The thing about DN visas is that they simply don't work for DNs because they're based on staying in one place for possibly years which totally goes against the point of being nomadic. One of the largest groups of people actually using them are those who want to emigrate permanently. It's a weird thing. A friend of mine is a Doctor in migrant studies and is working on DN research right now. Her opinion is that these visas simply don't work for anyone, either DNs or people who want to become expats. That any they're not being used by the people governments thought they would. DNs no, people escaping war (if they can afford and access them), yes. It's all fascinating stuff!
Exactly. They don't work for actual nomads, which explains these questions people ask every five minutes, somehow expecting the answer to change! :-) Which makes me wonder - why doesn't the EU just do a DN visa for the whole zone?
As it stands, the DN visa in Spain is perfect for someone like me. Wants to stay in Spain and is a self-employed freelancer with a contract with a private client. Otherwise, you're right. Doesn't work. The whole thing is fascinating, but it's also new so I guess what's happening is to be expected.
My husband and I are also looking at the Spain DN visa for our move next year. I agree that they don't work for actual nomads, however for someone who doesn't work in Spain but wants to live in Spain, they are a good option. I'm in a similar situation to you Rocco. It will certainly be interesting to see how it all progresses.
Agreed! DM visas are a misnomer. Simply for tax dollars and marketing optics.
I get you on an EU visa but the EU (as an EU Citizen) has more fundamental social issues to solve, for now.... however a Balkan or Med multiple country visa could be interesting.
However asking multiple countries to work together collaboratively is a high high expectation 😜
I am so pleased (and chuffed) that my latest post inspired this post of yours Rocco! I've certainly enjoyed travelling and living the nomad life, and without it my husband and I wouldn't be in the position we are in now which is the freedom to make the move on our next chapter. It's something we wouldn't have been able to do if we had stayed put. But all the travelling has certainly made me miss having my own home and now I can look to strike that balance between creating a home base and travelling. It's a fun thing to be able to create the life we want to create ☺️
Underneath it all, I see something that is a constant: open “home”. We all want to have somewhere that we can call home. I can see that frustration in what Rocco quoted about somebody who was ill and longed for a place that they could call home. Then, and there you realise that you don’t have an anchor.
So my wife and I are planning to be semi-retired down in South Africa from mid 25 while keeping our holiday home here in Switzerland. That is a tremendous luxury for which we are both extremely grateful.
We are with Rocco having a low enough cost of living that you can enjoy that going out and about eating lunch, having dinner, whichever combinations without feeling That the prices are just too high.
So lots to look forward to. And as I am writing this, I may even have a buyer who wants to buy our main house in 2025, which would be really rather good ahead of Christmas.
Maybe it's a constant for many, maybe even most, people. But my "home" is wherever I am living at a given time. As long as I have my husband and some time with both our old friends and our nomad friends during the year at some point, I feel like I have my home and my anchor.
Hidden in plain sight. I have not viewed a DN visa as anything other than a way to remotely work from the country offering the visa. Meaning, you are not physically a nomad (PN), you are a digital nomad (DN) as the visa is named. You are able to digitally work or have a digital business that allows you to choose to move where you reside and still have that business as your source of income. Sure it is to get people to move and pay taxes to that country, otherwise what is in it for them to offer you such an opportunity? DN visas are exactly for the people like Rocoo, giving an ability reside where they want and keep their digital business as their income source. An EUPN (European Union Physical Nomad) visa would be amazing, but there is no way to offer it without attaching it to a specific country.
The thing about DN visas is that they simply don't work for DNs because they're based on staying in one place for possibly years which totally goes against the point of being nomadic. One of the largest groups of people actually using them are those who want to emigrate permanently. It's a weird thing. A friend of mine is a Doctor in migrant studies and is working on DN research right now. Her opinion is that these visas simply don't work for anyone, either DNs or people who want to become expats. That any they're not being used by the people governments thought they would. DNs no, people escaping war (if they can afford and access them), yes. It's all fascinating stuff!
Exactly. They don't work for actual nomads, which explains these questions people ask every five minutes, somehow expecting the answer to change! :-) Which makes me wonder - why doesn't the EU just do a DN visa for the whole zone?
As it stands, the DN visa in Spain is perfect for someone like me. Wants to stay in Spain and is a self-employed freelancer with a contract with a private client. Otherwise, you're right. Doesn't work. The whole thing is fascinating, but it's also new so I guess what's happening is to be expected.
My husband and I are also looking at the Spain DN visa for our move next year. I agree that they don't work for actual nomads, however for someone who doesn't work in Spain but wants to live in Spain, they are a good option. I'm in a similar situation to you Rocco. It will certainly be interesting to see how it all progresses.
I've spent many an hour wondering why the EU doesn't do that!
Agreed! DM visas are a misnomer. Simply for tax dollars and marketing optics.
I get you on an EU visa but the EU (as an EU Citizen) has more fundamental social issues to solve, for now.... however a Balkan or Med multiple country visa could be interesting.
However asking multiple countries to work together collaboratively is a high high expectation 😜
This is exactly the problem I think
Just chiming in to say this is 100% our experience. No DN visa has yet to work for us. But an EU wide visa would be heaven....
It really would
I am so pleased (and chuffed) that my latest post inspired this post of yours Rocco! I've certainly enjoyed travelling and living the nomad life, and without it my husband and I wouldn't be in the position we are in now which is the freedom to make the move on our next chapter. It's something we wouldn't have been able to do if we had stayed put. But all the travelling has certainly made me miss having my own home and now I can look to strike that balance between creating a home base and travelling. It's a fun thing to be able to create the life we want to create ☺️
I had to look up "chuffed." Thankfully, it's a good thing!
Haha! I thought that after I posted my comment that it was quite a British word for me to use 😂
Thanks to all for the contributions here.
Underneath it all, I see something that is a constant: open “home”. We all want to have somewhere that we can call home. I can see that frustration in what Rocco quoted about somebody who was ill and longed for a place that they could call home. Then, and there you realise that you don’t have an anchor.
So my wife and I are planning to be semi-retired down in South Africa from mid 25 while keeping our holiday home here in Switzerland. That is a tremendous luxury for which we are both extremely grateful.
We are with Rocco having a low enough cost of living that you can enjoy that going out and about eating lunch, having dinner, whichever combinations without feeling That the prices are just too high.
So lots to look forward to. And as I am writing this, I may even have a buyer who wants to buy our main house in 2025, which would be really rather good ahead of Christmas.
Good luck selling the house! This is happening fast!
Thanks. A story to tell there. But not for now. By the end of the week, we'll know if this surprise opportunity is for real. More to follow idc.
Maybe it's a constant for many, maybe even most, people. But my "home" is wherever I am living at a given time. As long as I have my husband and some time with both our old friends and our nomad friends during the year at some point, I feel like I have my home and my anchor.
This exactly 💯
Home is a feeling for me, I have felt it many times in many places.
So I have multiple Home Places.
Sometimes with my family and sometimes on my own.
I have been journalling on this lots recently, now I am going to write about it...
Hidden in plain sight. I have not viewed a DN visa as anything other than a way to remotely work from the country offering the visa. Meaning, you are not physically a nomad (PN), you are a digital nomad (DN) as the visa is named. You are able to digitally work or have a digital business that allows you to choose to move where you reside and still have that business as your source of income. Sure it is to get people to move and pay taxes to that country, otherwise what is in it for them to offer you such an opportunity? DN visas are exactly for the people like Rocoo, giving an ability reside where they want and keep their digital business as their income source. An EUPN (European Union Physical Nomad) visa would be amazing, but there is no way to offer it without attaching it to a specific country.