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Visas
In order to celebrate 100 years of Estonian independence, Estonia’s Ministry of the Interior plans to develop the world’s first Digital Nomad Visa. Building on the country’s past ten years, Estonia has now become one of the most digitally advanced nations. From borderless banking, to e-Residency, Estonia has achieved what many nations believed was impossible. Here at Santa Fe Relocation, we’re taking a closer look at why Estonia is planning to launch the Digital Nomad Visa.
The Digital Nomad Visa
The aim of the Digital Nomad Visa is to enable digital nomads to work and travel in Estonia for up to 1 year, providing them with access to the Schengen Area – a zone comprising 26 European states that have abolished passport controls. This will allow them to travel in other EU member states for up to 90 days.
During the advisory process, leading labour mobility experts are required to assess the definition of a digital nomad before starting work on developing a formal proposal for legislation to bring the visa into law. Due to this, when the Digital Nomad Visa will become available remains uncertain.
Digital Nomad Visa support & research
In order to support the development of the Digital Nomad Visa, Jobbatical conducted a survey of more than 1,000 of its digital community. The results revealed that 92% of respondents are currently, or are aspiring to become, a digital nomad. In addition to this, four out of five of all respondents admitted that they would like to work in a new country each year, and an impressive 99% of current or aspiring digital nomads said that a simplified visa process would considerably improve their ability to become location independent.
What does this mean?
The announcement of the Digital Nomad Visa comes as Estonia celebrates its 100th anniversary of independence. With the view that the Digital Nomad Visa will strengthen the country’s position as Europe’s leading digital nation, building e-Residency and the accompanying banking, registration, taxation and other various services, this visa is certainly something worth monitoring.
Even though working remotely has become an increasingly popular option for people who want to travel the world while keeping a steady job, many were taken aback by the announcement that Estonia is launching a digital nomad visa.
Whilst we can’t be certain who exactly will be considered a ‘digital nomad’, and how the process will work, it is certainly another step in the right direction for Estonia.
If you are a digital nomad and you need help relocating abroad, why not contact a member of our expert team, today? Regardless of your requirements, you can rest assured that we can help.
