Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More. While moving to a new country is exciting, it’s also quite stressful. And if you work for yourself, you need to consider several things that might not cross the mind of a salaried employee. You’ll often be on your own with setting yourself up, and the requirements for a residence permit are often different. You’ll need to consider setting up a business in your new country, how you’ll get paid, and the local laws for self-employed people. Those are just a few things to consider; we’ll review plenty more in this article. 1. Can You Legally Live and Work in the Country You’re Moving To? When moving abroad as a freelancer, the most important thing you need to do is ensure that you’re allowed to live and work in the country you’re moving to. Immigration laws will differ not only on where you’re moving to, but also depending on your nationality. If you’ve got citizenship for an EU or EEA country (the 27 EU member states plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), you’ll have a much easier time moving around most countries in Europe. The same is true if you’re Swiss. Generally speaking, citizens of these nations can set up as freelancers quite easily—provided that they’re able to support themselves financially. If you’re from outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you’ll need to consider extra paperwork when moving to one of these countries. Sometimes, you might be restricted to creating a business that specifically serves a local need. Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens include people from the UK (from 2021 onwards), the US, Australia, and Canada. Some countries offer specific digital nomad visas. Examples in Europe include Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Estonia. Further afield, you can also live in Costa Rica, Mexico, Malaysia, and several other nations. Note that some countries will need you to find a place of residence before they can accept your application. 2. Do You Meet the Minimum Income Threshold? The cost of living will differ significantly depending on where you move to. And as a result, different countries may ask that you meet varying income requirements. For example, Iceland is known as one of the most expensive countries in the world. To qualify for its six-month digital nomad visa, you must prove that you earn 1 million Icelandic Krónor per month. At the time of writing in March 2023, that’s roughly $7,025 per month. Many countries have a much lower threshold. For example, to qualify for Malaysia’s nomad visa, you’ll need to prove that you earn around $2,000 per month. If you’re new to freelancing, we recommend growing your skills for a few years to ensure that your pursuit is sustainable. You can lower your learning curve by avoiding these beginner freelancing mistakes . 3. Getting Paid in a Different Currency Many freelancers use the internet’s global reach to work with companies in […]
