Digital Nomad Visas in Europe for Americans: 2026 Figures

How to Read This Comparison

An earlier version of this article ranked the visas. We have replaced the ranking with the official figures, because no official source ranks them and the right choice depends on your situation. Five things to compare:

• Income test: the amount, whether it is gross or net, and what income counts.
• Length: a one-year stay or a path to longer residence.
• Family: how much the test rises for a spouse or children.
• Tax: whether living there makes you a tax resident.
• Your work: whether your employer or client type is allowed, and whether local clients are.

All amounts are 2026 figures from government or consulate sources, checked on September 25 and 26, 2026. Dollar amounts use the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)³.

Digital Nomad Visas at a Glance

Figures are for the main applicant; most tests rise for each family member. Cyprus caps its scheme at 500 permits¹¹.

Spain

Spain’s international telework visa is for non-EU nationals working remotely for companies outside Spain; freelancers may take up to 20% of their work from Spanish clients⁷. Applicants need a degree or three years of professional experience, the employer or client must have operated for at least a year, and the working relationship must go back at least three months⁷.

• Income. The Consulate General of Spain in Washington gives €2,442 a month for 2026 (200% of the minimum wage), plus €916 for the first family member and €306 for each additional one⁵. The 2026 minimum wage is €1,221 a month, or €17,094 a year⁶. If an office calculated the test on the annual figure divided by 12, it would be about €2,849; we could not confirm which method Spain’s in-country immigration unit uses, so allow for the higher figure if you apply from inside Spain.
• Who you work for. The Washington consulate says the visa covers work for companies only, not for individuals, international organizations, government agencies, universities, foundations, NGOs or other non-profits⁵.
• Health insurance. Public or private cover with an insurer authorized to operate in Spain, with no waiting periods, co-payments or coverage limits; travel insurance is not accepted⁵.
• Family. A spouse or partner, children and dependent parents can apply at the same time as you, or later⁷.
• Length. The visa lasts up to one year; in Spain you can then apply for a residence permit of up to three years, renewable for two-year periods⁷.
• Fee and filing. $190 for U.S. citizens at the Consulate General in Washington, and since September 1, 2026 applications in its area go through the BLS visa center in Washington⁵.
• Tax. Spain’s special regime for people moving there expressly includes employees who hold the telework visa¹⁷.

Portugal

Portugal’s remote-work visa is widely called the “D8”. The Portuguese Embassy in Washington codes the residence version D9 and the temporary-stay version E11, and uses D8 for family members accompanying a residence-visa holder¹⁸. Use your consulate’s code when you apply.

• Income. Average monthly income over the last three months of at least four minimum wages: €3,680 in 2026^13,19.
• Documents. An employment contract or employer declaration, or service contracts for freelancers, and a U.S. tax-residence certificate²⁰.
• Fee. €110²¹.
• After arrival. A temporary residence permit is valid for two years and renewable for successive three-year periods; after five years with a temporary permit, you can apply for permanent residence, which also asks for basic Portuguese^14,22.
• Tax. Portugal’s former NHR regime is closed to new applicants²³; its successor, IFICI, covers listed professions and activities^24,25.

Our D7 vs D8 article compares it with Portugal’s passive-income visa.

Croatia

• Who. Non-EU nationals working through communication technology for a company, or their own company, not registered in Croatia¹².
• Income. €3,622.50 a month shown by bank statements or six months of payslips, or savings of €43,470 for 12 months or €65,205 for 18 months; the amount rises by 10% of the average monthly net salary for each family member¹².
• Where to apply. Online, at a Croatian embassy or consulate, or at a police station if you are already legally in Croatia¹².
• Health insurance. Travel or private cover for the territory of Croatia for the whole planned stay¹².
• Family. Close family members can join you through family reunification¹².
• Tax. Pay from an employer not registered in Croatia, earned with digital-nomad status, is on the Tax Administration’s list of receipts not subject to income tax²⁶.
• Length. Up to 18 months. A new digital-nomad application is possible 6 months after the previous stay expires¹².

Malta

• Who. People employed by a foreign employer, partners in a foreign company, or freelancers with foreign clients⁸.
• Income. At least €42,000 gross a year⁸.
• Fees. €300 per applicant, plus €100 per residence card⁹.
• Health insurance. At least €100,000 of cover for the EU, including Malta, and the UK, prepaid for a full year; travel insurance is not accepted, and permit holders are not entitled to free public healthcare⁹.
• Length. One year, renewable three times, to a maximum of four years; the permit does not lead to long-term residence⁹.
• Renewal. You show, through payment transactions in Malta on your bank statements, that you lived there for at least five of the previous twelve months⁹.
• Tax. Income from the remote work is taxed at 10%, and not at all for the first 12 months unless you declare that your residence is not merely casual²⁷.

Greece

• Who. Employees, freelancers or self-employed people working remotely for employers or clients outside Greece¹⁰.
• Income. €3,500 a month net of tax, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% per child¹⁰.
• Visa. A national visa of up to 12 months from a Greek consulate; fee €75; the consulate must answer within 10 days¹⁰.
• Permit. Before the visa expires, you can apply for a two-year residence permit¹⁰.
• 2026 change. Law 5275/2026 repealed the rule that let visa-free visitors apply for the permit inside Greece, from February 6, 2026². Americans now need the consular visa first.

Cyprus

Cyprus runs its scheme with a ceiling: the Council of Ministers raised it to 500 residence permits in March 2022, and the Migration Department said in its page of December 31, 2025 that it is again accepting applications and that the ceiling remains 500¹¹.

• Who. Non-EU nationals who work remotely through telecommunications for an employer registered abroad, or as self-employed people with clients abroad¹¹.
• Income. At least €3,500 a month net, after contributions and taxes¹¹.
• Where and when. You apply in Cyprus, within three months of arrival, at the Migration Department’s central offices in Nicosia; examination takes five to seven weeks¹¹.
• Fees. €70 for the permit and €70 for first registration in the aliens’ register¹¹.
• Length. A first permit for one year; a renewal for up to two years, applied for at least one month before expiry¹¹.
• Family. A spouse or civil partner and minor children can live in Cyprus for the same period, but may not work there¹¹.

Cyprus has no totalization agreement with the United States²⁸, and its Tax Department treats you as resident after more than 183 days in a tax year, or under a separate 60-day rule²⁹. Our Cyprus page covers the other residence routes.

Estonia

• Income. At least €4,500 a month net, according to Estonia’s e-Residency program¹⁵.
• Who. People who can work independently of location, for an employer or their own company registered abroad, or as freelancers with clients mostly outside Estonia¹⁵.
• Where to apply. At an Estonian embassy; the program says processing takes up to 30 days¹⁵.
• Length. Estonia’s long-term visa is valid for up to 12 months, with up to 365 days of stay¹⁶.
• Not the same as e-Residency. e-Residency is a government digital identity for running a company online; the digital nomad visa is what lets you stay in Estonia, for up to a year¹⁵.

Italy

• Who. Highly qualified workers who work remotely, self-employed or for a company that may be outside Italy⁴.
• Income. At least three times the health co-payment exemption level, which the New York and Los Angeles consulates give as €24,789 a year; other consulates round the base figure slightly differently^1,30. It must come from the remote work; Social Security, rents or stocks are not counted¹. For remote employees, the salary must also meet the collective-agreement wage and be no lower than ISTAT’s median annual salary, so the practical floor can be higher¹.
• Experience. At least six months in the work you will do⁴, and a degree, a license for a regulated profession, or five years of higher professional experience¹.
• Insurance and housing. Health insurance for medical care and hospital stays valid in Italy for the whole stay, and documents showing where you will live⁴.
• Permit. You apply to the police headquarters (Questura) of the province where you are within eight working days of entering Italy; the permit lasts up to one year and is renewable each year while the conditions are met⁴.

Test Year or Longer Base? Length, Renewals and Where You Apply

Some of these routes are built for a stay of a year or so; others lead to multi-year permits. Where you apply also differs, which matters if you hoped to arrive first and decide later.

Health Insurance Each Route Asks For

Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States³¹, and each route sets its own insurance test:

• Spain: cover from an insurer authorized in Spain, with no waiting periods, co-payments or coverage limits; not travel insurance⁵.
• Malta: at least €100,000 for the EU and the UK, prepaid for a year; not travel insurance, and no free public healthcare for permit holders⁹.
• Croatia: travel or private insurance covering Croatia for the whole stay¹².
• Italy: insurance for medical care and hospital stays, valid in Italy for the stay⁴.
• Portugal: national visa applications ask for travel insurance covering medical costs and repatriation³².

For Greece, Cyprus and Estonia, ask the consulate or authority which policies it accepts before you buy one. Our healthcare article explains how cover works once you are resident.

The Visa Is Not the Tax Plan

A digital nomad visa settles where you may live, not how you are taxed. U.S. citizens keep filing and are taxed on worldwide income³³. The foreign earned income exclusion can exclude up to $132,900 of foreign earned income for 2026 if you meet the IRS tests³⁴. U.S. self-employment tax can still apply abroad unless a totalization agreement assigns you to the other country’s system³⁵; Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece have agreements with the United States, while Malta, Croatia, Cyprus and Estonia do not²⁸.

• Employees: check that your employer allows work from that country.
• Freelancers: check local registration, tax, VAT and social security.
• Business owners: check where the company is managed and whether that creates a local tax presence.
• Families: check how much each dependent adds to the income test.

When a long stay makes you tax resident

Our sister site eTaxNexus explains the two FEIE tests in bona fide residence vs physical presence.

Which Route to Look at First

No route is best for everyone. These official rules help narrow the list by situation:

Most of your income is passive

These routes are built for work. Italy counts only income from the remote work itself¹. Pension and investment income fit passive-income routes better, such as Portugal’s D7⁴⁰ or Spain’s non-lucrative residence⁴¹; see our D7 vs D8 comparison.

You freelance and have some local clients

Spain allows up to 20% of your work for Spanish clients⁷. Croatia’s route is for people working for companies not registered in Croatia¹², and Malta’s for freelancers with foreign clients⁸.

You want a test year before deciding

Croatia (up to 18 months)¹², Estonia (up to 12 months)¹⁶, Cyprus (a one-year first permit)¹¹ and Malta (one-year permits, four years at most)⁹ are set up as temporary stays.

You want a multi-year base

Spain’s route leads to a permit of up to three years, renewable⁷, and Portugal’s to renewable permits and, after five years, permanent residence^14,22. Malta’s permit does not lead to long-term residence⁹.

You are moving with a family

Spain lets family members apply with you⁷; Greece adds 20% to the test for a spouse and 15% per child¹⁰; in Cyprus, family members may live there but not work¹¹. Compare the destinations for schools and healthcare too.

Common Mistakes Americans Make

1. Using out-of-date figures

Spain is €2,442, not €2,800–€2,900⁵; Italy is €24,789 a year, not €28,000¹.

2. Working remotely as a tourist

Visa-free entry allows short stays of up to 90 days in any 180⁴². The visas above exist because a longer stay needs a residence route.

3. Planning to switch inside Greece

That option ended on February 6, 2026².

4. Counting the wrong income for Italy

Passive income does not count toward Italy’s test¹.

5. Comparing gross with net

Malta’s figure is gross⁸; Greece’s, Cyprus’s and Estonia’s are net^10,11,15.

6. Choosing by the income figure alone

The lowest test is not automatically the right route. Length, renewal, tax, insurance and family rules can matter more than the number.

7. Assuming your employer will agree

A visa lets you live in a country; it does not make your employer accept payroll, tax or data questions there. Spain’s visa, for example, covers work for companies only, not for individuals, universities or non-profits⁵.

8. Forgetting tax residence

More than 183 days in a year is a common trigger, but not the only one; see the table above^36,38. Keep a calendar of your days in each country.

9. Picking a city before checking housing

Rents can move fast: in Greece, the rent item of the consumer price index was up 6.2% in the year to August 2026⁴³. Our $3,000 a month article compares official rents by city.

10. Treating a one-year permit as a permanent move

Croatia stops at 18 months¹² and Malta at four years, with no path to long-term residence⁹. Know whether you want a test or a lasting move before you choose.

The Right Visa Fits Your Real Work

Digital nomad visas are not interchangeable. Start with how you actually work: employee, freelancer, company owner or a mixed-income household. Then match the route to its income test, length, insurance, family rules and the tax residence it may create. The visa that looks easiest online may not be the one that fits your life.

If you want a second view, our free discovery call looks at your work structure, income and household against these routes.