Asia rolls out red carpet for digital nomads

Starting on July 22 Thailand, Southeast Asia's second largest economy after Indonesia, launched the Destination Thailand Visa, which allows digital nomads to stay for up to 180 days and is valid for five years.

The visa application fee is 10,000 baht (US$283) and applicants are required to have a minimum financial capacity of 500,000 baht.

Earlier this year Indonesia launched the Bali Remote Worker visa, also known as the E33G, that allows digital nomads to stay on the island for a maximum of one year and requires them to have an income of at least $60,000 a year.

In June the Indonesia government vowed to improve the quality of Internet services in Bali to make it a global digital nomad hub.

Last month it also introduced a new "golden visa" allowing stays of up to 10 years.

For the five-year visa, individual investors are required to set up a company worth $2.5 million, while the 10-year option requires a $5-million investment.

In April the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a visa specifically for remote workers with an annual income of at least 10 million yen.

Applicants must be citizens or residents of countries or regions with a visa exemption agreement with Japan. The visa allows individuals to work in Japan for up to six months and is not renewable.

In July Taiwan announced it would soon launch a visa program for digital nomads with a six-month duration.

South Korea launched its on Jan. 1, allowing a stay of one year and renewable for another.

To be eligible, applicants must prove that they can earn at least double South Korea’s per capita income of the previous year. Thus, in 2024, the minimum income required for digital nomads is $64,000.

Besides, applicants must have worked in their current industry for at least one year and provide proof of health insurance and a clean criminal record.

According to Citizen Remote, a website operated by a group of digital nomads worldwide, Vietnam is an excellent destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, safety, and free wifi.

But Vietnam does not yet have a specific visa policy for them, and so they have to make do with a tourist visa.

Vietnam grants three-month tourist visas to citizens of all countries and territories.