Marriotts and Hyatts. https://preview.redd.it/8fbxo5kxahwe1.png?width=1402&format=png&auto=webp&s=0d9e1db448625c3ff5e2a9f3c14aec0a9c5c0e5e We earned the highest-tier statuses which gave us free upgrades to luxury suites, along with free daily breakfast, access to lounges with snacks and drinks, daily housekeeping, gym, pool, sauna, spa, etc. We haven’t had to clean our rooms, change our bed sheets, or take out the trash in years. In this post I'll share some of the hacks and tricks we figured out along the way that led to us spending even less money per year than we did before we started traveling! https://preview.redd.it/tjtvu8bd4iue1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f1cddf2ea2d2a5847fd321064e5d0d3172b1a23c This is a collage of some of the places we visited including Machu Picchu (Peru), the Taj Mahal (India) where we got engaged, Chichen Itza (Mexico), Hagia Sophia (Turkey), Mount Fuji (Japan), Eiffel Tower (Paris), Cusco (Peru), Cappadocia (Turkey), Blue Lagoon (Iceland), Marrakesh (Morocco), and Miyajima (Japan). See daily stories on instagram for proof. Hacking Hotels Living in hotels full-time quickly earned us the highest tier statuses at Marriott and Hyatt (in combination with their credit cards). Living in 4/5 star hotels cost us on average less than $150 per night over the last 3 years. In expensive cities, we sometimes paid $200 to $400, while in cheaper cities it was often less than $100 per night. We earned roughly 16% back in hotel points (for example, 17.5x Marriott points with Titanium status), 6% back in credit card points, and 2-3% back by clicking through Rakuten to book. This was about 25% back per dollar of hotel spend. So essentially, we pay only for 8 months of rent and get 2 months free with these points. We don’t have to pay rent for the remaining 2 months per year since we spent 3-4 weeks at work conferences and 5-6 weeks visiting our families. Therefore, our total cost for accommodation in an entire year was approximately 8 *30*150 = $36,000 per year, which translates to an average of $3000 per month i.e $1500 per person. We used to pay the same $3000 monthly rent when we lived in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. But on top of that $36,000 yearly rent plus extra for utilities, we had to pay double for hotels during the 2-3 weeks we went on vacation! So it was actually cheaper for us to live in hotels full-time all year. Hacking Credit Cards We earned an extra 100,000 points every two months as signup bonuses by opening new credit cards and charging all these hotels to meet the spending criteria. We ended up cycling through over 20 cards combined earning 3.5 million points cashing it out for about $100,000 worth of hotels and business class flights. We thought this would make our credit score go down but it actually went up to over 800. Whenever possible, we downgraded each card to a free version without annual fees after exactly one year, instead of canceling (so that it doesn’t affect our credit score much). Some of the US cards each of us have cycled through include Amex Platinum, Gold, Green, Capital One Venture and Venture X, Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve, Citi Premier, and Bilt. We also got a few hotel credit cards, including those from Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton, and some airlines cards. Doctor of Credit is the best resource for credit card signup bonuses by the way (the other websites sometimes prioritize their affiliate links over the best deals) Onebag Setup After 3 years of optimization, everything I owned consisted of just 34 items that cost under $1700 USD in total, weighing less than 11 pounds, and fit in a tiny 10L onebag. (My wife added her 16-pound onebag setup in another post) https://preview.redd.it/6pwr7t9b4iue1.png?width=1234&format=png&auto=webp&s=db2327cf1bac6612157b85bb80e5b1bae4a61c25 I’ve listed each item along with their cost and weight here: https://lighterpack.com/e/r08kbs Tips Traveling: We used most of the points we earned through those signup bonuses to fly business class on all the long-haul flights (7+ hours). Usually, we book short flights (or trains) and slowly hop to nearby countries and cities to minimize jet lag. Local Transportation: We use Uber or public transportation (which is typically very good outside the US). We also like to book day trips and guided tours, with good ratings on GetYourGuide or TripAdvisor, to see attractions that we would otherwise have to drive to. Insurance: A lot of these credit cards cover travel insurance and medical emergencies while you’re traveling abroad. Healthcare is also cheap in most countries other than the US. Paying for stuff: Make sure to use credit cards which don’t charge foreign transaction fees when making purchases abroad. Almost every country takes Visa and Mastercard credit cards at stores and restaurants, so we have rarely needed any physical cash. Getting cash: Never use foreign currency exchanges since they always rip you off by marking up the exchange rate by 5% or more. The best way to get local currency is to use either the Charles Schwab or Fidelity debit cards to withdraw cash directly from any ATM anywhere in the world. These debit cards don’t charge any currency conversion fees and they refund you all the fees and surcharges (usually $5 to $10) that ATM providers charge. Avoid DCC: If given the choice to pay in US dollars (or whatever is your home currency) and the local currency of the country you’re currently visiting, pick the local currency. Never choose to pay in US dollars (or your home currency) when abroad or you’ll end up paying 7% extra for Dynamic Currency Conversion. Food We went to almost 2000 restaurants in 3 years! We got the free hotel breakfasts and then ate out every lunch and dinner at restaurants. This costs us on average about $1000 per person per month. In the most expensive cities like New York and Geneva it cost up to $2000 but in other countries like India it cost less than $500 (since an average meal was less than $10 per person!) Even before we started traveling, we used to eat out or order Uber Eats every day since neither of us can cook. So by traveling we got to experience incredible authentic cuisines from all over the world! Here's a collage of some of the amazing food we’ve had recently in Peru, Colombia, Japan, Turkey, India, United States, Mexico, Iceland, Italy, England, Scotland, France, and Morocco. https://preview.redd.it/hrqa63is4iue1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6bda8308da507b4a93ebb4fa79aaa9f4686eff70 Total Yearly Expenses Our combined yearly expenses including everything was roughly $70,000 i.e. $35,000 per person per year. Monthly breakdown: The average expenses per person per month was roughly $1500 for rent, $1000 for food, and ~$400 for all other things (like Ubers, shopping, phone bill, tours, etc.) Working Remotely Both of us were AI research scientists (we met at Google and started dating right before Covid). We quit Google and got fully remote jobs before we started traveling in 2021. We worked New York-hours remotely during weekdays and explore the cities in the evenings (or mornings depending on time zone) and weekends. We mostly moved hotels only during weekends or holidays. When we traveled to places with extreme time zone differences like Japan, we used all our vacation days. Settling Down We started out thinking we’ll travel for just a few months and then settle down in another apartment. But it was so much fun and not as exhausting as we thought it would be so we kept on traveling for 3 years and enjoyed every minute of it. Of all the countries we’ve visited, our favorite ones were Japan (both of us agree it’s number 1 by far), Peru, Sri Lanka, Iceland, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. Finally after 3 years, I had saved enough for financial independence and wanted to start my own company, so we moved back to San Francisco (since it's the best place for startups). I had hacked together an AI tool that listened in on all my meetings and automated a lot of my work while traveling, so I built the startup around that. But there are still miles to go before we stop! Questions? AMA Feel free to ask anything below! Edit: FAQs Many questions are being asked multiple times, so I'm compiling my responses here: How do you survive with just 3 t-shirts? I hand washed laundry every few days in the hotel sink. All my clothes are merino wool (stays odorless) or other synthetic materials that dry fast. The hotel hair dryer helps in an emergency. How do you deal with cold weather? I layer multiple merino wool shirts with the Uniqlo heat tech underwear and the ultralight down jacket. We don’t like extreme cold weather so usually hop to warm places in the winter. Is this really worth the time and effort? I spent about 1-2 hours per week booking hotels and flights and churning cards (to get the $100k value over 3 years). After the steep learning curve, it becomes quick and easy. We simply focus on just one card every 2 months, put all our combined expenses on it to quickly hit the minimum spend, freeze it, move on to the next card, and use up all those points within 2-3 months. What about taxes and work visas? I got a short-term work visa in the UK and got digital nomad visas in the EU and many other counties (exempt from local taxes). We spent less than 1 month in most countries. I reported our daily location to the tax lawyer provided by my employer and filed taxes correctly. I refused to apply for a green card, so I became a non-resident in the US and UK by traveling so much that I saved a lot of taxes and retired early (FIREd) at 29. What about data and 2FA? We got a T-Mobile family plan ($45/month/person) that provided free roaming and 4G/5G data in 200+ countries. How do you receive mail and new credit cards? Family member in the US sent us photos, then we added the cards to Apple Pay. Didn't you run out of credit cards? Having a "player 2" doubles the available cards. With some small 1099 income you can also get the business variants. Even with 20 cards, we haven't made it halfway through the best bonuses listed on doctorofcredit. Except the Amex cards, you can get most bonuses again every 3-4 years. Were there any safety issues? I grew up in India until 21 so I was used to traveling in third-word countries. My wife didn't feel safe walking by herself in Morocco, Egypt, and certain parts of East London but all the other places felt very safe. TBH we had worse experiences in downtown San Francisco and Seattle. What about all the different clothes in the photos? The photos were taken over a span of 3+ years (got new clothes and jackets every year or so). We got the suit and dress for a friend's wedding and went to the Taj Mahal right after the wedding and got the engagement photo. Did you miss having friends and community? During COVID, most of our friends had moved away and we had just started dating, so the timing worked well, it felt like a 3-year honeymoon! We stayed with family twice each year, and visited many old friends who live around the world. On many trips we got different sets of friends and family to join us. Did you ever get tired of traveling? We actually tried settling down in NYC midway but after 3 months in one apartment, we both couldn’t wait to travel again! The only reason we moved back is because Silicon Valley has the best ecosystem of investors, talent density, and founder peers so I was able to raise millions more at a higher valuation and hire an incredible team including 2 former Google coworkers as co-founders. Ironically, I want everyone to work in-person now since it makes a huge difference for an early-stage startup. Is this fake? No, you can Google “Daniel George Insider” to find articles published by Business Insider after interviewing us and verifying receipts of hotels, flights, expenses, and income over 3 years. submitted by /u/LeDraieggone to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

I broke free from the office 2 years ago. No more suits, no more commuting, no more pretending to care about meetings that should’ve been emails. Now I work from beaches, cafés, and rented apartments. My schedule is mine. My life is quiet, flexible, mobile. And yet... it’s not peaceful. Always checking visa rules. Always packing and unpacking. Always finding the next Airbnb, the next SIM card, the next stable WiFi. No roots. No community. No home base. Just motion. I’m not complaining , I chose this. But it turns out freedom without structure is its own kind of cage. Curious how others here deal with this. Do you build “basecamps” and travel slow? Or do you just keep moving and hope something eventually feels like home again? submitted by /u/YeonnLennon to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

Hi all! I’ve spent a total of 7 months in Japan as a digital nomad, split across two stints from the end of 2022 and again in 2024. I’ve spent enough time here where I feel confident to share a review of what it’s like here, and whether you should consider living here yourself. I’ll start by giving a bit of background about my situation; the positives/negatives/mixed; and a tl;dr at the end. (Note that this follows a similar format to a previous review I did for the Philippines, find that one here.) Background I’m a full time (Mon-Fri, 9-5) digital worker for a company based outside Japan. I get paid in the currency of the country that my company is based in, which is fairly strong against the Yen. I’m in my late 20s, and have lived and worked in a variety of places in the Asia-pacific (Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, Hong-Kong, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia…) so some of my evaluations of Japan will be in comparison with those other places. In my time here, I’ve spent 3 months living in Tokyo (on the north side of Shinjuku near Korea Town) and the other 4 months travelling around. In that time, I’ve explored all over the country, including many parts of Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. I haven’t been to Hokkaido or Okinawa. My thoughts will therefore be informed partly as a hybrid of someone who has experienced both staying in the one place for a fair while as well as travelling while working. Firstly, the positives: When it comes to the people around you and the man-made landscape, Japan is extremely safe. You can leave your laptop on a bench, come back in 3 hours, and there’s a good chance it’ll either still be there or be waiting for you at the nearest lost-and-found. Japanese society seems to have a heavy focus on trust and rule-abiding behaviour, and whether you’re walking around at night in the city or on a lonely mountain trail, you’ll almost always feel at ease when encountering others. Same applies to being on the road; driving was a pleasure, with most people actually going below the speed limit a lot of the time. Furthermore, Japan is mostly pretty clean, even in the bigger cities. Japan has an immense variety of things to do. It’s almost impossible to get bored here if you have the energy to get out and make the most of it. History and temples? Got it. Beautiful nature and hiking? Plenty of that. Awesome nightlife? Of course. Beaches for surfing and mountains for skiing? Definitely! One of the great things about places like Tokyo and Osaka in particular is that because they’re such large cities, even niche interests are likely to be catered to. I’ve stumbled into retro game arcades, record stores specialising in Brazilian jazz-fusion, and all sorts of weird and wonderful places that just aren’t easy to come across elsewhere in the world. Honestly, the variety is probably THE best aspects of Japan, and can make wandering around this country an infinitely rewarding experience. (One small thing I’ll note however is that just because Japan has a particular thing of interest doesn’t mean it’s world-class. For example, if surfing, beaches, and waterfalls are your thing there are likely better options over in SE Asia. But for sheer variety, Japan is hard to beat.) The infrastructure and transportation are great. Trains and subways in cities are omni-present, and the streets are also well-designed for walking and biking. Getting between cities is a breeze with the bullet-trains, and even smaller towns or rural sights of interest are rarely more than a train + connecting bus away. Except for some niche areas (like the Iya valley in Shikoku or some of the outlying islands like Yakushima) you can basically just plug in where you want to go on Google maps and be on your way. Of course, some elements of transport aren’t perfect; many of their big train stations are appallingly designed (Shinjuku in Tokyo being the archetypal example), and there can be disconnects between the companies that run trains or buses in certain parts of the country. But these are minor details in an overall admirably well-structured transportation network. The mixed: The food in Japan has its issues. By far the biggest one is their fruit. Except in very particular areas (such as Fuji apples from Hiraizumi) fruit tends to be low in variety, meh quality, and overpriced. I think my fruit intake dropped 90% compared to when I was living in Australia, and it’s a wonder people here aren’t all suffering from scurvy. As for Japanese cuisine, it has it’s positive and negative elements. The positive is that it tends to be very healthy, and has a high focus on quality, freshness, seasonality, aesthetic, and service. It’s not hard to see why Japanese people live for so long given how healthy the food is here. The negative is that except for some honourable exceptions (Genghis Khan, tonkatsu, gyozas, etc.) the flavour profile on average tends to be on the “subtle” (or arguably, bland) side. If you’re someone like who prefers big flavour cuisines like Sichuan, Indian, or Cretan, Japanese food might bore you after a while. It’s worth noting however that there are a lot of international restaurants available for variety, especially in the larger cities. While Japan is incredibly safe in terms of people and infrastructure, its geography is actually about two-thirds forest and wilderness, as well as being on the rim of fire, so there is the potential for all kinds of catastrophic things to occur. This includes earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, hurricanes, and bear attacks. If you stick to the cities you probably won’t have any problems, and as a tourist your chance of encountering any of these is extremely low, but I think it’s worth mentioning because the longer you spend here the more you’ll find that these things can tangibly impact your experience. For example, my trip to Shikoku was delayed by two weeks because a massive hurricane turned southern Japan into a giant landslide warning zone. A hike I had planned in Akita province was cancelled due to reports of aggressive bears in the area from the previous month (apparently over 200 people get mauled each year). Trains I purchased tickets for were cancelled because of landslides on the tracks, and no alternative means of transport was offered till the following day, leaving me stranded. If any of these things are a concern to you from a logistics or safety perspective, it’s worth evaluating where you might want to go and what you might want to do while you’re here. Some elements of working and staying in Japan aren’t ideal. Generally, the Wi-Fi is great, and there are plenty of cafes and co-working spaces, even in smaller towns. However, hotels tend to have annoyingly early check-out times (usually 10am, compared to noon in many other countries) which is a pain when trying to get some work done on the road. As far as visas are concerned, Japan is usually 3 months visa free, although a new digital nomad visa for 6 months has become available if you meet a certain threshold of income. I personally didn’t have to deal with this, but I have heard that visa hopping can get a little dicey if you try to spend more than 180 days in a given year here, so keep that in mind if you like settling in the one country for very long periods. The weather in much of Japan varies quite a bit, with swings from bitterly cold in winter to blazing hot in summer depending on location. The autumn and spring are generally wonderful, and these temperature swings can be used to your advantage (Freezing cold? Go to the alps for skiing! Boiling hot? Go to Kyushu for the beach!) but it’s worth noting that you may well encounter considerable discomfit from the weather at some point compared to countries with milder climates. The bad: Japan is expensive. There seems to be a weird contrarian opinion online that “actually Japan is cheap”, but out of all the places a digital nomad would reasonably consider staying in Asia, I would say Japan has to be among the priciest (with the exception of some big cities like Hong-Kong or Singapore). Food is ok, usually you can get a decent meal starting from about $5 USD. Accommodation can be rough, with business hotels usually being between about $35-50 USD, although homestays or family run accommodation spots can be a bit cheaper. (It’s worth noting that prices often double over weekends or holidays.) Staying in Tokyo is soul-crushingly expensive, even for longer term stays; if you want to bunk in one city for a while, I’d suggest either somewhere well outside the main Tokyo CBD area or a different place entirely. Transport between cities is also pretty pricey; expect to pay about $50-60 USD for an hour on the bullet train (local or regular express trains are a fair bit more affordable). Overall, it’s not as bad as other developed nation like Australia or New Zealand, but it’s well above other countries in the region. (I’d say a month in Japan will be about 2x as much as an equivalent lifestyle in the Philippines, and at least 2.5-3x as much as a place like Bali.) Japan is the hardest country I’ve ever stayed at in terms of making friends and socialising with locals. Partly this is due to the language barrier; Japanese is a difficult language to get a grip on, and the level of English proficiency is quite low, especially outside of the big cities. The other factor is that Japanese people tend to be more reserved and less gregarious than people in other countries. That’s not to say it’s impossible to socialise with locals; I’ve made friends everywhere from restaurants and bars right up to hiking on mountains. However, even once you know locals, organising meets up is often tricky (it seems like Japanese people prioritise their work more than people in other countries) and navigating the social dynamics is often unintuitive. Overall, I’d say that if you do come to Japan, it might be advisable to come with a friend or partner since loneliness and isolation is a legitimate risk here. (You can also mix with other digital nomads and expats of course.) This is a minor one, but it’s worth noting that Japan is a VERY densely populated country, as well as being a big tourist destination for overseas travellers. Basically, if you are seeing anything remotely interesting on the Tokyo Fuji Kyoto Nara Osaka route, prepare to get swamped by people. Obviously as a foreign visitor I am as much a contributor to this issue as anyone else, but if you get anxious by large crowds or like visiting places that are a bit quieter, be prepared to get off the tourist trail a bit. Tl;dr, if you… Like having a near endless variety of things to see and do Desire healthy, fresh food with impeccable service Want to explore many places with relative ease Put a high value on personal safety and cleanliness in cities or around other people …then Japan might just be the place for you! If however you… Want to be somewhere that is cheap to live and travel Put a large onus on socialising and making friends with locals Are worried about the risk of natural catastrophes Prefer food with big flavour profiles …then there are probably better places for you to go. Keep in mind this is just one person’s opinion! You may have very different experiences depending on how you travel or where you want to base yourself. I personally think choosing a mid-size city like Matsuyama or Sendai to stay long term could help control costs while providing a nice lifestyle, but having not tested it myself, I’ll leave it for someone else to offer their perspective. Overall, I really love Japan. It’s probably my 2nd favourite country to travel overall. I personally wouldn’t choose to live here long-term over other options, but the prospect of coming back over for a “stint” is always appealing. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask in the comments. submitted by /u/Steingar to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

So about a year ago, my partner and I decide to move to Barcelona because we found it was the simplest visa to get to be able to stay together, we had some friends here, and we speak Spanish, so Catalan couldn't be too hard. 1- The visa process The visa itself is SO backed up, I almost would warn against even trying anymore. I've been in the process of trying to attain mine with a lawyer since January. I am currently still stuck waiting for one of the many steps/appointments in this process made of beaurocratic nightmare fuel. I have probably sent 100-200 emails to my lawyer and and the various agencies you need to work with ,paid maybe 4-5K for the various docs and postage and steps, (background checks, diplomas, translation, apostilles). Also, I have a few appointments and a few(2-5?) months of waiting to go. You can't even make appointments early. They release them once a week and you HAVE to hire someone to make the appointment for you these days due to the backup and confusing system. By the way, all I'm trying to do Is get my fingerprints taken. It's going to take 5 months. While Waiting for this, you technically get stuck in Spain until those go through due to visa and Schengen days running out. Yes, I've been here 90 days and my time is up although I reply to my lawyer promptly and they file things just as promptly. If you want to leave, you have to make ANOTHER appointment to get a permission slip to leave/return ("regresso"). Overtourism Basically, if the locals can spot that you aren't local and/or don't speak Spanish well, they resent you. I get the overtourism issues. But we were invited here, are responsible residents, and they don't care. Safety This is not a safe city. I have only lived here 3 months. I have already been involved in a home robbery by two armed intruders (I was home and they came into my room!) In one supposedly nice area(Eixample). In the second incident this week in Gràcia, I was just attacked with one of those water guns to the face. It wasn't filled with water. I don't know what the hell was in that thing but it stung my eyes. People wax on about the "good and bad areas" but I purposefully stay in safer areas due to traumas I have from growing up in an unsafe area and some terrorist attacks I've been in. I cringe thinking about how much worse off I'd be if I spent more time in what[local] friends warn are dangerous areas. I'm literally thinking of moving already. I've never felt so unsafe anywhere I've lived. This city's government does not care about you, nor the Catalan people who are attacking you out of hatred. If they cared, they would make a campaign against violence, criminalise the rising water gun attacks, which is assault in some countries already, or increase the investigation and prosecution sentences of petty criminals. Nothing. Crickets. The Catalans don't give a shit about your safety After I was hit with the mystery liquid water pistol, I warned others at the event to watch out, in a locals group on WhatsApp. The leader didn't ask if I was ok, they reprimanded ME in front of everyone for being racist towards Catalan for inferring to be careful ... As an illustrative point, I have tried to post in r/Barcelona about my experience and either the Mods don't let it in or they make fun of me and twist my words to make me the bad guy. A post will gain some sympathy then is quickly hit with a rapid fire downvote of hate like I've never seen. Comments are by what feels like kids. I assume they might be? Renting a flat Either because of their resentment towards you or just taking advantage, their renting system makes it almost impossible to rent a flat without being rinsed with a "foreigner fee". I don't know if that's the same in other parts of Spain, though. Unbeknownst to some, it's illegal for agencies to charge you an agency fee... Yet most agents refuse to rent to you if you don't have a Spanish employer, unless you pay certain agencies extortionate fees (thousands of euros). So we pay the fee to have a home. They know you're only here looking for a flat as a foreigner if you're a DV or rich expat, and that you have no other option, so you pay or you are in some other extortionate agreement like the long term rentals the locals "hate so much". We're only here because we can't get am actual flat without paying those crazy fees. Anyways, you have the right to share your positive experience about Barcelona and defend it as a great place... but know that the locals literally don't want you to, and you aren't welcome here. So there is actually no point in defending it. submitted by /u/spikydeadcaterpilla to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/prettyboygangsta to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

It’s exhausting. Moving around, dealing with visa restrictions and visa runs, the language barrier, airbnbs that don’t reflect the post, restocking kitchen supplies (again), the traffic, the noise, the pollution, the crowd, the insecurity of many countries, the sly business, the unreliable wifi, the trouble of it all. It gets lonely. You meet great people, but they move on or you move on and you start again in a new place knowing the relationship won’t last. It turns out I prefer the Americanized version of whatever cuisine it is, especially Southeast Asian cuisines. We have it good in America. I did this DN lifestyle because of everything wrong in America. Trust me, I can list them all. But, turns out it’s worse in most countries. Our government is efficient af compared to other country’s government. We have good consumer protection laws. We have affordable, exciting tech you can actually walk around with. We have incredible produce and products from pretty much anywhere in the world. It’s safe and comfortable. I realized that my problem was my privilege, and getting out of America made me appreciate this country—we are a flawed country, but it’s a damn great country. Do you agree? Did you ever get to this point or past this point? I’m curious to hear your thoughts. As for me, I’m going back home. submitted by /u/Acrobatic-Area-8990 to r/digitalnomad [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/BousWakebo to r/technology [link] [comments]

submitted by /u/Presentbound to r/todayilearned [link] [comments]