{"id":8165,"date":"2020-12-23T14:13:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T14:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/?p=8165"},"modified":"2026-08-28T13:17:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T13:17:26","slug":"what-are-digital-nomads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/what-are-digital-nomads","title":{"rendered":"Digital nomads: what they are, how they live and how to start in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Being a <strong>digital nomad<\/strong> stopped being an eccentricity and became a way of life adopted by tens of millions of professionals worldwide. What in 2015 was a label reserved for some programmers and bloggers now includes consultants, designers, online therapists, teachers, community managers, engineers, and increasingly diverse profiles.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, dozens of countries have created <strong>specific visas for digital nomads<\/strong> to attract this collective. Spain launched its own in December 2022 with the Startups Law. Portugal, Estonia, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Costa Rica, Bali, and Thailand have their own versions.<\/p>\n<p>Behind the laptop-on-the-beach clich\u00e9 there are concrete decisions about money, taxes, and logistics that separate those who sustain it for years from those who return home after six months. This guide covers the phenomenon with updated data, popular destinations in 2026, available visas, and how to manage the financial side across countries.<\/p>\n<h2>What a digital nomad is<\/h2>\n<p>A <strong>digital nomad<\/strong> is a person who uses digital tools to work remotely while changing geographical location regularly. The definition admits nuances: it&#8217;s not the same as a professional who spends three months a year abroad while maintaining their base in one country versus someone who changes country every six weeks without fixed residence anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>What they share is the decoupling between workplace and location where they get paid or invoice. The digital nomad generates income from a location different from their clients or employers, supported by broadband internet, asynchronous communication tools, and financial services that work globally.<\/p>\n<p>The typical profile isn&#8217;t a 25-year-old fresh out of university. Data from platforms like Nomad List shows an average age between 30 and 40, with higher education, consolidated professional experience, and income above their sector average.<\/p>\n<h2>How many there are and how the phenomenon has grown<\/h2>\n<p>The most recent studies by MBO Partners and other observatories estimate over 40 million digital nomads worldwide. The number has grown significantly after the 2020-2021 pandemic, which normalised remote work and accelerated the phenomenon.<\/p>\n<p>The United States concentrates the largest share with around 17 million people who self-identify as digital nomads. Europe adds around 6 million, with Spain, Portugal, Germany, and the UK leading as sending countries. Latin America has grown especially fast, with Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia generating a new generation of nomads combining work for US or European companies with life in lower-cost countries.<\/p>\n<p>Medium-term projections point to between 60 and 90 million digital nomads by 2030 if the trend continues.<\/p>\n<h2>Most common professions<\/h2>\n<p>All professions that can be practised entirely remotely are candidates for the nomad lifestyle. The most frequent today:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Software development.<\/strong> Full-stack, backend, frontend, DevOps. Probably the most common profile among digital nomads for its combination of high demand, high salaries, and total compatibility with remote work.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Design and visual creation.<\/strong> UX\/UI, graphic design, motion, digital illustration. Requires good connection and adequate equipment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Digital marketing.<\/strong> SEO, PPC, content strategy, social media management, email marketing. One of the profiles with highest volume of digital nomads.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Strategic consulting.<\/strong> Business, financial, operations consulting or specialised. More recent sectors: AI applied to product consulting and regulatory compliance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Content creation.<\/strong> Bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, freelance writers, translators. Very diverse in income: from marginal to consolidated professionals with high earnings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Online education.<\/strong> Language teachers (Cambly, Preply, italki), own courses, coaching, tutoring. Very common combined with travel in Asia and Latin America.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Remote professional services.<\/strong> Online therapy and coaching, virtual assistance, remote tax advisory, specialised legal services.<\/p>\n<h2>Honest advantages and challenges of the lifestyle<\/h2>\n<p>Digital nomadism has real advantages, but also costs that rarely appear in the sector&#8217;s Instagram accounts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Real advantages:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cost of living optimisable by choosing destinations with lower prices than country of origin.<\/li>\n<li>Time and geographic flexibility hard to achieve with traditional employment.<\/li>\n<li>Constant intercultural learning.<\/li>\n<li>No daily commute.<\/li>\n<li>Possibility of living experiences without needing to save limited vacation days.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Honest challenges:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Recurring social isolation, especially when starting in a new destination.<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty maintaining stable relationships at distance (family, partner, friends in origin location).<\/li>\n<li>Logistical fatigue of constantly managing accommodation, flights, insurance, and bureaucracy.<\/li>\n<li>International tax complexity that many underestimate at the start.<\/li>\n<li>Sense of &#8220;not belonging&#8221; anywhere, especially after years of nomadism.<\/li>\n<li>Loss of social safety net of origin country if tax residence changes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many digital nomads adopt hybrid models after some years: fixed base in one country (often with favourable tax conditions) and 2-3 month trips per year. It&#8217;s a more sustainable model long-term than pure nomadism.<\/p>\n<h2>Popular destinations and specific visas for digital nomads<\/h2>\n<p>Destinations that concentrate active digital nomad communities in 2026 combine reasonable cost of living, good internet, consolidated expat community, coworking spaces, and (increasingly) specific visa.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Europe:<\/strong> Lisbon and Madeira (Portugal), Barcelona, Valencia and M\u00e1laga (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Belgrade (Serbia), Tbilisi (Georgia), Istanbul (Turkey).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Asia:<\/strong> Bali (Indonesia), Chiang Mai and Bangkok (Thailand), Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang (Vietnam), Tokyo (Japan, more expensive but growing).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Latin America:<\/strong> Mexico City and Playa del Carmen (Mexico), Medell\u00edn (Colombia), Buenos Aires (Argentina).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Africa:<\/strong> Cape Town (South Africa), Cairo (Egypt).<\/p>\n<p>The most relevant <strong>digital nomad visas<\/strong> in 2026:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Estonia.<\/strong> First European country with specific visa since August 2020. Minimum income 4,500 \u20ac monthly. Duration up to 1 year.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Portugal.<\/strong> D8 Digital Nomad Visa, active since October 2022. Minimum income around 3,480 \u20ac monthly. Initial duration of 1 year, renewable up to 5 years, path to permanent residency after.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Spain.<\/strong> Digital Nomad Visa created by the 2022 Startups Law. Requires remote work for a company outside Spain or freelance work with clients mainly outside the country, minimum income of approximately 2,762 \u20ac gross monthly (200 % of Spanish minimum wage in 2025), and university degree or equivalent professional experience. Allows access to the special regime for displaced workers (known as &#8220;Beckham Law&#8221;) with fixed 24 % income tax up to 600,000 \u20ac.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Italy.<\/strong> Digital Nomad Visa approved in 2022 and operationally implemented in 2024. Requires minimum annual income of approximately 28,000 \u20ac and higher education.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other destinations with specific visa:<\/strong> Greece, Croatia, Germany (Freiberufler), Czech Republic, Bali (Indonesia), Thailand (LTR Visa), Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina, Barbados, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n<p>Platforms like <a href=\"https:\/\/nomadlist.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nomad List<\/a> compare destinations by cost of living, internet quality, safety, community, and climate with data updated by active users.<\/p>\n<h2>Tax and residency aspects<\/h2>\n<p>This is the area digital nomads most underestimate when starting and the one that can generate the most problems medium-term.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tax residency.<\/strong> Being a nomad doesn&#8217;t mean stopping being tax resident somewhere. Most jurisdictions establish that you&#8217;re tax resident if you spend more than 183 days a year in their territory, or if your centre of economic or vital interests is there. Being tax resident means paying taxes on your worldwide income in that country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Double taxation.<\/strong> Most European countries have bilateral agreements to avoid double taxation: if you pay taxes in one country, the other recognises part or all of those payments. Agreements differ between country pairs and it&#8217;s worth reviewing the one applicable to your case.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Renouncing tax residency.<\/strong> Travelling isn&#8217;t enough. Renouncing tax residency in your home country requires demonstrating effective residency in another (registration, rental contract, actual taxation there) and communicating the change to tax authorities. Without this formal process, you remain tax resident of your home country regardless of where you live.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Social contributions.<\/strong> Healthcare coverage and social security contributions require specific attention. Within the EU, S1\/S2 forms and bilateral agreements allow maintaining coverage under different conditions. Outside the EU, hiring international health insurance (SafetyWing, Genki, IMG Global) is the usual route.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Special regimes.<\/strong> Several countries offer attractive tax regimes to attract expats or nomads: Beckham Law in Spain (fixed 24 % income tax), NHR in Portugal (reduced in 2024 but still with advantages for R&amp;D), impatriates regime in Italy, non-dom in Malta or Cyprus. Each has specific requirements and limitations.<\/p>\n<p>Consulting a tax adviser specialised in international taxation before making the leap is the investment with the best return in serious digital nomadism.<\/p>\n<h2>How to manage money when living between countries<\/h2>\n<p>Financial management for the digital nomad combines several elements that don&#8217;t appear in sedentary life.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Income in different currencies.<\/strong> Clients pay in euros, dollars, pounds, and sometimes cryptocurrencies. You need instruments that receive multiple currencies with reasonable conversion commissions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Expenses in local currency of the country you&#8217;re in.<\/strong> Each purchase in the destination country involves conversion. Cards with interbank-rate conversion (no surcharge) mean significant savings vs traditional bank cards that may apply 1-3 % per operation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cash withdrawals at local ATMs.<\/strong> Many countries still function with cash for certain expenses. ATMs apply two commissions: local ATM&#8217;s and your issuing bank&#8217;s. Cards specifically for travellers or prepaid with favourable conditions reduce this friction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Financial separation.<\/strong> Keeping money for travel and current expenses in an instrument separate from savings reduces risk if your card is stolen or you lose access to an app in a country without coverage.<\/p>\n<p>A common combination among digital nomads: main bank account in country of tax residence (for savings and large collections), Wise or Revolut for multi-currency conversion, and a prepaid card dedicated to day-to-day travel expenses.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/prepaid-card-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-one\">Bitsa prepaid card<\/a> fits well in this last role. It&#8217;s a Visa card with associated IBAN that tops up with euros or directly from cryptocurrencies (BAT, USDT, BTC, ETH and others), doesn&#8217;t require a linked bank account, and works globally at any merchant that accepts Visa. For nomads who receive part of their income in crypto, it eliminates the step of converting on an exchange and transferring to bank account before spending.<\/p>\n<p>The specific article on <a href=\"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/prepaid-crypto-cards-for-digital-nomads\">prepaid crypto cards for digital nomads<\/a> goes deeper into combining wallet, exchange, and prepaid card for regular multi-currency income management.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions about digital nomads<\/h2>\n<h3>How much money do you need to start as a digital nomad?<\/h3>\n<p>Depends on destination and lifestyle. As reference, to start sustainably you should have 3-6 months of personal expenses covered (about 6,000-15,000 \u20ac depending on destination and standard), confirmed recurring income, and a contingency plan if income drops. Asian and Latin American destinations allow starting with less capital than Western Europe.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I be a digital nomad while being employed by a company?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, but requires express authorisation from the employer and consideration of tax aspects. Most European companies have remote work policies, some with specific geographic limits (EU only, same country, etc.). Fiscally, the company may have new obligations if you work from another country for extended periods.<\/p>\n<h3>Do I need a digital nomad visa to live outside my country?<\/h3>\n<p>For short stays within the EU, no. As EU citizen you can move freely within Schengen. For long stays outside the EU, the digital nomad visa (where it exists) is usually more flexible than the tourist visa, allows longer stays, and often offers attractive tax conditions.<\/p>\n<h3>How do I manage healthcare as a digital nomad?<\/h3>\n<p>Within the EU, the European Health Insurance Card covers emergencies during temporary stays. For longer stays or outside the EU, specific international health insurance for nomads (SafetyWing, Genki, IMG Global) is the usual option, with premiums between 40 and 150 \u20ac monthly depending on age and coverage.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I legally get paid in cryptocurrencies?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, in most European jurisdictions. Getting paid in cryptocurrencies is legal and must be declared to tax authorities like any other income. Conversion to euros is calculated at the exchange rate on the date of payment. Bitsa allows converting crypto directly to euro balance usable with the Visa card.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated guide on digital nomads: how many there are, professions, best destinations, specific visas and how to manage money across countries<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":8916,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[260],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrepreneurship"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8165"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22904,"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8165\/revisions\/22904"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bitsacard.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}