Packing your bags and working overseas was, until recently, a move made by those who had been given orders by their bosses.
In the pre-internet era, shifting a suitcase (and possibly a typewriter) to another part of the world tended to be the result of a stiff relocation missive to work in the Frankfurt or Tokyo branch – or wherever it may have been.
Less common was the notion of simply upping sticks as a self-employed ‘nomad’ and seeing what happened. Yet I was part of this latter group, having decided, on something of a whim, to quit Middlesbrough in favour of Cape Town, South Africa in 1999 when I was 21 years old.
I had no work visa. I had no contacts there. But, somehow, I managed to stay more than two years, working first as a stand-up comedian and then a freelance magazine journalist for publications within South Africa and beyond its borders (while also having the time of my life).
Such a scenario would not be possible today in South Africa. But there are numerous other countries in 2025 that are doing everything they can to encourage Brits to hop on a flight, make a new base and work legally for extended periods.
The perks can be immense. Nations offering variations on the ‘digital nomad’ visa, which last much longer than tourist visas, are rolling out the carpet to offer tax breaks. These, combined with lower costs of living, can be enticing.
But there may be drawbacks, too. Some countries demand proof of steady income, spotless background checks, private health insurance and endless paperwork.
All this, mixed in with our withdrawal from the EU, means the picture is sometimes rosy, but often complicated. Here’s our pick of a dozen places where we can become digital nomads, and what’s involved to make that vision of working from the sun lounger a reality.
SPAIN
Spain’s digital nomad visa is known as a ‘telework’ and Brits can apply to be non-EU remote workers as long as you’re happy to pay the £70 application fee
Spain’s digital nomad visa is known as a ‘telework’ and Brits can apply to be non-EU remote workers as long as you’re happy to pay the £70 application fee and you can prove that your monthly income is at least £2,410.
If you choose to base yourself in cities such as Valencia or Malaga then you could find that living expenses don’t much exceed £800 for rent on a modest apartment plus utility bills. Plus, of course, there’s the warmer climate and a large English speaking community.
The initial visa lasts for a year but you can then apply for a five-year extension. You’ll qualify if you work for a company or are self-employed but you must have either a university degree or at least three years’ experience of working in your industry. The processing time for a ‘telework’ is between two and four weeks and there is the possibility of also bringing family members, but you will have to pay tax on what you earn while you’re here to the tune of 24 per cent up to 600,000 euros.
Apply here.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand relaxed its visitor visa rules so digital nomads, including influencers, can legally work remotely – but it’s more of an extended holiday than a semi-permanent move
This year New Zealand relaxed its visitor visa rules so digital nomads, including influencers, can legally work remotely. The catch is that it’s more of an extended holiday than a semi-permanent move. The new visa is valid initially for up to 90 days and can then be extended but only up to nine months maximum and visitors may need to pay tax during this time.
Next year, another avenue will open up if you fancy relocating to Lord Of The Rings country for good. New residency pathways are being introduced with one option opening up for migrants in skilled roles who meet relevant experience and salary thresholds. The second is for migrants who work in what the NZ government refer to as ‘trade and technical roles’.
These extra opportunities to relocate come with a downside in the form of costs of living, which are easily the equivalent of the more expensive parts of the UK in major cities such as Auckland, with utility bills and food shopping being particularly pricey. If you’re happy to live in one of the island nation’s less-populated urban environments such as Nelson, Dunedin or Mount Maunganui, however, you’ll experience lower costs and much easier access to the natural wonders New Zealand offers in abundance.
Apply here.
GREECE
As long as you can prove your earnings exceed £3,000 a month, then it’s relatively straightforward to apply for a digital nomad visa in Greece that initially lasts for 12 months
With a low cost of living, particularly outside Athens and more popular islands such as Crete, and with an (almost) year round good climate, Greece is highly attractive for those wishing to relocate. And as long as you can prove your earnings exceed £3,000 a month, then it’s relatively straightforward to apply for a digital nomad visa that initially lasts for 12 months but can be extended for longer.
You can bring your family with you to Greece too on this visa, but if your spouse is joining you then the proven income requirement increases by 20 per cent to £3,700.
Be aware that the processing time for the nomad visa application can take up to three months and, as with most visas of this kind, you’re not allowed to be employed by a Greek company and you must ensure that the firms you’re working for, even on a self-employed, freelance basis, are based outside of the country.
Jump through these hoops and you’ll find once you’re based here that Athens is substantially cheaper than London on everyday spending and rents, rarely exceeding £850 a month for a single person apartment including bills.
Apply here.
ITALY
The idea of spending your working days with a view across the Tuscan Hills or the Amalfi coast is a seductive one. The visa for self-employed people gives you one-year residency in Italy
The idea of spending your working days with a view across the Tuscan Hills or the Amalfi coast is a seductive one, and Italy was one of the first European countries to set up a post-Covid digital nomad visa (also called a remote-work visa) back in early 2022.
The visa, only available for self-employed people, initially gives you a one-year residency with an option to renew, though there’s an earnings minimum you have to equal or better. The good news is that the figure is currently a comparatively low one of £24,500 a year. Even if you bring your spouse, the figure only rises by £8,000 and slightly more again per child that comes along too.
Your reward is not only an immersion in the Italian way of life but costs that, even in Rome and Florence, are cheaper than London. Rent on a one-bedroom apartment will rarely come to more than £900 and, as well as the high quality of life, the Italian healthcare system scores highly compared to many other Western European nations.
Apply here.
CROATIA
The Croatian digital nomad visa has just become more generous timewise, now allowing an initial stay of 18 months
The Croatian digital nomad visa has just become more generous timewise. It was amended last month to allow an initial stay of 18 months, which can then be extended for another six months. You can also apply for a six-month long visa if you’re not planning to soak up the delights of Split or Dubrovnik on a more long-term basis.
In return for a successful application you can expect a significantly lower cost of living than in the UK, though your proven monthly income threshold is, comparatively, quite high; the current minimum is £2,900 a month.
A vital element of a successful application is the ability to prove that you work online, either for your own company or a business based outside Croatia on a remote working, freelance, or self-employed basis, without doing any work at all for Croatian based employers.
Less strenuous is the Croatian attitude towards bringing partners with you on this visa. Whereas most European countries only have this option for husbands or wives, in Croatia you can bring your un-married partner as long as you can prove you’ve been together for over three years.
But what truly sets the Croatian digital nomad visa apart from so many others in Europe is that you’re exempt from paying income tax; in other words, you can relish the high quality of life and beautiful surroundings of the Adriatic while keeping the money you earn while you’re here.
Apply here.
ESTONIA
The Estonian nomad visa process is exceptionally slick and easy to apply, taking less than 20 minutes and costing just £70
With one of the most advanced digitally based societies in Europe, you would expect the Estonian nomad visa process to be straightforward – and it is indeed exceptionally slick and easy to apply. The entire process takes less than 20 minutes to complete online, it costs just £70 and you can expect to receive a response from the embassy within five working days.
With this visa you can stay in Estonia, with its low cost of living, gorgeous coastline and friendly locals (English is very widely spoken) for up to a year. The minimum proven income per month is quite high at £3,100, but the cost of living is far lower than you will find in most parts of the UK.
Tallinn is something of a dream for remote workers. There’s few places in Europe with faster broadband and e-services, making a move here categorically not an experience where you’ll be struggling to find wi-fi in order to work from a café or park.
Apply here.
DUBAI
The Dubai Virtual Working Programme allows you to apply for a one-year residency permit, during which time you won’t be liable for any personal income tax
One year in Dubai? For some that sounds like a penance. But for others it’s a pleasure; as well as an opportunity to work remotely or run your own business, as long as it’s registered outside of the UAE.
Called the Dubai Virtual Working Programme, the scheme was launched in 2020 and allows you to apply for a one-year residency permit, during which time you won’t be liable for any personal income tax. The visa is proving particularly popular with influencers thanks to the earnings potential that comes from living in a city awash with Insta-friendly events and tourism partnerships. But it’s not a cheap city, with even the most modest of apartments likely to cost you £1,000-plus a month in rent.
If you’re applying to work remotely then you’ll need to prove that your earnings match or exceed £2,600 a month. You also must have your own private health insurance cover; just having travel insurance is not considered enough.
A bonus for freelance remote workers is that you don’t have to provide proof of any contracts with employers; you merely have to demonstrate that you have an active client base and show documentation relating to the services you offer. One drawback is the non-refundable cost of applying for the visa which is a stiff £215, plus you’ll also have to pay for a basic medical check when you arrive in the Gulf which could cost up to £175.
Apply here.
THAILAND
With the ‘Work From Thailand Professional’ visa you’ll only be taxed on your foreign earnings if they’re brought into Thailand in the same year that they’re earned
The ‘Work From Thailand Professional’ visa is the Thai equivalent of a digital nomad pass where, interestingly, you’ll only be taxed on your foreign earnings if they’re brought into Thailand in the same year that they’re earned. Transfer it the following year and it’s exempt. This rule applies even if you stay for more than 180 days in a calendar year, which would normally make you a tax resident.
You’ll need to keep an eye on your bank balance back home before applying to work here as you’ll be asked to prove that you’ve had at least £11,000 in your account for three consecutive months.
Get through this process and the rewards are plentiful. Costs of living for Brits, particularly in Thai beach towns, are very cheap indeed; with single person costs, including rent, often well under £500 a month if you live fairly modestly. The private healthcare in Thailand is excellent and, of course, you really can sample what it feels like to log on, and log off again, with a view of the beach as your new daily reality.
Apply here.
BARBADOS
The one year ‘Welcome Stamp’ to Barbados is one of the most straight-forward digital nomad visas – but it doesn’t come cheap
The one year ‘Welcome Stamp’ to Barbados is one of the most straight-forward digital nomad visas. It’s become hugely popular since its launch in 2020 with Brits looking to decamp to a Caribbean island with one of the highest qualities of life in the region.
The drawback? In short, it’s not cheap. The application cost is an eye watering £1,485 for the first 12 months, though the costs go down by 25 per cent if you’re having such a good time that you want to renew for another year.
You’ll be exempt from income tax while you’re staying on the island though, as with all digital nomad visas, you can only work for companies based outside Barbados and you have to prove that your earnings are at least £37,000 a year.
That rules out quite a few influencers who are just starting out but is a great option if you’re more established. Best of all is the speed of the visa; you’re likely to get a response within seven days, and it’s only after your application has been accepted that you’ll have to pay that high initial fee. Costs of living are fairly high by Caribbean standards but you get the advantages of living in an English-speaking country and, of course, the perks of living amid a spectacular Caribbean landscape of cliffs, beaches and surf.
Apply here.
COSTA RICA
In Costa Rica you’re not required to pay taxes as a digital nomad if you’re successful in getting a one-year visa, which comes with an option to extend for another year
Offering, by most standards, the best infrastructure of any Central American country, a move to Costa Rica gives you instant access to its world-renowned jungles, beaches and wildlife.
Best of all, you’re not required to pay taxes as a digital nomad if you’re successful in getting a one-year visa, which comes with an option to extend for another year.
The application fees are reasonable at just £80 but you can’t work for a Costa Rican-based company, you have to source your own health insurance that provides coverage of at least £38,000 and you have to prove that you earn a minimum of £2,300 a month.
If you get there, then San José and many of the beach towns offer comfortable living, with it being possible to keep monthly living expenses (including rent) down to around £800, though be wary that private healthcare, based on the American model, can be pricey.
Apply here.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea’s Workation visa, introduced last year, lets foreigners work remotely while living in the country for an initial two years
South Korea’s Workation visa, introduced last year, lets foreigners work remotely while living in the country for an initial two years – far longer than most digital nomad visas initially allow in other countries – and with the option to extend to a third year.
Provided you’re employed by a company outside Korea or you run a business with overseas clients then you can apply, but the income bar is high with your application only being accepted if you can prove that you earn at least £65,000 a year; that’s double the national per capita income.
On top of that, comprehensive health insurance covering medical costs and repatriation is mandatory. Get through the process and this is a rare chance to sample Seoul’s neon-lit streets and mountainside temples while keeping a foreign career ticking over. But the paperwork involved is onerous and the processing times for the initial application can be slow.
Apply here.
JAPAN
Britons are eligible for a Japanese Designated Activities visa, but the rules are tight – and you don’t get resident status, so opening a bank account or signing a phone contract is tricky
Japan has long been a dream destination for remote workers, but until recently there was no official way to stay beyond the limits of a tourist visa. That changed in March last year with the launch of its new Designated Activities visa, with the cost of applying a bargain at around £25.
Britons are among those eligible for this visa, but the rules are tight. To qualify you’ll need to earn roughly £50,000 to £55,000, all coming from an employer or clients based outside Japan. Local work isn’t permitted, and unlike other long-stay permits, this visa doesn’t give you resident status, meaning simple things like opening a bank account or signing up for a phone contract can be tricky.
Successful applicants must also show they’re covered by health insurance cover valued at a minimum of £50,000, and your stay in Japan is capped at six months, with no renewal allowed. This makes the visa an unviable option if you really fancy a long-term relocation, but for a few months living in one of the most fascinating nations on earth, it’s an experience that’s never been easier (though it’s still hardly a cinch) to make a reality.
Apply here.
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