Costa Rica, Greece and 42 other countries with a digital nomad visa—the U.S. isn't one of them (2024)

The U.S. job market has cooled off significantly since the "great resignation" brought on by the pandemic, but is in a relatively good place, according to recent reports. Still, it is harder for workers to find new jobs, which could be especially tough on recent college graduates.

According to a report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire about 5.8% fewer new college graduates from this year's class than they hired from the class of 2023.

It's why Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster, told CNBC, she suggests taking advantage of the flexibility currently being offered by companies and casting a wider net in your job search.

"In terms of the quality and quantity, they can pursue jobs beyond the constraints of a particular zip code," Salemi said.

Whether you're a recent college graduate entering the workforce or just looking for a change of scenery If you can land a job that let's you work from just about anywhere, a digital nomad visa in a country like Costa Rica or Greece might be just what you're looking for.

A digital nomad visa is a short-term permit that allows someone to stay in a country for an extended period of time and work remotely. The length of time a nomad can stay varies from place to place but most countries allow for six months to a year.

The biggest catch with a digital nomad visa is that you typically have to be either self-employed or working for an entity outside of the country in which you plan to stay.

And if you are an American living and working in another country and you make over the minimum amount required — which depends on your filing status — you must file a U.S. tax return, according to H&R Block.

The United States does not have a digital nomad visa, but does offer other visa options that might allow for someone to work in the country as a freelancer.

As of May 2024, the following countries are offering digital nomad visas or similar schemes geared toward bringing in remote workers.

Bermuda's digital nomad visa program runs for up to 12 months.

Kenwiedemann | E+ | Getty Images

Americas

1. Anguilla

  • Length of stay available: up to 12 months
  • Cost: $2,000 (per individual), families of up to four pay $3,000 with an extra $250 for each additional family member
  • Minimum income required: None indicated
  • Application

2. Antigua and Barbuda

  • Length of stay available: up to two years
  • Cost: $1,500 per individual, $2,000 for couples and $3,000 for families of three or more
  • Minimum income required: $50,000 for each year of the program
  • Application

3. The Bahamas

  • Length of stay available: up to one year to either work or study remotely
  • Cost: $25 application fee, $1,000 for individuals and families pay the same plus $500 for each dependent
  • Minimum income required: None indicated
  • Application

4. Barbados

  • Length of stay available: up to one year
  • Cost: $2,000 for individual and $3,000 for families
  • Minimum income required: $50,000 during the 12-month stay
  • Application

5. Belize

  • Length of stay available: up to six months
  • Cost: $500 per adult and $200 per child
  • Minimum income required: $75,000 per individual or $100,000 if the person is applying with dependents
  • Application

6. Bermuda

  • Length of stay available: up to 12 months
  • Cost: $275 application fee per person
  • Minimum income required: No minimum indicated but it is noted you must "have substantial means and/or have a continuous source of annual income."
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

7. Brazil

  • Length of stay available: up to one year
  • Cost: $290
  • Minimum income required: $1,500/month or funds in the minimum amount of $18,000.
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage for treatment in Brazil.

8. Canada

  • Length of stay available: up to six months
  • Cost: Not found
  • Minimum income required: None indicated
  • Application

9. Costa Rica

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to renew for an additional year
  • Cost: $100 application fee
  • Minimum income required: $3,000/month but up to $4,000 if applying with dependents
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

10. Colombia

  • Length of stay available: up to two years
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: at least 3 million Colombian pesos a month, or approximately $680 a month.
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

11. Curaçao

  • Length of stay available: up to six months, with a maximum stay of one year
  • Cost: around $294 with no family bundle fee
  • Minimum income required: not found
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage and a return ticket equal to your stay once the visa has been approved

12. Dominica

  • Length of stay available: up to 18 months
  • Cost: $100 application fee, $800 single or $1,200 family visa fee
  • Minimum income required: $50,000/annually
  • Application

13. Ecuador

  • Length of stay available: up to two years
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: at least three unified basic salaries per month for the three months prior to the visa application
  • Application

14. El Salvador

  • Length of stay available: up to two years with the option to renew for two more years
  • Cost: $2,825 with renewal fee of $450
  • Minimum income required: $1,460/monthly
  • Application

15. Grenada

  • Length of stay available: 12 months with the option to renew for another 12 months
  • Cost: $1,500 per person, $2,000 for a family of four, $200 for each additional dependent
  • Minimum income required: $37,000/annually
  • Application

Mexico's version of the digital nomad visa is called the temporary resident visa.

John Coletti | The Image Bank | Getty Images

16. Mexico

  • Length of stay available: up to four years
  • Cost: starts at $271
  • Minimum income required: over$4,405 a month during the past six months or an average monthly bank balance of $75,082 over the previous 12 months
  • Application

17. Montserrat

  • Length of stay available: one year
  • Cost: $500 for individual, $750 for family bundle fee with up to three dependents. Additional applications are $250 each.
  • Minimum income required: $70,000/annually
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

18. Panama

  • Length of stay available: nine months with a max of 18 months
  • Cost: $300
  • Minimum income required: $3,000/monthly or $4,000/monthly per family
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

19. Saint Lucia

  • Length of stay available: up to one year
  • Cost: $70
  • Minimum income required: none found
  • Application

20. Uruguay

  • Length of stay available: six months with the option for a six-month extension
  • Cost: around $10
  • Minimum income required: none found
  • Application

Europe

21. Albania

  • Length of stay available: 12 months
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: not found
  • Application

22. Croatia

  • Length of stay available: up to one year with the option to reapply after six months
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: about $3,091/month or $37,091 for the year already in a bank account
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

23. Cyprus

  • Length of stay available: up to one year with the option to renew for two more.
  • Cost: $150.78= $75.39 issuance and renewal fee and $75.39 registration to the Aliens' Registry
  • Minimum income required: $3,769/monthly
  • Application

24. Czech Republic

  • Length of stay available: up to one year
  • Cost: none found
  • Minimum income required: 1.5 times the average gross annual salary announced by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
  • Application: reach out to digitalnomad@mpo.cz

25. Estonia

  • Length of stay available: up to one year
  • Cost: The state fee for a D visa (long stay) is $108 and for a C visa (short stay) is $86
  • Minimum income required: $4,846/month
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage, pass a background check, application must be submitted in person at an Estonian embassy or consulate

26. Georgia

  • Length of stay available: up to one year
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: not specified
  • Application

27. Greece

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to extend for a maximum of three years
  • Cost: $81 plus an administrative fee of $162 for each family member applying with you.
  • Minimum income required: $3,769. For each spouse or partner, the minimum financial requirement will go up to $4,523. Additionally, for each child the requirement will increase by $565.
  • Application: Submitted at your local Greek consular authority. You can submit your request via email or registered letter.

To obtain a digital nomad visa in Hungary, applicants need to go to a local consulate or embassy.

Sasipa Muennuch | Moment | Getty Images

28. Hungary

  • Length of stay available: up to one year with the option to extend for another year
  • Cost: starts at $118
  • Minimum income required: $3,230/month with that amount being the minimum for six months before the application
  • Application: Make an appointment with your local Hungarian embassy or consulate
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

29. Iceland

  • Length of stay available: up to 180 days
  • Cost: $87
  • Minimum income required: $7,151/month or $9,296 if you apply with a spouse or cohabiting partner
  • Application: can only be submitted in paper form at your local Iceland embassy or consulate

30. Italy

  • Length of stay available: up to one year with the option to renew
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: three times the minimum level required for exemption from participating in healthcare costs. That amounts to just under €28,000 annually or $30,051 USD.
  • Application: Book an in-person appointment at your local Italian embassy or consulate

31. Latvia

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to renew for another year
  • Cost: $65-$130
  • Minimum income required: not found
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage, documents confirming the expected place of residence in Latvia

32. Malta

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to renew
  • Cost: $323 application fee per person, $30 fee for issuance of residency card
  • Minimum income required: $45,233/annually
  • Application

33. Norway

  • Length of stay available: two years
  • Cost: $646
  • Minimum income required: $38,468/annually
  • Application

34. Portugal

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to renew
  • Cost: $89 and a resident permit fee of $78
  • Minimum income required: must be at least the Portuguese minimum wage
  • Application: Apply at your Portuguese local embassy or consulate
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

35. Romania

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to renew for another year
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: $3,985/month
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

36. Spain

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to renew
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: 200% of the monthly Spanish minimum wage, which is about $2,700/month with the amount increasing if applying with family members
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

Middle East and Asia

37. Malaysia

  • Length of stay available: up to 12 months with the option to renew
  • Cost: $211 for a single applicant, $105 per additional dependent if applying as a family
  • Minimum income required: not found
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

38. South Korea

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to extend
  • Cost: $45 application fee
  • Minimum income required: $65,000/annually
  • Application

Turkey created a website for applicants to apply for the visa with ease.

Matteo Colombo | Digitalvision | Getty Images

39. Turkey

  • Length of stay available: not found
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: $36,000/annually
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: visit a Turkish visa center or consulate to receive the actual visa stamp once approved

40. United Arab Emirates

  • Length of stay available: one year
  • Cost: not found
  • Minimum income required: $3,500/month
  • Application

Within the UAE, Dubai has its own separate virtual working program similar to the UAE's remote work visa. In order to apply, applicants need to have valid health insurance and earn a minimum salary of $5,000 per month.

Africa

41. Mauritius

  • Length of stay available: one year with the option to renew
  • Cost: free
  • Minimum income required: not specified
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

42. Cape Verde

  • Length of stay available: six months with the option to renew
  • Cost: $22 per person and $37 airport fee
  • Minimum income required: $1615 average bank balance in the last six months or $2908 for a family.
  • Application

43. Seychelles

  • Length of stay available: one year
  • Cost: $48 application fee
  • Minimum income required: not specified
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

44. Namibia

  • Length of stay available: six months
  • Cost: $124 visa payment
  • Minimum income required: $2000 for a single applicant, $1,000 with an accompanying spouse, $500 per accompanying child per month
  • Application
  • Additional requirements: valid health insurance coverage

Conversions to USD were done on May 13, 2024, using OANDA conversion rates. All amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.

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Costa Rica, Greece and 42 other countries with a digital nomad visa—the U.S. isn't one of them (2024)

FAQs

Costa Rica, Greece and 42 other countries with a digital nomad visa—the U.S. isn't one of them? ›

The United States does not have a digital nomad visa, but does offer other visa options that might allow for someone to work in the country as a freelancer. As of May 2024, the following countries are offering digital nomad visas or similar schemes geared toward bringing in remote workers.

Does the USA have a digital nomad visa? ›

The U.S. does not offer digital nomad visas. You may still be able to work as a digital nomad if you meet specific legal requirements. However, you can find workarounds through things like a tourist visa which will allow you to live and work in the country for a 6-month interval.

Can a US citizen work remotely in Costa Rica? ›

Can I work remotely and live in Costa Rica? Yes, Costa Rica just introduced a new visa type that allows foreigners to work remotely from their company while living in the country for up to two years.

How much do you need to make to get a digital nomad visa in Costa Rica? ›

Income requirements

To qualify for the digital nomad visa, you must have a “stable monthly income” of at least $3,000 USD for an individual or at least $4,000 USD if you will be supporting any dependents while living in Costa Rica.

Do digital nomads pay tax in Costa Rica? ›

Digital nomads can apply for the new visa online or in person (from Costa Rica). The processing time is quite short (between 15 and 45 days). Digital nomads are exempt from paying taxes (they don't pay income tax or remittance tax, and are exempt from paying import tax for their work equipment).

Do digital nomads pay US taxes? ›

Do Digital Nomads Have to Pay US Taxes? Yes, American digital nomads are required to file a US Federal Tax Return if they make over the minimum filing requirement—no matter where they live and if they're working remotely. The US is one of the few countries in the world that uses a citizenship-based tax system.

Which country has the best digital nomad visa? ›

Top digital nomad visas
  • Barbados. ...
  • Georgia. ...
  • Mauritius. ...
  • Costa Rica. ...
  • Portugal. ...
  • Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ...
  • Colombia. In 2022, Colombia joined several other South American countries in launching a digital nomad visa. ...
  • Croatia. Croatia is another great option for working nomads who want to live in the EU.
Feb 7, 2024

How much money do you need to get residency in Costa Rica? ›

Becoming a Costa Rican citizen doesn't have much in the way of physical presence requirements. You can obtain a residency permit valid for two years by investing $150,000 in property, stocks, or an existing or new business.

What is the income requirement for digital nomad visa? ›

The requirements for these visas are as follows:
  • Valid passport.
  • Documents proving that you are a location-independent freelancer or digital nomad.
  • Proof of monthly income (no less than $3,545)
  • Valid health Insurance.
May 22, 2024

How long can digital nomads stay in Costa Rica? ›

LIVE, WORK AND EXPLORE. IN COSTA RICA. Costa Rica's digital nomad program invites international residents to work remotely from the land of pura vida. This program extends a 90-day tourist visa to a full year, with the option to renew for an additional year.

Which is the easiest visa for digital nomad? ›

Here is a list of easy digital nomad visas with simple application processes and quick approval times.
  • Dominica. ...
  • Dubai. ...
  • Grenada. ...
  • Hungary. ...
  • Malaysia. ...
  • Malta. Minimum Income Requirement: 2,700€/month. ...
  • Mauritius. Minimum Income Requirement: $1,500/month. ...
  • Namibia. Minimum Income Requirement: $2,000/month.
May 16, 2024

How much does it cost to live in Costa Rica as a digital nomad? ›

Cost of living in Costa Rica for digital nomads

Overall, cost of living with basic needs covered can go from $1,500 to $1,800 per month. It can go lower if expenses are shared, or higher if you add any perks.

Where is the best place to live in Costa Rica for expats? ›

1. San Jose – The Cultural Capital of Costa Rica. San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica, is a vibrant and bustling urban center nestled in the heart of the Central Valley. Known for its rich history, cultural heritage, and natural beauty, San Jose offers a unique blend of old-world charm and modern amenities.

What is the nomad visa for Costa Rica 2024? ›

Costa Rica Digital Nomad Visa 2024

The visa was implemented under General Law No 8764. It's effectively a Costa Rica work visa for remote workers, as it enables you to legally stay and work in the country for up to a year.

Which digital nomad visa has the lowest taxes? ›

The UAE offers a 0% income tax rate for individuals, making it a highly attractive option for remote workers, and the best for financial professionals in particular. The country also has specific visas for digital nomads, allowing them to live and work there while enjoying the tax benefits.

Do Americans living in Costa Rica pay taxes? ›

Who Has to File Taxes in Costa Rica? All Americans living in Costa Rica must pay taxes on any income they receive from a Costa Rican source. This applies to both residents and non-residents.

How to become a digital nomad in the USA? ›

To help get your planning started, we've outlined a step-by-step road map to transition smoothly into your new work life.
  1. Identify if Being a Digital Nomad is Right For You. ...
  2. Evaluate Skills and Experience. ...
  3. Break Down Your Finances. ...
  4. Decide on Destination. ...
  5. Build a Portfolio. ...
  6. Network. ...
  7. Optimize and Simplify Your Lifestyle.

Can I work remotely while in the USA? ›

The most important factor in working remotely in the United States is proper work authorization. U.S. Immigration law requires anyone who earns income in the United States to have proper work authorization.

Is it legal to be a nomad in the US? ›

The laws vary everywhere, yet most the factors remain the same and the answer is, yes! Yes, you can live a nomadic lifestyle in the U.S. as long as you comply with local, state, and federal laws.

How many digital nomads are there in the US? ›

America has the largest population of digital nomads, with 17 million in total. 90% of digital nomads have received a higher education. 58% of digital nomads are men.

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