Title
Be specific and imagine you’re asking a question to another person. You can also post non-question posts of general interest

Body
Include all the information someone would need to answer your question or reply to your post

Cancel

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.

🌍 Show all topics (14,117)

👍

👎

How much do you guys work as a nomad?

by @munly_leong 9yr 9yr | 16 comments

Just wondering how much people are working? the typical 9-5 each day while travelling? part time? and what do you do?

Curious because though i’m not really a nomad at heart when I am living that way I’d prefer to be working less rather than more. Just thinking back to my hostelling days I’d probably like to enjoy the location during the day and would only really feel like working when coming back to rest and THAT would be work time. For this reason I am getting more partial to non dev roles to facllitate this i.e. being open to the world vs shutting it out to get shit done.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@munly_leong 9yr 9yr

LOL that sounds like 1-3 hrs of FB/forums/web surfing to me

👍

👎

👍

👎

@stratigos 9yr 9yr

I think hitting 5 “billable” hours a day is a good benchmark. Thats likely to include 1-3 hours of overhead though, depending on how efficient/ergonomic your work setup is.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@jakub 9yr 9yr

It’s been 1 year since I quit my job. I don’t like much to be called digital nomad, anyway I worked on average maybe 10-20 minutes a day in that year.

I busted my ass for couple of years and purchased websites with evergreen content or easy to outsource day-to-day tasks. I’m far from being wealthy, but earn well enough for high-end condo & party/girls chasing lifestyle in Bangkok where I’ve spent 5 months out of that year.

I want to work more now though, because I’m leaving ton of money on the table.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@ezakto 9yr 9yr

I usually work not more than 16-20 hs a week, investing a few more (10 or more) hours in personal projects (aka non paid). It usually depends on the region I am (ie, I work a lot more if I’m in Europe).

👍

👎

👍

👎

@whereskristin 9yr 9yr

It depends how busy each person is, probably, and his/her budget, living expenses, income, etc. I personally vary my hours worked sometimes on purpose for means of taking time off and other times it’s unavoidable due to a large workload. Sometimes I work 20 hours a week during slow times or in between projects while other times I work 60+ hours per week.

One of the differences I’ve observed between self-employed and salaried workers is that those of us who work for ourselves actually work while we are working. By nature, entrepreneurs tend to work longer hours and take less vacation especially when launching a new project or company.

Apparently, in the corporate world there is a lot of wasted productivity. I don’t have any of the interruptions that people do at offices such as: water cooler discussion, meetings, people sticking their head in my office to ask questions, etc, and I don’t count my time eating lunch or taking a coffee break as being on the clock. I also don’t receive many normal phone calls so I don’t have to worry about that. Salaried employees are paid the same whether they work overtime or waste time. So when most Digital Nomads, entrepreneurs and remote workers are on the clock, they are probably working efficiently for the most part. 8 hours of real, intense, focused work is a lot different than 8 hours at an office park for the most part.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@talraviv 9yr 9yr

This is so true. This is something I only realized after experiencing both worlds.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@talraviv 9yr 9yr

Yeah - I agree about non-dev roles. I am currently helping a company documenting their dev-facing side. It’s relatively well-paying because it requires dev experience, but is less intense than code.

That allows me to code on side projects without burning out. You may want to check out dev relations/community/documentation roles to cover expenses.

(Also, no one calls you in the middle of the night over a documentation error )

👍

👎

👍

👎

@munly_leong 9yr 9yr

LOL thanks for making me feel better and validating my thoughts on this. Now I feel a little bit less nuts.

Has it paid off? as in you’re enjoying the journey more than you would have otherwise

👍

👎

👍

👎

@talraviv 9yr 9yr

No worries. This is what this awesome forum is for, ultimately

My goal at the moment isn’t to make money. It’s to grow, learn, build, invest, and enjoy while breaking even. So - mission accomplished!

If you clearly know what’s important (and what’s not important) to you at the moment + trust your gut above all else, you can’t go too wrong.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@talraviv 9yr 9yr

For a while I worked 3 hrs/day as a way to break even with my expenses but leave time for other projects such as startup ideas and exploration.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@munly_leong 9yr 9yr

lol yeah that’s exactly where I am right now. Except I am able to get my work done in less than an hr and being paid for 3

👍

👎

👍

👎

@ani_goes_tweet 9yr 9yr

I work as much as I need to. I’m careful not to accept work when I’ve already got a full load, as I need to be able to draw on my creativity if I’m going to do a good job, and my creativity evaporates when I’m stressed.

When I’ve got a lot on, I try to be very disciplined so that I can ‘buy’ time off, and I make sure that I do things I enjoy during that time off. I actually seem to go out and do things I enjoy more when I’m busy than when I’m not! I guess that’s because I’m more organised then.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@ajsnewman 9yr 9yr

I work a minimum of 45 hours each week, often about sixty and occasionally (very occasionally) up to around 80 hours.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@kangasjuha 9yr 9yr

i have contract with my client to work minimum 30 hours a week. What I usually do is 8 hours a day for four days. Have kept to that most of the time, except during busy periods…like now.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@martinrvillalba 9yr 9yr

That’s a big “it depends”. I’ve had period of 60 hours and periods where I don’t do much of anything for months at a time. I’m working a good 40 hours or so at the moment.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@kristof 9yr 9yr

Right now around 25 - 30 hours per week. Had some periods when I did f all too, like 5 hours a week (and also made almost no money of course). Next month will be 40 hours since I’ll actually be working at a client’s office.

👍

👎

Read and participate in 14,117 discussions on Nomads.com

Any Ph.D students dissertating while a digital nomad?

by @larsheather 5yr 5 years ago | 5 comments

Anyone know of any groups or resources for Ph.D. students working on dissertation while living as a digital nomad? I know there are several virtual writing groups around, but wondered if there were any specifically for digital nomads, particularly those who are dissertating.

Thanks!

👍

👎

👍

👎

How do you invest internationally as a nomad?

by @mateuszwieloch 5yr 5 years ago | 17 comments

I have finally saved enough money to start investing. What company gives good, diversified access to stock, ETFs and mutual funds? Does it make sense to use company like Vanguard or Fidelity for that? I’m a EU/Poland citizen, how would I transfer my money back and forth without incurring significant fees?

👍

👎

👍

👎

I dream of being a digital nomad? How do I do it?

by @programmingmark 5yr 5 years ago | 2 comments

Hello digital nomad!

I dream of being an independent digital nomad. But it feels very elusive & unattainable with my success rate. In full disclosure, whilst I have dreamed about making money online since high school; I have not earned a single cent making money online. $0, nada, zilch!! On the contrary, I have spent a lot of time & money on books, podcasts. Even though I have spent a lot of time reading/listening to others, I do not have anything to show for it!

I have made attempts in the past to start an online business, but these fizzle out quite quickly when I do not see traction especially when the goal I have set myself is too high.

Instead of reaching for the ultimate nomadic lifestyle goal, I want to start much smaller. Really small! I am simply looking to make $50 profit per month from a new online business. That’s it.

I need some advice from you please!

Is $50 profit too low? How long did it take you to earn $50 profit per month?
What is a good way of achieving this goal?

Thanks
Mark
aka the $0 online business entrepreneur

👍

👎

👍

👎

Do you "out" yourself as a digital nomad?

by @larsheather 5yr 5 years ago | 2 comments

When you meet new people or reconnect with old friends, do you “out” yourself as a digital nomad? The simple question “where do you live?” makes us uncertain now. We wonder if some places may be less welcoming to digital nomads, or if “digital nomad” has a negative connotation in some places. If you are forthcoming from the start, does your status as a digital nomad make it hard to form friendships?

We would love to hear how other people navigate this… how to balance being authentic in relationships vs. withholding the context (and allowing people to assume you’re on vacation, for example).

Thanks!

👍

👎

👍

👎

What's the best bank account for a global nomad?

by @barrybjjoubert 5yr 5 years ago | 25 comments

Dear all
As a wanna be nomad figuring out a way to get free of the rat race, I was wondering what is the best bank account to have while travelling the globe? I need an account where is easy for me to receive payments from all over the world and it also need to be a bank that I can find almost anywhere in the world. I want to avoid carry cash on me if it’s possible.

👍

👎

👍

👎

Ko Lanta or Ko Phangan - which island is better for a digital nomad?

in Ko Lanta , Thailand by @melinda 6yr 6 years ago | 6 comments

I’m currently in Penang, Malaysia and I was thinking to head to Thailand next. What are the best islands in Thailand to get some work done? I was considering either Ko Lanta or Ko Phangan because those both islands have coworking spaces. I might need to take some client calls, also video. Is the wifi good enough? Are there any other differences between the islands?

👍

👎

👍

👎

Where should I register my company as a digital nomad? Singapore, Hong Kong?

in Singapore by @raphadk 6yr 6 years ago | 14 comments

Hey guys, here’s a question I’ve been asking nomads I meet everywhere, but still haven’t found good information. My startups mostly focus on american and european markets but I don’t have a registered company, nor I live permanently on any of these countries.

I get the cash payments online in paypal (or adsense) and transfer it to Thailand (or Malaysia, or Bali, or Brazil, or wherever I’m at). The thing is… for low volume living expenses it seems fine, but as I scale the business, I’m starting to think more and more about fiscal law.

A fellow nomad told me to transfer it to Singapore, Hong Kong or The Virgin Islands, and then use an international credit card anywhere. I don’t know if it’s the best way to optimize this… any ideas?

Also, could there be any problems in selling to these countries without a registered local company?

👍

👎

👍

👎

Where to stay in Budapest as a digital nomad?

in Budapest , Hungary by @pparma 7yr 7 years ago | 2 comments

HI, I’m from Argentina: new to Nomad List, and to digital nomad life in general

I want to travel to Budapest on March for two months, can anyone recommend
the best area to stay?

👍

👎

👍

👎

How do you receive physical mail as a digital nomad?

by @danielgenser 7yr 7 years ago | 81 comments

Does anyone have recommendations to handle physical mail? In the USA, I’ve noticed various services over the years where you get a physical address that you can change your address to, they receive your mail, scan stuff and send you PDF’s.

Has anyone used these types of services? Impressions?

👍

👎

👍

255

👎

How to become a digital nomad?

by @levelsio 7yr 7 years ago | 1 comment

Here’s a sticky guide that I’ll keep updating with a clear path towards becoming a digital nomad as this is one of the most common questions asked.

MONEY
Get a remote job
Remote jobs aggregator https://remoteok.io
Work From Home aggregator https://wfh.io

Become a remote freelancer
Remote freelance agency https://toptal.com
Another remote freelance agency https://x-team.com

Build a remote business
???

PLACES
Find destinations to go https://nomadlist.com/cities
Travel guides https://wikivoyage.org
Travel guides (for SEA) https://travelfish.org
Research cost of living https://numbeo.com

Places to Work http://placestowork.net
Coffee places to work http://workfrom.co

GEAR
Packing list http://www.carryology.com/insights/insights-1/packing-list-of-a-digital-nomad/
Nomad List #gear channel https://nomadlist.com/chat/_gear
Nomad List Gear https://nomadlist.com/gear
SIM cards http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Prepaid_SIM_with_data

👍

255

👎

👍

666

👎

How do you manage your money as a nomad?

by @visualista 7yr 7 years ago | 2 comments

Hi, let me start by saying i’m an idiot when it comes to these things. I know all the infos are out there and I’ve been reading posts here as well as googling lots of blogs to find answers but there are just so many details and personal aspects that it leaves me dizzy! I’m hoping for a kind soul to share his/her wisdom with me in simple words. Bear with me while I try to wrap my head around this:

I NEED: 1. to be able to get payed by international customers in Dollars and Euros mostly 2. A way to get to that money with a debit/credit card for online payments and ATM’s in whatever local currency needed (thinking of heading to Bali next)

I AM: newly nomadic designer working with platforms like 99designs and upwork as well as some direct clients. I have swiss citizenship, but am no longer resident there, or anywhere else.

I HAVE: 1. A swiss bank account (UBS) with CHF and no credit card (for savings not to be touched). 2. A spanish bank account (Deutsche Bank) with EUR with a debit and credit card for backup money. 3. A Paypal Account.

The plan is to earn the money I need to live monthly and put it into a spending account and only touch the others (CHF/EUR) if I didn’t make enough money.

So far I’ve come across these options:

Paypal
I already have a paypal account and It does some of what I want. Except I’d have to transfer my online money to my Euro Account to spend it with my spanish credit card. Which sounds like a lot of fees. Blog posts about nomad finances all seem to say paypal is an expensive option.
Open Local Bank Accounts / Use Butcoins
I would like the simplest solution possible. Opening new accounts for every country sounds like too much paperwork (which I hate with the intensity of 100 hell fires). Bitcoins? I’m already confused with all the real currency’s involved please don’t bring in digital ones…
Payoneer
Biggest plus: It is integrated in the platforms I work with (99d & Upwork) so I can pay out my earnings really simple and supposedly cheap. They also give me a Mastercard to spend that money and multi-currency “bank accounts”. But I’ve read really mixed reviews about it so I don’t know what to think of it in the end.
Revolut:
Seems to be just what I need. You get a Mastercard and . It seems like they have really low fees, good exchange rates and no ATM extra-charges? I read some good reviews (except customer service which seems to be terrible with both Payoneer and Revolut). Customers can pay me directly with the multi-currency bank accounts but I would have to find the best way to bring my earnings from 99d and Upwork into here (I read about a guy that uses payoneer to send money to his Revolut? Is anyone using a similar setup?)
Travel Credit Cards
I’ve read about those who are suposed to have low fees and no ATM-charges, have not done any research yet.

So this is what my research brought up. Is there something I missed? Seems like getting to your money is harder than actually making it xD
Does anybody with a similar situation have personal experiences and clear suggestions on this topic?
I can’t seem to make up my mind between payoneer and revolut. I also read about Transferwise bringing in their own credit card but could not find any infos from them? I would really appreciate your inputs because as mentioned I find this all quite overwhelming and would love an easy solution that involves the least amount of paperwork/effort (even is I loose a few cents here and there if not possible otherwise)

Thank you all!!

👍

666

👎

👍

897

👎

Is anyone here an "investor" nomad?

by @gizmocaca 7yr 7 years ago | 22 comments

Hi. Newbie here.
Wondering if anyone here has expertise in being an “investor” nomad where you travel and live off investment income? I’m contemplating fleeing the rat race and wanted to throw out a few thoughts and ideas.

Have a UK passport so don’t get taxed on worldwide income whilst non-resident.
I’m thinking of residency in Malaysia (MM2H) or Philippines (Retirement visa).

In terms of generating tax efficient income:

HK, Singapore and UK don’t withhold tax on equity dividends or preference shares
USA doesn’t tax capital gains (but has nasty estate taxes on equities) for non-residents
USA debt securities (CDs/corp debt) do not withhold tax (w8-ben)
USA based p2p lending should be same as debt securities asset class hence no withholding
Eurobonds do not withhold tax on interest payments (look to have a spread of local currency bonds).

Would look to supplement by buying property (have my eyes on a few places in Philippines) to rent out. Would also look to invest in local businesses wherever I find opportunities.

Appreciate any advise or insight people might have!

👍

897

👎

👍

👎

Has anyone got a mortgage in a foreign country, as self-employed nomad?

by @davidmumfordmusic 8yr 8 years ago | 3 comments

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 I’m interested in maybe buying a property somewhere else in Europe. I don’t 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?

👍

👎

👍

139

👎

How to find business partners as a nomad?

by @digital 8yr 8 years ago | 17 comments

Hi everyone,

Starting in May 2016, I’m taking a year and a half abroad to work and develop my online businesses. I’m making more than 10k dollars per month at the moment from mainly 2 revenue streams. It works well but we all know how things change fast online - that’s why I’m always looking to launch new businesses.

We all know how the team is important in each profitable business. That’s why I would like to meet other nomads to launch online projects together.

I’m more a digital marketing expert and have as well some web design + web development skills. My ideal vision will be to rent a house at 3 or 4 (a programmer, a designer, a marketer and an operations/sales expert for instance) and work together on new online projects (eCommerce, saas, or anything else that can be profitable). We can even be more in the house and would work on other/more projects. Because the team will probably be international, our projects can have a quick international scope (I’m French and I speak English and Spanish as well). We would change our location every 2/3 months to enjoy the nomad’s life

Do you find my proposition interesting? According to you, how can I improve it?
Or, do you know any other way to find business partners as a nomad?

Thank you very much for reading me,

Best,
D.

👍

139

👎

👍

141

👎

Where should I incorporate my business as a digital nomad?

by @ajsnewman 8yr 8 years ago | 5 comments

Which is your favourite country in the world to incorporate and why?

I have a product that I plan to retail in the EU, Japan, the USA, Canada and New Zealand. Where should I incorporate?

👍

141

👎

👍

👎

How to best set up your taxes, residency and and business as a digital nomad?

by @theglobalcitizen 8yr 8 years ago | 60 comments

The purpose of this post is to discuss the benefits, downsides, and challenges of setting up an international business.

Comment with what you want to know, or with what knowledge you can offer others based on your experience.

Do you want to set up an offshore company but don’t know
where to start?
Do you have questions with setting up legal entities or bank accounts?
Do you have questions with regards to paying taxes and residency.

Before becoming a DN I worked in Dubai as a corporate service provider. I helped 100s of international entrepreneurs to set up their companies, engage in tax planning and obtaining residency. Most of them in Dubai, but also in other jurisdictions like Panama, Hong Kong & Seychelles.

Share your biggest struggles or tips!

👍

👎

👍

180

👎

Anyone doing social media management as a digital nomad?

by @swechris 8yr 8 years ago | 2 comments

I’d love to hear some advice on how to get customers and making everything work smoothly and remotely.

//Chris

👍

180

👎

👍

387

👎

Does fulltime RV living count as being a digital nomad?

by @juliet 9yr 9 years ago | 7 comments

I’m thinking about living fulltime in an RV mostly in the US and North America. Is this still part of the digital nomad community? Is there anyone who has tried this? Pros? Cons? Thanks!

👍

387

👎

👍

175

👎

How to insure as an Australian nomad?

in Australia by @yeoa 9yr 9 years ago | 12 comments

Hey everyone! There’s often loads of blogs and threads about nomads from Americans and Europeans but I haven’t come across any for nomads from Asia-Pacific.

I personally hold an Australian passport and Hong Kong PR and completely new to being a nomad. Any suggestions at all or resources that others may have come across on this particular topic?

Personally, I’m looking at broad medical/health insurance, travel insurance and as a bonus, insurance which may also cover scuba diving

👍

175

👎

👍

👎