If you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in the prospect of moving to Europe and working remotely – and we can’t blame you. The continent is full of exciting countries offering digital nomad visas, and many European cities have a relatively low cost of living (these are the cheapest and most expensive, FYI).
But some visas are harder to secure than others. To help you out, we’ve checked out every European digital nomad visa currently on offer and ranked and evaluated which are the easiest (and the hardest) to get.
To come up with the list, we researched the minimum salary requirements, how the application process works, how much the visa costs and the specific requirements for each destination.
Based on that research, Romania is the easiest European destination to get a digital nomad visa. The monthly salary requirement is three times the national average at €3,700, which is a pretty standard amount for a country to require. However, it ranked well because the application process is easy, quick, and cheap – you can apply to work remotely in Romania online and you’ll get a response within just two weeks.
Croatia comes in second place. It’s easy to apply for a visa – you can do so online or at a consulate – but there are a few small fees to pay along the way, such as paying for the residency card (€40) or the online admin fees (€45). Luckily, the minimum monthly salary requirement is relatively low at €2,539 and there aren’t many requirements involved – although you must also have accommodation arranged as part of your application.
Spain comes midway in our ranking, thanks to a relatively straightforward application process and relatively quick turnaround. After your appointment with the Spanish Embassy (you can’t apply online) you can expect a response within 15-45 days. The monthly minimum salary requirement is just €2,140.
Estonia, Hungary, Portugal and Iceland have quite similar processes, so their position in the ranking relates to the minimum salary requirements. Hungary requires just €2,000 per month, but has an application fee of around €115, plus a fee for extending your visa.
Estonia asks for earnings of at least €3,500 per month, but there’s a simple €60 application fee. Iceland on the other hand asks for earnings of €7,000 per month, and a fee of around €86. While that salary requirement is simply because of higher living costs in Iceland, it does make their nomad visa less accessible.
Coming in last place as the hardest country to get a digital nomad visa is Cyprus. The salary requirement is a pretty standard €3,500 per month, but you have to actually go to Cyprus to start the process (which might require you to first get a tourist visa) which is a bit of a hoo-hah. What’s more, you need to provide ‘original blood analysis’ and chest X-rays to prove you don’t have Hep B, C, tuberculosis or HIV – it’s definitely not one for the trypanophobics.
There are some other European countries which plan on introducing similar visas soon, such as Italy, Andorra, Montenegro and Latvia, but those haven’t officially been launched yet, which is why they aren’t included. Germany also doesn’t officially offer a digital nomad visa, but rather something called a ‘Freelancer visa’.
These are Europe’s digital nomad visas, ranked from the easiest to the hardest to get
1. Romania
2. Croatia
3. Malta
4. Greece
5. Norway
6. Spain
7. Hungary
8. Estonia
9. Portugal
10. Czechia
11. Iceland
12. Cyprus
More on digital nomadism
It can be hard to stay on top of all the latest info on remote working, which is why we keep our list of all the countries offering digital nomad visas up to date. And if you’re still making up your mind, here’s what it’s like to live and work remotely, from people who’ve taken the plunge.
Did you see that this European country has been named the world’s happiest for under 30s?
Plus: This airport has been crowned best in the world for the fourth year in a row.
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