As the digital nomad trend continues to grow in popularity after the lockdowns of the pandemic, more and more countries are creating policies to attract the highly skilled and technologically advanced workforce.
Recently, five countries in Europe have emerged with liberal digital nomad visa policies and with this, tourist destinations which have also become new hotspots with the digital nomad crowd.
Let’s take a look at the five countries with new hotspot destinations for remote workers.
Germany
When it comes to the intersection of quality of life and cost of living, it is definitely hard to compete with many parts of Germany.
In a recent report titled Europe’s Top and Emerging Tech Hubs, German towns Berlin, Hamburg and Munich topped the list in Germany.
Berlin is not a new destination for nomads, however it has been becoming less popular recently because the popularity has led to higher cost of living for digital nomad workers.
That has led to Hamburg and Munich moving up the list. Both cities are very tech oriented and have a strong start-up focus. Also, the natural surroundings and reasonable cost of living has made these places popular with digital nomads.
Italy
Italy is relatively new to the digital nomad race in Europe. While the visa process has been called cumbersome and littered with typical Italian bureaucracy, it is worth the effort to live in Il Bel Paese.
While internet speeds around the country are an issue, digital nomads will find acceptable technology access in Milan, Rome and Turin.
Milan is the business capital of the country and a natural for business-oriented nomads. The history, culture and technology in Rome is a place nomads can love.
Turin may be a new option for some. However, the town’s connection to the automotive and aerospace industries might be a perfect adrenaline rush for digital nomad remote workers.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands is one of those Nordic style European countries well known for a high quality of life which could really appeal to digital nomads.
Towns like Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht are great places to live, especially for digital nomads with families. However, they do come at a price. The Netherlands is not really known for affordable costs of living, especially in Amsterdam.
Rotterdam may be a reasonably priced place to check out and it has a high level of start-up activity, incubators and convenient co-working locations for remote jobs.
Spain
With plenty of sunshine, a good work-life balance and an affordable cost of living, Spain may be a good choice for many digital nomads.
Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia topped the list. However, digital nomads should be aware that overtourism is creating a pushback against the movement across Spain.
While prices are affordable, they are quickly going up in price and some digital nomads have faced challenges finding any affordable housing, especially in smaller cities.
By the way, Spain has one of the friendliest start-up visa programs allowing entrepreneurs to stay in the country after as little as one full year.
Sweden
Another great place for quality of life, even despite the high cost of living, is Sweden. While the weather may be a little chilly, the digital nomad landscape is red hot, and the report cites locations such as Malmö and Stockholm.
While Stockholm is well known and pricey, Malmö is regarded as a more affordable destination for digital nomads.
Malmö is a short train ride from all of the action in Copenhagen and is well known for its rapidly growing and thriving tech industry along with a more affordable high quality of life.
New Nomad Places to Explore
With the popularity of the digital nomad movement expanding in momentum, countries around the world are creating fantastic opportunities to experience different cultures and explore the world while working remotely.
Here are five more country options for digital nomads to explore and enjoy remote working in Europe.