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If you are a digital nomad looking for a warm place to escape the winter but have been discouraged by the bureaucracy from applying for a Digital Nomad Visahigh income requirements, you have come to the right place.
Unless you actually make plans for that immigrateyou don’t need a visa to live temporarily in some cool, sunny places in the Global South, where visitors are welcome for six months (or even longer), even if they enter as tourists.
All that’s needed is a valid passport, and sometimes proof of accommodation and an outbound ticket to show you’re leaving once the six months are up––here are 5:
Mexico
With coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean, culture-rich cities, and pleasant year-round temperatures, Mexico is a no-brainer for American nomads planning a move abroad: it’s a short flight of 2 to 3 hoursthe expat community is huge, and there are an abundance of nomad-friendly destinations to choose from.
There is Mexico City, with its diverse neighborhoods and cozy cafes, Playa Del Carmen, for the young, fun beach lovers, San Miguel de Allende, if you fancy some Old World charm, and even up-and-coming Monterrey, a vibrant metropolis with an unparalleled entrepreneurial atmosphere.
As America’s immediate neighbor to the south, and every American’s favorite winter vacation destination, Mexico is actually quite generous in its treatment of American visitors, allowing them Visa for 6 months on sitewithout any requirement other than nationality.
Belize
Located just south of Mexico, Belize may be one of the smallest nation states in the Caribbean, but it certainly has no shortage of wonders, from its pristine beaches and vast coral reef to its Mayan-dominated jungles dotted with ancient sites such as Caracol and Altun Ha.
The official language of the country is English, which makes integration a bit easierand if you stay for a longer period of time, you’ll find that as a nomad destination it can be quite cheap, with meals at local restaurants costing around $6, and rent starting from $249, according to Numbeo estimates.
The best part is that you can stay as an American citizen a whole 6 months straight in the Central American country, whether you’re taking a gap semester to travel or planning to make a dreamy island like Caye Caulker your next office view.
El Salvador
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re still heading south: the former drug trafficking capital of Central America, and now one of the safest areas Thanks to the zero-tolerance policy of incumbent President Nayib Buckle, El Salvador is a hidden gem in the region that is only now being discovered.
Between the vast Pacific coastline, interspersed with holiday resorts and untouched stretches of jungle, and the volcano-backed hinterland, it is a nature lover’s paradise, although city lovers won’t be disappointed with the national capital, San Salvador, and its vibrant social scene.
You certainly won’t be in a hurry to leave, especially now that El Salvador has extended visa-free entry for Americans from 90 to a whopping 180 days. And this can be extended by a further 90 if you register up to five days before the end of the six month period.
That is a total of 270 days in El Salvadorbut if you choose the extension, you should know that it is not as simple as a visa on arrival:
- Complete form F44 from the official Migracion y Extranjeria website available here
- Buy a new flight or bus ticket from El Salvador for up to 90 days in the future
- Provide proof of accommodation for the intended period of stay (hotel, Airbnb reservations)
- Gather proof that you have the financial resources to stay in the country (receipts, bank statements)
- Upload a passport photo
- Copy all pages of your passport
- Ask a local person to accompany you to the immigration office in San Salvador, as a citizen of El Salvador will need to confirm your purpose of stay (this could be a friend or an Airbnb host, for example)
- Provide authorities with one additional local contact for further verification (simply a name and phone number will suffice)
You are obliged to pay a $25 fee when renewing your visa.
Panama
Panama is located on the isthmus that connects Central America with South America world famous for its rainforeststhe canal of the same name, a beautiful feat of engineering that cuts through the heart of the country and connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and of course the bustling Panama City:
An overlooked capital with a well-preserved colonial core, lined with towering skyscrapers and a lush Natural Metropolitan Park, is incredibly affordable by American standards: according Nomad listif you live there you will come back an average of $2,534 per month.
All the better, since as a US passport holder you can stay in Panama for six months as long as you are happy a very simple requirement (which I suspect most of you do): you can’t get a criminal conviction; in that case you will be refused entry and even transit.
Colombia
We have arrived in South America! More specifically the green oasis in Colombia is where the turquoise Caribbean, the towering peaks of the Andes, And the Amazon jungle all meet under one tricolor of yellow, blue, and red.
Whether it’s museum-rich Bogota, sometimes called the Athens of the South, a colorful Medellin, host to coworking centers and a thriving backpacker scene, or even colonial-era Cartagena, with its UNESCO-protected city walls and baroque churches, Colombia is the new darling of the digital nomad.
Last but not least, this also exempts Americans from applying for visas for visitors of up to six months, with a small caveat: upon arrival you will get a 90-day entry stamp in your passport, but if you plan to stay longer, you must you can request a 90-day extension, El Salvador style.
The good news is that obtaining a tourist visa extension in Colombia is much easier then in El Salvador, as long as you do it before your initial visa expires:
- Access to the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Upload a PDF copy of your passport information page
- Upload a scan of your entry stamp issued upon arrival at the airport
- Show proof of onward travel from Colombia at the end of the 90 days
- Pay the $27.55 fee
…and you’re ready to go!
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
