The short version
- A digital nomad works online and lives in other countries while they do it.
- Go in order: income first, then banking, then a right to stay.
- With one passport, start with three ways to stay: visitor days, a working holiday visa or a digital nomad permit.
- Visitor days are not always a right to work. Check each country's rules.
What is a digital nomad?
Someone who works online and lives in other countries while they do it. It is a way of working, not a visa on its own.
Some countries now have a permit for it. Croatia, for one, has a "temporary stay of digital nomads" for people who work online for a company that is not registered in Croatia.
What order do you do it in?
Income first, then banking, then a right to stay. Each step makes the next one easier.
| Step | Why it comes here |
|---|---|
| 1. Income you can take with you | Many visas and permits ask for proof of money before you go |
| 2. Bank accounts that work abroad | So you can get paid and pay for things in a new country |
| 3. A right to stay | Visitor days, a working holiday visa or a permit |
| 4. Your days, counted | So you know your last day before you book |
Can you keep your 9 to 5 and go?
Sometimes, if your job can be done from a laptop and your employer agrees. Ask them first. They may say no, or need time to check their own rules.
Some permits are built for this. Croatia's digital nomad stay accepts remote work for an employer, as long as the company is not registered in Croatia. Our free digital nomad visa finder shows every country with one, and the income each asks for.
If the answer is no, build your own income first. Earn money online before you move walks through it, from picking one skill to your first client.
How long can you stay without a visa?
It depends on your passport and where you go. Short visits to the Schengen area are capped at 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across all its countries together.
Visitor days are not always a right to work, even online. Sweden, for one, needs a work permit for an employee who works there remotely for a foreign employer. Each country sets its own rules, so check its immigration site before you work from there.
Plan any time in Europe with the free Schengen calculator. It shows your last day and when you can come back.
What is a working holiday visa?
A visa that lets young people live and work in another country for a set time. Most last up to 12 months. A few last longer. The UK's lasts up to 2 years, and some passports can add a third year.
- Age. Most are for ages 18 to 30. For some passports, the limit is 35.
- Your passport decides. Each country picks which passports can apply.
- More than savings. Many also ask for a ticket home or the money for one. Some ask for health insurance too.
You can work for local employers on one, so you do not need a remote job or your own business. Our free working holiday visa finder covers 41 countries. Pick your passport to see yours.
What is a digital nomad permit?
A permit to live in a country while you work online for a company based somewhere else. Croatia's is one example. It lasts up to 18 months. It asks for proof of a monthly income or savings, health insurance for the whole stay and a criminal record certificate.
The work has to be for a company that is not registered in Croatia, and you do not work for, or sell services to, employers in Croatia. Each country with a permit like this sets its own rules, so read them on its own government site.
How do the three ways to stay compare?
| Way to stay | Who it fits | What it asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor days | Passports that can visit without a visa | Keep to the day limit. Work rules differ by country |
| Working holiday visa | Ages 18 to 30, or 35 for some passports | Savings, often a ticket home, and some ask for insurance |
| Digital nomad permit | People who work online for a company based outside the country | A criminal record certificate, insurance and proof of income or savings |
What can you start this week?
Four things, all from home, while you still have your job:
- Ask your employer if you can work remotely.
- Check your passport's expiry date. Croatia, for one, wants it valid for 3 months after your stay ends.
- Look up the working holiday visas your passport can get, and the age limits.
- Set up the bank accounts that work abroad.
Income still comes first. If you do not have income you can take with you yet, that is the step to start on.