Frontpage
๐ Dark mode
โค๏ธ Your favorites
๐ Nomad insurance
You won't be notified by email when a reply is posted, to change your notification settings. Posts must follow the TOS: No ads, self promotion, commercial posts, surveys etc. For customer support questions, don't post here but use the feedback box in the bottom right of this page instead.
Hi guys
Does anybody know if there are special visas for self employed people in European countries? I dont have a European passport but i would like to stay a bit longer than the time allowed to tourists. I know Germany have some kind of visa but are there any other countries in the region? what about the UK?
Thanks!
I was just reading about self-employed visas available in Scandinavia โ specifically Denmark (startup/ entrepreneur visa), Sweden and Finland. I donโt remember seeing self-employed visa options for these countries before, but maybe I didnโt do my research deeply enough. Does anyone (non-EU) have experience getting visas in these countries?
@highhermitage
Ok i get the idea now. I think for now i will keep using my passport only. The UK is by far the toughest entry point in europe but so far i have never had any problem entering it. I went there in 2014 for 1 week, and then this year again in july and iโm still here but i plan to leave before december. So i think if you enter the UK once in a year and you dont overstay the 6 month period you should be fine 
@Oskar
The Schengen zone restrictions still apply (90 days in any 180 days), itโs just more convenient to come back to Germany for however long you want rather than leaving Europe or getting another short-term visa in another country. Iโve crossed 5 borders in the last few months and never had my passport checked or stamped, so if youโre not taking a flight there really isnโt any way for them to enforce how long youโve been in the other European countries.
What youโre talking about was my original plan, and it will probably work if you are only doing it for a year. I know that at least in the UK it mentions in the fine print that if they notice you are entering too often (even if itโs according to the rules) they may deny you on the 2nd or 3rd entry. Other than that I see no reason why it wouldnโt work.
The German freelance visa is surprisingly easy to acquire. The only 2 things that are semi-difficult are registering a residence and showing you have German companies/individuals to work with.
For the residence permit, you just need the apartment/house owner to sign something saying you are living here as of this date. Then you take that note to the local Buergeramt and they register you as a resident. In some cities, I understand they will begin requiring a signed rental contract, but I just asked hosts on AirBNB before booking if they were willing to give me a note and finally found one who was willing to help (in Berlin). In the past, you could even just have a German friend write something that says you are living with them and it would work, though Iโm not sure if they have tightened up on this.
For proof of work, you need 2 โLetters of Intentโ to hire from either an individual or a company in Germany that says they intend to hire you for freelance work at X hours per week and X euros per hour. You donโt actually have to work with these people afterward, it is not a contract, only a statement that says they Intend to work with you. Not that Iโm advocating it, but this part is actually pretty easy to get a friend to type up and sign, especially if they have a small company of their own.
After those 2 things, everything else is easy and just busy-work. Insurance, bank statement, assets, your financial plan, etc. You will not need a business plan for the self-employed freelancer visa, just a page that shows your expected incoming and outgoing monthly income.
I went through this whole process a few months ago and received a 2-year visa, so if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
Edit: I should note that this went smoothly because there is an economic need for people in IT.
Hi @highhermitage:
Thank you for all the information. I have only one question to ask, if your 90 days visa expires before you get freelance visa, are you allowed to freely move in Schengen Zone until you get freelance visa?
@highhermitage
Thanks for your reply. Do you know if with that german visa you can move to another country like UK or Netherlands and live there for a period of time in those 2 years? or its only to live in Germany?
Iโm still weighting my options. My passport allows me to stay 3 months in schengen, 3 months in Ireland or Croatia, and 6 months in the UK, so i can definitely stay 1 year in europe without any visas, so iโm not sure if all the paperwork would be worth it if iโm only allowed to stay and live in germanyโฆ
@oskar, I have had a few friends use this option http://www.spanishbusinessvisas.com/
Spain has a new entrepreneurial visa that is fairly easy I hear. Also they have a self-employed visa. I also hear Estonia is pretty DM friendly as wellโฆ
@chrispreynolds But that spanish visa seems to be related to having a business planโฆWhat about people working as freelancers for clients? Do they fit also for this visa? Do you have to stay in spain or you can move to other EU country to live with that visa?
thanks!
@Oskar those all would be questions for the gang at spanishbusinessvisas.comโฆI donโt know too much about the deets
I donโt think you need to speak German to get their freelance visa. But you need a biz plan of sorts. Like what your service will be, how you will get clients. I donโt know much more on it that that.
I am under the impression that the German freelancer visa is the easiest to get.
Once youโre in Europe you can move about without any trouble. You wonโt get checked for passport/visa once youโre inside. That is my experience. But I would be careful in the Scandinavian countries & Finland if youโre breaking rules. They are the strictest.
I know a guy who overstayed his visa Germany while waiting for a freelance one, and they let him come and go (in and out of the EU/Schengen) because he had an appointment for the freelance visa.
Or you can also just overstay in Spain or Italy. Iโm in BCN and it is super common.
Iโve heard of people staying for 10 years and returning to the USA for a month and able to come back in the next month with no questions.
Iโve also heard of people returning via Portugal to avoid questions. Then returning to Spain.
Butโฆ If you get caught, you can get some restrictions on traveling to Europe. Like requiring a visa for the next 5 years.
This is all stuff Iโve just heard from people in and around Europe. Iโve looked into some of it, but not thoroughly.
But for the german visa you need a residence address or rental agreement beforehand. How to get one? Also does the german visa allows you to move freely through all europe, or you have to live for that period of time only in germany?
thanks
Germanyโs freelancer visa is pretty straightforward
I also supposed that officially confirmed knowledge of German language is required, is it true?
Thank you.
Germany, Switzerland, Italy, I think Poland. maybe some others. Do a search for freelancer visa.
How do you track a total number of days youโve spent in different countries during the past 12 months?
I find it to be important for visa and tax purposes to know how long and where Iโve been and Iโm unable to find any software that solves this.
The ideal bank will have an easy on-boarding as a European student studying and living in Sweden for a year and is merciful when it comes to sending GBP into the account.
Can anybody recommend a good Swedish bank? 
Hi all
What do you guys use for receiving both sms & calls on a European phone number?
Iโd like to have a phone number that does not change for at least 1 or 2 years.
I did my homework & found this thread but itโs only about US services so I donโt think itโs relevant: Whatโs a good US call and SMS forwarding service?
Also, I looked into Google Hangout but it doesnโt support European phone numbers.
Looking to spend around 6 weeks somewhere in Europe this winter skiing and working. Donโt need a big tech community but care more about it being affordable and having at least half decent skiing.
So far I have heard good things about Les Deux Alpes, France and Bansko, Bulgaria.
Hi there, Iโm currently looking at Allianz Global and IM Global as a health insurance for long-term travel in Asia. Any experiences with those two or are there better options for European residents?
I heard from an American friend that he has several cards similar to the APEC Business Travel Card (link to Wikipedia ) that allow him to get priority treatment at immigration line in certain countries.
I was very intrigued and quickly checked up on the card, but it seems to be only available to citizens of APEC-member nations.
I was wondering if anyone here uses such cards, what your experiences with them are (specifically, Iโm interested in cards available for Europeans/Germans).
Iโm in the middle of doing some research for our next destination within Europe and Iโm hoping to get some suggestions from some outdoor enthusiasts whoโve spent time on the continent.
My favorite cities are Innsbruck, Austria and Bergen, Norway because you can be downtown having a beer one minute and thenโฆ boomโฆ up the mountain in the middle of nowhere 15 minutes later. Iโm looking for a similar place to spend a month or two this winter. Places like these are hard to find because โmid-size european cities with great hiking nearbyโ doesnโt return too many relevant results on Google. Great adventure towns are usually in the middle of nowhere, the kind of places youโll need to rent a car to get to the grocery store, and places with good public transportation are usually concrete jungles. But places like Innsbruck and Bergen manage to combine the best of both worlds.
Has anyone come across similar places theyโd recommend?
I hold South African/Portuguese dual citizenship, however I was born and (officially) reside in South Africa. Any recommendations for a nomad friendly european bank account ? Ie, one that does not require residency, proof of address, or have easy ways to get around these.
I will not be using it much for day to day expenses, more as a way to hold euros and be able to transfer between accounts. My US bank account has very high fees.
I am in europe for the next week or two (currently Italy) and hope to be able to get one before I leave.
Hi fellow nomads !
Looking for tax representative offices, logistic solutions and Company incorporation in Netherlands. ?
I will be in Amsterdam coworking and checking these companies out? Honestly I do not want to end up with a hidden fees companyโฆ
Cheers from Berlin,
Weโre thinking of going nomadic for a month in August/early September with the kids in tow.
Ideally, weโd like to hire a two bedroom place somewhere warm (or warmer than England) without breaking the bank. Also, easy travel from the south of England (Gatwick or Heathrow) would be good.
Near a beach would be good or a place with lots of outdoors stuff for young kids to do.
Either 4 weeks in one location or 2 weeks in 2 locations would be good.
Both of us parents work remotely so weโd need reliable internet at the place of stay.
Coffee shops or a co-working space would be a bonus.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hello. Weโre a couple looking for a flat with great wi-fi for the month of October in Barcelona, Rome, Lisbon or other city in southern Europe. Ideally, the place would have great wifi, be somewhat centrally-located, near public transport, have a few shops nearby, and not be on the 3rd floor or higher (unless thereโs a lift). Weโre looking to spend no more than โฌ1000 for the month. Dates are somewhat flexible. A whole private apartment would be nice, though we are open to shares and coliving. Available places left on AirBnB are pricey, and weโre casting a wide net, so would consider many different locations. Thanks!
Have any of you nomads been approved for a mortgage in a foreign country?
I am a UK citizen, and now that I work online Iโm interested in maybe buying a property somewhere else in Europe. I donโt particularly want to live in the UK, and house prices are ridiculous here anyway. I would much rather buy a little apartment in one of any number of European cities; just somewhere to have as a base in between travelling.
Has anyone ever done such a thing? How did the process work? Which country did you buy property in and how straight-forward was the process?
Hey guys!
For those of you who have spent time in Eastern Europe, Iโd love to know where youโve found good tech and/or entrepreneurship communities? My partner and I are going to spend a good bit of time in EE next year and would love to know some good spots for both networking and just finding like-minded people. Would love any tips you can offer, especially on non-capital cities or places that arenโt as well known.
Iโm wanting to travel to Thailand in February and Iโm a little overwhelmed with travel arraignments (I have only left the US once) and what Iโm going to do once Iโm there.
So far Iโm wanting to be in Thailand for a month. It looks like Iโm going to need shots: Hepatitis A and B and typhoid. I can take care of that no worries.
I was looking into the Visa requirements, it looks like I can just arrive in Thailand and get a 30-day tourist visa?
As for housing I was thinking AirBnb. My goal while in Thailand is to work primarily. I have a project I need to wrap up and Iโd like to do that in Thailand without a lot of distractions.
Now Iโve joined NomadList because it seems I can join up with others to Thailand? Looking at nomadtrips I have no idea how it worksโฆ but that seems to be the place to link up with others? Or maybe Iโm wrong. Iโm looking at: https://nomadtrips.co/chiang-mai-thailand
Whatโs the best way to communicate with this group about meet ups, etc?
Ok, I was just writing a PM here on banks and the question popped in my head. I am not a digital nomad, but I am very close to that way of living, in the sense that I donโt want to commit to any specific physical location, long term investment (maybe only private pension), long term in general actually.
Now, I use Deutsche Bank. Nothing against them, but:
So, I was wondering if any of you is happy with any of the digital banks out there? Criteria for a good online bank:
Anything like this?
I hear more and more about digital nomads (mainly from the US and Canada) flying cheap (almost for free) by taking advantage of bonuses given by banks / credit card companies. Iโm not exactly sure how the system works.
Is it also possible to do for Europeans ? If so, how ?
If not, do know any other hacks to fly cheaper ?
Many thanks for your help.
While his type of question has been asked before, please bear with me as the existing threads donโt match/answer my questions.
tl;dr
German citizen working as a consultant for a US startup and moving perpetually every < 3months.
less short version:
Inspired by this community & @levelsio, Iโm in the process of becoming a digital nomad myself. The one issue that is currently blocking me is sorting out what the best way to handle taxes is. Iโve been offered a job by a US startup, they want to hire me as a remote consultant (contractor). Iโm not limited to a location and free to move where/as often as I want.
As the German tax authorities are known for not joking around, I want to make sure I handle the tax issue correctly. My research so far leads me to believe that as long as I donโt own any property in Germany or do any business there, I should be fine with not paying taxes there. Switching countries at least once every three months also should be sufficient to not create any tax obligations in the respecitive countries.
While in theory this sounds like you donโt have to have a residence anywhere and are not obliged to pay taxes, I have a hard time believing that this is not covered by International/European/German law. Did anyone (ideally European/German citizen) consult a tax advisor / lawyer on this and can give an educated answer to this? Iโd also be thankful for recommendations for good tax advisors specialized on this topic.
Last but not least, as I havenโt freelanced before: Do I need to start a company to be able to invoice the US company for my consultancy work or could I just do this as an individual?
Sorry for this rather long post, thanks to everyone whoโll take the time to answer <3
Hey Iโm reaching out for some help,
I know there is a similar thread but that is really focused on a US expat perspective, however ideally iโm looking for a EU based firm/ individual to help advisor me on tax and company structures . I am a UK citizen, that travels extensively around Europe. I have customers from all over the world mainly UK and US at the moment. Im looking for someone that specializes in European tax law.
I want to be sure and consult some professional help first.
Topic to discuss are:
Ideally Iโm looking for recommendation from nomads ? Any suggestions?
If anyone is qualified and would like to schedule a skype call iโm happy to pay them for the initial consultation or any open general direction would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Tim
Hi people,
Iโm Greek, Iโm now transitioning to fully remote. I think I have solved the first part: Creating a remote legal entity, a business bank account and having health insurance but I donโt know how to solve the pension issue.
As an EU citizen, either your employer contributes X% of your gross salary to the national/private pension funds, or if you are a freelancer you pay the equivalent to the freelancer pension fund of your country, which in many cases is also attached to the national insurance fund.
So as a fully remote person, not registered as an employee or freelancer in any EU country, only having an EU company for invoicing and money transfers, where and how do you contribute to a pension fund for you? And what fund would that be?
Iโm talking about a core pension fund, similar to the one that you would have if you were registered as an employee or freelancer in your country. Not ancillary pension funds offered by insurance companies, as these mostly focus on covering additional aspects that may not be covered by the core pension fund you have and they assume you already have a core pension fund.
Thank you so much for the help.
My work is applying for a z visa to China. I need to gather reference letters from all my past jobs to show continuous work history.
Will the z visa impact the new 10 year revolving visa that China just opened up? In general, how do work visas impact other types of visas like business/tourist etcโฆ Is it easy to apply for a different visa after a work visa has expired. For example, will my z work visa impact qualifying for a different type of visa later in time.
Can't login? See the FAQ
Nomads.com
By signing up, you agree to our terms of service and community guidelines.
One-time-payment: $39.98 $19.99 ๐ซ 0% off
Billed once. Then never again
Nomads.com members
work remotely at
Nomads.com
๐ Thanks for signing up! I hope you like my site. I put a lot of effort into making it for years!
๐ฌ First, please go to your email and click the confirm link first to verify your email address
โ๏ธ Check your spam folder if you can't find it, because we got reports it ends up there sometimes
๐ After you confirm your email we'll send you an email with more info
๐ฉโ๐ป You can start using Nomads.com's member-only features now!
