The digital nomad space has grown rapidly since the normalization of remote work that came about following the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, there are 35 million digital nomads worldwide! This is exciting news for anyone considering converting their hobby of traveling into a lifestyle.
Living an adventurous lifestyle can be a dream come true if you are properly prepared. WorldTrips can be your travel partner to provide you with coverage for unanticipated trip expenses and assistance when you face the unexpected. Will your home country’s health insurance cover you when you travel abroad? This is often not the case, and it’s important to consider your health and safety when traveling somewhere new.
WorldTrips’ digital nomad travel medical insurance can provide the coverage you need to travel in and out of multiple countries away from home. But travel health insurance isn’t the only thing you should consider when becoming a digital nomad. Our guide highlights all the other important details to consider to make your travel dreams a reality.
A digital nomad is essentially a remote worker who regularly travels and works from various locations. “Digital nomad” isn’t a job title but is instead a way of living and working. Digital nomads tend to appreciate the freedom this lifestyle gives them and the opportunity to spend long stretches of time in cities where they’ve always wanted to visit or live.
With any lifestyle change, there can be some challenges too. These sometimes include feeling a lack of stability in one’s life, trouble building a support group while away from family and friends, and issues securing fast and reliable internet service.
Digital nomads reap the benefits from working from interesting and exciting cities around the world while still making an income. They can set up their workstation on the beach in Mexico, in a café in Japan, or from an Airbnb in Portugal.
Here a few quick facts about digital nomads:
This might feel a bit daunting, but learning how to become a digital nomad will help ensure you have everything in place to start (and enjoy) your nomadic lifestyle.
Becoming a digital nomad isn’t as easy as packing your bags and taking off. It’s smart to do your research first to find a job that supports your digital nomad lifestyle, narrow down the best destinations, and collect all the necessary travel documents.
Be sure to also plan for fun! Look into ways to connect with new people, create a list of sites to visit and things to do in your downtime, and visit with friends and relatives in the area.
The early stages of planning to become a digital nomad can be a little overwhelming if you don’t have a dream destination in mind already. How much travel you want to do is important to consider too.
On average, digital nomads tend to stay in one location for seven months, so it’s important to consider a variety of factors and ask yourself important questions before deciding were to travel.
According to CNBC, the fastest-growing digital nomad destinations include:
When choosing your next country to work in, consider some other important details like:
Before taking the leap and becoming a digital nomad, it’s important to make sure your work situation is sorted out. This might mean reaching out to your current employer to get permission to work remotely or seeking out a job better suited for a digital nomad lifestyle. If you’re a freelancer or business owner, make sure you can do your job remotely too!
You’ll want to consult your employee handbook for information regarding a flexible work location. Many companies completely abandoned their physical office spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic with no intention of returning. Other companies have a long-standing policy for allowing remote work.
No matter what type of company you work for, you’ll need to consider any limitations you might have to work with. For example, some employers may require you to work during certain hours for a particular time zone. This might limit your destination options to those within a couple time zones. Other companies may require employees to work within a certain city or state.
Bring all these questions to your employer’s human resources team to understand what limitations you may have as a digital nomad.
Those with limited travel flexibility in their current job will want to consider seeking out other job opportunities. Many employees are pushing for more flexibility in working locations, so finding employers who provide the level of flexibility you need is easier than ever before.
When reviewing job descriptions, look for jobs described as “fully remote,” and make sure to ask questions during your interview process about the company’s policies regarding working remotely from a different country.
The digital nomad lifestyle often appeals to freelancers and business owners due to the flexibility that often goes hand in hand with their jobs. This can be easier said than done for some individuals depending on what kind of work you do.
Obviously, a coffee shop owner will be less likely to become a digital nomad than a blogger, video editor, or content creator. If you work for yourself, consider what changes you would need to make to your lifestyle if you posted up in a different country for a few months at a time.
Now that you’ve narrowed down your ideal destination and solidified your employment, it’s time to focus on necessary travel documents. To get you started, here are some important travel documents you may need to acquire:
WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW: Some digital nomads choose to book accommodations for just the first week or two in a new destination. This allows them time to figure out where exactly they would like to live and gives them time to tour places if they plan to stay for an extended period of time (i.e., a month or longer).
Wherever life or work has you traveling, it’s always smart to be ready for the unexpected. When you’re planning to start your digital nomad career, do your homework and be prepared with all the right travel documents and travel medical insurance.
WorldTrips offers travel medical insurance coverage for digital nomads who are non-U.S. citizens venturing outside of their home country for work. Payments can be made upfront or monthly based on where your adventures take you.
Whether you plan on staying in one country or traversing a whole continent, consider purchasing WorldTrips Atlas Nomads insurance before you take off. Getting a quote from WorldTrips is quick, simple, and free – get started today!