Countries lay out welcome mat for digital nomads

(NYTIMES) When Mr Lamin Ngobeh, a high school teacher, saw a social media post last month about working remotely in Barbados for 12 months, his interest was piqued.

"My school probably won't open for in-person classes until at least February 2021, and I want to be in a country that's safer - health-wise - and also enjoy the quality of life," he said.

"I reached out to my school leaders and they were very supportive of my decision."

When it announced its 12-month Welcome Stamp programme in the middle of last month, Barbados became one of the first of several countries, in regions from the Caribbean to Eastern Europe, to create programmes for remote workers.

They employ either special visas or expand existing ones to entice workers to temporarily relocate.

Other countries offering similar visas currently include Estonia, Georgia and Bermuda.

A substantial drop in these countries' tourism numbers is a key reason for the new programmes.

For example, Barbados has received more than 1,000 applications from around the world within the first week, with the majority of responses from the United States, Canada and Britain.

Even before the pandemic, the number of remote workers worldwide was growing.

More than 7.3 million workers in the US described themselves last year as "digital nomads" - those who choose to embrace a location-independent lifestyle that allows them to travel and work remotely.

Many workers are drawn to the lifestyle of digital nomads because of a lower cost of living.

Ms Maggie Turansky currently lives in the Republic of Georgia.

She runs a website, The World Was Here First, with her partner, and rents a brand-new apartment in Tbilisi for about US$500 (S$680) a month. They stayed there during the pandemic.

"I can't think of any other major city in a Western country that would be comparable," she said.

"The utilities on top of that rarely go above US$50 a month, and the Wi-Fi is great.

"Georgia is appealing and there's so much to see and do, and we kind of fell in love with it."

Ms Amanda Kolbye currently works from Malaysia as an online business coach.

She has enjoyed living and working overseas for the past two years, living in places like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Qatar and Taiwan.

"I'm considering running my business in another country, like Estonia or Barbados or Bermuda, that will allow me to be closer to home," she said.

Some criteria for international visitors who seek these extended stays are similar.

While all countries require proof of health insurance and negative virus tests (either pre-arrival, upon arrival, or both), some require an application fee and proof of a monthly salary, complete with bank statements.

For Barbados, prospective remote workers need to fill out an online application form and submit photos.

They also need to supply proof of employment and an income declaration of at least US$50,000 annually during the period they are on the island.

An application fee of US$2,000 per person is payable after approval. Families pay a fee of US$3,000, irrespective of the number of members in their household.

Bermuda's Residency Certificate Policy, which was announced on Aug 1, has an application fee of US$263. Unlike Barbados, Bermuda does not require a minimum monthly income for extended stay remote workers.

Estonia's new digital nomad visa, which began on Aug 1 and is an extension of its e-Residency programme, will allow visitors to stay in the country legally and work remotely for their employer for up to 12 months.

The application fee is US$125, and applicants need to demonstrate proof of a base salary of at least US$4,150 a month.

Georgia's programme, called Remotely from Georgia, allows workers to stay and work there for up to six months.

Like Bermuda, Georgia currently does not require applying workers to show a monthly minimum income, but they need to make the case that they have sufficient means to support their lifestyles.

Mr Neville Mehra left his last corporate job in 2017 and has since done remote digital strategy work through his company, Nampora.

He currently lives and works in Valencia, Spain, though he has worked in more than 50 countries, including Georgia, and plans to return.

"Over time, freelance digital nomads have started to ask what's the best quality of life, instead of 'where are the jobs?'" he said.

"This is not about moving to a country and taking a job away from a local, but about spending locally at a higher level with a stronger currency."

But while working remotely may be attractive to those who are able do their work with a laptop and a zippy Internet connection, it may not be as easy for all professionals.

Living and working remotely in another country will carry some risks.

Language can also be a barrier. Those with children could have additional headaches.

Families who plan on schooling their children from another country remotely may experience issues with time-zone differences.

Those who would like to enrol their children in local schools may also face limitations.