Remote work visas for founders, country by country
Whether 20 countries' remote work and digital nomad visas let you run your own company, whether you can take local clients, and the income and fee each one asks for. Every answer comes from a government page.
The founder questions, by country
| Country | Scheme | Own company | Local clients | Income needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | VITEM XIV digital nomad visa | No | Barred | At least US$1,500 a month from a foreign paying source, or at least US$18,000 available in a bank account. |
| Colombia | digital nomad visa | Yes | Barred | Bank statements showing minimum income equal to 3 times the Colombian legal monthly minimum wage (3 SMLMV) over the last 3 months. The page gives the formula, not a COP figure. |
| Costa Rica | digital nomad visa | Yes | Barred | At least US$3,000 a month (or equivalent) in stable pay, fixed income or average monthly income over the last year, received from abroad; US$4,000 a month if family members are included (combined household income may count). Proven with bank statements plus a sworn declaration, or a certificate from a public accountant or notary. |
| Croatia | digital nomad permit | Yes | Barred | At least 2.5 x Croatia's average monthly net salary for the previous year, currently a minimum of €3,622.50 a month, plus 10% of the average net salary for each additional family member. Alternatively hold €43,470 in the bank for a 12 month stay or €65,205 for 18 months. Proven by bank statements or six months of payslips. |
| Cyprus | Digital Nomad Visa | Yes | Barred | At least €3,500 a month net of contributions and taxes, stable and sufficient, shown by salary proof and 6 months of bank statements. Plus 20% for a spouse or partner and 15% per child. |
| Estonia | Digital Nomad Visa | Yes | Allowed | €132 per day (€3,960 per month) of sufficient funds according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs table. The e-Residency FAQ (March 2026) instead gives €150 per day, €4,500 per month gross. Proof is income for the preceding months showing amount, regularity and source. |
| Greece | digital nomad visa | Yes | Barred | At least €3,500 a month (net of tax if from employment), plus 20% for a spouse or partner and 15% per child, proven by the work contract or bank account statements |
| Hungary | White Card | Yes | Barred | At least €3,000 net per month in lawful income for each of the 6 months before entry, and you must keep that income throughout the stay. Proven with 6 months of bank statements or an employer or tax authority certificate. |
| Indonesia | E33G remote worker visa | Not stated | Barred | Salary or income of at least US$60,000 a year, shown through a bank account, plus a personal bank statement with at least US$2,000 over the last 3 months. |
| Italy | digital nomad visa | Yes | Allowed | At least 3 x the minimum income level for exemption from public healthcare charges, per year, from lawful sources. Consulates describe the base as about €8,500 (so the threshold is three times that); the Ottawa embassy states €24,780 and the Boston consulate €24,789 as the threshold. Proven with tax returns, client invoices, payslips or bank statements. |
| Japan | digital nomad visa | Yes | Barred | Annual income of at least JPY 10,000,000 at the time of application, proven by a tax certificate or income certificate from the country where you worked. |
| Malaysia | DE Rantau Nomad Pass | Yes | Allowed | US$24,000 a year for tech talent; US$60,000 a year for non-tech roles, which include founders and CEOs. Shown with contracts, invoices or payslips and 3 months of bank statements. |
| Malta | Nomad Residence Permit | Yes | Barred | Minimum gross income of €42,000 a year (€32,400 for applications lodged before 1 April 2024), with a guaranteed source of income for at least 5 months from application. |
| Mexico | temporary resident visa | Not stated | Not stated | Either monthly net income from employment or pension above 300 days of the general minimum wage in the Distrito Federal over the last 6 months, or an average monthly balance in investments or bank accounts of 5,000 days of the general minimum wage over the last 12 months (translated from Spanish; the guidelines give the formula in days of minimum wage, not a MXN figure). |
| Portugal | D8 visa | Yes | Not stated | Average monthly income over the last three months of at least 4 x the Portuguese monthly minimum wage (the visa portal gives the 2026 minimum wage as €920), proven with income evidence for those three months plus the contract or company documents. |
| Romania | digital nomad visa | Yes | Not stated | At least 3 x the average gross monthly salary in Romania for each of the last 6 months before applying and for the whole visa period. The page gives the formula only, not a figure. |
| South Korea | Workation visa (F-1-D) | Yes | Barred | More than 2 x the previous year's GNI per capita announced by the Bank of Korea. The notice gives the 2022 base: KRW 84.96 million a year (KRW 7.08 million a month). |
| Spain | digital nomad visa | Yes | Allowed | unclear: the law only requires sufficient financial resources for you and your family during residence; the official amount could not be read because the immigration ministry and consulate pages block automated access |
| Thailand | DTV | Yes | Not stated | No income test. Applicants show bank statements for the last 3 months with an ending balance of at least ฿500,000 (stated as US$16,000 by the Washington embassy and £12,000 by the London embassy). |
| United Arab Emirates | virtual work visa | Not stated | Not stated | Salary certificate showing at least US$3,500 or the equivalent in foreign currency (the pages do not state the period; it is presented as a salary figure). |
Choosing between them
Our guides compare the routes side by side: digital nomad visas for founders, startup visas and tax residency for remote founders.
How we check
Every answer comes from a government page: the immigration agency, foreign ministry, a consulate, the official e-visa portal or the tax authority, read on the date shown on each country's page. "Not stated" means the official pages we read don't answer the question; it doesn't mean the answer is no. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
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