Working Abroad
Digital nomads, people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and conduct their life in a nomadic manner, often work remotely from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles. This was not a term I was familiar with until recently when I moved to Padova, Italy and became a full-time remote worker. While my move was planned prior to COVID, the pandemic has given legitimacy to this lifestyle and allowed us all to think outside of the 4 walls of our home office.
It turns out that countries throughout the world have also been considering this new freedom and are exploring how they can tempt remote workers to consider a one-year residency in places previously considered only as vacation spots. A quick internet search resulted in the following offers:
Work From Bermuda One Year Residential Certificate
12-Month Barbados Welcome Stamp
Estonia Digital Nomad Visa
If moving to a tropical location for a one-year reprieve is tempting to you, I can offer some insight gained from my recent move.
- Your location must offer reliable high-speed internet. This rules out remote locations.
- Be open to working non-traditional hours, i.e. afternoons and evenings, based on your time zone compared to your US-based teammates.
- Plan for a maximum 90-day stay if you want to utilize a tourist visa, which offers a much simpler application process than a work visa.
- Purchase travel health insurance for your destination country since your US health insurance will not cover you.
- Look into banks and credit cards that do not charge fees for withdrawing money abroad as these fees can add up over time.
The benefits are obvious and plentiful, from changing to a lower stress environment, experiencing the language, food, and customs of a new culture, exploring a new region of the world, researching future retirement destinations, or just shaking up your daily routine in a big way.
Here are a few photos of what my new virtual worklife allows me to experience!
