Every country with a digital nomad visa sets its own income bar. The gap between the cheapest and priciest programs is wider than most guides admit. This roundup lines up the minimum income requirements for eight active digital nomad visas, from Colombia’s low three-figure threshold to Bali’s $60,000 test. Each entry also covers the application fee and how long the visa actually lasts, so you can compare programs before deciding where to apply.
What this list covers
These are countries with a dedicated digital nomad or remote worker visa, not a general residency route repurposed for nomads. Figures come from each government’s current requirement or an official-adjacent source, verified as of this article’s research date. Where sources disagree or a threshold moves with local minimum wage or exchange rates, the entry flags it instead of smoothing it into one clean number.
1. Colombia: Digital Nomad Visa (V-Nómada Digital)
Colombia’s digital nomad visa carries the lowest income bar on this list by a wide margin. That’s why it consistently tops budget-focused nomad forums.
- Income threshold: Roughly 3 times Colombia’s minimum wage. Sources put this anywhere from $900 to $1,300 a month depending on when the peso conversion was calculated.
- Application fee: About $55, plus roughly $55 more for the mandatory foreigner ID card (cédula de extranjería).
- Visa length: 2 years, renewable for additional 2-year periods.
- Tax note: Foreign income generally escapes Colombian tax if you stay under 183 days in a calendar year.
The wide range in cited income figures comes down to the peso’s swings against the dollar rather than the rule itself changing. Budget for the higher end and confirm the exact peso amount with the consulate before applying.
Best for: Nomads on a tight budget who want Medellín or Bogotá without clearing a five-figure income bar.
2. Malaysia: DE Rantau Nomad Pass
Malaysia’s DE Rantau pass splits its income test by profession, and the divide matters more than most applicants expect.
- Income threshold: $24,000 a year (about $2,000 a month) for digital and tech roles. Non-tech remote workers, added to the program in 2024, need $60,000 a year instead.
- Application fee: MYR 1,000 (roughly $215) for the main applicant, plus MYR 500 per dependent.
- Visa length: 3 to 12 months initially, renewable once for a maximum of 24 months.
- Tax note: DE Rantau carries no special tax exemption. Standard Malaysian residency rules apply once you cross 182 days in the country.
That profession-based split catches a lot of freelancers off guard. A marketing consultant and a software developer can face a $3,000-a-month gap in what they need to show.
Best for: Tech and digital professionals who want an easy Southeast Asia base at the lower income tier.
3. Costa Rica: Digital Nomad Visa
Costa Rica’s digital nomad visa asks for a flat monthly figure rather than a multiple of local wages. That makes it one of the easier programs to plan around.
- Income threshold: $3,000 a month for a solo applicant, $4,000 a month if bringing dependents.
- Application fee: About $100 as a government deposit plus a separate $90 immigration fee, roughly $190 total.
- Visa length: 1 year, renewable once for a maximum of 2 years.
- Tax note: Foreign-sourced income is exempt from Costa Rican tax, though US citizens still owe US filing obligations regardless of residence.
The threshold doesn’t move with a local minimum wage, so it’s one of the more predictable figures on this list year to year.
Best for: Mid-income remote workers who want Central America without the wage-indexed math European visas require.
4. Spain: International Telework Visa
Spain’s international telework visa, better known as the digital nomad visa, ties its income test to 200% of the national minimum wage. The number moves whenever that wage does.
- Income threshold: €2,849 a month (roughly $3,275) for 2026, up from €2,763 the year before after February’s minimum wage increase.
- Application fee: €50 to €100 (about $54 to $108).
- Visa length: 1 year if applied through a consulate abroad, up to 3 years if applied from inside Spain, renewable to a total of 5 years.
- Tax note: Qualifying employees can opt into the Beckham Law’s flat 24% tax rate for up to 6 years.
Freelancers face one extra rule employees don’t: no more than 20% of total income can come from Spanish clients.
Best for: Remote employees and freelancers who want a mid-tier income bar with a genuine path to 5-year residency.
5. Croatia: Digital Nomad Temporary Stay Permit
Croatia recalculates its digital nomad income threshold every year based on the national average salary, and the 2026 update pushed the number up sharply.
- Income threshold: €3,622.50 a month (roughly $4,165) for 2026, up from €3,295 in 2025 after a March 2026 update in Croatia’s official gazette.
- Application fee: Roughly $55 to $115 depending on the consulate.
- Visa length: Up to 18 months, not renewable. A 6-month gap applies before reapplying.
- Tax note: Foreign income is fully exempt from Croatian income tax for the duration of the permit.
Because the formula is 2.5 times the previous year’s average net salary, expect the figure to keep climbing each year rather than holding steady.
Best for: Nomads who want a tax-free Adriatic base and don’t mind reapplying every year and a half.
6. Portugal: D8 Visa
Portugal’s D8 visa remains one of Europe’s most applied-for digital nomad routes. Its income threshold rose again in 2026 along with the national minimum wage.
- Income threshold: €3,680 a month (roughly $4,230), set at 4 times Portugal’s minimum wage, which increased to €920 on January 1, 2026.
- Application fee: €75 to €120 (about $84 to $134), plus a separate residence permit fee after arrival.
- Visa length: 1 to 2 years initially, renewable, with a path to permanent residency after 5 years.
- Tax note: Standard Portuguese tax residency applies after 183 days, though some professions may qualify for a reduced-rate regime.
Applicants also need savings of roughly 12 times the minimum wage on top of the monthly income figure. The real bar is higher than the headline number suggests.
Best for: Nomads targeting a long-term EU base with a clear route to citizenship.
7. Indonesia (Bali): E33G Remote Worker Visa
Bali’s E33G Remote Worker visa carries the highest flat income requirement of any program in this roundup. That keeps the applicant pool smaller than the island’s nomad reputation might suggest.
- Income threshold: $60,000 a year (about $5,000 a month), plus a separate $2,000 minimum bank balance shown over 3 months.
- Application fee: Roughly $300 to $350 in total government fees for the visa and residence permit.
- Visa length: 1 year, renewable once for a maximum of 2 years.
- Tax note: Holding the permit can itself count as evidence of Indonesian tax residency under a late-2025 regulation, regardless of actual days spent in the country.
That tax rule change is recent. A lot of older guides still describe Bali as a safe way to avoid local tax residency, so double-check with a professional before assuming that still holds.
Best for: Higher earners set on Bali specifically, since $60,000 rules out a large share of typical nomad incomes.
8. Thailand: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
Thailand’s Destination Thailand Visa skips the income test most other countries use and asks for a bank balance instead.
- Income requirement: None. Applicants instead show a bank balance of 500,000 THB (roughly $14,000) held for at least 3 months.
- Application fee: 10,000 THB (roughly $300).
- Visa length: 5 years multiple-entry, with each stay capped at 180 days and extendable once to 360 days.
- Tax note: Foreign income generally isn’t taxed if it isn’t remitted to Thailand in the same year it’s earned, though enforcement of remittance rules has tightened.
The savings-based test suits nomads with irregular income better than an income-based visa would, think consultants between contracts or anyone without three clean months of salary statements.
Best for: Nomads with savings but inconsistent monthly income, or anyone who wants 5 years of validity without annual renewals.
A note on accuracy
Immigration and tax rules shift often, and several of the figures above are tied to formulas that update every year. Confirm the current requirement with the relevant embassy or consulate. Talk to a qualified tax professional about your specific situation before making a move. This article reflects information verified as of September 4, 2026.
Income thresholds aside, the right visa usually comes down to where you actually want to live and work. Colombia and Malaysia keep the bar low. Portugal and Croatia trade a higher number for tax-free or long-term perks, and Bali asks the most of anyone. Once you’ve picked a country that fits your income and your goals, search flights on FlyBibe and start planning the move.