Ranked
Digital nomad visas for Americans, compared
The countries here that publish a route for remote workers paid by a foreign employer or their own clients.
6 of the 15 countries on this site qualify. The measure: A published residence route of type "digital nomad". Reviewed September 4, 2026.
Thailand leads on this measure at Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). 5 years, multiple entry. The Washington embassy page states the five-year validity and the fee but does not publish a permitted stay per entry; it refers period of stay and extensions to the Immigration Bureau in Thailand. In practice the Immigration Bureau has been admitting DTV holders for 180 days per entry since the visa launched in July 2024, but that number is not stated on the embassy page, so confirm it with immigration rather than planning around it.. 400 dollars, non-refundable, paid by card through the e-visa portal.. Read the Thailand guide for the figures behind it and the source beside each one.
| # | Country | Route | Centre rent | Net salary | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand | Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) | $475 | $485 | 5 years, multiple entry. The Washington embassy page states the five-year validity and the fee but does not publish a permitted stay per entry; it refers period of stay and extensions to the Immigration Bureau in Thailand. In practice the Immigration Bureau has been admitting DTV holders for 180 days per entry since the visa launched in July 2024, but that number is not stated on the embassy page, so confirm it with immigration rather than planning around it.. 400 dollars, non-refundable, paid by card through the e-visa portal.. |
| 2 | Portugal | D8 remote work visa (digital nomad) | $1,200 | $2,077 | Two versions: a temporary stay visa valid up to one year, or a residence visa leading to a two-year residence permit renewable for three years. EUR 110 (about $128) consular visa fee, plus EUR 247.30 (about $287) in AIMA residence-permit fees for the residence version. |
| 3 | Japan | Digital Nomad (Designated Activities No. 53) | $1,280 | $1,985 | 6 months maximum, not renewable; you may reapply after 6 months outside Japan. Consular visa fee only; no Certificate of Eligibility and no Immigration Services Agency fee, because no residence card is issued.. |
| 4 | Spain | Visado y autorizacion de residencia por teletrabajo de caracter internacional (digital nomad visa) | $1,390 | $2,620 | One-year visa if applied for at a Spanish consulate in the US, or a three-year authorisation if applied for inside Spain within the first 90 days of a tourist stay; renewable in two-year blocks, and five years of legal residence opens EU long-term residence.. US citizens pay a $140 national visa fee at a Spanish consulate plus a $13 residence permit fee, then roughly 16 to 22 euros for the TIE identity card in Spain. Budget $1,500 to $3,500 all in once you add the FBI background check with apostille, sworn translations and a year of private health cover (estimate).. |
| 5 | Italy | Digital Nomad and Remote Worker Visa | $1,200 | $2,690 | One-year residence permit, renewable annually while the work, housing and insurance conditions hold. EUR 116 visa fee (about USD 135), plus roughly EUR 150 for the residence permit kit and stamps after arrival. |
| 6 | New Zealand | Visitor Visa with remote work permitted | $1,112 | $3,392 | Up to 9 months in an 18-month period. From NZD $441 (about USD $261). |
What this ranking does not settle
A nomad route is a residence permit, not a tax answer. Several of these make you tax-resident well before the permit expires, and the US filing obligation follows your citizenship regardless.
Nothing on this page is a new figure. Each one is taken from that country's guide, where it sits beside the official source it came from and the date that source was read. If a number here matters to a decision, follow it through to the country page and check the source yourself.
Straight to a country
- Moving to Thailand · Cost of living · Visas · vs the US
- Moving to Portugal · Cost of living · Visas · vs the US
- Moving to Japan · Cost of living · Visas · vs the US
- Moving to Spain · Cost of living · Visas · vs the US
- Moving to Italy · Cost of living · Visas · vs the US
- Moving to New Zealand · Cost of living · Visas · vs the US
The other rankings
- The cheapest countries to move to from the US — Overall price level including rent, US national average = 100
- Countries where Americans can get residency without a job offer — Documented routes that do not require a job offer from a local employer
- The best countries to retire to on a US income — A published retirement route, ordered by overall price level (US = 100)
- What healthcare costs Americans abroad, country by country — Typical monthly private insurance premium, US dollars
- Every country, compared — the full table, all measures at once
- Cost of living calculator — put your own take-home pay through it
Top of this ranking
The three countries this list opens on, with the full guide behind each.
