On June 3, the Estonian parliament adopted certain amendments to the existing laws leading to the creation of a digital nomad visa, making Estonia one of the first countries in the world to come out with such a visa.
The Estonian digital nomad visa allows individuals to come to Estonia as tourists, while at the same time continuing with working for their foreign employer or in the capacity of a freelancer.
As per Estonia’s Ministry of Interior, a digital nomad visa would allow internationals engaged in jobs independent of location and time – mostly in finance, marketing and technology – to work in Estonia.
The digital nomad visa will be granted by Estonia for both short-term stays and long-term stays.
According to the Prime Minister of Estonia Mart Helme, a digital nomad’s visa “strengthens Estonia’s image as an e-state”.
The general conditions attached to applying for visas will also be applicable to the issuance of the digital nomad visa. In order to minimize the risk of being misused, background checks will be conducted “as carefully as for other visa applicants”.
As per the Government of Estonia, the Digital Nomad Visa Program is to be implemented gradually. The first stage of the implementation will include internationals that can prove that they are digital nomads, hence establishing their eligibility for apply for the Estonian digital nomad visa.
An announcement by Estonia’s Ministry of Interior lays down that solutions were being developed to enable the “integration of other Estonian e-government solutions, especially e-residency, with the digital nomad visa”.
The Estonian government predicts, based on preliminary estimates drawn up by the Ministry of the Interior of Estonia, that almost 1,800 individuals per year would apply for the digital nomad visa.
As of now, countries offering visas for digital nomads are –
| Estonia | Germany | Norway | Costa Rica |
| Mexico | Czech Republic | Portugal |
Making use of telecommunications technologies to earn their living, digital nomads are known for conducting their lives in a nomadic manner. Typically, a digital nomad works remotely from co-working spaces, foreign countries, public libraries, coffee shops etc.
If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate Overseas, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company.
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