COVID-Friendly Destinations for Digital Nomads
With COVID-19 forcing people to work from home, more and more people are looking for a different lifestyle. Gone are the times when people are satisfied working for a corporation their whole lives. Instead, many people are looking for more out of their careers and are eager to see the world.
Many of our Friendji app users are interested in living a life as a digital nomad. With this lifestyle, you have the liberty to work from anywhere, as long as you have a stable internet connection. As a result, jobs for digital nomads have been increasing exponentially.
If you’re looking to live that lifestyle and connect with new friends from around the world, stay tuned. You can start working remotely as soon as this year in many destinations around the world.
Here is Friendji’s list of seven COVID-friendly destinations for digital nomads in 2021.
Barbados
Barbados is becoming an increasingly popular place for digital nomads to live. This nation makes it easy for people to work there remotely with their 12-month Barbados Welcome Stamp visa.
Remote workers will find excellent facilities, high-speed wifi connection, and a time zone favorable for collaboration with North American companies.
Regarding COVID, this island country’s vaccination rates will go up soon, as the first shipments of Pfizer have arrived this month.
In Barbados, you’ll enjoy a digital nomad life that will be well balanced with the island’s laid-back lifestyle.
Bermuda
Another island destination with a digital nomad visa is Bermuda. This archipelago has stunning architecture, coastlines, and traditions.
In addition, this English-speaking nation has multicultural roots that have a strong presence in its lifestyle.
It’s ideal for digital nomads because the visa allows remote workers to live in the country for a year without paying income tax. Children of digital workers can also attend both public and private schools in Bermuda.
The application process is entirely virtual and only takes about five business days to complete.
Bali
Bali is a wildly popular tourist destination, and it is also an increasingly trendy location for remote work.
The country could soon offer five-year visas for digital nomads. While this hasn’t materialized yet, it is still an ideal digital nomad location.
This destination has ample short-term rental options with an excellent wifi connection where visitors can work remotely. After work, you’ll have access to the region’s spectacular beaches, temples, and cities.
Bali recently had a COVID spike, but it is now on a downward trend. Vaccinations have been increasing, so it will likely be a safe destination by the time you travel there.
Mexico
Mexico is a stunning multicultural country with diverse landscapes, historic cities, and a robust digital nomad culture. As a digital nomad, you’ll have fantastic destinations to set up shop – from Mexico City and Mérida to San Miguel de Allende.
Many of its cities already have a large digital nomad expat community. Friendji will soon launch in Mexico, making it easy to connect with other remote workers and locals.
The country will receive several million doses of Moderna from the United States in the next few months, boosting the population’s vaccination rate.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a hotspot for digital nomads these days.
Like other countries on this list, the government signed a law to grant digital nomads year-long visas. The visa is very generous – allowing nomads to avoid paying local income taxes, open bank accounts, and drive.
In addition, Costa Rica is a very desirable destination to live and work in, with beautiful biodiversity and lovely towns.
The country recently received over 250,000 vaccines, so COVID conditions should be much safer by the time you can travel there.
Croatia
Earlier in 2021, Croatia also began offering “digital nomad visas” to temporary remote workers.
However, it is not a visa; it’s a residency permit. It allows you to continue to live in Croatia beyond the limits of a typical tourist visa, up to one year.
Digital nomads love this country because it is affordable, breathtakingly beautiful, and safe. In addition, locals tend to be very friendly, and many speak English.
Compared to other destinations, Croatia’s COVID numbers are manageable, and the country is relatively safe.
Spain
Spain is a country that many expats love because of its laid-back culture, charming cities, and reasonable cost of living. In addition, digital nomads find that Spain has favorable visa options for remote workers. The wifi is reliable in public and private spaces throughout the country. There are many coworking facilities and cafés for getting work done.
Vaccination rates are relatively high in Spain, so COVID conditions will continue to improve.
Spain is also the first country where the Friendji app will officially launch, so you can easily create a community while there.
Conclusion
Being a digital nomad is a way of life that many have adopted in the wake of the pandemic.
It is now simpler than ever to pick up and work from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, countries have been increasingly supportive of the remote work lifestyle through their immigration policies.
Apps like Friendji make it more comfortable for digital nomads to move abroad because you can easily make friends and create a sense of community.
If this is a life you can envision for yourself, now is a great time to start planning!
Are you looking to make friends during your digital nomad experience and read more fun travel articles? Check out our blog and download the Friendji app!
