The 10 Best Countries for Digital Nomads
The 10 Best Countries for Digital Nomads
The 2020 pandemic drove many Americans towards working remotely, becoming digital nomads untethered to a desk. Some even took the opportunity to get even further away from life in a cubicle, finding new adventure in the wider world. After all, why live out your workday in an office with your coworkers when you can live your workday from your home, the beach, or even another country?
Many countries created new digital nomad visas to foster this “work from anywhere” culture. We think these 10 countries have special appeal that’s bringing mobile Americans to their shores:
10) Estonia
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Estonia has been a rising star in the digital nomad world. This Baltic nation boasts a safe and welcoming environment for remote workers, including a lower cost of living, all-online government services in English, and fast internet connections across the country. Want to run your own company as a digital nomad? Estonia even offers an e-residency option, allowing you to register and run your online business before even setting foot in the country.
9) Canada
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Our neighbor from the Great White North just got a little bit warmer. In June 2023, Canada announced its Tech Talent Strategy to bring new IT talent to the country. American digital nomads can simply drive over the border as a visitor and work remotely for up to six months at a time—no special paperwork required. The Canadian government hopes some of these remote workers seek new jobs with Canadian companies along the way. Canada—come for the WiFi, stay for the Timbits.
8) Albania
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Speaking of easy entry, it doesn’t get much better for digital nomads than Albania. U.S. citizens can move to Albania for up to a year without applying for a residence permit. Between the low cost of living and gorgeous scenery, it’s easy to see why this Balkan nation has remote workers saying Mirëdita!
7) Costa Rica
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Some remote workers prefer warmer climates than we’ve been looking at so far. For them, we recommend Costa Rica. This tropical locale offers so much: exemption from income tax; waived customs taxes on electronics needed for your remote work; a variety of working spaces, from hammock to beach to downtown San José. Show a stable new income of at least $3,000 per month and come live pura vida.
6) New Zealand
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Known as Aotearoa by the indigenous Māori people, New Zealand invites you to wander its mountains on a working holiday visa. Digital nomads can explore Middle-Earth for up to 12 months on this visa, earning a living from their smartphones and laptops. Just one small catch: they only offer the working holiday visa if you’re 18-30 years old.
5) Panama
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Connecting South and Central America, Panama beckons remote workers who want to keep those comforts of American life while they work from the tropics. The country offers high-class healthcare (including a Johns Hopkins hospital in Panama City), high-speed internet, and a cost of living ranging from “just the basics” to “living large.” Panama even uses the US dollar—no currency exchange needed.
4) Thailand
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On the far side of the world, Thailand embraces digital nomads from the U.S. Remote working communities in Bangkok and Chiang Mai ensure that you’ll have fellow travelers swapping street food tips with you at every turn. Thailand’s new LTR Long-Term Resident visa for remote workers lets you work here for up to a decade. You can even bring the whole family along.
3) South Korea
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South Korea is on track to launch its official digital nomad visa, known as the workcation visa, in late 2023. It’s a two-year visa with an option to renew. Expat communities like Digital Nomads Korea regularly host meetups to help fellow Westerners get settled in their new home (far) away from home.
2) Greece
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Come and visit the ancient world while earning your living in the digital one. Run accounting reports from the Acropolis in Athens! Process paperwork from the Parthenon! Digital hotspots like Thessaloniki offer fiber optic internet, while 5G cell service covers much of Greece. What better workplace than by the Mediterranean Sea?
1) Argentina
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Known for its Malbecs and high-quality beef exports, Argentina welcomes digital nomads to its borders until the cows come home. Buenos Aires hosts the most remote workers, who value the opportunity to visit Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay in their spare time. Argentina offers a renewable 6-month digital working visa, giving you up to a year to appreciate its many Latin charms.
Bonus: The Netherlands
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This bonus pick doesn’t offer a digital nomad visa per se, but it does offer Americans a path to live there and work online. The Netherlands‘ DAFT visa (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) makes a very simple proposition: invest €4,500 in a Dutch bank account and start a business. This can be any sort of business, too. You can run a blog, launch a YouTube channel, sell items on Etsy—any of these could be your ticket to a life among the tulips.
10 Remote Side Hustles That Can Help You Retire Early
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Whether you’re already retired or aspire to be, there’s never been easier to turn your spare time into cold, hard cash.
One of the best things about these remote gigs is that you can also do them from a country with a low cost of living, so you won’t have to make a fortune just to get by. You can save twice as fast!
Here are 10 side hustles that you can turn into real income.
➤ 10 Remote Side Hustles That Can Help You Retire Early
Guide to Expat Jobs, Digital Nomad Jobs, & Working Abroad
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For most of us looking to move abroad, finding our new home country is only half the battle. Luckily, the job market for expats has shifted over the last several years. Digital nomad jobs and remote work opportunities really exploded in the wake of 2020, allowing more chances than ever to work from wherever you choose to live. So how can you earn a living once you leave the US?
➤ Guide to Expat Jobs, Digital Nomad Jobs, & Working Abroad
Is the US Driving You Insane? Consider These Countries for Mental Health
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Since 2022, the Expatsi Test has helped users find out where they’d like to move abroad to, based on their personal needs. Its data covers everything from healthcare rankings to languages spoken and best places for raising kids. The goal—to boost psychological safety for Americans by navigating to a healthier life in another country.
Over 40,000 people have taken the Expatsi Test in the last 18 months. Here’s their best countries for mental health, based on test data:
➤ Is the US Driving You Insane? Consider These Countries for Mental Health
Brett Andrews is the co-founder of Expatsi, a company that helps expats discover how to leave the U.S. Brett and his partner Jen developed the Expatsi Test to recommend countries to move to, based on factors like budget, visa type, spoken languages, healthcare rankings, and more. In a former life, he worked as a software developer, IT support specialist, and college educator. When he's not working, Brett loves watching comic book movies and reading unusual books.
Brett Andrews is the co-founder of Expatsi, a company that helps expats discover how to leave the U.S. Brett and his partner Jen developed the Expatsi Test to recommend countries to move to, based on factors like budget, visa type, spoken languages, healthcare rankings, and more. In a former life, he worked as a software developer, IT support specialist, and college educator. When he's not working, Brett loves watching comic book movies and reading unusual books.