Spain, the world's best remote work destination

At a time when opportunities for flexible working continue to dwindle, digital nomad options are growing. This year, popular destinations such as Greece, Italy, Japan and Thailand have added digital nomad programmes to attract foreign talent. But this year Spain has ranked as the best country for remote workers, according to a new digital nomad report by global consulting firm Global Citizen Solutions.

The company, which specialises in helping clients identify citizenship and residency-by-investment programmes, evaluated the options currently available by analysing both current legislation and expert opinions. Its data covers five main categories: visa costs (application costs, income requirements), visa benefits (duration, ability to extend, pathway to citizenship), quality of life (health care, safety, pollution, climate), economics (cost of living, tax optimisation, coworking desk prices) and technology/innovation.

According to the report, Spain is the best place to be a digital nomad. Several factors pushed Spain to the top spot, including a new startup law aimed at boosting the country's entrepreneurial ecosystem, zero tax on foreign-earned income, affordability, high-speed internet availability and an ideal environment for technology and innovation.

Nine of the top ten countries are in Europe, including some unexpected places. The Netherlands and Norway, in second and third place and almost equal in score, are regulars on such lists for their high standard of living and optimal health, education and social services. However, high living costs are a major challenge, according to the report.

Estonia and Romania, however, made impressive progress. They boast a more affordable lifestyle with excellent access to nature and a rich cultural scene. The only non-European destination in the top 10 is Canada, coming in eighth. The country announced in 2023 that it was working on a new strategy to attract tech workers.

"The report's most notable aspect is how European countries dominate," says Patricia Casaburi, executive director of Global Citizen Solutions, in a statement reported by Bloomberg. "Moreover, it is striking that 91% of the 65 active digital nomad programmes were launched after Covid-19, showing a rapid response to the shift to remote working."

Besides the high quality of life, other qualities that gave Spain and the Netherlands an advantage included the fact that they offer digital nomad visa-holders a pathway to permanent residency that can eventually turn into citizenship.

Each country has its own advantages. Estonia and Romania have made significant investments in technology, including world-class infrastructure for high-speed internet. And like other Eastern European countries that ranked in the top 20, such as Hungary, Latvia and the Czech Republic, they boast relatively low living costs compared to Western Europe.

Taiwan ranked 12th for its easy-to-use digital nomad visa system, which allows nomads to stay for up to three years after approval but requires you to work in one of eight specific sectors, including technology, education, finance and law. Japan, which announced its digital nomad programme on 1 April, ranked 16th.

High visa costs and required salary levels mean that regions such as the Middle East, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and the Caribbean did not rank as highly in the index. At the bottom of the list were Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba and Grenada. Overall, Europe accounts for 35% of all digital nomad visas currently available, while the Americas makes up 38% and Africa only 8%.

According to the report, almost 60% of remote work visas are unbiased concerning nationality or profession. "We have noticed that while most digital nomads are nationals of northern countries, a growing number are coming from countries with weaker passports," Casaburi said. "These people are taking advantage of digital nomad programmes to acquire permanent residency and citizenship in countries with stronger passports, significantly enhancing their global mobility."