Digital nomad
Digital nomads are people who travel freely while working remotely using technology and the internet.<ref name=early>Schlagwein, Daniel (December 6, 2018). "The History of Digital Nomadism". International Workshop on the Changing Nature of Work (CNOW).</ref> Such people generally have minimal material possessions and work remotely in temporary housing, hotels, cafes, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles, using Wi-Fi, smartphones or mobile hotspots to access the Internet.<ref name=early/><ref>Colella, Kristin (July 13, 2016). "5 'digital nomads' share their stories from around the world". TheStreet.com.</ref><ref>Lamarque, Hannah (June 3, 2015). "The Rise of the Digital Nomad". HuffPost.</ref><ref name=buzzword>Nash, Caleece (February 2018). "Digital Nomads Beyond the Buzzword: Defining Digital Nomadic Work and Use of Digital Technologies". Transforming Digital Worlds. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Vol. iConference 2018. pp. 207–217. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-78105-1_25. ISBN 978-3-319-78104-4 – via Springer.</ref><ref>Adams, R. Dallon (January 29, 2021). "The future of business travel: Digital nomads and "bleisure" define the new high-tech take on work trips". TechRepublic.</ref> The majority of digital nomads describe themselves as programmers, content creators, designers, or developers.<ref name="buzzword" /> Some digital nomads are perpetual travelers, while others only maintain the lifestyle for a short period of time. While some nomads travel through multiple countries, others remain in one area, and some may choose to travel while living in a vehicle, in a practice often known as van-dwelling.<ref name="COVID-19">"COVID-19 and the Rise of the Digital Nomad" (PDF). MBO Partners. 2020.</ref> In 2023, there are 17.3 million American digital nomads, which is a 131% increase since 2019.<ref>"MBO Partners 2023 State of Independence" (PDF).</ref>
Etymology
One of the first digital nomads was Steven K. Roberts, who from 1983 to 1991 rode more than 10,000 miles across America on a computerized recumbent bicycle equipped with amateur radio and other equipment that allowed him to talk, type and work on the move during the day before camping at night. Roberts was featured in Popular Computing magazine;<ref name=early/> the magazine referred to him as a "high-tech nomad".<ref>Roberts, Steven K. (August 1984). "High-Tech Nomad". Popular Computing. McGraw-Hill, Inc. 3 (10): 116–122.</ref>
The term "digital nomad" started to be used in the early 1990s to describe a new type of high tech traveling lifestyle made possible by the growth of computer networking and popularization of mobile devices like laptops, tablets and PDAs. In his 1992 travelogue Exploring the Internet, Carl Malamud described a "digital nomad" who "travels the world with a laptop, setting up FidoNet nodes."<ref>Malamud, Carl (September 1992). Exploring the Internet: A Technical Travelogue. Prentice Hall. p. 284. ISBN 0132968983.</ref> In 1993, Random House published the Digital Nomad's Guide series of guidebooks by Mitch Ratcliffe and Andrew Gore. The guidebooks, PowerBook, AT&T EO Personal Communicator, and Newton's Law, used the term "digital nomad" to refer to the increased mobility and more powerful communication and productivity technologies that new mobile devices introduced.<ref>Gore, Andrew; Ratcliffe, Mitch (1993). AT&T EO personal communicator: A Digital Nomad's Guide. Random House. ISBN 0-679-74695-1.</ref><ref>Gore, Andrew; Ratcliffe, Mitch (1993). PowerBook: A Digital Nomad's Guide. Random House. ISBN 0-679-74588-2.</ref><ref>Gore, Andrew; Ratcliffe, Mitch (1993). Newton's Law: A Digital Nomad's Guide. Random House. ISBN 0-679-74647-1.</ref>
Craig McCaw predicted in 1993 that the union of telecommunication and computing would create a new nomadic industry. By enabling people to conduct business from any location, wireless communication and digital assistants would facilitate a return to a nomadic lifestyle where people moved as they wished and took their environment and possessions with them.<ref>Caruso, Denise; Maloney, Janice (July 1993). "Craig McCaw, McCaw Cellular". Digital Media. Internet Media Strategies, Inc. 3 (2): 7+.</ref>
The 1997 book Digital Nomad by Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners used the term to describe how technology allows for a return of societies to a nomadic lifestyle.<ref name=early/> Makimoto and Manners identified an emerging "digital nomad" lifestyle freed by technology "from the constraints of geography and distance."<ref name="tsugio">Makimoto, Tsugio; Manners, David (1997). Digital Nomad. John Wiley & Sons. p. 242. ISBN 0471974994.</ref> One of the first use of digital nomads in research was in 2006 in the paper Towards the Epistemology of digital nomads by Patokorpi.<ref>Zielinski, C.; Duquenoy, P.; Kimppa, K., eds. (2006). "Abductive reasoning and ICT enhanced learning: Towards the epistemology of digital nomads". The Information Society: Emerging Landscapes. Ifip International Federation For Information Processing. Vol. 195. Springer Science+Business Media. pp. 101–117. doi:10.1007/0-387-31168-8_7. ISBN 0-387-30527-0.</ref><ref>Šímová, Tereza (2023). "A research framework for digital nomadism: a bibliometric study". World Leisure Journal. 65 (2): 175–191. doi:10.1080/16078055.2022.2134200. S2CID 253014894.</ref>
In contemporary usage, the term broadly describes a category of highly mobile, location-independent professionals who are able to live and work remotely from anywhere in the world with internet access, due to the integration of mobile technology into everyday life and work settings.<ref>Hannonen, Olga (September 2020). "In search of a digital nomad: defining the phenomenon". Information Technology & Tourism. Springer Nature. 22 (3): 335–353. doi:10.1007/s40558-020-00177-z. S2CID 256404642.</ref><ref>Woldoff, Rachael A.; Litchfield, Robert C. (2021). Digital Nomads: In Search of Meaningful Work in the New Economy. Oxford University Press. pp. 4–6. ISBN 9780190931780.</ref>
Benefits
People typically become digital nomads due to a desire to travel, location independence<ref>"Digital nomad: More freedom on the job". IONOS Startupguide. July 4, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.</ref> and the lowered cost of living often provided by leaving expensive cities.<ref name=":62">Ehn, Karine; Jorge, Ana; Marques-Pita, Manuel (2022). "Digital Nomads and the Covid-19 Pandemic: Narratives About Relocation in a Time of Lockdowns and Reduced Mobility". Social Media + Society. 8 (1): 205630512210849. doi:10.1177/20563051221084958. ISSN 2056-3051. S2CID 248243780.</ref> Cost of living ranks chief among the criteria that digital nomads value when selecting a destination, followed by climate, diversity, and available leisure activities.<ref name=":62"/> There are also benefits for employers, as a 2021 study concluded that there is a causal relationship between worker productivity and the option to "work from anywhere," as workers who were freed from geographic limitations showed an average output increase of 4.4% while controlling for other factors.<ref>Choudhury, Prithwiraj (Raj); Foroughi, Cirrus; Larson, Barbara (April 2021). "Work-from-anywhere : The productivity effects of geographic flexibility". Strategic Management Journal. 42 (4): 655–683. doi:10.1002/smj.3251. ISSN 0143-2095.</ref> Digital nomads also typically spend more than 35% of their income in the location in which they are staying, an injection of capital that has been shown to stimulate local economies in popular destinations, primarily promoting the service industry and the sale of consumer goods.<ref name=":2">Angiello, Gennaro (2022). "European cities embracing digital nomads". TeMA - Journal of Land Use. Mobility and Environment: 157–161 Pages. doi:10.6093/1970-9870/9033.</ref>
Challenges
Although digital nomads enjoy advantages in freedom and flexibility, they report loneliness as their biggest struggle, followed by burnout.<ref>Moss, Jennifer (November 30, 2018). "Helping Remote Workers Avoid Loneliness and Burnout". Harvard Business Review. ISSN 0017-8012.</ref> Feelings of loneliness are often an issue for digital nomads because nomadism usually requires freedom from personal attachments such as marriage.<ref>Wang, Blair; Schlagwein, Daniel; Cecez-Kecmanovic, Dubravka; Cahalane, Michael C. (2018). "Digital Work and High-Tech Wanderers: Three Theoretical Framings and a Research Agenda for Digital Nomadism". Acis 2018 Proceedings.</ref> The importance of developing face-to-face quality relationships has been stressed to maintain mental health in remote workers.<ref name="nonstop">Snedden, Meggan (August 30, 2013). "When work is a nonstop vacation". BBC News.</ref>
Other challenges include maintaining international health insurance with coverage globally, abiding by different local laws including payment of required taxes and obtaining work visas, and maintaining long-distance relationships with friends and family back home. Digital nomads also very rarely have access to retirement benefits, unemployment insurance, or set time off from work, and often make less money than they could make through traditional employment. As many digital nomads resort to gig work or freelancing, their opportunities for pay can be inconsistent and sporadic.<ref>Thompson, Beverly Yuen (2018). "Digital Nomads: Employment in the Online Gig Economy". Glocalism: Journal of Culture, Politics and Innovation (1). doi:10.12893/gjcpi.2018.1.11. ISSN 2283-7949. S2CID 216932071.</ref> Other challenges may also include time zone differences, the difficulty of finding a reliable connection to the internet, and the absence of delineation between work and leisure time.<ref name=buzzword/><ref>Wasserman, Todd (November 10, 2014). "Digital nomads travel the world while you rot in your office". Mashable.</ref> There are a few contributing factors to the blurring of this line; certain paid work can be viewed as leisure when it is enjoyable, but many tasks that involve travel and acquiring accommodations can become viewed as another type of work, even though those would traditionally fall into the leisure category.<ref>Reichenberger, Ina (May 27, 2018). "Digital nomads – a quest for holistic freedom in work and leisure". Annals of Leisure Research. 21 (3): 364–380. doi:10.1080/11745398.2017.1358098. ISSN 1174-5398. S2CID 149218406.</ref> Another issue faced by digital nomads is that of mobility; a travelling worker must be able to keep any necessary equipment with them as they move from location to location, and it is difficult for a digital nomad to manage personal belongings.<ref>Richter, Shahper; Richter, Alexander (2019). "Digital Nomads". Business & Information Systems Engineering. 62 (1): 77–81. doi:10.1007/s12599-019-00615-1. ISSN 2363-7005. S2CID 210865282.</ref> In fact, many digital nomads do not have a "home base," and must therefore adopt a minimalist lifestyle.<ref name=":62"/><ref>Nash, (Evyn) Caleece; Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein; Sutherland, Will (2021). "Nomadic work and location independence: The role of space in shaping the work of digital nomads". Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies. 3 (2): 271–282. doi:10.1002/hbe2.234. ISSN 2578-1863.</ref>
One potentially negative impact of digital nomadism, that does not affect the nomads themselves, is the possibility of 'transnational gentrification.' Concerns have been raised about the nature of the relationship between digital nomads, who are most often from the Global North, and the countries they travel to, generally in the Global South. The problem may arise in regards to housing competition between native people and travelling workers, as well as in personal interactions and the risk of tourism over-dependency. However, the exact scope and real-world impacts of this problem have not yet been settled by research.<ref>Holleran, Max (2022). "Pandemics and geoarbitrage: digital nomadism before and after COVID-19". City. 26 (5–6): 831–847. doi:10.1080/13604813.2022.2124713. ISSN 1360-4813. S2CID 252447812.</ref>
Impact of COVID-19
In 2020, a research study found that 10.9 million American workers described themselves as digital nomads, an increase of 49% from 2019. The primary reason for this rapid increase is office closure and the shift toward remote work due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.<ref>"Covid creates more 'digital nomads' in the US". ProQuest 2452877384.</ref> Multiple countries were prompted to offer new visa programs and to change their policies towards foreign workers as a result of the pandemic.<ref>Westenberg, Kerri. "In the age of COVID, digital nomads are on the rise as traveling for work takes on a new meaning". TCA Regional News. ProQuest 2442164521.</ref>
The pandemic had a larger impact, in terms of mobility, on traditional job holders than on independent workers. While the number of independent workers living as digital nomads increased slightly in 2020, the number of traditional workers who changed their lifestyle to live as digital nomads nearly doubled, from 3.2 million people in 2019 to 6.3 million in 2020. This is because many traditional jobs stopped requiring their employees to physically report to an office or set location everyday, so many people were subsequently able to travel freely while still working. The majority of this increase consisted of Millennial and Generation Z workers, possibly due in part to their minimized concern about COVID-19. At the same time, another effect of the pandemic was the limited ability to travel, particularly across national borders. For this reason, more and more digital nomads have chosen to remain domestic, especially in the United States. Living as a digital nomad often entails travelling from high-cost areas (e.g. major cities) to cheaper regions (foreign or domestic).<ref name="COVID-19"/>
Though the rapid increase of digital nomads in 2020 is expected to be more than just a short-lived trend, the extreme rate of change is not likely to continue indefinitely.<ref name="COVID-19" />
Legality
Many digital nomads tend to come from more developed nations with passports allowing a greater degree of freedom of travel. As a result, many tend to travel on a travel visa; working while on a travel visa can be technically illegal and controversial.<ref>Hall, Grant; Sigala, Marianna; Rentschler, Ruth; Boyle, Stephen (2019). "Motivations, Mobility and Work Practices; the Conceptual Realities of Digital Nomads". Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2019. pp. 437–449. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-05940-8_34. ISBN 978-3-030-05939-2. S2CID 59616398.</ref>
Digital nomad visas
Several visa programs are targeted at digital nomads.
Antigua and Barbuda
In 2020, Antigua and Barbuda announced a digital nomad visa called the Nomad Digital Residence (NDR). The visa allows digital nomads who work for a company outside of Antigua and Barbuda to stay in the country for two years.<ref>Morrison, Geoffrey. "Antigua And Barbuda Launch Digital Nomad Visa". Forbes. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
Argentina
In May 2022, the Argentinian government announced that it would be implementing a temporary visa targeted at digital nomads. The visa is valid for six months and can be renewed for an additional six.<ref>Politi, Daniel. "Argentina hoping to entice remote workers with new visa". ABC News. Retrieved July 8, 2022.</ref>
Bermuda
On August 1, 2020, Bermuda opened applications for its digital nomad visa, entitled "Work From Bermuda." The visa is an expansion on an older residency program and allows digital nomads to live in the country for one year.<ref>Ramani, Sandra (July 27, 2020). "Bermuda Introduces a One-Year Visa That Allows Digital Nomads to Work From an Island". Robb Report. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref><ref>Morrison, Geoffrey. "Bermuda Opens Its Doors To Digital Nomads". Forbes. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
Brazil
In February 2022, Brazil announced that it would be introducing a digital nomad visa for foreign nationals employed by a foreign company, under Resolution 45. The resolution allows non-Brazilian workers to apply for a visa that lets them stay in the country for 90 days in a 180-day period, or 180 days in a one-year period. The digital nomad visa is valid for one year and renewable for another year.<ref>"Brazil Joins the Growing List of Countries Offering "Digital Nomad" Visas". JD Supra. Retrieved July 8, 2022.</ref>
Cayman Islands
On October 21, 2020, the Cayman Islands launched the Global Citizen Concierge Program. Foreign workers need to have an employment letter from an entity outside of the Cayman Islands and a minimum salary of $100,000.<ref>Pitrelli, Monica Buchanan (October 28, 2020). "Travelers can work abroad in an island paradise — if they make $100,000+". CNBC. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
Costa Rica
On August 11, 2021, Costa Rica passed a law granting visas to digital nomads. The law allows foreign nationals and their families to live and work in the country for a year, and the visa can be extended for up to one year. The visa requires foreign nationals to have an income greater than US$3000 per month. Families applying for the visa need to have an income greater than US$5000 per month.<ref>"You can do your job from Costa Rica with this new 12-month digital nomad visa". Lonely Planet. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"Costa Rica's Digital Nomad Visa Law Offers Tourists More Options in Latin America". Nearshore Americas. November 23, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Croatia
In January 2021, Croatia began offering special visas to digital workers from outside of the European Union. The visa allows digital nomads to stay in the country for up to a year while being exempt from paying income taxes.<ref>Gaubert, Julie (June 2, 2021). "Croatia lures digital nomads with tax breaks". euronews. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Estonia
E-Residency in Estonia was launched in December 2014, allowing remote workers to register their business in Estonia.<ref>"President Ilves annab täna üle esimese e-residendi kaardi". February 6, 2015. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref> In 2020, Estonia launched a digital nomad visa, allowing remote workers to live in Estonia for up to a year and legally work for their employer or their own company registered abroad.<ref>"Estonian Digital Nomad Visa | Eligibility & How to Apply". e-Residency. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Georgia
In August 2020, Georgia launched a program entitled "Remotely from Georgia." Under the program, citizens from 95 countries can travel and work remotely in the country for at least 360 days without a visa.<ref>"Georgia beckons digital nomads with COVID-fighting success | Eurasianet". eurasianet.org. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"'Remotely from Georgia': new state programme to allow foreigners to travel to, work remotely from Georgia". Agenda.ge. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Hungary
In 2022, Hungary introduced the White Card, a residency permit for digital nomads. Under the permit, foreign nationals can live in Hungary while working for a company outside of the country. The permit is for one year and can be extended for an additional year.<ref>"Hungary Introduces New Residence Permit for Digital Nomads". SchengenVisaInfo.com. January 28, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Iceland
In November 2020, Iceland signed an amendment to allow foreign nationals to live in Iceland for up to six months under a long-term visa.<ref>"Iceland Introduces Long-Term Visa for non-EU/EEA Teleworkers". SchengenVisaInfo.com. November 3, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref><ref>"Iceland's New Remote-Work Visa Program Is Only for People Who Make More Than $88,000 a Year". InsideHook. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
Indonesia
In June 2022, Indonesia announced plans to introduce a digital nomad visa that would allow remote workers to live in the country tax-free for five years. The announcement was made by Indonesia's Minister of Tourism, Sandiaga Uno. Uno stated that he hopes to bring up to 3.6 million digital nomads to the country with this plan.<ref>Chawla, Medha (June 24, 2022). "Indonesia's nomad visa will let remote workers live in Bali tax-free for 5 years". India Today. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"Remote work in Bali? Indonesia plans five-year 'digital nomad' visa". Fortune. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Italy
In 2022, Italy announced that it would be launching a digital nomad visa. The visa was voted into law on March 28, 2022, as a part of a government decree known as "decreto sostegni ter." The bill remains to be implemented into law, and full details of the digital nomad visa application process and requirements remain unknown.<ref>"Italy May Soon Offer a Digital Nomad Visa for Remote Workers". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"Italy Plans to Offer New Visa, Open Up a World of Options for Remote Workers". Thrillist. April 7, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"Italy approves 'digital nomad' visa for remote workers". The Local Italy. March 31, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Latvia
In February 2022, Latvia's Cabinet of Ministers approved draft amendments to its immigration law to allow third-country nationals to apply for a one-year visa to reside in Latvia while working remotely either for a foreign-registered employer or as self-employed persons.<ref>"Government approves Latvia's nomad visa regulation". www.baltictimes.com. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref><ref>"Latvia to Introduce Its Digital Nomad Visa". SchengenVisaInfo.com. April 13, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
Malta
In September 2021, Malta opened applications for its year-long digital nomad visa program. The Malta government stated that the visa can be renewed at the discretion of Residency Malta.<ref>"Working from home? Malta has opened applications for year-long digital nomad visas". Lonely Planet. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref><ref>Hulme, Kyle (September 29, 2021). "Malta Opens Registration For Year-Long Digital Nomad Visas". Travel Off Path. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
Mauritius
In February 2022, Mauritius announced that it would be expanding its premium visa to digital nomads. The premium visa allows remote workers to stay in the country for up to a year.<ref>Braga, Brunno (March 7, 2022). "Mauritius Wants You To Be One Of Its Many Digital Nomads, Here's How". Travel Noire. Retrieved July 8, 2022.</ref>
Philippines
In May 2023, Philippines announced that it will be introducing a one year visa for digital nomads.<ref>Andrade, Jeannette I. (May 25, 2023). "Bill hopes 'digital nomad visa' clicks as tourism draw". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 23, 2024.</ref>
Portugal
In October 2022, Portugal announced it would be accepting applications for Remote Work/Digital Nomad VISAs starting from October 30, 2022.<ref>Rodriguez, Cecilia. "Live And Work In Europe: More Countries, Including Portugal, Offering Trendy Digital Nomad Visas". Forbes. Retrieved April 13, 2023.</ref> According to the Nomad Report 2023 survey, Portugal is the most popular country for digital nomads with around 16,000 of them residing in the country's capital, Lisbon.<ref>"Digital nomads in Portugal: Can they be blamed for a housing crisis?". euronews. May 12, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.</ref>
Romania
On December 21, 2021, Romanian parliament passed legislation for a digital nomad visa. The visa is valid for six months. It can be extended for another six months if foreign workers have proof of full or part-time employment for at least three years prior to their application and have a valid proof of income for the last six months that is three times the Romanian average gross salary.<ref>Turp-Balazs, Craig (December 22, 2021). "Romania becomes latest CEE country to offer digital nomad visas". Emerging Europe. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"Romania Launches Digital Nomad Visa". SchengenVisaInfo.com. January 30, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref>
Spain
In 2021, Spain announced plans for a digital nomad visa.<ref>Hawker, Cathy. "What is a digital nomad visa and how do you get one?". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref> The law responsible for the digital nomad visa is known as the Startup Law. In December 2021, the law was presented to parliament, and in January 2022, a draft of the law was approved.<ref>"Spain moves closer to passing a startup law". TechCrunch. December 10, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"Q&A on Spain's startup law, coming later this year". TechCrunch. January 26, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>Madrid, Auxadi (January 24, 2022). "Spain: Approved the draft of the Start-Ups Law". Auxadi. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref> The Startup Act was approved by parliament in November 2022. According to the law, Digital Nomad Visas in Spain are initially valid for up to 12 months and can be renewed, which will allow digital nomads to reside in Spain for up to five years, and they receive special tax benefits by paying a reduced tax rate.<ref>"The tax cuts and other benefits Spain's new Startups Law will bring to entrepreneurs". The Local Spain. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.</ref><ref>"Spain's digital nomad visa - Check if you're eligible and how to apply". euronews. January 30, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.</ref>
South Africa
In March 2022, South Africa announced that it would update its visa laws to be allow digital nomads to stay in the country for more than 90 days.<ref>"South Africa Revamps Its Work Visas To Welcome Digital Nomads". Allwork.Space. March 22, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref><ref>"South Africa, The First African Mainland Country To Introduce Digital Nomad Visa". Traveling Lifestyle. April 18, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
United Arab Emirates
In October 2020, the city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates launched a visa program that allows digital nomads and remote workers to stay in the country for one year. To qualify, foreign workers need at least $5,000 in income per month and a letter confirming employment.<ref>Ashleigh Stewart (April 2, 2021). "Year-round sunshine, pool days and zero taxes: How to move to Dubai and work remotely for a year". CNN. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref><ref>Hoeller, Sophie-Claire. "You could move to Dubai and work there remotely for a year thanks to a new visa". Insider. Retrieved June 27, 2022.</ref>
Other countries
Other countries such as Barbados and Greece<ref>"Tourism Ministry: New Initiative to Support Digital Nomads Working Remotely from Greece". Greek Travel Pages. November 24, 2021.</ref> offer similar digital nomad visa programs. Some digital nomads have used Germany's residence permit for the purpose of freelance or self-employment<ref>"Residence permit for the purpose of freelance or self-employment - Issuance". service.berlin.de.</ref> to legalize their stay, but successful applicants must have a tangible connection and reason to stay in Germany.[citation needed]
