How To Become a Digital Nomad
Overview ‣ Look for a job ‣ Highlight the benefits ‣ Disclose the specifics ‣ Order your passport ‣ List out your ‘anchors’ ‣ Figure out financials ‣ Decide where to go ‣ Research taxes ‣ Look up visas ‣ Get a mailbox ‣ Switch your contracts ‣ Downsize ‣ Digitize ‣ Give notice ‣ Make plans ‣ Savor time with loved ones ‣ Know your ‘why’
The working world has changed. If you have endless wanderlust and a laptop, the digital nomad lifestyle is well within reach.
In the digital age, there’s no reason work and travel can’t mix. The rise of the digital nomad era proves it. But if you’re picturing an influencer sipping cocktails by the pool, putzing around and doing minimal work in paradise, that’s not quite reality.
The truth is, once you're on the road, you'll have to work just as hard—if not harder—than you do right now. It takes a ton of grit and determination. But once you get the basics down, the sense of adventure is simply unparalled.
HEADS UP: Conscious travel is a bit of an art form. Digital nomads often get a bad rep for creating challenges for the locals. Here are my tips for how to travel with respect.
Overview of what it takes
After you do a bit of soul-searching and figure out your “why” (more on that in a bit), there's several logistics to sort through. The biggest chunks will involve securing a remote job, figuring out your "anchors,” lining up arrangements, downsizing your stuff, and phasing out your status quo.
Sound like a lot? That's because it is. Ideally, you’ll start planning as soon as possible, but remember that you don't have to have it figured it out all at once. The prep work can easily take six months or more. If you have a family or pets, there are more moving parts, so it will take longer. Just take it one step at a time.
Look for a remote job
The first step—and often the hardest—is finding a job that will let you work online and travel freely, as that’s the bread-and-butter of this whole operation. If you’re not already employed, don’t delay on starting the job hunt. It can take three to six months, if not longer, to find an employer who’s on board with your need to roam.
Highlight the benefits
During your search, anticipate common fears in advance and address them. Some employers might be nervous about you working from a different time zone, so highlight the benefits of it. “Since I’ll be in Asia, I’ll have a head start on work for the day. By the time you log on, my work will be sitting on your desk.”
You can also use the Time Zone Overlap Calculator to input your location compared to your manager's. Establish crossover hours when everyone will be online. With enough time and trust, you’ll work a-synchronistically—i.e., whenever you want, as long as the work gets done.
Disclose specifics to your employer
Many digital nomads wonder how much to tell their employer, for fear that they won't be allowed to wander freely. That's a personal decision, but consider these factors:
Visas. Many digital nomad visa applications require a letter from your boss stating that it’s okay for you to work abroad.
Connectivity. Not all destinations have the same tech infrastructure. You could encounter connectivity issues in remote locations, which is harder to explain if your boss thinks you're at home.
IP address: While many nomads choose to mask their location with a VPN, it can put your contract at risk.
Taxes. There are tax implications for traveling abroad for more than 6 months a year, known as the 183-day rule. You’ll need to figure out the best set-up with the payroll department. (Hint: 1099 contract.)
Order your passport
If you haven’t done so already, order a new passport or renew your existing one. Most destinations require your passport to be valid for at least six months past the date of your planned departure. If you’re planning to go to London from January through June 2025, your passport will need to be valid at least through December 2025.
With the surge in post-pandemic travel, passport centers are processing more applications than ever, so it’s best to get yours in as early as possible, says a US Department of State memo. Be sure to factor in passport processing times to your travel plans, keeping in mind that timeframes can change depending on demand.
Here’s a sample timeline:
Mailing in the application: 1-2 weeks
Passport processing time: 7-10 weeks
Mailing it back to you: 1-2 weeks
Total: 2-4 months
HEADS UP: For $60, you can order an expedited passport and shorten the processing time down to 3 to 5 weeks (not including mailing times).
List out your ‘anchors’
From 24/7 access to WiFi to that burrito truck that knows your order by heart, your daily reality is made possible by a series of creature comforts, many of which you may not even think twice about.
Life as you know it has been formed by a slow accumulation of three things: amenities, habits, and desires. When you travel, that bubble of safety goes away. Think in detail about your routine, so you know how to recreate the best parts.
Long-term travel is a bit like starting from scratch, which can be equally liberating as it is anxiety-inducing. Ideally, it will pull you out of your comfort zone, but not so much that you can’t get your work done.
Figure out the financials
Guidebook author Rick Steves once famously backpacked around Europe on $3 per day. While it was a different time, budget travel is still a thing. If you’re willing to eat cheap (or fast), stay in modest places, and skip creature comforts, you’ll find a way.
While you’re still at home, do whatever you can to decrease overhead. For example, I gave up a standard phone contract in favor of a budget carrier, eliminated all subscriptions, signed up to be a DoorDasher, and moved into my car full-time.
Once you decide where you’re going, plan for the one-time costs, like a plane ticket, visa application fee, pet transport costs, or a deposit on lodging. The most popular areas for nomads on a budget are Asia, Latin America, and Southern Europe.
Decide where you want to go
Everyone is looking for something different when they travel. For Person A, it might be a small community with a laid-back culture and sunny climate. They might do really well in an introvert’s paradise, like a remote coastal town in Southern Europe.
Person B, on the other hand, might have a need for lively nightlife, endless eateries, a melting pot of cultures, and a gazillion things to do on the weekends. Someone like that might do well in a big city like Mexico City, Madrid, or Buenos Aires.
In general, look for places with stable WiFi, access to healthcare, public transportation, and a good safety rating via US Travel Advisories and the Global Peace Index.
WORTH NOTING
What’s your budget?
What climates do you prefer?
What languages do you speak?
Do you prefer big cities or rural areas?
How would you prefer to get around?
How experienced of a traveler are you?
Talk to a tax advisor
Each government or territory plays by its own rules. Many countries follow the 183-day rule, which means you’ll owe taxes to that country if you spend more than 6 months per year there.
You can Google “tax advisors for expats” in the country you’re going to. You can also browse through country-specific Reddit threads for recommendations. The IRS also has a whole section on their website dedicated to international travelers.
Look up visa requirements
Once you pick a region, look into how long you can stay there without a visa. Many countries will allow you to stay for up to 90 days without any extra hassle. For longer stays, I wrote an article here about visa-free destinations.
If you need to apply for a digital nomad visa, it can take anywhere from 1 to 4 months for approval. Some countries require you to apply from your home country, while others prefer that you apply at the consulate once you’re already abroad.
POSSIBLE REQUIREMENTS
valid passport
fingerprints
traveler’s health insurance
FBI criminal background check
proof of employment
bank statements
proof of accommodation
Get a PO Box or virtual mailbox
There are several benefits to keeping a US address, like keeping your bank account and having one central location for all your government documents.
If you don’t have someone to mind your mail while you’re away, set up a PO box that can forward your mail or a virtual mailbox that will scan your mail for you. Create a spreadsheet of all of the institutions that need your new address, like the postal service, banks, the IRS, and the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Switch to monthly contracts
As soon as possible, start winding down monthly contracts. If you’re a renter, for example, switch to a monthly lease once your annual one is up.
Ask your gym if there’s a monthly rate. Though it may be more expensive than what you’re paying now, you’ll be able to give a 30-day notice, instead of paying out the rest of the year or getting an early termination fee.
As for phones, ask your mobile carrier about no-contract plans. You can also order an unlocked phone on Backmarket, get a free Google Voice number tied to your email, and switch to a cheaper pre-paid SIM. I’m a big fan of Mint Mobile. My plan with Verizon was $85 per month, so Mint’s $45 deal for 3 months is an absolute steal.
Reduce your belongings
With enough time on the road, many digital nomads end up becoming minimalists. The more you release, the less you need to be happy. Of the thousands of items I’ve sold or donated, I don’t miss a single one. I downsized my stuff from a one-bedroom place down to a car and two suitcases.
If you’re not ready to downsize, you can always store your stuff in a storage unit or ask a loved one to hang onto some boxes. Put smaller items in a bank’s safety deposit box. You can sell assets on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace and host garage sales. For whatever’s left, drop off supplies at a senior home or a homeless shelter.
If you’re traveling by air, most airlines offer one personal item, one carry-on (like a laptop bag), and one checked bag that weighs 50 pounds or less. Any more than that and you’ll have to pay checked baggage fees, which range from $30 to $50 for the first one and upwards after that.
Digitize your lifestyle
Beyond physical clutter, paper clutter can be a huge headache. You can download a mobile scanning app and digitize all your documents. I store my important records in two places: the cloud and an external hard drive.
As for paper books, you can sell them for cash at a used book store and order a Kindle or get an Audible subscription to take your favorites on the road.
For boxes of family photos, put your favorites in an album and digitize the rest. If you don’t want to scan them yourself, there are mail-in services that can do it for you. I used Legacy Box and they did a great job.
Pencil in your ‘notice dates’
Find out how much notice each of your accounts needs for cancellation. Once you buy a plane ticket, work backwards and mark the dates in your calendar.
For example:
Home rental: 30-60 days notice
Gym: 30 days notice
Car insurance: 30 days notice
Mobile carrier: 30 days notice
Health insurance: 14 days notice
Utilities contracts: 14-30 days notice
Make travel arrangements
Once you have your departure date, organize the logistics, like lodging, insurance, and international banking. If it’s within your budget, pay the fee for fully refundable accommodation, as the digital nomad lifestyle can be unpredictable.
Right before you leave, tie up loose ends, like ending contracts, canceling domestic insurance, notifying your banks of foreign travel, and enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) with the US Department of State. You’ll also want to order an unlocked phone on Backmarket and get an international SIM card or eSIM.
If you’re selling your car, don’t give it up until 30 days before you travel. That way, you can rent a car and still keep your regular insurance rate. Beyond 30 days, once you no longer own your car (and the rental becomes your sole form of transportation), your insurance rates can triple.
Savor time with your loved ones
For all the pros that come with the digital nomad lifestyle, there’s one major drawback: you don’t know the next time you’re going to see your loved ones.
You might miss some important milestones, like birthdays, holidays, or events. You might grow apart and fall out of the loop. Sure, there’s Facetime, but it’s just not the same. Whatever amount of time you have in town with your loved ones, savor it.
Hang onto your ‘why’
The digital nomad life has plenty of ups and downs. For all of the good, there will be times that test your patience, sanity, and bank account. Things will go wrong. Plans will fall through. On those days, it’s helpful to recall why you chose this path.
For me, it’s exposure to different landscapes and ideas. At some point, I realized that what society brought me up to believe wasn’t true—that all that matters in life is your degree, your job title, who you know, and the kind of car you drive. It’s kinda bullshit. There are many, many other ways to find meaning. (As journalist Patrick Meagher once said, “Some people are so poor, all they have is money.”)
For other nomads I’ve talked to, it’s about leaving the rat race, spending time in nature, finding other like-minds, learning new languages, trying new foods, and getting out of their comfort zone. I say, to each their own. May you find your own version of paradise—whatever that looks like for you. Bon voyage.
