Adding to the globe’s growing list of digital nomad visas introduced in 2020 is Work in Iceland, a programme that allows foreign national remote workers the chance to reside in, and work remotely from, the stunning country of Iceland with their family for up to six months.
Under a newly signed amendment that is a collaboration between The Federation of Icelandic Industries and the Iceland Ministry of Industries and Innovation, foreigners (non-EEA nationals) can now apply for a long-term visa, allowing them and their families to reside in Iceland for half a year.
As with all digital nomad programmes launched in 2020, including Bermuda, Dubai and Estonia, applicants must be employed – either with a foreign company or be registered self-employed in their country of residence – and will be allowed to work remotely as part of the six-month-long stay in Iceland.
However, unlike many of the recently-launched remote working visa programmes, Iceland’s long-term visa demands that applicants must prove they are making at least US$7,360 a month (US$88,000 per year) as well as having health insurance.
Like many of the countries which have unveiled digital nomad visa programmes in the last six months, Iceland’s visa programme was launched to help combat the economic impact of the pandemic including lost tourism dollars.
According to Iceland’s minister of tourism for innovation and industry, Þórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, “by making it easier for foreign nationals to work from Iceland, we add value, knowledge and connections in Iceland that support our innovation environment”.
The minister of finance and economic affairs, Bjarni Benediktsson, adds: “We believe that these individuals will bring with them valuable experience and connections that will benefit Iceland on its path to economic recovery from effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Tapping into the increasing trend for remote working and as a way to recoup revenues that were lost from tourism due to the pandemic, an increasing number of countries worldwide are opening their doors to remote workers.
Currently, there are 18 countries offering digital nomad visas, including Germany, Mexico, Spain, Aruba and The Czech Republic, and with even more unveiling programmes in the last six months, including a number of Caribbean islands – Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Antigua & Barbuda – as well as Dubai, Georgia and Estonia.
The latest countries to jump on the digital nomad visa bandwagon are the EU countries of Greece and Croatia.
To find out more about some of the digital nomad visa programmes, click here