I’ve lived in six European countries and enjoyed the digital nomad lifestyle in some of them. Every time I moved to a new place, I always felt a lot of excitement but also a little confusion:
“Am I picking the right city? Will I get the paperwork right? Where should I actually live?”
To help myself and others navigate this process, I founded Movyzen, a platform dedicated to making it easier for remote workers to move to Europe with confidence. If you’ve asked yourself the same questions, you’re not alone. Europe is opening its doors to digital nomads, but figuring out the best path can be overwhelming.
The guide is designed as a step-by-step guide to help you in the relocation journey
Step 1: Are you traveling Short-Term or settling in for good?
If you just want to hop around for up to 90 days, the Schengen short-stay route is for you. You can stay in Schengen countries for 90 days within any 180-day period, and if you want more time, rotate into nearby non-Schengen countries like Croatia or Albania.
It’s flexible and easy but comes with some downsides: you don’t get legal right to work, have limited access to healthcare and no long-term stability.
If you’re thinking of staying longer or bringing your family, you’ll likely need a Digital Nomad Visa or a residence permit. These visas/permits usually last from 1 to 5 years and give you legal work status, access to services, and a path to permanent residency. Though there’s some paperwork involved, plus income requirements to meet.
Quick comparison:
| Option | Duration | Work Legal? | Family Eligible | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen | 90 days | ❌ | ❌ | Flexible, easy | Short stay, no legal work |
| DNV | 1–5 years | ✅ | ✅ | Legal, family-friendly, path to residency, access to basic services | Income threshold, paperwork |
If you’re going solo and just want freedom to travel, short-term might be enough. But if you’re moving with family or want stability, a visa is your best bet.
Step 2: What’s Your Income, and Which Visa Fits You Best?
Each country has different visa rules: income thresholds, family options, application ease, and cost of living. Here’s a practical overview of popular European digital nomad visas (some are classic DNVs, others long-term residence permits which might require you to be self-employed and/or have local clients. Always check the requirements):
| 🇪🇺 Country | Name | 🧭 Ease | 💻 Online Application | ⏳ Visa Length | 💶 Income Requirement* | 🏡 Time to Permanent Residency | 👨👩👧 Family | Cost of Living Index (Numbeo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal 🇵🇹 | Temporary Stay Visa (D8 Visa) | 🟢 Easy | ❌ No (Consulate-based) | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€3,480/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~45.3 |
| Spain 🇪🇸 | Digital Nomad Visa (Startup Act Visa) | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€2,763/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~50.6 |
| Italy 🇮🇹 | Digital Nomad / Remote Worker Visa (E33G) | 🟡 Medium | ❌ No (Consulate-based) | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€2,333/year | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~61.3 |
| Greece 🇬🇷 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€3,500/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~54.6 |
| Croatia 🇭🇷 | Temporary Stay for Digital Nomads | 🟢 Easy | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (non-renewable) | ~€3,295/month or savings | ⚪ Limited | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~46.7 |
| Estonia 🇪🇪 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€4,500/month | ⚪ Limited | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~54.8 |
| Romania 🇷🇴 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€3,700/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~37.4 |
| Hungary 🇭🇺 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟢 Easy | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€2,000–3,000/month | ⚪ Limited | 🚫 No | ~39.2 |
| Czech Republic 🇨🇿 | Freelance/Remote Work Visa | 🔴 Hard | ⚪ Partial | 1 yr (renewable) | Proof of freelance income | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~48.9 |
| Latvia 🇱🇻 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€2,858/month | ✅ 5 years | 🚫 No | ~50.9 |
| Iceland 🇮🇸 | Long-Term Visa for Remote Workers | 🔴 Hard | ❌ No | 6 months (non-renewable) | ~€6,500–7,000/month | ❌ No | 🚫 No | ~94.5 |
| Malta 🇲🇹 | Nomad Residence Permit | 🟢 Easy | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€42,000/year | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~61.4 |
| Albania 🇦🇱 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€450/month | ⚪ Limited | 👨👩👧 Yes | not listed |
| Cyprus 🇨🇾 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€3,500/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~55.9 |
| Norway 🇳🇴 | Residence Permit for Self-Employed Persons | 🔴 Hard | ⚪ Partial | 2 yrs (renewable) | ~€35,000–40,000/year | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~78.9 |
| Montenegro 🇲🇪 | Temporary Stay for Digital Nomads | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€1,300–1,500/month | ⚪ Limited | 👨👩👧 Yes | not listed |
| Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | Digital Nomad Visa | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€2,500–3,800/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~40.5 |
| Netherlands 🇳🇱 | Start-Up or Self-Employed Residence Permit | 🔴 Hard | ✅ Yes | 1–2 yrs (renewable) | No fixed limit, business plan | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~68.6 |
| Belgium 🇧🇪 | Professional Card Residence Permit | 🔴 Hard | ⚪ Partial | 1–3 yrs (renewable) | No fixed limit, business plan | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~65.6 |
| Poland 🇵🇱 | Temporary Residence Permit for Freelancers | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 2 yrs (non-renewable) | Proven income/business income | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~38.6 |
| Germany 🇩🇪 | Freiberufler (Freelancer) Visa | 🟡 Medium | ❌ No (Consulate/In-person) | 1 to 3 yrs (renewable) | Proof of economic interest and financial means | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~62.9 |
| Andorra 🇦🇩 | Residence Permit for Remote Workers | 🟡 Medium | ❌ No (agent required) | 2 yrs (renewable) | High income or investment | ✅ 7 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | not listed |
| Slovenia 🇸🇮 | Digital Nomad Visa (starting Nov 21, 2025) | 🟡 Medium | ✅ Yes | 1 yr (non-renewable) | ~€3,300/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~53.2 |
| France 🇫🇷 | Long-Stay Visa | 🟡 Medium | ⚪ Partial | 1 yr (renewable) | ~€1,400/month | ✅ 5 years | 👨👩👧 Yes | ~64.4 |
*income requirements are for one person. Usually if you bring a family member you have to show a higher income (around 50% more, depending on the country)
If all those numbers feel overwhelming, at Movyzen we developed our Visa Eligibility Tool for you to instantly see which visas you qualify for (based on your profile).
Step 3: Understand Taxes
Once you spend more than 183 days in a country, you’ll probably become a tax resident there and pay taxes on your worldwide income. That’s the classic “183-day rule”. But that’s not the only rule you need to watch.
There’s also the “centre of economic interest” rule. Even if you spend less than 183 days, if your main business, income, property, or family is in one country, you could be considered a tax resident anyway.
Double tax treaties can help you avoid paying tax on the same income in two countries, but they’re not automatic. They require the right paperwork, clear residency registration or deregistration, and, ideally, a bit of expert guidance to get sorted.
Here are a few popular tax regimes for expats:
| Country | Name of Regime | Typical Benefit | Duration | Who It Targets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italy 🇮🇹 | Impatriate Regime | ~50% of employment/self-employment income exempt (60% if kids) | 5 years (extendable to 10 in the case of a child) | New tax residents |
| Spain 🇪🇸 | Beckham Law (Inbound Expat Regime) | 24% flat tax on employment income up to €600k | 6 years total | Employees hired to work in Spain (not freelancers unless via company) |
| Greece 🇬🇷 | 50% Tax Break (“Brain Gain”) | Pay tax on only 50% of salary/business income | 7 years | New residents |
| Portugal 🇵🇹 | NHR 2.0 / IFICI | 0% on many foreign income + 20% flat for local qualified | 10 years | High level employees working for companies engaged in eligible activities |
| Malta 🇲🇹 | Global Residence Programme / Non-Dom Regime | Tax only on foreign income remitted to Malta (not worldwide) | Indefinite while resident + minimum tax | Non-EU individuals with property + income conditions |
| Cyprus 🇨🇾 | Non-Dom + 50% Employment Exemption | No tax on foreign dividends/interest + 50% employment exemption | 10–17 yrs (depending on article used) | New tax residents |
| Netherlands 🇳🇱 | 30% Ruling | 30% of salary paid tax-free | Up to 5 years | Highly skilled employees hired from abroad |
| Estonia 🇪🇪 | Regular Tax (DNV gives stay only) | 20% flat income tax (normal rules) | N/A | Tax residents |
Heads up: some visas require you to have a foreign contract to get started, but you might be able to switch to a different contract later to qualify for some of these regimes. Taxes are tricky, so make friends with a cross-border tax pro before you move. Restructuring your employment (company, EOR, contract) may unlock new tax benefits.
Step 4: How to Pick the Right Country
Here’s a practical framework I use when choosing a destination:
- Visa & Residency: Duration, renewability, family options.
- Taxes & Incentives: Special regimes, relocation grants, cost of living.
- Lifestyle & Climate: City vs. rural, beach vs. mountains, culture & outdoor activities.
- Infrastructure: Internet, coworking, healthcare, banking.
- Community: Existing nomad networks, co-living, local support.
- Long-Term Goals: Residency, Citizenship, business, property, or family priorities.
My suggestion is to make a simple scorecard ranking countries by these factors. At Movyzen we created the Movyzen’s Country Orientation Tool, an interactive map with 60,000+ data points to help you compare European provinces by climate, economy, lifestyle, demographics, cost of living, internet speed, healthcare, safety, air quality, and more.
Step 5: Where Should You Live?
Once you’ve narrowed your country, this is where the real decision happens: choosing the exact place. Europe’s got a place for every vibe: bustling cities, beach towns, mountain escapes, or quiet countryside. These are some favorites:
- First-Tier Cities (Large DN Communities, Great Infrastructure):
Lisbon, Barcelona, Athens, Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague, Warsaw, Krakow, Tallinn, Rome, Milan, Florence, Bologna - Second-Tier Cities (Mid-Size, Lower Cost, DN-Friendly):
Porto, Valencia, Malaga, Brno, Riga, Vilnius, Timisoara, Bologna, Palermo, Marseille, Lyon - Third-Tier / Emerging Cities:
Ljubljana, Cluj-Napoca, Graz, Syracuse, Trento, Bordeaux - Beach Towns:
Ericeira, Biarritz, Split, Tenerife, Lagos, Albufeira, Budva, Sicilian Coast, Ligurian Riviera, Puglia Coast, Nice, Albanian Riviera, Istria - Mountain / Adventure Towns:
Innsbruck, Bansko, Andorra la Vella, Chamonix, Zakopane, Grenoble, Trentino/Dolomites - Rural / Countryside Towns:
Tilos, Antikythera, Tuscany, Umbria, Madeira, Calabria, Alentejo, Aragón & Galicia
Smaller towns often have fewer nomads, better incentives, and richer local culture. Definitely worth thinking about.
It is definitely recommendable to visit a place before committing.
Step 6: Your Next Steps
- Clarify priorities: Lifestyle, visa ease, permanent residency, or financial incentives?
- Compare Destinations: Use your scorecard to see what aligns with your priorities.
- Pilot Visits: Short trips give first-hand experience.
- Join Communities: Expat groups, digital nomad forums, coworking meetups.
- Plan Strategically: Track visa windows, tax incentives, and organize documents.
Don’t wait for perfection. Pick a destination, start planning, and take the first step. Your next adventure and community are waiting.
