Today we’re going to talk about the best countries for digital nomads, but with a twist, only countries outside Europe and if you’re a digital nomad or planning to become one you’ll probably need a VPN to enhance and secure the way your data travels around the internet here is where our partner atlas vpn comes to action with atlas vpn you can for example access prices for accommodation and flights with an ip from a different country often times websites and platforms offer different prices depending on where the user is from with atlas vpn you can try connecting with an ip from different countries and browse around for the actual lowest prices available with a vpn you can also have access to content you wouldn’t be able to depending on the place where you’re staying at maybe a news portal or some social media more and more countries are blocking different websites for whatever reason they consider legit mate and with a vpn you can beautifully access any platform or service that is blocked in that country check the link in the description for our amazing deal provided in partnership with atlas vpn which now includes a mind-boggling discount of 82 percent on their three-year vpn offer you heard it right it’s not every day that you can get 82% off on something and they are offering a 30-day money-back guarantee as well and.
The best countries for digital nomads in terms of visa outside Europe are:
- Turkey
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- United Arab Emirates
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Mauritius
- Cape Verde
Turkey
Starting with a country in Asia and the first country is Turkey, which actually has part of its territory in Europe but the majority of Turkish lands are in Asia. As of today, there is still no specific digital nomad visa or residence permit in Turkey, but it is extremely easy to enter Turkey as a tourist and convert your stay into a residence permit. Turkey is also pretty flexible on its visa policy, so citizens of countries that normally need a visa to travel to North America and Europe have a good chance of entering Turkey visa-free. The other key advantage of turkey is its cost of living, due to the never-ending devaluation of the lira, the cost of living in Turkey is from 2 to 5 times lower than in Europe depending on which country you’re comparing with Turkey.
The cost of living in turkey is low but that doesn’t mean that the country lacks infrastructure or services. As a matter of fact, Turkey has better infrastructure than many countries in Europe and the middle east as well as a wide array of services available regardless of your needs. Turkey is also pretty safe and has overall decent internet speeds making it one of the best countries for digital nomads and remote workers want to enjoy a high quality of life with a low cost of living.
Thailand
Thailand is known for decades as a paradise for expats. Since remote working became a mass phenomenon, it would be just logical that digital workers would flock to Thailand for its limitless advantages. Thailand has everything a digital nomad can expect from a great destination that is fun and at the same time boosts your productivity. Thailand is safe it offers all kinds of entertainment, most of its cities are pretty cheap and it is quite easy to meet other digital nomads in the country to brainstorm your next big ideas. Thailand’s a great country, however, it has a main problem for digital nomads its visa policy is not very friendly forcing a lot of remote workers to do constant visa runs in order to stay longer periods in the country. This is changing though as Thailand is making a number of efforts to attract more and more remote workers to the country. The new Thai LTR which stands for long-term residents can be a good option for digital nomads.
The financial requirements are not low however, as you will have to show you have earned at least 80 thousand dollars per year during the past two years to apply. There are other requirements needed as well, so I wouldn’t call it an extremely easy option for the average digital nomad, if your budget is lower there are cheaper options like the e-visa and the Thai Smart Visa. Finally, there is also the Thai Elite Visa Option, which has lower financial requirements than the LTR and it is not a new way to get a residence permit in Thailand, it will also involve some level of investment to get a residence permit in Thailand using the Elite Visa.
Indonesia
Indonesia is the next best country in Asia for digital nomads, notably on the island of Bali. Bali is launching its digital nomad visa which can last for up to 5 years, making the life of remote workers on the island extremely flexible. The new Bali digital nomad visa is bringing a lot of interest from digital nomads around the world, not only you can get a 5 years visa straight away, while in the majority of countries the digital nomad visa is valid for one or two years, you will also not have to pay any taxes during your stay in Bali. However, that doesn’t mean you can stay completely tax-free during those five years, as in most cases you will still have to pay taxes somewhere, but at least you won’t be subject to double taxation as you will not have to pay it in Bali. Apart from the bureaucratic advantages, Bali is the perfect place for networking, as it has been a digital nomad hub for some years already, on top of that the cost of living is extremely favorable in Bali and all-around Indonesia, so you can definitely save money especially if you are starting your digital nomad journey.
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates are the next option in today’s list of the best countries for digital nomads outside Europe. The UAE have a lot of advantages for short-term and long-term digital nomads. In this middle eastern country, you’ll find global hubs like Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Have the opportunity to meet like-minded people while building your wealth in a tax-free jurisdiction.
There are many ways to establish residency in the UAE, the best one is by opening a company in the country but there is also a new visa for digital nomads which has relatively high financial requirements, requiring you to show an income of at least 5 000 us dollars to be able to reside in Dubai. The main disadvantage of the Emirates is its weather, summers are notable for their extreme hot temperatures which is something you should definitely consider if you want to actually live year round in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Mexico
Now we’re going to the other side of the world, to the Americas. Mexico is the first country which i consider one of the best options for digital nomads outside Europe. Mexico is probably one of the first countries people consider to work remotely especially among digital nomads from the U.S and Canada. Mexico needs no introductions, it has a great climate, delicious cuisine and a cost of living which is just a fraction of any U.S major city. Mexico doesn’t have a specific type of visa for digital nomads, but since it has been a top destination for passive income earners and retirees for decades, the immigration policy of Mexico is extremely favorable for those who are not working for Mexican clients. Right from the start most western passport holders can stay up to six months visa free in Mexico and getting your residence permit to stay longer has much lower financial requirements than most digital nomad visas around the world. It is true that mexico has its problems with safety, but if you choose well where to stay the level of crime can be even lower than some parts of the United States.
Brazil
Brazil is the second country in the Americas featured in this article of the best countries to be a digital nomad outside Europe. The attractiveness of Brazil actually increased sharply this year as economic conditions in Europe became more challenging. On top of that, Brazil also launched its digital nomad visa which is more flexible and has lower financial requirements than most digital nomad visas in the northern hemisphere. The minimum monthly income to get a Brazilian digital nomad visa is 1 500 us dollars per month, which can also be replaced by having a bank balance north of 18 000 dollars. Most parts of Brazil have good weather year-round and the cost of living is quite low. In terms of infrastructure things vary wildly, while Sãp Paulo has a great infrastructure in terms of transport and medical facilities, for example, more remote areas of Brazil have much more challenging conditions for digital nomads. As i have mentioned the cost of living in Brazil is quite low and in most cities you can live decently with just 1 000 us dollars per month with accommodation included.
Mauritius
Mauritius is my personal favorite country in Africa if you want to work remotely from this continent. Located on the Indian Ocean, this island nation is one of the wealthiest and most diverse countries in Africa. Mauritius has a visa category called Premium Visa which fits perfectly with most its own nomads. All the process to acquire this visa is done online without the need to deal with embassies or consulates. One of the best things about this visa is that, it does not have a minimum income requirement, which is almost always the case for digital nomad visas around the world. Mauritius is not necessarily a cheap country but it is a great choice if you want to explore the wilderness of this rather unique and isolated country. On top of that English and French are in fact official languages, so you will definitely not need a translator to deal with any bureaucracy on the island.
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is the next country and also the last country in our list today and definitely an excellent choice if you want an exotic experience on the coast of the African continent. Cape Verde was one of the first countries in Africa to introduce a Digital Nomad Visa, but that is definitely not the only reason why this nation has a place in our list today. The financial requirement to live in Cape Verde as a digital nomad is to earn at least 1 500 euros per month.
The cost of living in this African country is significantly below most European countries. Despite its good location getting to Cape Verde is not cheap, as at least for now European low-cost airlines are mostly ignoring the country.
That’s it for today’s article write down in the comment section to which country you’d like to move to as a digital nomad.