Digital nomadism – the practice of working remotely in a temporary location while living abroad, often in multiple destinations – has exploded in recent years. And, when you consider the appeal of such a lifestyle, it’s easy to understand why; after all, who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to live and work abroad in an exotic new destination, away from the stresses and mundanity of everyday life?
However, while popular media and social channels have a tendency to glamorise the lifestyle of a digital nomad, in reality, there’s a lot more to remote working than meets the eye. All that glitters is not gold and, although living and working abroad certainly has its advantages, it’s not without its drawbacks either.
So, what are the most important factors to be aware of about remote working, before taking the plunge?
The law
First things first: let’s consider the legality of remote working, i.e. visa requirements and legal working status. Before jetting off to live and work abroad, check whether you have the legal right to visit your chosen destination. If you’ve accepted a new job with an employer and you need a visa in order to accept your new role, your new employer may cover the costs for you.
If you’ll be working abroad on a freelance basis, however, you’ll be responsible for doing all the research into your legal right to live and work in your chosen destination. Begin by checking official government websites for your chosen destination, as as this will always be the most up-to-date, reliable source of information. If in doubt, contact the relevant embassy for further advice and support.
Be sure to confirm how long you’ll be allowed to stay for, whether you’ll need to apply for a visa (and how much it costs, if so), whether you’ll be allowed to work, and whether there’ll be a limit on how long you can stay for. It’s wise to note down any visa application deadlines, too.
Avoid booking your flights or renting accommodation until your visa application has been confirmed, in order to avoid disappointment and/or unnecessary expense if your application isn’t approved.
Embracing flexibility
Flexibility and work-life balance is one of the biggest advantages of remote working. Usually, you can choose whether to travel for a few weeks each year while working, or for several months at a time. So, if you can only spare a few weeks to travel every now and then, working remotely can enable you to take advantage of that short window of time and, similarly, if you only have a few commitments to stay at home for, the flexibility of remote working means that you can escape for as long as possible.
For many remote workers, however, the flexibility that comes with remote working can take some getting used to, especially if you’re used to working fixed office hours in a set place of work. In time though, no doubt you’ll learn to overcome this mindset, especially once you realise the cheap flights you’ll be able to benefit from, when you can be more flexible with travel dates and times.
In addition, when travelling away from home for long periods of time, it can be easy to overlook your health and fitness. You’ll need to stay committed to eating healthy and keeping fit while away from home, alongside your working routine.
Appropriate working spaces
While the idea of living and working abroad can feel like a dreamy prospect, in reality, you’ll need to ensure constant access to appropriate working spaces, in order to stay productive while working remotely. Whether you require a reliable, free or low-cost WiFi connection, or you need access to printing services, or quiet, private meeting room spaces, do your research in advance to check you’ll be able to access these facilities easily in your chosen location.
Don’t rely on coffee shops, or take it for granted that you’ll find the perfect spot to work in. Many destinations are known for poor WiFi and/or mobile data connections, while some cultures tend to discourage or frown upon those who work from coffee shops.
Whether you choose to rent accommodation that doubles up as both a place to live and a place to work, you pay to use a local co-working space, or perhaps simply even invest in portable WiFi solutions, don’t overlook this aspect of digital nomadism and working abroad.
Consider time zones
Before heading off to work abroad, think about the time zone in your preferred destination/s, and how it differs to the time zone in the country where your clients and/or colleagues live.
If you’ll need to be available to answer emails and attend calls with clients and coworkers in differennt timezones, for example, you’ll need to consider how this might impact on your own working hours.
If you don’t mind getting up super early or sleeping late, this may be less of an issue for you. In any case, however, it’s something you should consciously choose to go into, rather than suddenly find yourself burdened with. If you choose to leave the UK to go and work in Hong Kong, for example, how would you feel about starting your working day at 8am in Hong Kong time (which is eight hours ahead of the UK), when your UK-based colleagues are about to head home for the day?
While this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the different factors you’ll need to consider before taking the plunge into the world of digital nomadism, hopefully it’ll be a useful starting point for anyone thinking of working and living abroad. Don’t end your research here, though; check out online resources like blogs, travel magazines and official government resources for further information and advice. You can never be too prepared!
Have you ever worked and lived abroad as a digital nomad? Comment below to share your words of advice with other readers.