The workplace has changed drastically in recent years. Following the pandemic and various lockdowns, people have embraced working remotely – and while some companies operate a hybrid working model, with a couple of days in the office a week, others have adopted the work-from-home model for good. In response to a new generation of people working from anywhere – there are an estimated 35 million digital nomads worldwide – countries around the world have been launching digital nomad visas left, right and centre.
One would think a stable internet connection is all a digital nomad would need, but there’s more to it than that. To find out which country is the best for digital nomads, housing rental marketplace Flatio asked over 1,200 digital nomads across the globe about their motivations, frustrations and favourite destinations as well as taxes, accommodation and their top social causes.
But which destination came top of the list? That would be Portugal! The European country is not only a favourite holiday hotspot, but thanks to the launch of its digital nomad visa last year, it’s fast become a favourite for remote workers, allowing those from outside the EU to live and work in the country for up to 12 months. Portugal boasts an incredible amount of great destinations for remote workers, from surfing capital Ericeira to buzzing cities like Lisbon and Porto. The Portuguese island of Madeira, too, came up at the seventh spot.
Thailand was ranked as Southeast Asia’s most popular destination, with Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the country's many idyllic islands offering great weather, excellent food and affordable accommodation to digital nomads all year round. Indonesia and Malaysia made it on the list as well, whereas Argentina and Mexico came out on top for South and Central America.
Here are the top ten favourite destinations to be a digital nomad, according to Flatio.
1. Portugal
2. Thailand
3. Spain
4. Argentina
5. Mexico
6. Indonesia
7. Madeira
8. Germany
9. Romania
10. Malaysia
If you're looking to pivot your career into remote working, check out our comprehensive list of the best places to get digital nomad visas.
Did you see that this country has the world’s most powerful passport?
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