The Digital Nomad Visa Index is a comprehensive ranking system evaluating and ranking countries based on their suitability for digital nomads. This index considers various factors critical for remote workers who travel and live in different countries.
Best Countries for Digital Nomads
Spain is the top country for digital nomads, according to the VisaGuide Digital Nomad Index, with a score of 5. It is followed by the United Arab Emirates in the 2nd place with a score of 4.48. Montenegro, the Bahamas, and Hungary are ranked 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively to complete the top five list of the best countries for Digital Nomads.
Complete Ranking List
Here is the detailed list of countries ranked according to their score in the Digital Nomad Visa Index:
| Rank | Country Name | Internet Speed Score | Taxes | Tax Free Period | Minimum Income | Healthcare Score | Tourism Popularity | Cost of Life Score | Digital Nomad Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Spain | 79.74 | 19% - 24% | No Tax Free Period | 2,646 | 87.08 | 100.00 | 91.27 | 5 |
| 2nd | UAE | 100.00 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 3,500 | 43.03 | 20.45 | 84.91 | 4.14 |
| 3rd | Montenegro | 27.54 | 0% - 15% | No Tax Free Period | 1,350 | 85.54 | 1.85 | 93.51 | 3.98 |
| 4th | Bahamas | 19.79 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 0 | 57.88 | 6.66 | 72.47 | 3.59 |
| 5th | Hungary | 66.11 | 15% | Six Months | 3,000 | 59.83 | 44.14 | 93.10 | 3.51 |
| 6th | Canada | 71.70 | 15% - 33% | Six Months | 0 | 100.00 | 17.07 | 84.34 | 3.43 |
| 7th | Romania | 76.44 | 10% | Six Months | 3,950 | 52.54 | 12.09 | 94.40 | 3.21 |
| 8th | Portugal | 64.65 | 20% | Six Months | 3,548 | 90.32 | 21.12 | 92.31 | 3.18 |
| 9th | Brazil | 59.09 | 0% - 27% | Six Months | 1,500 | 80.19 | 6.04 | 97.84 | 3.17 |
| 10th | Curaçao | 10.46 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 0 | 0.00 | 0.98 | 83.58 | 3.09 |
| 11th | Mexico | 24.07 | 19.2% - 35% | No Tax Free Period | 2,595 | 49.28 | 62.87 | 94.48 | 2.94 |
| 12th | Czechia | 21.71 | 15% - 23% | No Tax Free Period | 2,500 | 76.93 | 18.57 | 89.96 | 2.93 |
| 13th | Norway | 46.32 | 22% | No Tax Free Period | 2,977 | 81.72 | 6.83 | 80.54 | 2.91 |
| 14th | Colombia | 51.48 | 0% - 39% | Six Months | 900 | 73.11 | 4.46 | 96.94 | 2.89 |
| 15th | Mauritius | 12.77 | 0% - 20% | No Tax Free Period | 1,370 | 51.83 | 0.95 | 95.01 | 2.88 |
| 16th | Uruguay | 49.48 | 10% - 36% | Six Months | 0 | 75.88 | 3.47 | 88.60 | 2.82 |
| 17th | Costa Rica | 30.92 | 0% - 20% | No Tax Free Period | 3,000 | 61.36 | 2.37 | 90.14 | 2.81 |
| 18th | Saint Lucia | 12.08 | 15% - 30% | No Tax Free Period | 0 | 50.36 | 0.67 | 100.00 | 2.79 |
| 19th | Antigua and Barbuda | 8.64 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 4,166 | 47.44 | 0.60 | 82.90 | 2.78 |
| 20th | Armenia | 15.17 | 20% | Six Months | 0 | 81.08 | 2.19 | 91.03 | 2.78 |
| 21st | Ecuador | 30.36 | 5% - 35% | No Tax Free Period | 1,350 | 67.18 | 1.20 | 97.04 | 2.69 |
| 22nd | Panama | 52.22 | 0% - 25% | Six Months | 3,000 | 78.50 | 1.85 | 89.86 | 2.68 |
| 23rd | Croatia | 25.61 | 15% - 36% | No Tax Free Period | 2,539.31 | 65.67 | 47.65 | 90.24 | 2.63 |
| 24th | Malta | 42.30 | 0% - 35% | One year | 3,500 | 85.78 | 2.64 | 89.44 | 2.61 |
| 25th | Italy | 26.25 | 23% - 43% | No Tax Free Period | 2,333 | 76.05 | 70.80 | 87.60 | 2.61 |
| 26th | Albania | 22.37 | 13% - 23% | Six Months | 817 | 58.92 | 7.18 | 93.25 | 2.58 |
| 27th | Seychelles | 24.05 | 15% | No Tax Free Period | 0 | 42.64 | 0.31 | 87.34 | 2.53 |
| 28th | Bermuda | 13.94 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 0 | 0.00 | 0.51 | 59.96 | 2.47 |
| 29th | Argentina | 27.00 | 5% - 35% | Six Months | 2,500 | 78.72 | 7.14 | 93.43 | 2.46 |
| 30th | Aruba | 28.31 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 5,000 | 0.00 | 1.62 | 81.63 | 2.45 |
| 32nd | Malaysia | 35.90 | 1% - 30% | Six Months | 2,000 | 35.54 | 18.11 | 96.91 | 2.42 |
| 31st | Thailand | 76.39 | 0% - 35% | Six Months | 6,666 | 41.84 | 37.89 | 95.04 | 2.42 |
| 33rd | Sri Lanka | 2.84 | 0% - 24% | No Tax Free Period | 2,000 | 33.00 | 0.71 | 96.64 | 2.39 |
| 34th | Georgia | 9.47 | 20% | Six Months | 2,000 | 68.27 | 4.47 | 95.92 | 2.38 |
| 35th | Andorra | 23.80 | 10% | FALSE | 4,128 | 67.57 | 8.02 | 89.72 | 2.37 |
| 36th | Philippines | 20.52 | 0% - 35% | Six Months | 2,000 | 47.59 | 5.66 | 96.16 | 2.15 |
| 37th | Namibia | 0.00 | 1% - 30% | Six Months | 2,000 | 76.06 | 0.49 | 95.08 | 2.12 |
| 38th | Taiwan | 72.52 | 5% - 40% | Six Months | 4,622 | 43.65 | 0.85 | 91.13 | 2.10 |
| 39th | Estonia | 25.72 | 20% | Six Months | 4,500 | 60.73 | 3.32 | 87.60 | 2.07 |
| 41st | Latvia | 27.67 | 25.5% - 33% | Six Months | 3,400 | 73.29 | 1.85 | 88.39 | 2.01 |
| 40th | Japan | 64.66 | 5% - 45% | No Tax Free Period | 5,534 | 87.72 | 3.64 | 87.94 | 2.01 |
| 42nd | Iceland | 86.54 | 31% - 46% | Six Months | 7,000 | 78.89 | 1.61 | 75.74 | 2.00 |
| 44th | Türkiye | 11.52 | 15% - 40% | Six Months | 3,000 | 37.05 | 48.95 | 94.80 | 1.94 |
| 43rd | Cyprus | 27.44 | 0% - 35% | Six Months | 3,500 | 76.45 | 3.91 | 86.86 | 1.94 |
| 45th | South Korea | 58.20 | 6% - 35% | Six Months | 5,500 | 75.66 | 3.04 | 84.49 | 1.92 |
| 46th | Barbados | 14.08 | 12% - 28% | No Tax Free Period | 4,166 | 65.59 | 0.85 | 81.19 | 1.82 |
| 47th | Dominica | 26.79 | 0% | No Tax Free Period | 4,166 | 52.74 | 0.22 | 86.82 | 1.80 |
| 48th | Greece | 14.93 | 9% - 44% | Six Months | 3,500 | 74.37 | 28.46 | 88.65 | 1.79 |
| 49th | South Africa | 11.69 | 18% - 45% | Six Months | 3,000 | 67.07 | 6.99 | 94.52 | 1.78 |
| 50th | Cabo Verde | 6.51 | 16% - 27% | Six Months | 1,500 | 55.97 | 0.12 | 92.07 | 1.60 |
| 51st | Indonesia | 6.01 | 5% - 30% | Six Months | 5000 | 30.05 | 5.60 | 98.85 | 1.39 |
| 52nd | Cayman Islands | 9.19 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 8,333 | 0.00 | 0.97 | 61.86 | 1.20 |
| 53rd | Belize | 11.46 | 25% | Six Months | 6,250 | 40.38 | 0.46 | 90.57 | 1.19 |
| 54th | Montserrat | 26.74 | 5% - 40% | No Tax Free Period | 5,833 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 85.25 | 1.13 |
| 55th | Anguilla | 28.76 | 0% | Full Visa Length | 0 | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.00 | 1 |
*The cost of life score is inversed with respect to its real value. The lower the cost of life, the higher the score.
What Sets the Digital Nomad Visa Index Apart?
What makes the Digital Nomad Visa Index unique is its comprehensive approach to ranking, considering a variety of factors that directly impact the lifestyle of a digital nomad. Each country is given a unique value based on this diverse set of criteria.
The Unique Ranking System of the Digital Nomad Visa Index
The Digital Nomad Visa Index utilizes a unique scoring system to rank countries. Factors in this scoring system include:
- Internet Speed.
- Taxation Policies and Tax-Free Length.
- Income Requirements for Visa Applications.
- Cost of Living in Euros.
- Healthcare Score.
- Tourism Popularity.
These factors combine to form a normalized score, highlighting the most suitable countries for digital nomads.
Methodology and Scoring
Calculation of the Score Before Normalization
The initial score of a country in the Digital Nomad index is calculated using the factors mentioned above.
This formula balances various factors, giving higher weight to aspects like internet speed, tax-free length, and tourism popularity, while also considering the cost of living and the availability of a digital nomad visa.
Normalization of the Score
The final score, called the ‘Digital Nomad Score,’ is derived by normalizing the initial score on a scale from 1 to 5.
Digital Nomad Score = Initial Score * 4 + 1
This normalization process ensures that the scores are comparable across countries and are scaled on a uniform metric.
Conclusion
The methodology of the Digital Nomad Visa Index is designed to provide an accurate and comprehensive overview of the best countries for digital nomads. By considering a range of factors from internet quality to healthcare, and by using a complex but transparent scoring system, the index serves as an essential tool for remote workers looking to find their next destination.