“€250,000 can get you a European Residency”, this was the inscription that was boldly written on an Outdoor Media ad in Lebanon. Why spend €250,000 when you can spend €2500?

Why spend € 250,000 on a European Residency when you can spend €2500?

If you are one of the lucky people in this world with the benefit of remote working, you should know that many progressive governments are looking to attract you to their countries by developing a special kind of visa that offers you residency for 1 year and is renewable, for some countries, up to 3-5 years and could even be a route to securing a more permanent residency.

It’s hot, it’s been around for a while, and countries are constantly refining it to make it easier. The Digital Nomad Residency Permit (otherwise known as the Remote Work Visa), that’s the good news.

It may interest you to know that, even though some European countries have specifically designed their digital nomad residence programme for citizens of third world countries, not so many of this group have taken advantage of this opportunity.

Jackson, Etti & Edu, is delighted to inform you that this residency program offers the African tech person a world of opportunities in the form of travel. Below are 3 of our top recommended European countries that offer the digital nomad residence program. Of course, the list is not exhaustive:

1. Malta
2. Portugal
3. Estonia

Malta

Malta offers a Residence Permit that gives a remote worker the opportunity to legally reside in Malta while keeping their current employment based in another country. It has one of the fastest growing digital nomad communities because it is very receptive to Digital nomads and is incredibly open to citizens of non-EU countries like Nigeria.

If you have proximity to your home country and weather condition concerns, Malta should be one of your preferred digital nomad destinations.

Length of Permit: 1 year, renewable for up to 3 years.

Who can apply:

• Employees working remotely
• Freelancers
• Business Owner

Income Bracket to Qualify: €2,700 and above per month.

Portugal

Portugal is another hotspot for digital nomads for citizens of non-EU countries. The visa, introduced formally in October 2022, is called the “residence visa for the exercise of professional activity provided remotely outside the national territory” and is specifically targeted towards remote working professionals.

Length of Permit: 1 year, renewable for up to 5 years.

Who can apply:

1. Employees working remotely
2. Freelancers
3. Business Owners

Income Bracket to Qualify: €2,800 and above per month.

Estonia

During the wake of Covid 19 in 2020, Estonia was one of the pacesetter countries to introduce a digital nomad visa. This visa allows professionals who can prove their source of income and have evidence that they are allowed to work outside a physical office to stay in the country for at least one (1) year.

Length of permit: One year

Who can apply:

• Employees working remotely.
• Freelancers
• Business Owners

Income Bracket to Qualify: €3,504 and above per month.

Want to find out more?

In addition to the three (3) programs discussed above, there is an extensive list of other countries offering digital nomad residence permits, and our service offerings are not limited in scope. Our Immigration Advisory & Private Clients team at Jackson, Etti & Edu can be contacted for further information.

Please contact

Taiwo Adeshina at taiwo.adeshina@jee.africa  or

Abisola Babatunde at bisola.babatunde@jee.africa, or

Adebomi Adekeye at adebomi.adekeye@jee.africa  for questions.