Visas for Digital Nomads

When you are travelling internationally as a Digital Nomad, Visa rules aren’t too clear. By definition Visa is basically a legal permission you take to stay in foreign country for a specific period of time. You have to be aware of basic legal issues related to visa of the country you are residing in. There is no universal rule for visa; it varies from country to country. You may or may need a visa to travel. So you must take out all the details before you visit that country.

Tourist Visa

As the name says, tourist visa is for a tourist but not necessarily. Many digital nomads travel on tourist visa and the reason behind it is they are not very clear about regulations regarding working online in a foreign country so they opt for this. It may not be legal in all the countries as you are carrying out some work and earning from it. However in many countries you can work on tourist visa as long as you do not take away a local’s job, although it may not be legal so you might get in trouble if caught.

You need to be cautious about expiry dates and entry-exit conditions too. There are countries which require you to exit the country after specific number of days even though you hold a long-term visa, it can vary from 30 to 90 days or even more. Some countries allow you to re-new your visa within the country and some other needs you to re-enter the country. Also be careful about extending your days over the visa limit, it might lead you to attempt minor offence and you’ll have to face the consequences.

Work Visas

A better and safer way would be to get a working visa itself. Based on your location and nationality this visa is very important. Age factor can be significant in work visa. You can get a temporary job in the foreign country and get paid in local currency. So you can carry on with your work and have a part-time job at the same time. Few regular jobs which you can temporarily take up are Hospitality, Teaching, Tuition, etc. Different countries have different Working Visa rules.

When to Apply for Visa

Certain countries need you to apply for visa in advance and some other give you visa on-arrival, again this depends on your nationality. For various countries it is essential for you to apply for visa in advance depending on the time taken. For example, you should apply for Shenzhen visa 6 months before although it can vary as per you nationality. For others you can get an on-arrival visa where you will get a stamp your passport when you reach the country and you can stay for some days without applying in advance.

Visa Regulations Differ For Every Nationality

Each nation has discrete visa regulation depending on every visitors and their nationality. It means, for example if you hold an American passport and another person holds Canadian passport then entry requirement for both of them can be different although they are entering the same country, one might get a longer visa than the other. This is because of the rules and regulation depending on agreement between the nations. You can check the significant countries website to know more the regulation for your nationality’s passport.

Renewal of Visa

There are countries which allow you to renew your tourist visa while you are staying in the country so you can easily extend your days in that country. But there are certain countries which ask you to exit and enter the country again to get a new visa, for this you can take a quick trip to a nearest neighboring country.

Keep Your Documents Ready and have Up To Date Information

When you are travelling anywhere, crossing the borders or not, one thing which is very important is carrying all your necessary documents with you. It is possible for any airport or airline authority to ask for your documents at any time, so you should be ready to show them.

There can be changes in visa regulations from time to time so it is your responsibility to be up to date with all the information of the country you planning to visit. So have all your research work done before the journey.

Expiry of Passport

This point is relatively important as there are certain countries which don’t let you enter or apply for visa in that country if your passport is expiring within next six months. So always be aware of the expiry date and the regulation relating to entry in that country. Its best for you to get your passport renewed 10 months before its expiry.


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