How to Become a Digital Nomad in 2026 (And Easily Work From Anywhere)

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Have you been thinking about how to become a digital nomad, but don’t know where to start?

Remote work has become mainstream over the last few years, with millions of professionals now working from anywhere in the world.

I’ve been working remotely since 2014 and I’m now based in Portugal. Based on my over a decade of personal experience, here are the steps I recommend:

Get your mindset right
Find your ideal money-making strategy
Decide what kind of digital nomad you want to be
Choose your first destination
Get tax advice
Apply for a visa if you need one
Downsize your life
Arrange mail forwarding
Open a cross-border bank account
Get travel insurance
Book accommodation
Board your flight, and go!

What Exactly IS a Digital Nomad — And Why Become One?

The term ‘digital nomad’ gets thrown around a lot. So first let’s look at exactly what it means, along with some similar definitions that might fit you better.

Digital nomad — somebody who moves from place to place while working remotely. Normally, they stay only a couple of months in each country before moving to the next.

Remote worker — somebody who earns their income online but may or may not travel internationally while doing so. Many remote workers do their jobs from home but never leave their home country.

Digital émigré — somebody who uses remote work to relocate abroad for the long term, mainly for political reasons and often to seek a new national identity and/or second citizenship. For example, to escape political decisions at home that affect or restrict their life (such as civil unrest, loss of freedoms because of Brexit, or abortion laws and gun crime in the US).

Although the term ‘digital nomad’ is used as a catch-all, you don’t have to move countries every month to enjoy a similar lifestyle. You can also work remotely and live overseas in one country for longer periods of time.

How to Become a Digital Nomad in 2026

1. Get your mindset right

Some of you might be raring to go, while others might still be a little nervous.

Just remember — whatever you decide to do, you can always undo it. If you move abroad and hate it, you can always move back home again.

2. Find your money-making strategy

Before taking the leap into a digital nomad lifestyle, you’ll need to create a solid source of online income. Having this sorted before leaving home will give you a lot more confidence and security.

Take your existing job remote

Remote work for a single employer is now widely accepted, even at large traditional companies.

The rise of remote work has shown that you can do your job from home, so you could try asking your company if they’ll allow you to work fully remote from another country. If you’ve already proven you can work remotely, your employer should already be convinced that you can perform well in this setup.

For example, a British friend of mine here in Madeira managed to convince her London law firm to switch her full-time job to a freelance contract so she could continue living abroad full time.

Bear in mind, there may be tax and HR concerns involved, but it’s always worth asking. One way to solve these issues is for your company to re-hire you as a freelance contractor. We’ll look into the potential tax implications of this switch later on in the article.

Taking your existing job remote is the easiest way to get a head start on becoming a digital nomad.

Get a new job that’s 100% remote

Tried the first option but your boss or HR department said no? Then your next option is to look for a new job that’s 100% remote and location independent.

Remote job boards are the best place to start, preferably those dedicated to remote work. Here’s a list of sites where you can find digital nomad jobs:

Flexjobs
We Work Remotely
Remote OK
Just Remote
Remote.co
Working Nomads
Pangian
Remotive
Jobspresso
Skip the Drive
AngelList

For more, check out my full roundup of the best remote job boards.

Most of the sites listed here only advertise for positions open to anyone in the world. But some companies have an annoying habit of advertising their positions as ‘remote’, then restricting hiring to people located in a certain country (e.g., ‘remote, US only’). You can filter these out by looking for roles labelled ‘location independent’, ‘work from anywhere’, or ‘fully distributed team’.

What sort of digital nomad jobs are out there? The most common is probably software developer or similar. But there are plenty of remote jobs totally unrelated to coding:

Digital marketing strategist
Virtual assistant
Customer support representative
Content writer
Copywriter
Translator
Academic editor
Online language teacher
Online therapist
Consultant in your existing field of work

Start an online business

Don’t want to work full time for a single employer? Keen to escape the 9-5 for good? Starting your own online business could be the right path.

The most obvious option is to become a freelancer in your current profession, targeting clients from your existing professional network. If you’re still in a full-time job back home, you can get a head start by building up a freelance online business as a side hustle. Just make sure you don’t violate any no-compete clauses in your contract.

You can start a lightweight online business quickly with minimal expense. Typically, the first step is to set up a simple website or landing page outlining your expertise, then draw on your existing networks to get your first client. Once you’ve successfully completed a job for that first client, ask them for a testimonial and display it on your website. This provides social proof to help you land the next ones more easily.

Starting your own blog is another great form of profitable online business. To get started, pick a niche that you enjoy and have some experience in, but one that also has moneymaking potential. The days of blogging about your passion are over, unless that passion can also generate a healthy income.

Knowing the basics of SEO will be critical for building a profitable blog — so you can get your website seen on Google. There are many ways to make money with SEO, such as affiliate marketing or selling online courses, so it’s a great skill to learn.

Probably the most important skill for starting a blog is being able to write quickly and clearly. If you don’t enjoy writing, you could always use an AI tool such as Jasper AI, or hire freelance writers from marketplaces like Fiverr or Upwork. But if you want a sustainable digital nomad lifestyle, I recommend that you practice and improve your online writing — it’s one of the ultimate skills for the digital age.

There are also plenty of new ways to make money with AI emerging all the time.

Rent out your home

If you already own property and plan to live abroad for the longer term, renting it out is another way to fund your digital nomad lifestyle. If you own a home in a high cost-of-living country such as the US or the UK, the rental income may be enough to support you depending on which countries you move to.

Use savings or investments

If you have substantial savings or passive income from investments, you could use these to fund your digital nomad lifestyle, or to supplement your income from an online business while you ramp it up.

3. Decide what kind of digital nomad you want to be

The answer to this question will influence everything about your move — from the country you choose and the type of visa you apply for, to the tax implications.

The choice is between:

a. Becoming a proper ‘nomad’, moving countries every few months
b. Becoming an expat/immigrant/digital émigré, working remotely while living in another country for the long term (perhaps with the objective of getting second citizenship)

Think about your long-term goals. Do you just want to travel and experience many countries while earning money online? Or would you rather settle down in another country and build a stable life? Do you want to acquire a second citizenship, or are you happy with just your existing passport?

Once you’ve narrowed these down, it’s time to choose your first destination.

4. Choose your first destination

Choosing the right destination is a crucial step. Get it right and you’ll fall in love with this lifestyle. Get it wrong, and you might be put off for life.

Ease of access

The first thing to look at is how easy it is to move to the country and work remotely. Do you need a visa to get in, or can you enter visa-free for a certain number of days? Do you need a digital nomad visa, or a long-term residency visa?

Much of that depends on your existing citizenship. Those with a powerful passport from countries such as the US, UK, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere in the EU, will have an easier time.

Citizens from other countries can typically only stay for 90 days in the Schengen area before they have to leave. If you want to stay longer, you can start with one of the digital nomad visas. Many countries have introduced these in recent years, and new ones are popping up all the time.

Digital nomad visas are typically valid for six months to two years. Some are renewable beyond that, while others are not. To get one, you normally need to show proof of sufficient income from outside the country.

Those who want to stay long-term in one country — perhaps with an eye on eventual dual citizenship — will need a different sort of visa. Many countries offer long-term residency pathways well-suited to remote workers, such as Portugal’s digital nomad visa or the remote work visa in Malta. Before choosing a visa route, make sure you’re clear about your long-term goals.

Facilities & infrastructure

Wifi quality and coverage

Wi-Fi is probably the most important facility a digital nomad needs. You’ll be fine in most developed countries, where speeds are typically fast and the internet is unrestricted.

Watch out for countries like China where the government blocks many popular websites — such as Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. To access online services with different geographical IP addresses, it’s a good idea to get a VPN subscription. I currently use Private Internet Access and it’s working well for me.

Co-working spaces

A great way to counter remote work loneliness is by working at co-working spaces. You’ll pay a daily or monthly fee to access a shared office with other remote workers. It’s a good way to meet people and replicate that sense of office camaraderie on the days when you want to get away from your apartment.

Having plenty of co-working spaces is also a good sign that your new city will be well set up generally for digital nomads. Some countries have introduced special digital nomad initiatives, such as the Digital Nomad Village in Madeira — designed to attract remote workers, these usually involve a co-working setup plus a calendar of activities for socializing and networking.

Public transport

The quality of a destination’s public transport plays a key role in your quality of life. Unless you immediately get a car (or don’t mind being isolated), having access to a good network of buses, trains, and metros will be essential. For extra convenience, pick a destination where ridesharing services (e.g., Uber, Bolt, Lyft) are common and frequent.

Accommodation options

At the beginning, you’ll probably want a temporary option so you can get to know your new environment before committing long-term. That’s why it’s a good idea to choose destinations where you can easily find short-term, flexible accommodation with sites like Airbnb or Flatio.

Local expat Facebook groups can be another good place to find short-term accommodation — but watch out for possible scams. Never hand over money without seeing the apartment first, and preferably do so at the same time you receive the key.

Strong and active communities

Working remotely can be a lonely endeavor. It helps if you’re moving abroad with a partner and/or family — but even then, you can’t underestimate the power of forging new human connections. Make sure your new country has a healthy community of like-minded people.

Plenty of activities on offer

Becoming a digital nomad should be a way to reach better work/life balance. Moving to a city with plenty of interesting activities helps maximize the chances that you’ll actually get away from your laptop from time to time. Check out Facebook and Meetup.com groups for your target country or city to see what’s going on. Make sure your new destination offers potential for hobbies you already love — or ones you’d like to start.

5. Get tax advice from a cross-border specialist

It’s crucial to understand your tax obligations when planning a move abroad.

As a basic rule of thumb, if you stay in another country for less than six months, you can continue paying taxes in your home country as usual. Once you exceed a six-month stay, your new country will likely consider you a tax resident — typically meaning you’ll be liable to pay tax there.

Short-term digital nomads will probably be okay paying taxes in their home country as usual. But for long-term remote working expats and digital émigrés, getting good cross-border tax advice is an important factor in the planning stage.

6. Apply for a visa (if required)

If you need a visa for your first destination, apply for it well in advance. You’ll probably need a lead time of at least a few weeks to collect the documents necessary for your application. If you’re heading to a destination where you don’t need a visa, skip straight to the next step.

7. Downsize your life

Your digital nomad transition will be much easier if you’re not weighed down by too many personal belongings. There are several ways to approach this:

Go drastic: sell or give away any possessions you won’t take with you. Good for true nomads who want to move freely and change country every few months.
Leave everything intact: put your valuables into storage and rent the property out long-term (assumes you own your home).
Long-term storage: a good interim solution if you want to keep your options open.
Bring everything: if you’re relocating long-term, you may want to bring all your possessions. You’ll need to explore overseas shipping options, including customs regulations.

Also consider selling your car or motorbike, and cancelling ongoing memberships tied to your old location, such as gym memberships or TV packages.

8. Arrange mail forwarding

Even though you’re moving abroad, you’ll probably still receive physical mail from time to time — student loan letters, letters from the tax office, and other bills.

One option is to set up a virtual mailbox service. These give you an address in your home country to receive mail, then scan and upload each letter so you can read it online. Alternatively, you could ask a helpful relative or friend to receive your physical mail while you’re away.

9. Open a cross-border bank account

Becoming a digital nomad usually involves handling money in more than one currency. Perhaps you get paid in US dollars but pay your living expenses in euros — or get paid in euros but still pay tax in British pounds.

Most cross-border accounts are app-based, free to open, and offer local accounts in a range of different currencies — great if you’re working with clients around the world, as they can pay you “like a local” in their home currency.

Best bank accounts for digital nomads:

Wise
Revolut
Monese
N26 (EUR only)

10. Get insured

Travel insurance covering emergency medical expenses is a requirement for some residence visas, including many in Europe. You’ll usually need an insurance policy of between 6 to 12 months to apply for long-term residency in an EU country.

For digital nomads moving from one country to another, you’ll need sufficient travel insurance to cover all the countries you visit. Check out one of these options specially designed for the digital nomad lifestyle:

InsuredNomads
SafetyWing
WorldNomads
HeyMondo

Travel insurance will only cover you for short-term stays. If you decide to live long-term in another country, you may want to take out expat medical insurance. Top expat medical insurance options include:

Cigna Global
Allianz
William Russell
BUPA
IMG

11. Book accommodation

You’ve probably already narrowed down your accommodation options based on your research. Now it’s time to choose one, make the booking, and get ready to depart.

12. Board your flight — and go!

Congratulations, you’ve started your digital nomad journey!

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Digital Nomad

Being a digital nomad isn’t all about relaxing on beaches with your laptop. The lifestyle brings its own challenges, which aren’t always covered in the mainstream media. Here’s a quick rundown.

Pros of becoming a digital nomad

You can live and work from anywhere in the world
Work on your own terms, without a boss, office hours, or commuting
The potential to make good money online and escape the growing cost of living crisis
The chance to see the world and seek out adventure
Meeting new and interesting people in different countries
Achieving better work-life balance
You can take advantage of geo-arbitrage — earning in a strong currency like USD while living in a low cost-of-living country

Cons of becoming a digital nomad

Loneliness — You’ll probably be working on your own all day from an apartment in a foreign country. Some people miss the camaraderie of a physical office. Joining a local co-working space is one way to solve this.
Culture shock — In an age of global travel, people underestimate the impact of culture shock. But it’s still there, especially if you haven’t lived abroad before.
Working too much — Especially common if you’re running your own business online. It’s harder to set boundaries for when work ends, which can lead to burnout if you’re not careful.
Harder to enjoy travels — When you feel like you’re always working, it can be tough to enjoy all the opportunities a new country has to offer.
Feeling scattered and unfocused — Easy to have too many competing priorities, especially in the early stages of an online business.
Too many distractions — The laptop lifestyle brings countless opportunities for distraction, whether that’s constantly refreshing social media or stopping work every few minutes to check your emails.
Time zone issues — Depending on which country you live in and whether you work with a remote team or clients, your time zone can cause problems for communication.
Mental energy drains — Adjusting to a new country is challenging. Moving every couple of months isn’t the right fit for everyone.

More cons than pros? Maybe — but the significance of the pros typically outweighs them.

Final Thoughts

Working remotely while living abroad is rapidly becoming one of the most desirable lifestyles of the 21st century — whether you’d rather country-hop or settle down and integrate into another culture while earning a good living remotely.

In this post, I took a deep dive into how to become a digital nomad, with step-by-step guidance from a veteran remote worker of over a decade. I covered building an online income, choosing the right destination, and practical tips on visas, tax, and downsizing, along with red flags (like scams!) to watch out for.