Digital Nomad Visas: Compare Countries, Income and Requirements
A digital nomad visa lets you live in another country while you keep working for employers or clients somewhere else. It’s one of the most practical ways to move abroad without a local job offer, a big investment or a retirement income: your remote income is your ticket.
This page compares the digital nomad visas we’ve covered in depth so far, side by side. Use it to build a shortlist, then click through to each country’s guide for the full rules, application steps and official sources.
What a digital nomad visa is (and isn’t)
Most countries offer two easy ways in, and neither suits remote workers. A tourist stay usually caps you at 90 days and doesn’t allow work. A work visa normally ties you to a local employer. A digital nomad visa sits in between: you can stay for a year or more, as long as your income comes from outside the country.
Almost every program asks for the same core things:
- Income above a set threshold, earned remotely from employers or clients abroad
- Proof that the work is remote, such as an employment contract, company documents or client contracts
- Health insurance valid in the country
- A clean criminal record
- Somewhere to live, usually a lease or booking
What differs, a lot, is the income figure, how long you can stay, whether the visa leads anywhere permanent, how you’re taxed, and whether you can run your own business through it.
One more thing they share: the name is often loose. Several “digital nomad visas” are legally residence permits, and some are long-stay visas you convert into permits after you arrive. The country guides explain which is which.
Digital nomad visas compared
Monthly income figures are rounded and shown in euros. Several move each year with wages or exchange rates, so treat each country page as the current word.
| Country | Minimum income (a month) | How long you can stay | Leads to permanent residency? | Tax angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | About €2,066 | 1 year, renewable | Yes, after 5 years | Impatriati regime may halve taxable income |
| Bulgaria | About €2,584 | 1 year, plus 1 more | No | Flat 10% income tax for residents |
| Spain | About €2,849 | Up to 3 years at first, renewable | Yes, after 5 years | Beckham Law, generally for employees only |
| Cyprus | €3,500 after tax | 1 year, plus up to 2 more | No | Non-dom rules may help once resident |
| Greece | €3,500 | 1 year, then 2-year permits | Partly, after 5 years | 50% break rarely applies to remote employees |
| Malta | €3,500 before tax | 1 year, up to 4 years in total | No | 12 months tax-free, then a flat 10% |
| Croatia | €3,622.50 | Up to 18 months, no renewal | No | No Croatian tax on your remote income |
| Portugal | €3,680 | 2-year permit, then 3-year renewals | Yes, after 5 years | IFICI exists, but most remote workers don’t qualify |
| Estonia | €4,500 | Up to 1 year, plus up to 6 months | No | No special regime |
| Romania | About €5,450 | 6-month permits, renewable | Possibly, after 5 years | No Romanian tax on remote salary under 183 days a year |
We’re adding more countries, including programs outside Europe, so this comparison will grow.
Quick picks
Lowest income threshold: Italy
Italy asks for about €24,790 a year, around €2,066 a month, the lowest of the visas here. Bulgaria (about €2,584) and Spain (about €2,849) are next. If your income sits between €2,000 and €3,000 a month, those three are your realistic shortlist.
Best route to staying for good: Spain, Portugal or Italy
Spain, Portugal and Italy all have digital nomad routes that lead to permanent residence after five years, and from there, eventually, citizenship under each country’s own rules. Greece can lead to the EU long-term residence permit after five years too, with conditions.
At the other end, Croatia stops at 18 months, Estonia at about 18 months, Bulgaria at two years, Cyprus at three and Malta at four. None of those lead to permanent residence.
Lowest tax on remote income: Croatia or Malta
Croatia doesn’t tax the income from your qualifying remote work. Malta exempts it for 12 months, then taxes it at a flat 10%. Bulgaria’s standard flat tax of 10% is also low. Romania’s lawyers say remote salaries aren’t taxed there if you stay under 183 days a year. The catch, everywhere: your home country may still tax you, so take advice in both places.
Highest income threshold: Romania
Romania asks for three times the national average gross salary, about €5,450 a month on current figures, and it moves every time new wage data comes out. Estonia, at €4,500, is next.
If you run your own business
Many people reading this page earn through their own company. Countries treat that very differently.
- Clear owner categories: Croatia explicitly covers people working through their own foreign company. Malta, Estonia and Bulgaria all have a category for partners or shareholders of a foreign company (in Bulgaria, you need more than 25%).
- A company with a track record: Romania accepts owners only if the company has been registered for at least three years.
- Through the freelance route: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus assess you as self-employed, with clients mainly or entirely outside the country.
Some people set up their company to employ them, so they can apply as an employee. That can work, but it isn’t a shortcut: it has to reflect a real business, and it has tax and social security consequences in more than one country. Get professional advice on structuring and tax before you rely on it.
Not earning enough to qualify yet? That’s where most people reading this page are. The Portable Income Launchpad is a six-week program for experienced professionals turning their expertise into remote income that meets a visa threshold like these.
How to choose
Start with your income
The income threshold is a hard filter, so start there. Check whether the figure is before or after tax (Cyprus and Estonia can ask for net income, most others gross), and whether it rises for family members.
Decide how long you want to stay
If you’re testing a country for a year or two, a short program like Croatia’s or Bulgaria’s is fine, and often comes with lighter tax. If you already know you want to settle, choose a country where time on the visa counts toward permanent residence.
Check where you can apply from
Some countries let you apply after you arrive. Spain, Croatia, Estonia and Malta allow in-country or online applications in some cases, and Cyprus actually requires you to be there. Others, including Italy, Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, want you to get a visa from a consulate before you travel. Greece stopped in-country applications in February 2026.
Think about family
Most programs let you bring a spouse or partner and children, but the rules vary. Cyprus adds 20% to the income threshold for a partner and 15% per child. Croatia adds about €145 a month per family member. Malta only accepts family members in your first application or at renewal. Romania and Bulgaria route families through separate family reunification rules.
Look at the tax, then get advice
Moving abroad on a digital nomad visa usually means becoming tax resident after about 183 days. A visa with a tax break can be worth a lot, but special regimes often have conditions that remote workers miss. Each country guide sets out the rules, and none of it replaces advice from a tax adviser who knows both countries.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Working for local clients. Almost every program forbids work for employers or clients in the country itself. Doing it can cost you the permit.
- Assuming the visa decides your tax. It usually doesn’t. Your days in the country and your ties there do.
- Underestimating paperwork. Apostilles, sworn translations and criminal record certificates often take longer than the application itself.
- Relying on old figures. Several thresholds change every year. Check the country page close to your application date.
FAQ
What is a digital nomad visa? A visa or residence permit that lets you live in a country while you work remotely for employers or clients based elsewhere, usually for one year or more.
Which country has the easiest digital nomad visa? It depends on what makes it hard for you. Italy has the lowest income threshold here. Croatia has a clear route for owners of foreign companies and a savings option for irregular earners. Malta and Spain let many people apply without going back to a consulate.
Which digital nomad visas lead to permanent residency? Spain, Portugal and Italy, after five years. Greece can lead to the EU long-term residence permit after five years. Romanian lawyers say Romania’s can too.
Do I pay tax on a digital nomad visa? Usually, once you’ve been in the country for more than about 183 days in a year. Croatia, Malta, Bulgaria and Romania have unusually low or no tax on remote income in some situations. Your home country may also tax you.
Can I work for local clients on a digital nomad visa? Generally no. These programs are built around income from outside the country.
Can I apply for more than one at a time? You apply to the country you plan to live in. Holding permits from two countries at once is rarely possible, and some countries cancel an existing permit when they issue the new one.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the country guides linked in the table, as verified on 22 October 2026. Each guide lists its own official sources, such as government immigration pages, official gazettes and consulates, plus the law firms and tax advisers it relies on.
Educational information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules change, so check the official sources before you apply.