As nations around the world begin to reopen their borders to travellers, many popular destinations are emphasising longer-term stays over short-term breaks.
And at the very extreme end, some are even trying to sell themselves as idyllic WFH spots with new visa schemes that would allow you to live and work there for up to a year.
Before this year, remote workers in Costa Rica could only stick around for 90 days before having to renew their visa. A new law means you can now WFH in the Central American nation for up to two years – and you’re exempt from income tax while you’re there, too. The only catch? You have to prove you’re earning more than $3,000 per month, or $5,000 if you’re travelling with family.
Could you see yourself dialling into Zoom calls from a sun lounger? Then you should know that the Caribbean island of Dominica is also allowing remote workers to live and work there for up to 18 months. Applicants must earn an income of $50,000 or more, and the visa itself costs $800 or $1,200 for families.
Bahamas is also running an ‘Extended Access Travel Stay’ programme allowing workers and students to work or study remotely from any of the country’s 16 islands for up to a year. All you have to do is fill out an application form, then pay a fee of $1,000 for the head of household (and $500 for each dependent) for a work visa, or $500 as a student.
Iceland recently introduced its first long-term visa for those outside the European Economic Area too. (EEA residents were already free to relocate to the volcanic country.) This means that anyone can apply to spend six months living in the country under a programme called, imaginatively, ‘Work in Iceland’.
If the Icelandic climate doesn’t suit you, then perhaps you might be interested in Mauritius’s ‘premium travel visa’, which will be valid for one year (and renewable for even longer after that). All prospective takers have to do is produce ‘proof’ of their long-stay plans and adequate travel and health insurance for their initial period of stay. Interested? The country says it will soon set up a new ‘e-visa’ application platform.
The Cayman Islands are soon to set up a new ‘Global Citizen Concierge Programme’ that will allow non-residents to work there for up to two years. However, this will only be available to those who earn an annual salary of at least $100,000, or $150,000 for couples.
Not quite eligible? Another almost-always-sunny beach destination, Barbados, also has plans for a ‘12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp’ that would allow anyone earning $50,000 or more to work remotely from the island.
In Europe, meanwhile, the beautiful Baltic country of Estonia has launched its long-awaited ‘digital nomad’ scheme. There is a similar salary threshold, and you must either have a job contract with an employer outside the country, have your own company registered abroad or work as a freelancer for mainly non-Estonian clients.
At the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia has announced it will set up a new visa programme that will allow international visitors to work there remotely for an indefinite period. The programme will be available to ‘citizens of all countries’ and is aimed at freelancers and the self-employed.
To take advantage of it, all you have to do is fill out an application form (requiring personal information, a certificate of employment and a letter affirming you’re fine to undergo a 14-day quarantine) and obtain a ‘preliminary confirmation’. The scheme will apply to anyone who wants to stay in the country for longer than six months.
Bermuda, a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic, has also launched a new residency programme that’s open to employees who work for ‘legitimate’ overseas firms or their own company, and have health insurance.
Another Caribbean nation, Anguilla, also plans to welcome remote workers on year-long visas. As it reopens to travellers post-lockdown, the country said it would prioritise ‘longer-stay visitors’ who can apply to live there for up to 12 months via an online form. Anyone who plans to stay for between three months and a year must pay a fee of $2,000, or $3,000 for a family of four.
