Is it legal to be a digital nomad?
Things you should know before you take the plunge
Tired of going nowhere by paying high rent just so you could live next to your employer who no longer cares if you show up in person? Read on.
This post takes a specific angle of a US employee wanting to go nomadic. Laws for other countries will vary.
Short answer: yes
The short answer is yes. As long as your employer is fine with you checking in remotely, you are all set. If you are self employed, you are the ultimate decision maker already.
Go sign up for a service like Gypsy and never look back. But before you do, there are some nuances here.
The long answer: it depends so be prepared
Be prepared for what? Taxes, visa requirements, currency arbitrage, and getting paid in a foreign land while working for another country are things to watch out for.
But if you know what you are doing, you can thread this needle.
Lets unpack:
Visa Basics
If you are a US citizen, you can freely travel to many countries and stay there between 30–180 days without a visa. Here is a running list of those nations. The thing is, you are assumed to be a tourist. That might be true over the weekends, but you are actually at work the entire time.
At its core, most nations do not want you to compete for jobs with locals. As long as your employer is overseas, you are technically not competing in the local job market.
To be in the clear, make sure you do the following:
- Limit your stay in that country for less than the stipulated tourist time
- Travel logistics: You will be (typically) required to show a return flight before that date and your address during your stay. Make sure you book these or have a concierge take care of it prior to departure
- Avoid opening local bank accounts to draw your paycheck
Nomad Visa
In case you plan to staying longer than the stipulated tourist visa, or if you are traveling to a country where you simply need a visa, you should look into the Digital Nomad Visa.
What is it? It is basically a visa that allows you to live and work in a country different from your nationality or employer base. At the time of this writing, there are over 41 countries that already issue these.
What do you need to apply? While this really depends on the country, they all seem to want these basic things:
- Letter from employer, detailing your job, compensation, and consent for remote work
- Bank statements to show you will not go delinquent anytime soon
- Health insurance
- Travel itinerary — some countries insist on having a clear return date with tickets paid for
- Other country specific requirement(s)
Ready to take the next step?
At Gypsy, we handle all things for a nomadic lifestyle. Simply sign up and request a call back! All you have to do is pack your bags.
About Gypsy
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