With the range of career opportunities available in today’s world, it’s no longer necessary for us to choose between a high-paying job, and the opportunity to travel the world. You only have to look at the millions of digital nomad travellers working remotely all over the world to see this.
If you scroll through your Instagram or TikTok feed and find yourself lusting over all those breathtaking travel shots and iconic attractions, wishing you could travel more often alongside work, read on to discover more about becoming a digital nomad.
Digital nomads: who are they?
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely online, while travelling the world at the same time. These people have struck the perfect balance between work and life, and refuse to tolerate long hours at the office and only being able to enjoy around four weeks’ annual leave every year.
Some digital nomads settle in one place for several months, while others prefer to travel by camper van, switching cities every other day.
However, being a digital nomad may not be as romantic as it may seem at first. While travelling the world is a life goal for most of us, you’ll still have lots of responsibilities to consider, like finding remote jobs, arranging travel insurance, finding accommodation, ensuring your personal safety, paying taxes abroad and Money Transfer Services.
Speaking of taxes, nomads might find the tax filing process particularly tricky. For nomads that hail from the United States, the tax system is based on citizenship. In other words, nomads from the U.S. are required to file a tax return even if they haven’t been stateside for the majority of the year. This can also lead to a scary-sounding phrase called double taxation. Companies such as Ideal Tax can assist with tax preparation and tax relief for those who owe a liability to the IRS.
Filing taxes for nomads elsewhere can likewise be challenging. Ultimately, it depends on your host country. For nomads that come to the United Kingdom, the HMRC states that taxation depends on residency. In other words, if you stay in the UK for 183 days or more then you will be considered a resident, thus responsible for paying taxes. Make sure you do your research on how taxation works based on your specific situation and host country.
As you can see, digging up your roots and embarking on a nomadic adventure can be intimidating for all the reasons mentioned above. Therefore, before leaving your old life behind, think carefully about whether such a lifestyle is really likely to be your cup of tea. It can be a wise idea to begin with several trial runs in your chosen destination, just to ensure you’re going to enjoy being there on a long-term basis.
Potential career paths for digital nomads
So, if you’ve got your heart set on becoming a digital nomad, what kinds of career paths can you explore to enable you to work remotely?
Blogging & content creating
While it’s near impossible to estimate the exact number of blogs in existence worldwide today, the figure must be in the millions, at least.
If you factor in all the content creators who are now growing successful communities and building followings on the likes of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter, the figure must be in excess of half a billion.
If you have a way with words and some basic writing experience, blogging can make for a lucrative remote working option, with the freedom to monetise your content through both advertising and sponsored brand partnerships.
Alternatively, if writing isn’t really your thing but you can take a decent photo, edit video content or give videos a nice voiceover using an AI text to speech tool, you might benefit more from focusing on a visual platform like Instagram or TikTok.
Freelancing
Many digital nomads work as freelancers, which means they don’t work full-time as a salaried staff member, but instead, they are contracted, with flexible hours, and the freedom to choose their own hours and dictate their rates.
Freelancers can be found in most industries, but popular freelance career paths include web design, copywriting, teaching, software developing, SEO and marketing.
You can search for both short-term freelance projects and long-term hires on websites like Upwork, LinkedIn, DesignHill, Behance and Dribbble.
Starting your own company
Being your own boss can be a great option for those who want to make money while travelling the world. Many digital nomads run businesses online from their chosen destination while communicating with accountants, tax consultants, marketers, and other team members all around the world.
When it comes to starting your own company or business, here are just a few ideas to inspire you:
- Selling handmade craftwork
- Teaching online classes
- Creating and selling digital products
- Developing and designing websites
- Building a marketing or copywriting agency
- Providing accounting services
- Career coaching
- Video editing
As you can see, almost any skill you can think of can be turned into a profitable business if you put your mind to it.
Working for the same company remotely
If you’re happy with your current employer and they have offices in other countries, you could simply ask your boss if you can transfer to another office, presuming that you’re happy working there.
With many more businesses now embracing home working, you may be surprised at just how open your employer is to the idea of you working remotely abroad.
Gaining new skills
If you already have remote work lined up, and simply want to make good use of your free time in between working, consider undertaking some educational courses online. You could watch free tutorials on YouTube, participate in online webinars and video talks and even enrol in an online degree, for example.
Luckily, your physical presence is not necessary with online courses of this kind, and you can study at anytime you like. However, you might find that it pays to use a screen recorder to record any seminars and lectures, so you don’t have to frantically rush to take down notes, or risk forgetting anything important. Always ensure you have the consent of the participants and channel owner first, though.
Best countries for digital nomads
One of the biggest advantages of being a digital nomad is that you can discover new places as often as you like, without the need to settle down. Before choosing a country to stay, make a list of your preferred criteria. For example, would you like to be close to the beach? Are you looking for warm weather, or do you mind some rain? What should the nightlife be like? These are just a few ideas to get you started, but it’s best to spend a few hours thinking about the different factors you’re looking for in your dream destination.
Another thing to be mindful of, is that you’ll need to choose somewhere with good Internet coverage. With poor Wi-Fi, even the best remote job can turn into a nightmare.
Generally, these countries tend to be popular among digital nomads, often due to the low cost of living:
- Spain
- Portugal
- France
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Bali
- Sri Lanka
- Mexico
You can search for short- and long-term rentals in these destinations using websites like Booking.com and Airbnb. What’s more, if you’re in need of last-minute accommodation in a hurry or travelling on a budget, you could check out the popular Couchsurfing website to see if you can bag yourself a couple of nights’ free accommodation by sleeping on someone’s couch.
Being a digital nomad has its advantages and disadvantages, and you need to consider them all in relation to your own situation before changing your lifestyle for good. Read success stories, choose a destination, and decide what you are going to do while travelling. After all, you can always return to a habitual way of life if things don’t work out for you on the road.
Are you, or have you ever considered becoming, a digital nomad? Share your experiences with other readers by commenting below.