Countries with digital nomad visas, compared
Sorted by what actually decides it: the income bar, how long you get, and the requirement that catches people out.
Going deeper: income thresholds and how they move · what a visa actually costs · tax residency
All rows verified 29 July 2026 · what that means
| Tax | The catch | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritius | $1,500/month Income test | 6 mths – 1 yr | Tax resident after 183 days | Lowest bar of any active visa; no application fee |
| Colombia | ~$1,400/month (3× min wage) Income test | 2 years | Residency by day count | No averaging — every month must clear individually |
| Malaysia | $24k/yr tech · $60k+ other Income test | 12 mths + 1 renewal | Foreign income exempt to 2026 | Non-tech applicants need 2.5× the headline figure |
| Greece | €3,500/month Income test | 2 years | 50% reduction, up to 7 years | Tax break requires becoming Greek tax resident |
| Croatia | €3,622.50 or €43,470 lump sum Income or savings test | 18 months | Fully exempt | No consecutive renewal — 6 months out before reapplying |
| Japan | ¥10m/yr (~$66,400) Income test | 6 months | Treaty country required | Only ~50 nationalities; no extension |
| Georgia | Programme discontinued None (entry only) test | 365 days visa-free entry | Depends on residency | Work permits mandatory from 1 Mar 2026; "Remotely from Georgia" ended |
| Italy | €28,000/year Income test | 1 year | Standard Italian rates | Lease required before applying; passive income excluded |
| Spain | €34,188/year Income test | 3 years | 24% flat (employees only) | Max 20% of income from Spanish sources |
| Costa Rica | $3,000/month Income test | 1 year | Foreign income exempt by law | 12 months of statements; 80 days presence to renew |
| Portugal | €44,160/year Income test | 2 years | Standard Portuguese rates | AIMA appointment inside a 120-day window |
| Estonia | ~€4,500 gross (disputed) Income test | 1 year | Depends on residency | Published income figures conflict; no renewal path |
| Thailand | 500,000 THB savings Savings test | 5 years | Tax resident at 180+ days | 180 days per entry, not continuous; not a work permit |
| Canada | No formal threshold None (visitor status) test | Up to 1 year | Residency by ties | No nomad visa exists; assessed at the border each entry |
| New Zealand | No formal threshold None (visitor status) test | Visitor visa length | Non-resident up to 275 days / 18 months | No nomad visa exists; tax rules and visa rules differ |
Income converted to euro for sorting only — apply using the figure in the country's own currency. Savings-based and visitor-status routes sort last.
Two of these are not visas
Canada and New Zealand are listed because they rank for "digital nomad visa" searches and neither has one. Canada announced a strategy in 2023 that never became a visa category. New Zealand changed visitor visa conditions in January 2025 to permit remote work.
In both cases you enter as a visitor, and every entry is assessed afresh by a border officer. That is a materially different risk profile from holding a residence authorisation, and it is worth knowing before you book.
Reading the income column
Most thresholds are indexed to a national minimum wage, so they move — usually each January. Spain's is 200% of the SMI; Portugal's is 4× the minimum wage. Any figure you read without a date attached is unreliable.