Digital Nomad Visa Guide for Australians

Digital Nomad Visa Guide for Australians
Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.

Working holiday visas are a great option for young people who want to experience life in another country. But if you’re self-employed or work online, a digital nomad visa could be ideal!

With a digital nomad visa, you can live in another country for an extended period – usually a year or two. During that time, you can continue to work remotely in your existing job, or for your own online business with international clients.

In many cases, you won’t need to pay local income tax in the destination country – though this varies.

The UAE, Estonia, Barbados and the Cayman Islands were among the first countries to introduce special visas for remote workers in 2020. Initially, these were a way to support struggling tourism industries during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as more people began working remotely and discovering the benefits of the digital nomad lifestyle, more countries started adapting to this new trend.

In just four years, the concept has really taken off! In 2024, there are now over 50 countries offering digital nomad visas in some form. Australian citizens are eligible for many of these.

Some of the countries to most recently introduce new digital nomad visas include Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Italy and Kazakhstan.

Why digital nomad visas?

For governments, these visas are a way to attract visitors with a stable income who will stay for a longer time, spend money in the local economy and develop connections with locals. They’re great too for remote workers who now have more opportunities to live in more countries. It’s a win-win!

Unlike working holiday visas, digital nomad visas don’t have an age limit. You may also be able to bring your children and/or family with you.

Tbilisi, Georgia
You could live in Tbilisi with a digital nomad visa from Georgia. Photo by Matt Graham.

However, digital nomad visas do not give you the right to work for an employer based in the destination country. They are not traditional work visas.

Typical digital nomad visa requirements

Remote worker and digital nomad visas are aimed more towards educated professionals with relatively high incomes, rather than backpackers. So, the requirements to get a digital nomad visa are a bit different to working holiday visa requirements.

The good news is that the countries offering digital nomad visas genuinely want to encourage people to move there. In fact, in many cases, these visas are actively promoted by the country’s tourism authority. Therefore, most – but sadly not all – countries make the application process as easy as possible.

To get a digital nomad visa, things you might need include:

  • A minimum level of savings and/or monthly income (this threshold is generally much higher than the minimum savings required to get a working holiday visa)
  • You must be self-employed or work remotely for a business based outside of the country (by comparison, you are not required to have a job to apply for most working holiday visas)
  • Health insurance to cover your stay
  • In some cases, proof of accommodation in the destination country

You’ll usually need to pay a visa fee as well, but not always. Mauritius and Georgia don’t charge anything to apply for a remote worker visa!

Mauritius
Mauritius is not charging a fee for its “premium visa”. Photo by Xavier Coiffic on Unsplash.

Do you need to pay local income tax with a digital nomad visa?

The tax rules for digital nomads vary by host country.

You would generally need to pay income tax in the country where you earned the money (i.e. where your employer or business is based). But digital nomad visa holders often don’t need to pay income tax in the host country where they’re living temporarily.

There are exceptions! For example, if you stayed for more than six months in a country such as Mauritius, Spain, Greece or Albania, you could become a tax resident in that country. This list of countries is not exhaustive. So, check the rules for each country and consult a tax professional if in doubt.

Even if you do have to pay income tax in the country where you’ll be living, your tax liability may be limited if Australia has a tax treaty preventing double taxation with that country.

Which countries offer digital nomad visas?

The list of countries offering digital nomad visas to Australian citizens working remotely is constantly growing! At the time of writing this article, they include:

Matt Graham

Matt is the founder of Working Holidays for Aussies. Passionate about travel and always looking for great deals, he believes that gap years & working holidays are the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in another culture and gain invaluable life experience. Originally from Australia, Matt has travelled to over 90 countries and has lived in New Zealand, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

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10 thoughts on “Digital Nomad Visa Guide for Australians”

  1. Such a fantastic article Matt! It’s great to finally see the digital nomad visas available to Australians in one easy-to-use place. I’ve shared this already with a few people.

    Once we fully open our border again, I’ll be keeping a close eye on how many online English teachers start taking advantage of these on my site [teachenglishonline.com.au] and in my community. Many, I think!

    Reply

  2. Hi Matt,

    Love to see what business structure you would advise setting up in Australia to do this. I’ve learnt that While Australia is remote working friendly, it is not “digital nomad” friendly. What I mean by this is that setting up some sort of business ties you down the residency in Australia – You need to be able to have an Australian address at all times. You can set up a business entity and then get a permanent residence overseas.

    The Sole trader you can actually reside overseas (But you’ll have to pay the australian non resident tax rates) but it’s not suitable for everyone because if you contract through a sole trader, the ATO classes you as an “employee” if you do work paid monthly etc and that’s not allowed on the sole trader. You can’t usually work for an employer, you normally have to be paid for a result and not a fixed rate per month or rate per hours kind of arrangement.

    Then if you have a private company limited by shares, one of the directors must reside in Australia. The only way out is to get an Australian resident director so they can control the business back home in Australia while you update your address to your overseas address. The company address also has to be an australian street address and you can’t use a post office box. Thankfully you can use a virtual office to get out of this problem at least as the registered office.

    So you see, it looks like you can zip over temporary while maintaining a property or rent back home, but you can’t move there for long periods, unless your a sole trader or you want to hire a director for your company.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chris, these are all interesting points. Unfortunately, I can’t give you advice on this kind of thing as I’m not an accountant. I would recommend talking to a good accountant about this.

      Reply

  3. Hello Matt I am French and I am wondering if you think Australia will be open to open at digital nomad visa soon ? Thanks

    Reply

    1. I haven’t heard anything yet, but have you looked to see if you might qualify for another type of visa?

      Personally I can’t see Australia offering something like this within the next year or two (although I absolutely think they should!).

      Reply

  4. Hi
    I want to apply for Brazil or Portugal
    Some countries offer 1 year. What of you decide to go back in 3months.
    Can you do multiple visits, say go back home every 3 months?

    And what is the process to apply
    Who do I contact for Portugal?

    Reply

    1. I believe both Brazil and Portugal’s digital nomad visas are multiple-entry visas. So you can do multiple visits while the visa remains valid.

      Please see the links above (under “Which countries offer digital nomad visas?”) for more details about the visas offered by each country.

      Reply

  5. Hi matt,

    I am looking to apply for the digital nomad visa in Spain and I have essentially got all the documents ready to go. The only real issue I have at the moment is the Social Security Certificate, there isn’t a whole lot of information about it out there. The only real info I can find is that it would be better to be a sole trader, but if you work for a company the closest info I found a written letter from your company approving the move?

    If you have any information about the social security certificate, that would be much appreciated

    Thank you

    Reply

    1. I unfortunately don’t know enough about this specific area to give you an answer, sorry, but hopefully someone else will know and be able to chime in.

      Reply

  6. This Digital Nomad Visa Guide for Australians is a game-changer! Thanks for breaking down the intricacies of remote work abroad. Your insights on visa requirements, documentation, and destination suggestions are invaluable. As an Aussie aspiring to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle, this concise yet comprehensive guide has alleviated my uncertainties. The tips on navigating cultural nuances and adapting to diverse work environments add an extra layer of practicality. Your well-researched content reflects a genuine commitment to empowering fellow Australians to explore the world while working remotely. Kudos for simplifying the complexities and providing a roadmap for a seamless digital nomad experience!

    Reply

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