Ranked: 100 best countries for remote workers

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17th January 2024
Porto in Portugal – the best country for remote work

The 100 best countries for remote workers have been ranked for 2023 with Portugal taking the top spot. Read our insights from the study

Portugal was named the best country for remote workers thanks to its visa and digital nomad schemes as well as its great weather, safety and high English proficiency. Its capital, Lisbon, was named the best city for remote workers. Other countries that performed well were Spain, Romania, Mauritius and Japan.

Kayak, the world’s leading travel search engine, has published its Work from Wherever Index. The study ranks over 100 countries and territories based on 22 factors that included entry and visa restrictions, local costs, safety and security, internet speed, weather and social life.

10 best countries for remote workers

  1. Portugal
  2. Spain
  3. Romania
  4. Mauritius
  5. Japan
  6. Malta
  7. Costa Rica
  8. Panama
  9. Czech Rep
  10. Germany

Remote work visas in EU Countries

Six of the 10 best countries for remote workers are in the European Union (EU) or Schengen Area, the world’s largest visa-free zone. Currently, visitors from over 50 countries and territories to the EU do not require a visa. However, from November 2023 that will change.

The EU is adopting an American-style ESTA model known as ETIAS – which stands for European Travel Information and Authorisation System. ETIAS will continue to allow travellers to visit the EU without a visa, as long as they have registered their details and completed the questionnaire on a computerised immigration system before travel.

Map of ETIAS eligible countries for remote workers
etiasvisa ETIAS eligible countries

Under the new scheme, visitors that do not usually require a visa to enter the EU will be able to register with ETIAS. It will be a mandatory entry requirement and applicants will have to pay a €7 application fee. The EU says most applications will be processed “within minutes”. Once approved, an ETIAS will be valid for three years or until the passport expires.

A growing number of countries have introduced initiatives and digital nomad visas for remote workers. Those planning to work in EU countries long-term may still need to complete an ETIAS application depending on the length of their stay and the destination’s requirements. As such, it is essential to do your research before you travel.

Blue-sky thinking

The pandemic may have locked people down, but it also freed many employees from the office. Increasing numbers of workers have jumped on a plane, laptops in their hand luggage, and set off in search of a better work-life balance. In response, several visitor-starved destinations launched innovative schemes to entice remote workers and make it easier to stay for longer.

Ponta do Sol in Madeira, Portugal – the best country for remote workers
hbpro/Shutterstock Ponta do Sol was the world's first digital nomad village

Already a popular destination with expats, Portugal was one of the first countries to respond and launched the world's first digital nomad village, Digital Nomads Madeira. The new initiative seeks to attract digital nomads around the world to make use of free co-working spaces and subsidised accommodation.

Mauritius (4th) has made moves to attract remote workers by establishing the renewable premium travel visa, which allows eligible non-citizens to stay for a maximum period of a year.

Malta (6th) also recently launched a nomad residence permit which permits workers to stay in the country once they earn €2,700 (£2,230) a month. Applicants pay €300 each, plus the same for each dependant.

The city of Valletta in Malta during sunset
krivinis/Shutterstock Malta is one of the best countries for digital nomads

Croatia (11th) has expanded its short-term residency permits to welcome travellers from outside the European Union. Applicants must be employed remotely by a company that isn't registered in Croatia and doesn't perform work or provide services to employers there. Temporary stays are initially granted for up to a year and then close family members may join.

The Caribbean nations of Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Dominica have all announced remote work programs along with Estonia, Iceland, Mexico and Dubai in the UAE among others.

100 best countries for remote workers

The best countries for remote workers have been ranked by their overall scores calculated from the average of their six individual categories.

🛂 = Travel (accessibility; hotel, car & fuel prices)
💰 = Local Costs (apartment rental prices per month & per day; transport, food & restaurant prices)
🚑 = Health & Safety (political stability; air pollution; LGBT equality; road safety)
🌐 = Remote Work (remote work visas; co-working spaces; internet speeds)
👭 = Social Life (English proficiency; culture; bars & clubs per capita)
☀️ = Weather (precipitation, temperature)

RankCountryTotal🛂💰🚑🌐👭☀️
1Portugal100687694599137
2Spain93727184677730
3Romania92758771676711
4Mauritius9070847056267
5Japan90706079759438
6Malta89756089601036
7Costa Rica86727679494773
8Panama85847760543078
9Czech Rep84707984547020
10Germany836960886210016
11Croatia82677474577632
12Iceland81603210010026
13Sri Lanka80809447412581
14Taiwan80687473522962
15Albania79729265454336
16Thailand79808834592376
17Georgia76809658414021
18Estonia7567758153587
19Mexico75738558531654
20Indonesia74809327472780
21Australia74714791544448
22Malaysia72879039175489
23Greece72617572467337
24Brazil71849166173762
25Luxembourg71695399347415
26Seychelles6956716641187
27Singapore69595369369388
28Dominica6758806543159
29Philippines67779141126587
30Norway67583498727921
31Lithuania66748281236010
32Bulgaria66768770196515
33Netherlands646144915010018
34Poland61748363267310
35Hungary61718370197316
36Curaçao6071695445256
37Belgium59665683378019
38Denmark59624293518911
39Colombia58859053102752
40Latvia5774797021567
41UAE57765640482647
42Serbia5672886197119
43France56656078328026
44Argentina5672827366530
45Chile5576806226469
46Moldova5567955618914
47Honduras5574885073575
48El Salvador5577875653068
49Cape Verde5566783446238
50Barbados5555554066267
51Aruba5565555349356
52Sweden54624798368310
53Austria54655188268520
54Jamaica5363745327266
55Ecuador5384895981145
56Montenegro526985615643
57New Zealand526854100171230
58USA521004672223436
59South Africa52757559117238
60North Macedonia517893508419
61South Korea50687060226835
62Peru5078935483222
63Canada50725298193217
64Nepal50711003673448
65Turkey49819436103735
66Cyprus497274746633
67Réunion4974657229254
68Vietnam49529143124174
69The Bahamas4956614247164
70Italy49636473178029
71Bolivia4881944673919
72UK48675282276317
73India4771971993670
74Finland4658509328821
75Kazakhstan458196541396
76Guatemala4582844742947
77Dominican Rep4368844153667
78Kenya4269892296249
79Tanzania4273892551857
80Jordan42728840182126
81Armenia4180924010348
82Tunisia4184952123733
83China4077822985046
84Puerto Rico4068646216666
85Ireland39664889171324
86Switzerland39601499457120
87Kuwait39877528152349
88Bangladesh37698811328100
89Anguilla361484857164
90Algeria3491941032032
91Morocco3277912532331
92Pakistan3273100223046
93Nigeria317484434769
94Uzbekistan3159943861821
95Oman307380366448
96Hong Kong29444550272375
97Belize286370406155
98Senegal286982223247
99Egypt288395221636
100Israel26565358191136
101Qatar26835829132346
102Cayman Islands2448234954165
103Saudi Arabia238081115247
104Zimbabwe225987247246

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