Estonia greenlights new dedicated visa for digital nomads

The Estonian government has approved new plans to create a dedicated digital nomad visa for creatives and professionals working online as they travel across the globe. The scheme, which is designed to help those who can’t apply for traditional tourist visas due to restrictions on work, will be available for both long term and short term stays.

Many of the conditions to receive a “digital nomad” visa will mirror requirements for other travellers, but will allow employers based outside of Estonia to act as intermediaries, provide documents and financial guarantees, and assume responsibility for their remote employees throughout their stay.

Estonia is a global leader in e-government, becoming the first country to offer e-residency in 2014 (so far, only Azerbaijan has followed suit). The official e-Residency website encourages freelancers, digital entrepreneurs, startup companies, and now digital nomads, to apply to spend time in the country.