What is a Digital Nomad Visa And Is It Worth Getting One?

The term “digital nomad” was once niche internet jargon. Today, it’s an entire lifestyle. Imagine sending emails from a café in Bali, editing a presentation beside a beach in Thailand, or jumping on a meeting from a hostel in Lisbon. The world becomes your office.

Remote work boomed during and after the pandemic, and with it, the digital nomad movement experienced explosive growth. Globally, estimates suggest there are over 40 million digital nomads in 2024. In response, many countries have launched Digital Nomad Visas (DNVs), legal frameworks that let remote workers live abroad legally while working for clients anywhere. But how meaningful are they for someone from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, or Sri Lanka?

What Exactly is a Digital Nomad Visa?

A Digital Nomad Visa (DNV) grants remote workers, freelancers, and independent professionals permission to reside in a foreign country (often 6 months to 2 years) while continuing to work for companies overseas. Unlike tourist visas, DNVs typically allow you to legally earn income from abroad, pay local taxes (if required), and sometimes access local services. Some countries even offer renewal options or pathways to residency for long-term commuting nomads.

Why Should South Asians Consider One?

For many in South Asia, traveling outside the region already carries extra planning, visas, work permits, currency, etc. A DNV reduces friction. You don’t need to repeatedly apply for tourist visas or worry about the legality of working while abroad. DNVs also let you settle in somewhere new for longer enough to learn a language, build local networks, and truly experience a place rather than just passing through.

But the merit depends heavily on local conditions: cost of living, internet infrastructure, banking, taxation, and ease of visa processing.

The Reality Behind the Perks

Of course, these Digital Nomad Visas come with conditions. Apart from “remote employer or freelance work only,” they often require:

  • Proof of stable income (which could be USD $1,000–$3,500+ per month, depending on the country)
  • International health insurance
  • Clean criminal record
  • Proof of accommodation (rent agreement, hotel bookings, etc.)

On paper, these requirements are manageable, but for many South Asian freelancers earning in PKR or INR, the reality of fluctuating exchange rates and high transfer fees makes meeting those thresholds tougher than it looks.

And yet, these hurdles haven’t slowed the global momentum. We’re not only applying in Asia; countries everywhere are capitalizing on this trend. In 2024, over 60 economies had launched some form of DNV, up from 50 just a year earlier. Thailand alone attracted 35,000 applicants in its first year, while Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam are now marketing their own programs to lure remote workers.

Is It Worth It… for South Asians?

It depends. For occasional travelers, sticking with tourist visas may remain simpler (if allowed). But for someone wanting months of immersion, stability, and legal peace of mind, a DNV can be game-changing, especially when paired with savvy planning on taxation, banking, and local compliance.

However, before jumping in, weigh, the income required vs your current earning capacity, how easy it is to convert your earnings and send money home? Can you handle local tax obligations or double taxation? What about the cost of living in your target destination?

But the momentum is growing globally and regionally. In fact, Spain now offers Pakistanis a Digital Nomad Visa for about Rs 21,500, allowing a one-year stay (extendable up to five years). Moldova plans to follow up with up to two years of stay while working remotely. Closer to home, Malaysia’s DE Rantau Nomad Pass and Thailand’s Destination Thailand Visa are showing that just because you are in Asia, you don’t need to lag!

In short: whether you dream of cobblestone streets in Spain or beaches in Bali, your best bet may lie in destinations that balance affordability AND legal stay — and those are finally popping up both within Asia and beyond.