The short answer
Ecuador (US$1,446 a month) and Brazil (US$1,500) set the lowest published income requirements for a digital nomad visa among the countries we cover. Portugal (€3,680, about US$4,274), Croatia, Greece and Malta sit at the top, all above US$4,000. Argentina, Uruguay and Thailand publish no fixed monthly figure.
A digital nomad visa lets you live in a country while you keep working for clients or an employer elsewhere. Most set a minimum income, and that number decides where you can apply. Below are the published income requirements for the remote-work routes in the countries Out & Found covers, lowest first, with what each figure actually means.
Income requirements, lowest to highest
Published minimums for the main applicant. Dollar figures use the rate each country's guide uses: US$1 = €0.8759 (ECB July 2026 average), and €1 = US$1.1615 for Portugal (ECB, 3 September 2026).
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| Country | Route | Published requirement | In US dollars | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | Visa Nómada | US$1,446 a month (three unified basic salaries, 2026) | US$1,446 | Resets each January with the basic salary. |
| Brazil | VITEM XIV | US$1,500 a month, or US$18,000 in bank funds | US$1,500 | No work for Brazilian companies. |
| Colombia | Digital nomad visa | Three monthly minimum wages: COP 5,252,715 a month for 2026 | about US$1,563 | Shown across three months of statements; resets each January. |
| Italy | Digital nomad visa | €24,789 a year (€2,065.75 a month) | about US$2,358 | The figure US consulates publish; some posts outside the US use higher working figures. |
| Spain | Telework visa | €2,442 a month | about US$2,788 | Add €915.75 a month for a partner. |
| Costa Rica | Remote-worker stay | US$3,000 a month | US$3,000 | US$4,000 a month if you apply with dependents. |
| Panama | Remote-worker visa | US$3,000 a month from foreign sources | US$3,000 | No partner or child add-on is published. |
| Greece | Digital nomad visa | €3,500 a month, net | about US$3,996 | €4,200 a month with a partner. |
| Malta | Nomad residence permit | €42,000 a year, gross | about US$3,996 | Not a route to permanent residence. |
| Croatia | Nomad temporary stay | €3,622.50 a month | about US$4,136 | Or savings (€43,470 for 12 months); add €144.90 a month per family member. |
| Portugal | D8 residence visa | €3,680 a month, averaged over three months | about US$4,274 | Pegged to the minimum wage, so it moves when the wage does. |
How to read these numbers
- Gross or net matters. Malta asks for €42,000 a year gross; Greece asks for €3,500 a month net. A Greece application on gross pay can fall short.
- Some figures are averages. Portugal averages your income over three months, and Colombia wants three months of statements. One strong month is not enough.
- Some move every year. Ecuador, Colombia and Portugal tie their figures to a local minimum wage, so check the current year's number before you apply.
- Savings sometimes count instead. Brazil accepts US$18,000 in bank funds, and Croatia accepts savings for the length of your stay.
- Your consulate has the final word. Italy's figure is the one US consulates publish; posts elsewhere use different working numbers.
Routes with no fixed income figure
- Argentina: the remote-worker residence runs 180 days, renewable for another 180. You document your remote activity and income rather than meet a set number.
- Uruguay: the HIP nomad permit also runs 180 plus 180 days. You declare sufficient means for the stay.
- Thailand: the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) has no monthly income floor. You show a THB 500,000 balance (about US$14,929) across three months of statements, or a sponsorship letter.
No fixed figure is not the same as no requirement. Expect the consulate to ask how you will support yourself.
Countries without a nomad visa
Some popular countries have no dedicated remote-work visa. You can still go, but through a different door:
- Mexico: the temporary resident visa, for stays over 180 days, is the nearest equivalent. Consulates ask for US$4,510 to US$4,792 a month over the previous six months.
- Canada and New Zealand: remote workers come as visitors and may work only for employers or clients outside the country.
- France: no remote-worker category. France-Visas routes you by the real purpose of your stay.
- Germany: remote workers are assessed under the self-employment rules, case by case.
- The Netherlands: no nomad visa. US citizens can use the DAFT self-employment route, which has its own capital and income tests.
Moving with a same-sex spouse or partner
The income figure is only half the question if you are not moving alone. Whether your spouse or partner can join you on your visa depends on how each country treats your relationship, and many visa rules say nothing either way.
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| Country | What the rules say about your partner |
|---|---|
| Portugal | Same-sex spouses and civil partners qualify for family reunification; unmarried partners qualify with documentary proof. |
| Spain | Same-sex spouses and civil-union partners qualify; unmarried partners qualify with proof of the relationship. |
| Costa Rica | Spouses and common-law partners may join as dependents; official materials do not exclude same-sex couples. |
| Greece | Same-sex spouses or civil partners can accompany you with a certified, translated certificate. Unmarried partners face a gap. |
| Croatia | Spouses and life or common-law partners count as family, classified case by case. Croatia recognizes foreign same-sex marriages as life partnerships. |
| Malta | A spouse can be included; same-sex marriage or civil-union certificates need documentary proof and agency approval. |
| Ecuador | Submit an apostilled, translated marriage or civil-union certificate. No route-specific same-sex rule is published. |
| Brazil | Brazilian law recognizes same-sex marriage and stable unions for family reunification, but no dependent checklist is published for this visa. |
| Colombia | No published same-sex spouse or civil-union rule exists for this visa. |
| Italy | No dedicated checklist for same-sex spouses or civil-union partners. Italy treats foreign same-sex marriages as civil unions; confirm with your consulate. |
| Thailand | No DTV-specific same-sex spouse rule is published. Get written confirmation. |
| Panama | Unconfirmed: sources conflict on dependents, and Panama does not register same-sex marriages from abroad. Get written confirmation. |
Where a rule is silent, ask the consulate in writing before you apply, and keep the reply with your file.
What the income bar does not tell you
- Tax. In most of these countries, 183 days in a year makes you a tax resident, often taxed on worldwide income. The exceptions are worth knowing: Croatia exempts nomad income, Costa Rica exempts foreign income, and Panama taxes on a territorial basis.
- Healthcare. In most of these countries, a nomad visa does not enroll you in public healthcare. Brazil is the clearest exception: VITEM XIV holders can use the public SUS system. Elsewhere, plan on private insurance, which most of these visas require anyway.
- What you can afford. The requirement is a qualification, not a budget. A one-bedroom in Lisbon runs about €925 to €1,255 a month on a medium-term lease (market estimate), a large share of the minimum.
Common questions
Which digital nomad visa has the lowest income requirement?
Among the countries we cover, Ecuador and Brazil set the lowest published figures, at US$1,446 and US$1,500 a month. Argentina, Uruguay and Thailand publish no fixed monthly figure.
Do these figures include my partner?
No. They are for the main applicant. Spain adds €915.75 a month for a partner, Greece raises the figure to €4,200, Costa Rica to US$4,000 with dependents, and Croatia adds €144.90 per family member.
What is the Portugal D8 visa income requirement?
Portugal's D8 asks for €3,680 a month, about US$4,274, averaged over the last three months. The figure is four times Portugal's minimum wage, so it changes when the wage does. Same-sex spouses and civil partners qualify for family reunification.
What is the Spain digital nomad visa income requirement?
Spain's telework visa asks for €2,442 a month for you, about US$2,788, plus €915.75 a month for a partner. Same-sex spouses and civil-union partners qualify; unmarried partners can qualify with proof of the relationship.
Which LGBTQ-friendly countries are best for digital nomads?
We don't rank countries. Among those we cover, the ones that combine a nomad visa or remote-work route, marriage equality, broad anti-discrimination law and no HIV entry rule are Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay. The Country Finder lets you add your own must-haves.
Can a same-sex spouse join me on a nomad visa?
In Portugal and Spain, yes: same-sex spouses and civil partners qualify. In many other countries the visa rules are silent or conditional, so get written confirmation from the consulate before you apply.
Do digital nomads pay tax abroad?
Often, yes. In most of these countries, spending 183 days in a year makes you a tax resident, usually on worldwide income. Croatia exempts nomad income, Costa Rica exempts foreign income, and Panama taxes on a territorial basis.
Sources and method
Figures come from the Out & Found Digital Nomad Edition guides (Chapter 5, Residency and Visas), verified as of 17 October 2026, which cite each country's immigration authority or consulate. Dollar figures use the rate each country's guide uses: US$1 = €0.8759 (ECB July 2026 average), and €1 = US$1.1615 for Portugal (ECB, 3 September 2026). Your consulate may use a different rate. Requirements change, so confirm the current figure with the official portal before you apply. How we research · Corrections