Digital nomad visa wait times range from about a week to several months, depending on the country and the consulate. This list compares 10 popular routes, with the official processing time and the waits applicants report. Figures were checked on November 1, 2026. Countries run from the shortest official time to the longest.
How to Read These Times
Each time on this list starts once the application is complete, so the weeks spent gathering documents come before it. Official times come from a government or consulate page, and a decision can arrive after the stated target. Reported times come from law firms, relocation services, and applicant communities, and each one is labeled.
Fees are left out and are covered in our guide to application fees compared across countries. A country with no published deadline appears last. Readers still choosing a country can start with the countries with official visa programs.
1. Thailand: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)
Thailand’s DTV has the shortest published time on this list, and applications now run through an online platform.
- Official time: 5 working days, not counting the day of submission, according to the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City. The count restarts if the file is incomplete.
- Reported by applicants: Community posts about the embassy in London describe waits from 7 days to nearly 2 months.
- Faster service: Not offered, except for medical or family emergencies with proof.
The 5-day figure comes from one consulate, and other Thai missions may publish different times. The wider range that applicants report suggests that busy embassies can take much longer.
What to plan for: At least 2 weeks before travel, which is the lead time the consulate advises.
2. Greece: Digital Nomad Visa (Type D)
Greece publishes a 10-day decision target for its digital nomad visa, although the process changed in February 2026.
- Official time: A decision within 10 days of submission for digital nomads, according to a Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs guidance document posted in August 2025.
- Reported by applicants: Several guides say about 30 days, and one immigration data site lists 60 to 90 days.
- After approval: Under Law 5275/2026, remote workers first get a Type D visa at a Greek consulate. They then apply for a residence permit after arrival, according to Greek law firms. One firm describes a 90-day decision deadline for many permit types, extendable by 30 days.
The 10-day target comes from guidance published before the February 2026 law, so the current figure is worth confirming with the consulate that will take your file.
What to plan for: A fast visa stage, followed by a residence permit stage that can take months.
3. Costa Rica: Digital Nomad Visa
Costa Rica’s remote worker visa has its decision deadline written into law, and applications go through the immigration agency’s online platform.
- Official time: 15 calendar days, set by Law 10008 and its regulation.
- If the file is incomplete: The agency can ask for corrections, which pauses the count for up to 8 working days while the applicant responds.
- Reported by applicants: Guides report about 2 weeks to about 2 months.
- After approval: One 2026 guide lists 3 months to process the immigration document once the visa is approved.
The 15-day count covers the decision only. The document step after approval adds time on top.
What to plan for: Up to about 2 months from filing to decision, based on applicant reports.
4. Spain: Digital Nomad Visa
Spain’s digital nomad visa is decided by a central immigration unit in Madrid, and applicants abroad also deal with a consulate.
- Official time: The unit, called UGE-CE, has a 20-day target, which law firm guides describe as 20 working days. A Spanish consulate notice states a 20-day period for the in-country route.
- Reported by applicants: Guides report one to three months for applicants abroad, and some place the full consulate route at three to five months.
- Before the clock starts: Guides warn of multi-week backlogs for consulate appointments, and the length differs by city.
Applicants who are already legally in Spain can file with the unit directly, which removes the consulate stage, according to Spanish immigration firms.
What to plan for: One to three months from a consulate, plus the wait for an appointment.
5. Estonia: Digital Nomad Visa
Estonia’s digital nomad visa was the first of its kind in the EU, according to Work in Estonia, a public agency site.
- Official time: Up to 30 days, according to Work in Estonia, which is run by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency.
- Where to apply: An Estonian embassy or consulate, a VFS Global centre in selected countries, or the Police and Border Guard Board for people already in Estonia legally.
- Reported by applicants: Guides report 15 to 30 days, and one guide lists up to 60 days in busy months from May to July.
Each case is assessed individually, and applications cannot be submitted in some places, including Russia and Belarus. Applicants who wait inside the Schengen Area use up days of their stay, so the count matters. Our guide to the Schengen 90/180 day rule explains how it works.
What to plan for: About 30 days, with extra weeks possible in summer.
6. Colombia: Visa V for Digital Nomads
Colombia’s digital nomad visa states its limit in calendar days, and the authority can extend it.
- Official time: Up to 30 calendar days once the application is complete and the study fee is paid, according to the Cancillería. Consultations with other agencies can push the decision later.
- Reported by applicants: One relocation service reports decisions in 5 to 10 business days outside busy periods. Another lists 10 to 30 business days.
- After approval: The applicant has 10 calendar days to pay the issuance fee, and the electronic visa arrives within 10 calendar days of payment.
The study fee has to be paid within 10 calendar days of creating the application, or the file counts as withdrawn. Applicants already in Colombia must also keep a regular migration status while the file is under review.
What to plan for: Up to 50 calendar days in the longest case, counting the decision, payment, and issuance windows.
7. Malaysia: DE Rantau Nomad Pass
Malaysia’s DE Rantau Nomad Pass is handled online by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, known as MDEC.
- Official time: The MDEC FAQ ties its estimate to a complete submission and says the time can extend if MDEC asks for more documents. Guides that quote the estimate give four to eight weeks.
- Reported by applicants: One guide reports 6 to 8 weeks, another reports delays of up to 12 weeks, and a third reports 30 to 60 days.
- After approval: A May 2024 version of the FAQ says the pass sticker is issued within 1 week at the MDEC Expats Service Centre in Cyberjaya.
The Malaysian news outlet theSun has reported delays with the pass, and MDEC has said it is taking steps to resolve them. Recent applicant reports are worth checking before booking non-refundable travel.
What to plan for: Up to 12 weeks, based on the longest reports.
8. Portugal: D8 Visa
Portugal’s D8 visa has two stages, and the second stage tends to take longer than the first.
- Official time: 60 days at the consular stage, according to a Portuguese consulate checklist published through VFS Global. The time may extend.
- Reported by applicants: Guides report one to four months, and one guide says Brazilian and South African applicants often wait 90 to 180 days.
- After arrival: The D8 entry visa lasts about four months, and holders then need an appointment with AIMA, the immigration agency. Guides report appointment waits of 1 to 3 months in Porto and 2 to 6 months in Lisbon.
Visa Atlas calls the AIMA appointment the main bottleneck after arrival. Law firms warn that the residence card itself can take from about 8 months to more than a year.
What to plan for: Several months at each stage, with the second stage the harder one to predict.
9. Italy: Digital Nomad Visa
Italian consulates began accepting applications for Italy’s digital nomad visa in March 2026, according to guides citing the Interior Ministry decree. Published times differ by consulate and by work type.
- Official time: The Italian consulates in Houston and Perth state up to 30 days for employees and up to 120 days for self-employed applicants. The consulate in Valletta states up to 90 days for remote workers and up to 120 days for digital nomads.
- Reported by applicants: Visa Atlas lists 4 to 8 weeks at consulates.
- Before the clock starts: Applicants book an appointment through the Italian government’s Prenotami system, according to the Houston consulate.
The Italian consulate in London said in 2024 that it keeps the applicant’s passport during processing, which affects travel plans. Applicants can ask their own consulate whether the same rule applies.
What to plan for: Up to 120 days for freelancers, and 30 to 90 days for employees depending on the consulate.
10. Croatia: Temporary Stay for Digital Nomads
Croatia’s digital nomad permit comes last because the government publishes no decision deadline.
- Official time: None is listed on the Ministry of the Interior page. A caseworker at the local police administration reviews the file and may ask for more documents.
- Reported by applicants: Guides report anywhere from about 20 days to about 90 days, and several place it near 1 to 2 months.
- While you wait: Applicants who do not need a visa to enter Croatia may stay until the decision, if they are in the country legally when they apply, according to the ministry.
Applicants from countries that require a visa apply at a Croatian embassy or consulate. After approval they return to collect a long-term D visa, so a second step adds time.
What to plan for: One to three months, based on the range applicants report.
What Adds Time Outside the Official Clock
Several steps sit before or after the official count, and they can add weeks.
- Documents: Police certificates and apostilles take time to obtain, and some authorities set an age limit. Colombia, for example, requires most documents to be issued within 3 months of the application. Our guides cover police clearance certificates and apostilles, and a document checklist lists what many countries ask for.
- Appointments: Consulate appointment waits come before the clock starts, as the Spain and Italy entries show.
- Fixing errors: An incomplete file restarts the count in Thailand and pauses it in Costa Rica. Our guide to a rejected application explains the next steps.
- Passport and consulate: The consulate and the applicant’s nationality can change the wait. Our guide for Nigerian and other non-Western passport holders covers routes for those passports.
- Renewals: A second decision comes later, and our guide to renewal and extension rules explains how it works.
Plan Your Flights Around the Decision
Decision times range from a few days to several months, so the travel date depends on the country you choose. Many applicants wait for a decision before buying a ticket, since a late visa can make a fixed date unworkable. Once the decision date is clear, search flights for your move on FlyBibe and use the cheapest-days view to compare dates.
Immigration and tax rules change. This article reflects information researched on November 1, 2026. Confirm current requirements and processing times with the relevant embassy, consulate, or a qualified professional before making plans.