Travel Safety Tips

Picking travel insurance can be a very confusing part of planning your international trip. Is it worth the expense? Which insurance companies offer the best coverage?

Getting some travel insurance is an extremely important part of planning a trip to foreign countries. Many regular health insurance companies don’t cover much (if anything) when you travel. This means you should purchase a dedicated travel insurance plan.

Travel insurance plans can cover a mix of medical emergencies, accidents, theft of personal property, illness, and even trip cancellation or interruptions. It’s just a smart option if you want to travel safely these days.

But the best part is, decent plans can cost only a few dollars a day.

After 10-years of travel, I’ve had quite a few incidents happen on the road (Dengue Fever, a stolen camera, phone, etc.) So I never travel without insurance to protect me from these unexpected situations.

My goal with this travel insurance guide is to help you narrow down the overwhelming choices out there — and pick some good travel insurance whether you’re traveling for 2-weeks or 6-months.

Why listen to me? Experience! I’ve been traveling around the world for ten years as a digital nomad, while visiting over 50 countries.

Matthew KarstenThe Expert Vagabond

Types Of Travel Insurance

There are a few different kinds of travel insurance, and some plans cover more than others.

You’ll have to ask yourself a few questions before picking a plan. Are you a short-term traveler going away for a week or two? Or are you a long-term traveler leaving for 6-months or more?

Do you carry a lot of expensive photo/computer gear, or not?

Will your current health insurance cover you overseas? How much will it cover? Does it include medical evacuation? Do you have any pre-existing conditions?

Are you the type of person who books hotels/flights/activities in advance? Or do you just wing it and pay for these services as you use them? Are you worried your trip might get canceled?

Travel Medical Insurance is coverage for accidents, injuries, illness, or hospital visits while you are away from home.

Medical Evacuation Insurance is coverage for emergency transportation (often via airplane) to a major hospital for better treatment.

Trip Cancellation Insurance is coverage for unexpected interruptions in your travel plans.

Baggage/Property Insurance is coverage for theft or damage to your gear while traveling.

Best Travel Insurance Options In 2023

Short-Term Travel Insurance

SafetyWing

SafetyWing is a fantastic budget travel insurance option for travelers. They offer the flexibility to purchase a plan before or after your trip has already started. Plans start at only $40 per month, and they include theft of personal property too!

Another big perk is that they can also cover you in your home country, or a dependent child who is traveling with you. Which is nice for digital nomads and families traveling with kids.

World Nomads

World Nomads specializes in short-term travel coverage, including theft, and are very popular among travelers. I used them for years before I decided to get long-term expat type insurance instead.

Buying insurance with World Nomads for your next vacation is quick & easy. You can even purchase a plan with little advanced notice. You can extend coverage online from anywhere too.

Health Coverage Worldwide: Yes.
Coverage At Home: No.
Medical Evacuation: Yes.
Trip Cancellation: Yes.
Theft/Damage Insurance: Yes. ($500 per-item limit)

Long-Term Insurance For Digital Nomads & Expats

Because I’m a digital nomad and travel with thousands of dollars of camera equipment for work, I have a more long-term travel insurance mindset. I use an expat dedicated health insurance policy, combined with a gear policy for professional photographers.

This mix is more expensive than a World Nomads Policy, but works best for my long-term travel lifestyle.

IMG Global

This plan specializes in long-term worldwide medical coverage, but does not cover theft or trip cancelation. Coverage inside the United States is included, but to qualify you must spend at least 6 months of the year living abroad. You can choose a deductible from $250-$10,000.

Health Coverage Worldwide: Yes.
Coverage at Home: Yes.
Medical Evacuation: Yes.
Trip Cancellation: No.
Theft/Damage Insurance: No.
Example Quote: Global Gold (1 year policy) = $74/month with $1000 deductible

HTH Worldwide

Full international medical insurance, including the United States. No limits as to how long you are in the US. Deductible waived for regular doctor checkups. Excellent insurance, but pricey. Sherry from OttsWorld.com is a happy customer.

Health Coverage Worldwide: Yes.
Coverage at Home: Yes.
Medical Evacuation: Yes.
Trip Cancellation: No.
Theft/Damage Insurance: No.
Example Quote: Global Citizen (1 year policy) = $269/month with $1000 deductible

More Insurance Options

Your Current Health Insurance

Already have regular health insurance in your home country? Check to see if they provide coverage internationally. If they do, you might not need anything else.

Homeowners Or Renters Insurance

Your homeowners or renters insurance may cover your belongings when you’re traveling in foreign countries too. Call them up to verify the details.

Credit Card Travel Insurance

Many travel credit cards often include some basic travel, theft, and even car insurance (which is great for renting a car overseas). Call your card company up to get details on what is exactly covered (or not).

Do You Need Travel Insurance?

This is the million-dollar question — and ultimately a personal decision. I’ve met plenty of people who travel without travel insurance and I’ve contemplated doing the same.

But after over 10-years of constant travel, hearing horror stories from other travelers, and getting into a few dangerous predicaments myself — if someone asks for my opinion on the subject I answer with:

YES. Everyone should carry some kind of health/property insurance when traveling.

Why? Because stuff happens. Whether you think it will or not. Despite your best-laid plans and preventative measures. Sure, if you sprain your ankle, it might not be a big deal.

But what if your appendix bursts? Or your bus crashes? Or you contract a deadly disease? Or require medical evacuation after breaking your leg?

These things definitely happen to travelers from time to time, and could cost you tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars. Without insurance, you’re screwed!

My recommendation is based on listening to countless first-hand tales of disaster from other travelers, as well as my own personal experiences.

Real-Life Examples

I know a woman traveling in Costa Rica who fell off a ladder, shattering her arm. She did not have health insurance, received horrible treatment at the local hospital, and was basically held hostage there until she was able to pay the HUGE medical bill.

Another person I know lost everything he was traveling with when his locked guesthouse in Ecuador was broken into. Without personal property insurance, he would have needed to spend thousands replacing all his gear.

Another friend contracted a flesh-eating parasite while trekking through the jungles of Peru. He required months worth of treatment from specialized doctors, and a medical evacuation flight back to the United States.

These are all people I know personally.

Making An Insurance Claim

Insurance companies are notorious for trying to avoid paying out claims. Making a claim might take some work on your part, depending on the situation. Here are a few tips for getting paid through travel insurance:

• If you’re having issues filing a claim, always work your way up the corporate ladder. Talk to a supervisor. Then talk to the supervisor’s supervisor. Make your claim issues public using Social Media if needed.
• Record conversations. At the beginning of every phone call, tell the other party you’re recording the conversation to ensure no misunderstandings later.
• When filing a police report of any kind, keep the story simple. The longer and more in-depth the report, the easier it is for insurance companies to find a loophole to deny your claim.

Additional Travel Insurance Tips

• Read the fine print first! Know what you’re covered for. For example, some policies don’t cover extreme sports or theft of unattended items.
• Take photos or a video of all your travel gear with a date stamp.
• Save PDF copies of any travel gear purchases & hospital receipts. Keep originals too.
• Write down serial numbers, policy numbers, and insurance contact information.
• Store this information online in a secure, easy to access place. I use Evernote. Another good option is Dropbox or Google Drive.
• File a police report immediately after any theft or accident while traveling.

No one likes to think about theft or injury when they’re on vacation, but the threat is real, and without good travel insurance, an unexpected incident could ruin the rest of your year. Never travel without it! ★

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Learn what it takes to become a professional nanny or au-pair for rich families living overseas, while making up to $100,000 a year. Where to find jobs, qualifications needed, and more.

Looking to change up your job this year? Maybe find one that lets you travel more? Do you enjoy working with children?

What if you could do all of the above, while making great money in the process. Welcome to the world of VIP Nannies & Au-Pairs.

In this guide I’ll explain the best way of finding and getting hired for VIP tutor, au-pair, or nanny jobs, and – in the process – why you might (or might not) want to work in this industry.

Nanny Job Guide For 2022

Childcare For Rich People: VIP Au-Pair

If you’re not yet convinced that this whole thing is doable, get on Google and do a quick search for ‘VIP nanny agency’, or check out the salaries for nanny, governess and tutor jobs.

You’ll see that salaries of £1000 or $1400 per week are fairly commonplace for full-time positions.

But if you want to reach the coveted 6-figure bracket of English teaching, tutoring and nannying jobs, you’ll need to do a little extra research into particular locations, and understand what exactly the work entails.

Nanny, Au Pair, Governess, Tutor

All of these terms are describing a similar role. Getting paid to take care of other people’s kids while also living (and traveling) with the family. These jobs are for both women & men.

The highest paying jobs are usually private, overseas positions tutoring or nannying kids for an UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) family. It’s a pretty simple concept.

Wealthy families understand that English is a valuable language for their children to learn.

They know their children will have better opportunities to study or work abroad, or simply be more comfortable traveling if they speak English well.

For families that don’t have English as their first language but DO have the financial resources to pay for top-notch education, hiring a private tutor or nanny from the United States, Canada, or United Kingdom is often the answer.

A native-level English nanny or tutor working with their kids on a 40-50 hour per week basis can give these VIP children the kind of immersive experience that gets them fluent fast, and ultimately they are brought up speaking English with a clean accent, like a native.

For many wealthy families overseas, this is quite a prestigious matter.

The Life Of A Professional Nanny

The day-to-day experience for a nanny will include getting the charge (or charges) up in the morning, washed, dressed, fed breakfast and off to kindergarten or nursery, then probably a break.

In the afternoon perhaps walks, games, small trips and then the evening routine of getting the child ready for bed.

A tutor (or ‘governor’) might focus more on after-school sports, games, homework support and reading, whilst speaking English all the while. And, of course, tagging along on all the family’s vacations.

The pros of this type of work include the obvious great salaries (full-time work usually starts at a minimum of £1000 or $1400 per week), worldwide travel to luxury resorts (the Maldives, South of France and Dubai are popular choices for these types of wealthy families) and even occasional bonuses. Sounds pretty good, right?

Where Do Wealthy Families Live?

This is actually a pretty easy one to answer. The highest paying locations for tutors and nannies working for VIP international families are usually:

• Russia (mostly Moscow and St Petersburg)
• The UAE (tends to be Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
• The South of France (Monaco and surrounding areas).

Naturally, this list isn’t exhaustive. Whilst the areas listed above are the most common, more niche locations will include places like London or New York (international families that have moved there but haven’t achieved native-level English yet), Paris, Lagos, and plenty more.

Most large international cities will have some sort of market for VIP nannying or tutoring, it’s just a question of looking in the right place.

The bottom line is; almost all of these types of positions involve travel and relocation. If you want a job like this make sure you really are ready to commit to an overseas contract and prepare yourself accordingly.

OK, so you love travel and adventure and you’re cool with working with kids. What’s the next step?

Qualifications & Relevant Experience

It’s important to be realistic here – it’s very unlikely that you’ll find a wealthy VIP employer ready to pay you $100,000 per year to work with their family if you have zero experience or qualifications.

Time to go and get some! The qualifications to obtain will vary for a nanny or a tutor. A nanny applicant would ideally have a degree in Early Years, Childhood Education or similar to get to a top-level salary.

However it is possible to do shorter nannying courses and certifications. A CACHE certificate would be a good start for nannies based in the UK, but there are a huge variety of options – get on Google to find nanny courses near you.

You would also ideally have some sort of background check done (many agencies will ask for this) and First Aid certification would be helpful too.

For tutors, a couple of years’ tutoring English to your target age group, as well as a TEFL, TOEFL or CELTA certificate is generally enough. You can do these courses either in a school or online. A degree in education, languages or childhood education would be even better.

Full teaching qualifications would allow you to max out your salary potential.

You’ll also need to show at least a couple of years of work experience. The longer-term the better; a year or more in one stable position demonstrates to families or employers that you are reliable and committed and suitable for their family.

Families don’t want a nanny or tutor who leaves after a month or two, unless they are specializing in summer placements.

You’ll need references from previous employers (not necessarily VIP), so check that you have someone ready to speak to the agency or to a potential new boss.

As a general rule of thumb, the better your qualifications and experience, the better chance you have of finding a VIP nanny or tutor position.

Craft An Exceptional Resume/CV

The first thing to put on your CV is your qualifications and experience (as above). Family employers will also usually like a photo to ‘visualize’ how you might fit into their lives, so smile in your CV photo and wear something smart and sensible, clean and professional.

Your CV needs to include some personal information about you (but keep it professional, this isn’t the place for sentimental childhood memories) and information on any extra-curricular skills you possess.

The nannies and tutors getting paid the highest salaries usually have musical or sporting ability, or the ability to speak a second or third language on top of English. Anything you can think of here (piano, yoga, chess, Spanish) that you could theoretically teach to a child is a bonus.

When it’s all been put together, your CV should be a maximum of 2 pages (no longer, cut out information that isn’t relevant). Write a cover letter email introducing yourself, add some photos of you working with (or just spending time with) children, attach your CV, copies of your qualification certificates and your references and your application ‘package’ is good to go.

Where To Find Great Nanny Jobs

Now that you’ve got your application package prepped you need to start shopping for suitable positions.

One of the best places to get started is, as per usual, the internet. Both job sites and agencies can be your friends here. Job sites like Jobs in Childcare have a variety of positions from VIP agencies.

Alternatively, get on Google and use search terms like ‘VIP nanny jobs’ or ‘VIP tutoring’ to access individual agencies. Your best bet is to upload your CV and documents to job sites or to email them as a package to individual agencies.

Have a browse around the job sites and agencies themselves, scoping out what kind of terms are on offer. Look at schedules, responsibilities and pay careful attention to the charge’s ages and the working requirements, and see if you can find any positions that particularly peak your interest.

What Are The Downsides?

We talked about the ‘pros’ above’; this is probably a good moment to mention the dreaded ‘cons’. Working with a family can go either way. You might have a fantastic employer, or a terrible one.

Make sure that:

a) You are comfortable and confident that this is a real job (99% chance it will be, but just in case). Speak to real humans during the process, and do as much background research into the agency/ position as you can.

b) You are ready for what might be a different culture, homesickness, the possibility that people don’t speak good English where you are headed.

c) You are aware of the possibility that the children you nanny or tutor may be badly behaved, badly brought up or just generally unpleasant.

Whilst these are possibilities that you need to be aware of, that’s not to say that working for a family is a bad idea. On the contrary, a good employer with well-brought up children can bring a blissful working life that pays you a fantastic salary, and I personally know lots of people in this situation.

It’s important to be aware of potential pitfalls, to approach this kind of work with an open mind and to be ready to backtrack if the position isn’t quite what you expected. If your interview goes well, try and lock in a fixed trial to give you time to understand if the position is right for you.

The Interview Process

A professional interview is the next step if the agency or employer likes your profile. Your job interview will either be in person (if local) or (much more likely post-COVID) on Skype, Zoom or a similar video-conferencing platform.

Make sure you are on time! It is massively unprofessional to be late for your interview, so don’t make this basic mistake.

You also need to be well dressed and suitably prepared. Make sure your WiFi connection is good and make sure nobody will interrupt you, either on the phone or in person. Have sensible lighting and keep a pen and paper nearby to make notes.

If your interview is for a specific position (rather than a general ‘welcome to our agency’ interview), think of questions you might want to ask to demonstrate a little genuine interest in the role).Oh, and remember to smile!

Nanny Trial Period

So if you have put together a good CV and interviewed successfully, then it’s time for the final step – a trial period.

If you are local then you will typically make your own way there. If it’s a long way (or overseas) a good employer will generally arrange this and pay for it for you, along with any visas you need.

Trial periods should always be paid; discuss this with the agency you work with.Key tips for your trial would include:

a) Do not be late under any circumstances! Better to be there 15 minutes early and take a book.

b) Be prepared – take suitable books and games for your charge or student’s level, as well as outdoor clothes for yourself in case you find yourself outside

c) Dress appropriately, be clean, don’t wear too much perfume or aftershave, and – again – smile!

At the end of your first day, ask your employer for feedback if you get the opportunity. Remember that the trial is as much for you to see if you are comfortable as it is for the employer. So if you don’t like the position, don’t sign up for it – there will be others!

And if you are offered a job, make sure that the agency you work with provides you with a contract and that the terms are clear and concise, particularly with regards to salary, schedule, working hours and holiday conditions.

Good luck!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Photography tips

Turning freelance photography into a paid profession is a dream for many people. While difficult, it’s definitely possible. Here’s how to make money as a successful photographer.

I’ve been working as a professional freelance photographer for the past 10-years or so. Getting paid to travel the world shooting photos of exotic destinations and licensing my images to different organizations is a pretty awesome job.

I’ve even sold some images to National Geographic!

Freelance photography is a profession that’s constantly changing, and to make it work you need to stay on top of all the latest trends — like post-processing techniques, social media skills, networking, and successful business models.

In this guide I’m going to share helpful tips for how to become a freelance photographer and actually make money from your photography.

These are suggestions based on what I’ve learned over the years, along with a few wisdom nuggets from some of my favorite travel & adventure photographers.

Why listen to me? Experience! I’ve been traveling around the world for ten years as a professional travel photographer, licensing images to brands like NatGeo.

Matthew KarstenThe Expert Vagabond

Here’s everything we’re going to cover (if you want to skip around).

What Is Freelance Photography?

Freelance photography is providing photos to clients and licensing them for a fee, or working as a self-employed freelance photographer. You can get hired in advance for specific projects, or shoot the photos first — selling them later.

There are many different types of professional photography jobs out there, like travel photography, landscape photography, commercial photography, portraits, wedding photography, or fine-art photography.

In this guide I’m going to focus on a mix of travel, adventure, commercial, and editorial photography. The quintessential dream photography jobs. However the advice can be relevant for other kinds of photography too.

The Reality Of Photography As A Profession

The life of a professional freelance photographer can be hard. Especially in the beginning of your career. Personally, it took me a few years to earn any money at all. And that’s pretty common.

You’ll often work alone, for long hours, with very little stability (or income). It is a long-term commitment, with no guarantee of success, and many people eventually give up.

Pursuing a freelance photography career is definitely not for everyone…

That said, if you DO find a way to make it work, it’s one of the coolest jobs out there. And the longer you do it, the more you learn, and the more money you can make.

Even after many years working my butt off, for little pay, and occasionally questioning my life choices along the way, I wouldn’t trade working as a freelance travel photographer for anything else!

9 Steps To Professional Photography Success

1: Improve Your Photography Skills

“People start their photography career asking how to make money — not asking how to make a good picture. First you need to make a good picture, then you can think about money.”

Daniel KordanProfessional Photographer

Never stop learning! I get many emails from people asking for tips on how to make money from photography, and after viewing their work, usually my top piece of advice is — to get better at photography.

Which may sound kind of harsh, but often true.

Hey, I’ll be the first to tell you I’m not the best photographer out there. I’m constantly learning new things from others, investing both time & money into training to make that happen.

Owning a nice camera does not make you a great photographer. Practice, experience, and skill do. There is ALWAYS room to get better at composition, lighting, post-processing techniques, creativity, location scouting, and more.

For example, shooting photos is easy, but meticulously planning to be at the right place, at the right time, is far more difficult and requires more patience.

Maybe you know your camera like the back of your hand, but how are your Lightroom & Photoshop skills? Do you understand how to focus stack or create luminosity masks?

So before you start pitching brands for projects, ensure your photography will truly stand out from all the other freelance photographers doing the same. You don’t have to be the best, but you do need to hold your own among other pros.

Online Photography Courses

Want to improve your photography? Fancy gear is nice, but learning from other photographers is a better investment.

Click Here For Free Guide

2. Develop A Focus & Style

“Become a specialist. Hone your skills. Don’t get good at something you don’t want to do.”

Chris BurkardProfessional Photographer

If you’re shooting the same kinds of photos as everyone else, your work won’t stand out and you’ll get lost in the sea of people just trying to copy the most popular photos on Instagram.

While it won’t happen overnight, you need to develop a personal style of photography. Something people will remember you for. Focus on a specialty, like ariel drone photography, or outdoor sports photography, or even fantasy portraits.

While you can certainly practice other kinds of photography, you should try to keep your portfolio narrow and focused, to make it easy to “define” your style. So when someone is looking for an underwater photographer, they can see right away that’s your specialty.

Editing and processing your photos in a certain style can help with this too.

Some clients are looking for realistic images, others want a more dreamy and ephemeral vibe. Just because you CAN do it all, doesn’t mean you should.

The photographers who get regular work often do so because they become known for a particular style.

3. Create A Website

“About 75% of my professional photography clients discover my work through my blog. It’s an important marketing tool for my business.”

Matthew KarstenProfessional Photographer

I’m sure you already have accounts with Instagram, Facebook, maybe 500px too — but do you have an actual photography website & blog yet?

A professional website is what many potential clients will want to see.

Put together a strong portfolio of your best shots (more on that later) and make sure it’s easy to navigate. Buy an actual domain name — using your name or company name if possible.

Include a blog section on the website, where you can post updates about your latest photography projects, photo tips, philosophy on life, whatever. The blog will help people get to know you, and can even attract new clients.

If you want to start a blog, I’d recommend a self-hosted WordPress site. If you want to create a beautiful online photography portfolio of your work, and sell your own prints, I’d also get an account with SmugMug.

This is my personal setup, and it’s worked very well for many years! In fact, I’ve sold many images to companies who’ve discovered my work either on my blog, or on my SmugMug account after a simple Google search for a specific type of image.

Get your work out there online, learn about keywords and SEO, make sure it’s easy for others to find your images — and they eventually will.

4. Build A Portfolio & Media Kit

“Building a strong portfolio is super important because it helps you showcase your best work. While a media kit is a snapshot of who you are and what you can offer as a creative.”

Tiffany NguyenProfessional Photographer

Freelance Photographer Portfolio

One of the most important things you can do as a photographer is invest in personal projects to help build a portfolio of work that will get you noticed by clients. A portfolio is simply a collection of your best photos.

Want to become a travel photographer? Well you’ll probably need to spend your own money on travel to get some amazing shots for your portfolio, which you can then use to pitch travel destinations or travel brands.

Want to work with backpack, tent, and other outdoor gear brands? You’ll need to get out into the mountains and shoot some product photography examples for your portfolio which will match what these kinds of brands are looking for.

There are no shortcuts here. You need to spend money & time building a strong portfolio of work that will “sell” your services to potential clients later.

Your portfolio can be based online, but I highly recommend you also create a PDF version which is easily emailed or printed out and passed around an office.

Creating A Media Kit

You can think of a media kit as the story of you and your work, in PDF form. It contains elements of a portfolio, but with more information that will help clients decide whether to hire you or not.

It’s kind of like a pitch deck (which I’ll describe a bit later), but rather than pitching a specific project, you’re simply pitching yourself.

Generally a media kit starts with an introduction about you, sharing your personal mission statement, a healthy selection of images from your portfolio, and maybe some examples of past clients if applicable — plus contact details of course.

If you have a strong social media presence, many media kits will mention things like follower numbers across different social media platforms too.

Want an example? You can download my media kit here.

5. Promote Your Photos On Social Media

“The 3 key elements to social media growth are great quality content, being social on both your page & others‘, and bringing value. Hold live editing shows, produce destination guides, or show what goes on behind-the-scenes.”

Jord HammondProfessional Photographer

Share your work regularly on social media. Daily if possible. Create & share. Create & share. Rinse & repeat.

Share your work consistently, both for the encouragement & praise you receive from others, as well as to flood the market with your art.

You never know what photo or video will resonate with people, or what will viral on social media. Or when some brand will happen to be searching for a new freelance photographer to hire.

To maximize your chances of discovery, you need to constantly create — and share. Over and over again. They don’t call us “creators” for nothing!

Social Media Growth Tips & Tricks

• Do Interesting Things – The people growing fastest on social media are always creating interesting, unique, and fun content. They aren’t sitting at home worrying about followers, they’re actively creating. Does that mean selling all your stuff and living in a van? Maybe. But it doesn’t have to. Just get out there and do cool stuff on a regular basis!
• Engage With Others – Actually respond to the comments left on your photos. Leave meaningful comments on other people’s content too. Maybe send a direct message asking a follow-up question. This can be time-consuming, but valuable. Set aside an hour or two each day specifically to engage with others.
• Get Featured – The days of easy Instagram & Facebook follower growth have slowed down, but you can still attract new followers when big accounts feature your work. See what hashtags are trending. Reach out to accounts that share other people’s work via direct message to show them you have something that fits their current theme. Do it on a regular basis.
• Provide Tons Of Value – Help other people with their own photography — and your social media accounts will grow much faster. You have to give people a reason to follow your account, more than just pretty pictures. If they get some free lessons from time to time, they are far more likely to stick around.

6. Pitching & Networking To Find Jobs

“If you’re not leveraging LinkedIn to build your professional network, start now. While Instagram is great for attention, LinkedIn gets you professionally connected to editors.”

Lola AkinmadeProfessional Photographer

The truth about becoming a freelance photographer is that you need to put yourself out there to find jobs. Shooting photos is often the easy part!

Networking is the very important business skill that will determine if you make money from your photography or not. Make a list of the people, brands, and agencies that you’d like to work with, and reach out.

Try starting with smaller brands first.

Study the brand and its values. Interact with their online content for a while in a meaningful way. Then, cold call them on the phone, send an email, or reach out with a direct message on social media (Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn).

Tell them you like what they do. Don’t be creepy, annoying, or pushy. Then find out if there’s a way you can work together on a future project. Attach that media kit & portfolio you just put together!

Other than individual brands, you may want to try to reach out to “agencies” too. An agency is in charge of managing the marketing for many different brands, often in a particular category. There is potential for much more work if you can build a relationship with an agency.

You may hear a lot of “we’re not looking for anyone right now” at first. Never take it personally, and just remember this is a numbers game.

Some of the most successful freelance photographers are the ones who work the hardest at pitching & networking — day in, and day out.

Preparing A Pitch Deck

A pitch deck is different from your media kit or portfolio mentioned earlier. The purpose of a pitch deck is to “pitch” a specific project idea to a brand.

Some companies will come to you with projects, while others might want you to pitch them a new idea. Learning how to prepare a professional and convincing pitch deck for either of these situations is an art-form in itself.

A convincing pitch deck PDF usually contains the following:

• A project overview that states project objectives, and how you plan to meet those objectives.
• Reference images to support your idea — preferably from your own past work or portfolio. Again, this is why building a strong portfolio is important.
• A bid on the project (how much you’ll charge), which you might send with the pitch deck as a separate document.
• A timeline listing prep days and shooting days, plus any key dates for the agency/client to approve things to stay on schedule.

7. Making Money As A Freelance Photographer

One thing I’ve learned after working for the last 10-years as a freelance travel photographer is that to earn decent money in this business, you really need to diversify your photography income sources.

This will both increase your earning potential, as well as hedge against changes in the market (worldwide pandemics, anyone?). So if one source of income suddenly disappears, you aren’t completely screwed!

Here are the most popular ways to make money from photography.

Editorial Photography

Editorial photography basically means your images are being used in newspapers and magazines to accompany articles about a certain subject. For example, a photo of a camel in the desert published in a travel magazine feature about Morocco.

To sell editorial photos, you generally need to work with a magazine editor who can tell you what kinds of images they are looking for in an upcoming issue of the magazine. This requires networking and sending your portfolio to many different magazines on a regular basis.

Commercial Photography

Commercial photography is when your images are being used by brands for marketing and advertising purposes. It pays much more than editorial photography, but usually requires that you have already built up a name for yourself as a photographer, often through editorial work.

Some examples might include shooting photos for a clothing brand, a car company, or even the tourism board for a country.

Rates for commercial photography are negotiable, and can be based on how many images they license from you, for what use, and for how long. Alternatively, many commercial photography projects might pay a day-rate for your time that also gives them a blanket license to any images you create during the project.

Stock Photography

Licensing images you’ve already shot through stock photography sites or rights management companies is one way freelance photographers can earn money.

Many smaller brands don’t have huge budgets to hire photographers for dedicated projects, so they buy temporary photo licenses for work that’s already been created.

Photographers upload their photos to these sites, tag and organize them, then random companies search for images to license.

If you’re able to build up a large portfolio of the kinds of images that are sought after, you can make “passive” income month after month selling your old images.

There are two main types of stock photography companies out there. Rights Managed Stock Agencies and Microstock Sites.

Rights Managed Stock Agencies pay photographers better, because the quality of the work is generally higher, the clients are pickier, and licenses are stricter/more exclusive.

Microstock Websites might only pay you $0.50 for a Royalty Free photo, but hundreds of different websites could be buying and using that same image.

Rights Managed Stock Examples

• Tandem Stock
• AP Images
• Masterfile
• Offset
• Arcangel

Microstock Website Examples

• Stocksy
• Getty Images
• Adobe Stock
• iStockPhoto
• Shutterstock

Post Licensing & Rights Management Lawyers

A relatively new phenomenon is the launch of post licensing companies that proactively search for your images already being used illegally online, and contacting the copyright infringers on your behalf to demand a licensing fee.

For many photographers, chasing after people who are stealing their images online just isn’t worth the effort. However these new companies, armed with teams of actual lawyers and image tracking software, are MUCH more effective.

They take a large cut of course, but they also do most of the work for you. Here are some examples:

• Ryde One (I use these guys)
• Copytrack
• Binded

Photography Prints & Coffee Table Books

Selling photo prints, coffee table books, calendars, and other “merch” that feature your photography can be a solid way to earn income for many freelance photographers.

Prints can be especially lucrative if you have a strong online following, and it’s also a great way to help raise money for charities and local organizations that you like.

For example, with the ability to set my own prices on SmugMug, I can ensure I have enough profit to also give 10% of any print sales to the National Parks Foundation. Or launch regular free print giveaways to my social media followers, just for fun.

Selling Lightroom Presets

Lightroom Presets are post-processing settings that many photographers use to obtain a certain “look” with their photos. For people who are new to editing photos using software, using presets can help them easily improve their photos with cool colors, tones, and other adjustments. Many photographers develop and sell their own presets to their followers, which can be a decent source of income.

Creating Online Tutorials

There is far more to good photography and editing than most people think, that’s why getting into the education space and teaching other would-be photographers how to improve their images can be a good way to earn extra income.

Online photography classes allow a photographer to share their knowledge with many more people than trying to do it in person.

Some people charge fees for their tutorials, others provide the training for free on platforms like YouTube and then earn money through the advertising.

Leading Photography Workshops

Leading in-person photography workshops can be an excellent source of income if you have a decent following online. Getting paid to hang out with other people while teaching them your photography techniques in exotic locations around the world can be a lot of fun too!

To launch a successful photography workshop, it helps to have already built up a following of people who love your work, and who are ready to spend money learning from you in person.

Affiliate Marketing

What’s the most common question that every photographer gets? What kind of camera do you use!

Why not recommend your favorite gear to others, and get paid for it?

I make a decent portion of my income from affiliate marketing. Photography gear guides, tripod comparisons, camera bag reviews, even photography tutorials. I’m not promoting stuff I don’t use or believe in, only products that I actually love.

You can share these affiliate links on YouTube, Instagram, or your own photography blog which will generate a small commission off each sale.

The more useful your content is, the more it gets shared, and the more people will click on your links. When more people click your links, the more you earn. Everyone wins!

Lots of companies offer affiliate marketing partnerships. Some good photography related ones include:

• Amazon
• Adorama
• Peak Design
• GoPro
• DJI

8. Figuring Out How Much To Charge

“Companies will benefit from our work, and we have to be compensated accordingly. Before you bid a job, take a moment to reflect on what size problem you’re solving for them. Imagine you are in the client’s shoes.”

Alex StrohlProfessional Photographer

How much should you charge for your photography? Well, there are many factors at play here. Editorial photography? Commercial photography? Print sales? Image use? Licensing time-period? What is your time worth to you? What size problem are you solving for the client?

In general, there is a basic path that many photographers end up following:

• Working for “exposure” (or in exchange for gear/accommodation/activities)
• Editorial photography (standard rates set by the industry)
• Commercial photography (pays much more, with room to negotiate)
• Selling prints (to individuals or companies)

I hesitate mentioning working for exposure, because many professional photographers might disagree, but the reality is many of us started by giving images away for little or no money to build up a portfolio of work to show off.

I’ll give you an example. I once let GoPro use an image I shot of a shark underwater on their social media channels during Shark Week in exchange for just a photo credit/link. The buzz around that photo ended up sending me a few thousand new followers on social media, at a time when I didn’t have many.

These days, my strong social media presence helps me attract new photography clients for paying gigs, so I really don’t regret giving some companies free photos all those years ago, when I was hungry to build a name for myself. This is a personal choice and not every photographer will agree with this route.

The Art Of Negotiation

Don’t be afraid to say no. Sick of giving images away for “exposure”? Just say no and move on. There will be other companies who are willing to pay for your images. Along those same lines, if you send over a quote for a job, and they client says yes right away, you probably should have asked for more!

If you do send a quote, and the client comes back with a lower amount they won’t budge on, the other tool you have at your disposal is to lower the deliverables they’ll receive. If they’re taking money away, you get to take something away too.

EXAMPLES:

• “Sure, I’ll license this photo to you for $500 instead of $1000, but the license will only be good for 1 year instead of 2 years.”
• “Yes — I’ll work on this project for $1500 per day instead of $3000 per day, but you won’t get an exclusive license to the images created — I can re-sell the images elsewhere to supplement my income.”

Note that those examples only really work for commercial photography, as editorial photography often has set rates, and there isn’t a ton of negotiation that goes on.

The art of negotiation in freelance photography is a huge topic, one I can’t cover completely here, but if you’d like to learn more I recommend reading the book: Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

9: Defining Photography Success

“Success never comes. There’s always something to strive for. Plus the more people look at you, the more they attack you. Negative words sometimes make you sad. We are not all strong one hundred percent of the time.”

Kristina MakeevaProfessional Photographer

Many people love the idea of making a living with their photography. But eventually you realize just how many other freelance photographers are out there with those same dreams of success.

It’s a crowded field!

Just know that there are many levels of success in freelance photography. For some, getting their first paid gig is a huge success. For others, only the cover of a famous magazine will do.

You have to ask yourself — is photography just going to be a hobby? Or are you ready to treat it like a professional career (with all the work that entails)?

When was the last time you contemplated the ROI (return on investment) of a new gear purchase? Do you have a marketing/PR budget set aside for your photography business?

It’s easy to compare yourself to other “successful” photographers, while not truly understanding the blood, sweat, and tears they’ve put into this industry to get to where they are today.

Years of experience. Hundreds of hours of networking. Thousands (or tens-of-thousands) of dollars spent building a portfolio. The logistics & work involved setting up a functioning business.

It’s not impossible to make a living as a freelance photographer these days, but you also need to manage your expectations for what success looks like… and how long it might take to achieve.

Helpful Tools & Resources For Freelance Photographers

• Wonderful Machine – A professional art production agency that also offers consulting services & representation for up-and-coming photographers who are serious about becoming pros.
• Great Online Photography Courses – A rundown of my personal favorite online tutorials and courses for photographers who want to get better.
• FotoQuote – Industry standard photography pricing guide and quote software for freelance photographers, helping you determine a fair price.
• Getty Images Price Calculator – Free online tool for pricing your photography licenses in different mediums & situations.

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Gift Guide

Looking for the perfect holiday present for someone who works from home? These are the best work from home gift ideas for remote workers, no matter what your budget.

What a mess this year has turned out to be! While I’m a huge fan of working from home, I never thought so many other people would be forced to do the same this year — suddenly and without warning.

There is certainly a learning curve to working from home, but it gets easier over time.

These popular gifts for people who work from home can help make any home office a more comfortable and productive environment.

Working remotely as a blogger for the past 10-years, I’ve become especially careful about how I set up my personal workspace.

I enjoy working in a clean and clutter-free environment, with office accessories that are ergonomically functional. Along with art that gives off a peaceful vibe!

So here are some of my best work from home gift ideas for remote workers that are guaranteed to put a smile on the recipient’s face!

Why listen to me? Experience! I’ve been working remotely for ten years as a professional travel photographer & blogger.

Matthew KarstenThe Expert Vagabond

Work From Home Gift Guide For 2022

1. Magnetic Smartphone Charger

Want easy viewing access to your smartphone on your desk while it’s charging? Check out the Anker MagGo Wireless Charger. It comes in multiple colors, and looks really elegant sitting on your desk, while also being practical. You can keep an eye on notifications, quick-charge your phone, and free up your pockets while working from home. It will also charge your wireless headphones at the same time!

2. Timed Water Bottles

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! If you’re not drinking enough water during the work day like most people, this is an easy way to help fix that. Fill it up, and keep track of how much water you’re drinking throughout the day. Remember to re-fill the bottle at noon! Don’t let working from home hinder your health goals.

Two liters of water a day keeps the doctor away… or something like that.

3. Ergonofis Standing Desk

Ok, this is more of a luxury work-from-home gift, or maybe just a gift you can give yourself! I absolutely love my Ergonofis Standing Desk. The 1 3/4 inch thick slab of solid wood, paired with a powerful motorized base and an elegantly designed control makes it the highlight of my home office for sure.

Standing at my desk just for an hour or two each day somehow keeps me more energized and comfortable, I don’t know how to explain it, but you can learn why endocrinologists recommend it here.

4. Noise Canceling Headphones

Not only do they work great as a gift for travelers who fly a lot, these Sony Bluetooth Noise Canceling Headphones are also perfect for drowning out the sound of screaming toddlers, garbage trucks, barking dogs, and any other random noise making its way into your home office. With the onboard microphone, they’re also wonderful during video conference calls!

5. Foot Hammock

Yes, it’s a mini hammock for your feet! Feeling the need to kick back and get comfortable in your ergonomic office chair? Let your hair down, and put your feet up, on this wonderfully fun office invention that hangs under your desk. Perfect for taking a work break to watch some cat videos… or for your own cat to take a nap.

6. Ergonomic Office Chair

Speaking of ergonomic office chairs, a really good one can make working from home all day a lot more comfortable and bearable. I own the amazing Herman Miller Aeron, basically the king of all office chairs.

Want a comfortable and stylish office chair that’s a bit more affordable, and comes in more colors? The Steelcase Series 1 is a great option.

Even tighter budget? Try the XUER Mesh Computer Chair. Your back & neck will thank you for it!

7. Convertible Desk Riser

Don’t want to buy a complete standing desk? You can convert your existing desk into a standing one with this innovative Vivo Convertible Desk Riser. It can support two desktop monitors and a keyboard, allowing you to raise them up to 17 inches higher than your traditional desk to allow working while standing.

8. Portable Bluetooth Speaker

When you don’t want to wear headphones, but are still in the mood to work to your favorite music, blast those tunes in your home office with this Sony Portable Bluetooth Speaker. Take it with you around the house, and enjoy up to 24-hours of wireless battery life on a single charge.

9. LED Color Changing Lights

If you’re waking up before sunrise, or working late into the night, setting the ambience of your office with some colorful led lighting is a wonderful way to enjoy working from home a bit more. My office is equipped with a Philips Hue Color Ambiance LED Starter Kit but you can also get something like this table lamp too.

10. Handmade Coffee Mug

Nothing makes an office feel extra special like a handmade coffee mug! Mine is from this Etsy Shop based in Ukraine, and they only make a limited number of each design. A beautiful ceramic mug created with love for nature and the mountains! Check out the other designs they have available too.

11. Mechanical Bluetooth Keyboard

I have a thing for old-school mechanical keyboards. There’s just something special about the “THWACK!” of each keystroke. Well you can get that magic back with the Keychron K2 Bluetooth Keyboard which works with both PC and Macs. It has color LEDs under the keys too, which is super fun at night. The battery lasts about a week of regular use before it needs to be recharged.

12. Anti-Fatigue Office Mat

A must-have office accessory to go with your standing desk setup. This super cushy floor mat from Gorilla Grip helps reduce foot and leg fatigue when standing at your desk for a few hours.

13. House Plants

Liven up your home office environment with some potted plants from TheSill.com! Choose from easy-to-care for live plants, or fake ones — either will help give your workspace a bit more color & life.

Potted plants have really taken off during the pandemic, as more people try to spruce up their living spaces and home offices due to all the time we’ve been forced to spend at home.

14. Fine Art Photography Prints!

Ok, I’m going to get a bit self-promotional here, but all the photography I have hanging around my office are images I’ve shot during the course of my adventures around the world.

From Antarctica to Afghanistan, I’ve put together a gallery of my favorite images if you’d like to purchase some interesting new artwork to spruce up the walls of someone’s home office (or your own!)

These photography prints come in a few different sizes and mounting options. My favorite are the metal prints with a floating wall mount. 10% of all my print sales are donated to the National Park Foundation — an organization who works tirelessly to preserve our wild places.

15. Office Cat

Everyone needs an official office cat to improve their work-from-home experience. A furry ball of fluff to squeeze when stress levels start increasing.

No, you can’t have this one. This one is mine.

Happy Holidays This Season!

Well, that’s it for the best work from home gifts for 2022. I hope you found some unique gift ideas for the remote worker in your life who likes to stay productive.

Whether you’re shopping for a birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwansa, or even Festivus — you can’t go wrong with these fun gifts for people who work from home! ★

My Amazon Shop

Check out my full Amazon Shop to see all my favorite travel, photography, and outdoor gear.

Visit My Amazon Shop

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Nomadic Living

Want to live & work from a Caribbean island or a historic European city? Special international freelance visas for digital nomads and remote workers are finally here!

Traveling the world while working online from your laptop has been a dream for millions of self-proclaimed digital nomads — including me.

However working from foreign countries while traveling on a tourist visa is technically illegal in most places.

Tourist visas also usually expire after 30-90 days, and it’s not always easy to renew them. What if you want to stay longer?

That doesn’t stop digital nomads from working while traveling, but it can make things complicated, and with travel restrictions due to COVID-19, it’s much more difficult to work & travel internationally.

Visa laws in most countries are not set up to deal with this new class of modern nomads who are living and working remotely around the world.

But that’s finally starting to change, as some countries have recognized the need for so-called “digital nomad visas”, “remote work visas”, or “freelancer visas” specifically to entice foreigners to come work & contribute to their economies.

Many of these destinations are hoping the remote work visas will generate income to help make-up for lost tourism revenue due to the pandemic.

Nomad Travel Insurance

Protect yourself from injury, illness, or theft. SafetyWing offers affordable travel insurance that covers COVID-19 too!

Click For Details

Digital Nomads vs Freelancers

Digital nomads are basically remote workers who travel to different locations on a regular basis. They use modern technology to work from coffee shops, hotels, co-working spaces, or libraries with a WiFi connected laptop or smartphone from anywhere in the world.

Freelancers are self-employed, working for themselves or other companies as independent contractors. Freelancers can travel while they work, or just work from home while living in one place on a long-term basis.

The two are similar, but not exactly the same. The visas listed below can be obtained by both kinds of workers, digital nomads and freelancers.

Best Countries With Visas For Digital Nomads

1. Antigua & Barbuda

The Caribbean island nation of Antigua & Barbuda has announced a digital nomad visa called the Nomad Digital Residence (NDR). It’s for remote workers who can show the means to support themselves and any family members joining them.

This visa is good for 2-years, and visitors will be required to maintain their own health insurance plan while staying within the country and enjoying its 365 different beaches.

Basic Conditions

• You own a location independent business (and/or)
• You work remotely for a company based outside of Antigua & Barbuda
• You earn at least $50,000 per year
• You have your own travel/health insurance plan

How To Apply

• Fill out the online application form
• Provide proof of employment and a police background check.
• Pay the visa fee: $1,500 for one person, $2,000 for a couple, $3000 for a family of 3 or more.

2. Bali

The beautiful island of Bali, Indonesia has long been a popular location for remote workers to base themselves. And while there are no formal details just yet, Bali has just announced they are looking to implement a brand new digital nomad visa sometime later this year.

The Bali remote work visa would be good for up to 5-years, and holders of the visa would NOT have to pay taxes on any income earned outside Bali.

This is big news! I’ll make sure to post any updates on details of Bali’s digital nomad visa as they become available. I’m sure many nomadic types would love to take advantage of such a visa, and work from Bali legally.

3. Barbados

Barbados has also opened its borders to digital nomads and remote workers who are looking to escape the pandemic while basing themselves in a beautiful island destination.

The “Barbados Welcome Stamp” is a special 12-month visa for remote workers, which can also be renewed for even longer. Why not live next to the beach and work from home in Barbados!

Basic Conditions

• You own a location independent business (and/or)
• You work remotely for a company based outside of Barbados
• You earn at least $50,000 per year
• You must undergo mandatory COVID-19 test and 48-hour quarantine

How To Apply

• Fill out the online application form
• Submit all required paperwork and pay the $2000 visa fee.

4. Bermuda

Bermuda joined the remote work visa club! Their recently released “Work From Bermuda” digital nomad visa is just an expansion of an older residency program, which allows digital nomads and remote workers to stay in the country for up to a year.

Aimed at professionals who normally work from home, they hope the new visa will attract long-term travelers who want to base themselves from an island destination.

Basic Conditions

• You own a location independent business (and/or)
• You work remotely for a company based outside of Bermuda
• No minimum income requirement!
• You must undergo mandatory COVID-19 test
• Show proof of travel insurance

How To Apply

• Fill out the online application form
• Submit any required paperwork and pay the $263 visa fee.

5. Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands launched a special visa for digital nomads called the Global Citizen Certificate (GCC). It allows travelers to stay in the islands for up to 2 years.

The income requirements are much steeper than other countries in this list though: individuals must provide proof of an annual salary of at least $100,000, or $150,000 for couples.

Basic Conditions

• You must be employed by an entity outside of the Cayman Islands.
• A notarized bank reference letter.
• Applicants are subject to background checks.
• Show proof of health insurance coverage.

How To Apply

• Fill out the online application form
• Submit required paperwork and pay the application fee of $1,469.

6. Costa Rica

There are many digital nomads who choose to base themselves in Costa Rica due to the relaxed lifestyle, great surfing, nice beaches, and diverse landscape of volcanoes, waterfalls, and jungle.

Costa Rica has a freelancer visa called the Rentista, allowing foreigners to stay for up to 2-years, with the ability to extend it. Often used by retirees with a fixed income and some entrepreneurs — because you can’t be an employee for another company on the Rentista.

Basic Conditions

• Show an average income of $3000 USD per month.
• Obtain travel medical insurance that will cover them in Costa Rica.

How To Apply

• The application process for Costa Rica’s new Digital Nomad Visa is still being worked on at this time. Applying for the Rentista Visa can be done on Costa Rica’s Migracion Website, but hiring an immigration lawyer is recommended.
• All your documents must be translated into Spanish, as well as authenticated in your home country.
• Pay the visa fee (unknown yet for the Digital Nomad Visa, and $250 USD for the Rentista Visa).

7. Croatia

As of January 2021, Croatia has started issuing digital nomad visas. The visa is available for different lengths of time, with a maximum of 12-months. From what I’ve read, it seems you need to physically be in Croatia to apply for this long-term residence permit, you can’t apply from overseas.

basic conditions

• Provide proof of self-employment or ability to work remotely (written statement, employment agreement, client contracts, etc)
• Minimum of €2500 EURO per month in income or savings
• Pass a criminal background check from your home country
• Proof of accommodation/rental agreement
• Obtain travel/health insurance valid for length of stay

How To Apply

• Obtain an OIB identification number
• Fill out the application form found here
• (2) Passport photos
• Pay the application fee of 590 kuna plus 35 kuna in tax stamps

8. Czech Republic

Spend your weekends exploring the historical towns and mountains of this Central European country, and work remotely during the week using their fast internet connection! The Czech Republic offers a freelancer visa called the Zivno. It’s valid for one year, and can be extended too. It’s a bit more complicated than other visas in this list, but it’s doable.

Basic Conditions

• You have a trade license for one of the trades listed here
• Proof of accommodation for at least a year
• Proof of at least €5,587 in your bank account (per person)
• Pay about 1,800 Kč ($80 USD) per month in local taxes

How To Apply

• It’s probably wise to hire an agency like this one to help you.
• Gather this list of required documents
• Make appointment at a Czech embassy for the long-stay visa
• Pay the visa fee of €100

9. Dubai (UAE)

The city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has just launched their own one-year virtual working program in October allowing digital nomads and remote workers to live and work by the beach from their famous desert oasis mega-city. Dubai was awarded a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), recognising their work to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The new remote work visa gives you the freedom to come to Dubai, bring your family, work remotely all while remaining employed in your home country. Dubai does not levy income tax on individuals. You also get access to all required services, including telecoms, utilities, and schooling options.

Basic Conditions

• Proof of Employment from current employer with a one-year contract, or proof of ownership of company.
• Minimum of $5,000 USD per month salary, last months’ payslip and 3 preceding months’ bank statements.
• Health insurance with UAE coverage validity.

How To Apply

• Fill out the request for application section here.
• Pay the visa fee of $287 USD visa fee

10. Estonia

Estonia became the first country to create an e-residency program that allows foreign entrepreneurs to license an EU-based online business. Then, in June 2020, they also opened up a one-year digital nomad and freelancer visa that allows foreigners to live in the country while working remotely.

Basic Conditions

• You own a location independent business (and/or)
• You work remotely for a company based outside of Estonia
• You earn at least €3504 per month for the last 6-months

How To Apply

• Fill out the online application form, sign it, and make an appointment at your nearest Estonian Embassy/Consulate to submit it in person.
• There are two types of digital nomad visas: Type C (short stay) costs €80, and Type D (long stay) costs €100.

11. Georgia

Partly due to the dramatic drop in tourism because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the country of Georgia is one of the latest to offer a digital nomad visa called “Remotely from Georgia” to help stimulate their economy. If you’re a remote worker, why not wait out the pandemic and work from a country known for its low-cost of living, colorful cities, and epic mountain landscapes?

Basic Conditions

• You own a location independent business (and/or)
• You work remotely for a company based outside of Georgia
• You must prove financial ability to pay taxes while staying in Georgia
• You earn at least $2000 per month
• You must undergo mandatory 14-day quarantine
• Obtain travel insurance valid for six months

How To Apply

• Fill out the online application form

12. Germany

Germany has its own special freelance visa called the Aufenthaltserlaubnis für selbständige Tätigkeit (good luck saying that!). It’s a residence permit that allows foreign freelancers and self-employed people live in Germany for 6-months up to 3-years. One downside is that it can take 3-4 months to get approved for this visa. Plus speaking German, or knowing someone who does, will help a lot.

Basic Conditions

• You need an address in Germany.
• Proof of health insurance.
• Proof of financial self-sustainability.
• Work clients based in Germany. They want to see that you are providing services that will help the local economy.

How To Apply

• Gather all documents required here.
• Secure a residence in Germany
• Book a visa appointment at the immigration office here.
• Pay the visa fee of €100

13. Hungary

The nation of Hungary has long been a favorite stop for digital nomads, especially the capital city of Budapest. Well now they’ve made it even easier to stay long-term, with their new “White Card” – a special 1-year long digital nomad residency program.

Basic Conditions

• Not for EU nationals, only 3rd country nationals can apply.
• You can not work for a Hungarian company.
• Financial self-sustainability. Must show income equivalent to at least €2000 per month.
• The white card is valid for one year, with the ability to renew for another year.
• The White Card does not give family members automatic residency.

How To Apply

• As of February 2022, details on how to apply for a White Card haven’t been released by the government yet.

14: Iceland

Yes, you read that right. Iceland has its own long-term visa for remote workers and digital nomads! Iceland is one of my favorite countries in the world, there is sooooo much cool stuff to see there. Landscapes that look like they were crafted from your wildest dreams.

Iceland’s long-term visa is good for only 6-months though, so it’s one of the shortest digital nomad visas available. If you apply while you’re already in the European Schengen Area, then it’s only good for 90-days.

So that means you can’t spend 3-months vacationing in Europe, then try to get this special visa to stay another 6-months on top of that.

Basic Conditions

• You must own your own location independent business or work remotely for a company located outside of Iceland
• Provide proof of your (self)employment
• Show a minimum monthly income of 1,000,000 ISK (about $7,763 USD) or 1,300,000 ISK for a couple
• Proof of travel/health insurance coverage for Iceland

How To Apply

• Complete the application form found here
• Pay the 7800 ISK processing fee

15: Malta

Malta has created its own Digital Nomad Residence Permit specifically targeting remote workers from outside the EU. The Mediterranean island of Malta has been attractive to digital nomads for years now, due to its sunny island lifestyle, widely spoken English, and strong internet infrastructure (including nationwide 5G service).

It’s also located close to mainland Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East — which means there are many opportunities for travel addicts to get out and explore nearby.

To qualify for Malta’s one year long Nomad Residence Permit, applicants must prove they can work remotely via the internet. A permit holder may renew their Nomad Residence in Malta for a maximum of up to 3 years.

Basic Conditions

• You must work for an employer registered in a foreign country, conduct business for a company registered in a foreign country as a shareholder or partner, or offer freelance or consulting services to clients whose permanent establishments are in a foreign country.
• Applicants must reach a gross monthly income threshold of €2,700 EURO.
• Proof of travel/health insurance coverage for your stay in Malta
• Hold a valid property rental or purchase agreement in Malta
• Pass a background verification check

How To Apply

• Complete the Application Form
• Pay the €300 EURO administrative fee

16: Mauritius

Mauritius is another island nation that has just launched their own special visa for remote workers. It’s a stunningly beautiful country, with crystal clear water, thick jungle, and epic mountain peaks to climb.

To qualify for their one year long (and completely FREE) Premium Visa, you need to produce proof of your long stay plans and sufficient travel and health insurance during your stay.

Basic Conditions

• You must own your own location independent business or work remotely for a company located outside of Mauritius
• Proof of plans to stay in Mauritius – they may ask for details about the purpose of your visit and intended accommodation
• Proof of travel/health insurance coverage for your stay in Mauritius

How To Apply

• Complete the application form
• There is no visa fee, it’s free!

17. Mexico

Mexico is a favorite hot-spot for digital nomads, partly due to their long 6-month tourist visa, however they also offer a Temporary Resident Visa that’s good for one year with the ability to renew for another 3 years.

You will need to provide documents proving that you had a monthly income of at least $1,620 USD over the last 6-months or a bank account balance of $27,000. Mexico is open to offering temporary residency to remote workers that are financially self-sufficient.

Basic Conditions

• You own a location independent business (and/or)
• You work remotely for a company based outside of Mexico
• You earn at least $1,620 USD per month or have a bank balance of $27,000.

How To Apply

• Gather required documents and complete the application form.
• Make an appointment at the nearest Mexican consulate.

18. Norway

Norway has been in the news a lot lately, touted as a Scandinavian paradise with its strong social democratic system, wealth, natural beauty, and progressive population.

Lots of foreign digital nomads and remote workers would jump at the chance to move to Norway. And they can, for up to 2-years, with Norway’s Independent Contractor visa.

Basic Conditions

• You must be self-employed with a contract to work on a project for a business in Norway.
• You must have relevant qualifications to work in your profession.
• Proof of accommodation in Norway
• Show an income of at least €35,719 per year before tax

How To Apply

• Gather the required documents listed on Norway’s Directorate of Immigration website.
• Fill out the application, and bring it to the nearest Norwegian Embassy.
• Pay the visa application fee of about €600

19. Portugal

Portugal offers both a temporary resident visa (D7 passive income visa) and residence permit for independent workers and entrepreneurs for one year, with the ability to renew for up to 5 years. After 5 years you can apply for permanent residency.

As a foreign visa holder and resident, you will be given a residence card, the Título de Residência. This is your official ID in Portugal. The beautiful Portuguese island of Madeira in particular has become a remote worker hub, especially with the launch of their Digital Nomads Village.

Basic Conditions

• Proof of income from property, proof of business ownership, or proof of financial means.
• You earn at least €600 EURO per month.
• Proof of private travel/health insurance.
• Submit to a criminal background check.

How To Apply

• Gather the required documents, print out and complete the application form.
• Make an appointment at the nearest Portuguese consulate.
• Pay the €83 EUR visa fee and €72 EUR resident permit fee.

20. Spain

Spain has a Non-Lucrative Visa which allows foreigners to stay in Spain for at least a year, with the ability to renew. With it’s low-cost of living and mix of beaches, mountains, and relaxed lifestyle, it’s a favorite with many location independent people. However technically you are not allowed to “work” on this visa — they’re looking for people who are “retired” and self-sufficient.

Basic Conditions

• Show that you can support yourself financially through investments or retirement income of at least €2151 per month or hold €25,816 in savings.
• Proof of private Spanish health insurance
• Get a police/FBI background check
• Get a Medical Certificate of Good Health

How To Apply

• You need to apply in person at the closest Spanish Consulate or Embassy.
• All your documents must be translated into Spanish, as well as authenticated in your home country.
• Sign a sworn statement before a Notary that you agree not to work while living in Spain.
• Pay the visa application fee of $140 USD

21. Anguilla (UK Territory)

Finally, the British territory of Anguilla has just launched their own special visa for digital nomads who would like to “work from home” on a beautiful Caribbean island destination. With only 3 confirmed COVID cases on the island and no fatalities, Anguilla was designated COVID-19 free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2020.

There is an additional fee to pay, $2000 per individual or $3000 per family which covers two (2) tests per person, surveillance and costs associated with the additional public health presence, the cost of extended immigration time/entry and a digital work permit.

How To Apply

• To apply for the year-long stay, click here.
• Pay the visa fee of $2000 USD per individual, or $3000 per family.

Living A Nomadic Life Overseas

This relatively new phenomenon of countries launching digital nomad visas to attract remote workers was predicted over 20-years ago by Japanese technologist Tsugio Makimoto who wrote that remote working would force nations “to compete for citizens”, and that digital nomad-ism would prompt “declines in materialism and nationalism”.

His prophecy is coming true, and I fully expect to see many more nations opening up their borders to these “citizens of the world” who are able to work remotely from their laptops in the years to come.

The future of remote work is going to be interesting, that’s for sure! ★

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I hope you enjoyed my guide to countries with digital nomad & remote work visas! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:

• How To Make Extra Money On The Side
• Useful Tips For Digital Nomads
• The Best Jobs That Let You Travel
• How To Work From Home
• Becoming A Freelance Photographer

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Nomadic Living

I’m a digital nomad. This means I can work from anywhere in the world. Here are some tips for how to become a digital nomad and travel long-term if you’d like to give it a try.

After 10-years working remotely as a digital nomad, living in foreign countries and traveling around the world while earning income online — I’ve learned a lot about nomadic living.

I’ve based myself in places like Mexico, Thailand, Nicaragua, Italy, Spain, and South Africa over the course of my travels. I’ve also visited over 50 different countries while working from my laptop.

In fact, I’m currently writing this article from a Greek island overlooking the sea. That’s my son above fact-checking my work!

Living as a digital nomad, you’re able to see incredible places, learn from different cultures, and work when or where you want to — true freedom.

As the reality of a worldwide recession sets in, location independence and remote work opportunities have become increasingly sought after. Lately I’ve been getting questions about how to become a digital nomad.

So I thought it was about time I put together a free guide sharing some of my best tips and advice for others who want to give it a shot in 2023!

Why listen to me? Experience! I’ve been traveling around the world for ten years as a digital nomad, while visiting over 50 countries.

Matthew Karsten

Here’s everything we’re going to cover (if you want to skip around).

Nomad Travel Insurance

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What Is A Digital Nomad?

Digital nomads are remote workers who travel to different locations on a regular basis. They use modern technology to work from coffee shops, hotels, co-working spaces, or libraries with a WiFi connected laptop or smartphone from anywhere in the world.

There are many types of digital nomads out there. Some people travel around their own country by campervan or RV. Some live on sailboats, working from different ports of call.

Others stay in backpacker hostels or rent Airbnb apartments while flying from country to country.

Complete freedom of movement while working online is the general idea.

Pros & Cons Of Location Independence

The Benefits

There are many upsides to the location independence that digital nomads enjoy. Who wouldn’t want to check off their ultimate bucket list while working from a laptop anywhere in the world?

• Save money living in a low cost-of-living area
• The flexibility to live where you want
• Ditch the toxic environment of office politics
• Experience new cultures & make new friends
• Learn new skills or languages
• Broaden your mind through travel experiences
• Set your own schedule and take time off when you want to
• Spend winters on the beach, and summers in the mountains!

The Downsides

Working from anywhere is a dream for many people. But like all life choices, there are both pros and cons to a nomadic lifestyle. Here are some of the downsides:

• Moving constantly is exhausting
• Your productivity can suffer
• Digital nomads often battle loneliness
• Finding stability is difficult
• A general lack of private space
• Travel loses its luster & wow factor

After 10-years exploring the world, these downsides finally caught up with me, and I moved back to the United States with my wife and kid and bought a home.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy my nomadic life for all those years! Just for me, living out of bags for so long eventually lost its charm. I was ready to start a family, settle down, work from home, and travel less.

Yet because I’ve been around the block, I’m happy to share my experiences with those who are just getting started with the digital nomad lifestyle!

Tips For Becoming A Digital Nomad

STEP 1: How Digital Nomads Make Money

So, you’re ready to give nomadic life a shot. Well before you can quit your job and travel as a digital nomad, you need to figure out how to make money online.

Luckily there are many options out there, which continue to grow each year as businesses downsize and hire remote workers to reduce physical costs like office space.

The global pandemic has only accelerated this transformation.

You can work for other companies remotely, or become an entrepreneur and start your own online based business.

Digital Nomad Job Examples

It would be impossible to list all jobs that can be done remotely, but these are some frequent examples I’ve come across during my travels. For an even larger list of jobs that allow you to travel, click here.

Personally, I run a travel blog. It’s just what I’m good at, and what I enjoy. There are many types of blogging options out there — food blogging, DIY blogging, personal finance blogs, gear blogs, hiking blogs, photography blogging, etc.

If you’re interested in starting a blog to make money writing about something you love, I recommend you start here.

Remote Work & Entrepreneurship Resources

Figuring out how you’re going to earn money as a digital nomad is one of the biggest hurdles to location independence.

Unfortunately I can’t tell you exactly what to do — everyone has their own skill set, experience, and preferences. You’ll need to figure it out for yourself.

What I CAN do is point you in the right direction with the following books and websites that I’ve found super helpful over the years!

They helped me get to where I am today, so I’m sure they’ll help you too.

BOOKS

• Remote: No Office Required by Jason Fried aims to help you convince your boss why it makes sense to allow you to work remotely.
• The 100 Dollar Startup by Chris Guillebeau interviews 50 different people who started successful businesses for as little as $100.
• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss gives tips for working less and earning more by starting a business and hiring others to run it.
• Job Escape Plan by Jyotsna Ramachandran explains the steps of building a location independent business on the side before quitting your job.
• Rework by Jason Fried shows you how succeed with starting a business as quickly and easily as possible in the modern world.

WEBSITES

• Flexjobs has an updated job board for remote work opportunities.
• Remote.co is dedicated to resources for remote workers.
• How To Become A Freelancer shares the basics of a freelance career.
• Power To Fly lists dream jobs around the world.
• We Work Remotely is the largest remote work community online.
• Working Traveller is a place where employers can hire digital nomads.

STEP 2: The Logistics Of Nomadic Life

Ok, so you’ve found a way to earn income remotely. But there’s much more to becoming a digital nomad.

Things you may not have considered like wifi availability, registering your business, banking, communication, physical mail, insurance, health considerations, where to stay, and much more.

So let’s dive in!

Starting A Business

If you’re starting a new business in the United States, it needs to be set up properly. Generally I recommend that people start as a sole-proprietor to make things simple.

Once you begin earning regular income, you can change it over to an LLC for some tax & legal benefits. Legal Zoom is a good site for registering your business in your state. It’s what I used and they make it easy to do online.

Taxes For Digital Nomads

How do you pay taxes as a digital nomad? Basically, Americans need to file taxes even if they are living overseas. This is not true for most countries.

There are some exceptions, for example if you spend most of the year outside the United States, and pay taxes to the foreign country you’re living in, you can claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, which allows you to avoid paying US taxes on up to $100,000 worth of income.

Some people set up companies based from digital nomad friendly countries like Singapore to reduce their tax bill.

If you’re serious about becoming a digital nomad, you should eventually hire a good accountant who specializes in working with people who live overseas.

Banking For Digital Nomads

Managing your money while traveling can have its own set of challenges. For example, cards getting canceled when they’re used from foreign countries, and how to get paid while living overseas.

I highly recommend picking up a Wise Account (their fees are cheaper than PayPal, but you should have a PayPal account too).

If you’re not from the US or UK, Payoneer is also a good option.

Having a good travel credit card is also very helpful, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred. It has no foreign transaction fees, includes car rental insurance, boasts a low annual fee, and will ultimately help you score free flights the more you use it through collecting points & miles.

Staying Connected

What’s the first question every digital nomad asks a hotel, coffee shop, or Airbnb owner? How fast is the WiFi!

Digital nomads can only work when they have a fast & reliable internet connection, so good WiFi is incredibly important. Luckily you can find decent internet connections in many places around the world now.

I recommend downloading the SpeedTest App to help you determine connection speeds, and make sure to read my guide on the best international cell phone plans for travelers and nomads.

Virtual phone numbers are also very handy — like from Google Voice, Skype, or MySudo. They allow you to have a US number for things like 2 Factor Authentication (2FA).

Signal is a wonderful secure messaging app that’s far safer than Facebook or WhatsApp.

Picking A VPN To Stay Secure

The internet is censored in many parts of the world, so to ensure you can access the websites you want (plus an extra level of privacy), it’s important to download a good VPN (virtual private network) before you leave.

I personally use Proton VPN, they have an iPhone app too. Love it!

How To Receive Mail & Packages

Receiving mail when you’re moving around all the time used to be a problem, but it’s not anymore. Signing up for a virtual mail service like Earth Class Mail gives you a physical address to send important mail, with the ability to read your mail online and get it forwarded anywhere you want.

Insurance For Digital Nomads

Accidents happen. And without insurance, depending on the country you’re in, you could be screwed. Luckily there are some good health insurance options specifically for digital nomads. The two most popular are SafetyWing and World Nomads. I’ve used them both!

You can learn more about insurance for nomads here.

Getting Around

Once you fly to your destination, there are a few ways to get around. Unlike the United States, many countries have much better public transportation systems in place. Buses, trains, and taxi service are all viable options.

In other countries, its possible (and not too expensive) to rent a motorbike or small car for months at a time. In Thailand and the Philippines I rented scooters, in Mexico, Spain and Italy I used public transportation and simply rented a car when needed.

Finding Accommodation

• Booking.com is the best hotel & hostel search engine I’ve found for locating short-term accommodation. It’s really easy to use.
• Airbnb.com is where most digital nomads go if they want to rent a local apartment for a month or two. More convenient than local classified ads.
• Coliving.com is a site that specializes in sharing long-term accommodation with other digital nomads around the world.

Making Friends

Isn’t it lonely being a digital nomad? Sure, but there are ways to mitigate that feeling. Backpacker hostels are a fun way to meet other travelers, but it can be tough to get work done in a party atmosphere like that.

Working from cafes or co-working spaces is one way to put yourself in a position to meet like-minded people no matter where you are.

There are expat communities in virtually every country, and you’ll be able to find other foreigners who are looking to meet new people. There are also some good digital nomad Facebook Groups like Global Digital Nomad Network and Digital Nomads Around The World.

You can go to local events, festivals, take a language class, search for local meetup groups through MeetUp.com or Couchsurfing.com

Of course, there’s always Tinder too!

Emergency Backup Plans

When you’re traveling by yourself overseas, it’s always wise to have an emergency fund set aside for, well, emergencies. A death in the family, a car accident, getting robbed, running out of money, political unrest, natural disasters, a worldwide pandemic, alien invasion, etc.

You want to be able to fly home quickly, and have enough money for accommodation if needed, and maybe to ride out a few months without any income. You never know! Make sure to read my guide to travel safety too.

I’d recommend setting aside $3000 – $5000 in a separate checking or savings account that you won’t be tempted to touch while you’re traveling.

STEP 3: Where To Go?

Working On Tourist Visas

Most digital nomads travel on tourist visas, which is kind of a legal grey-area. You are not technically supposed to “work” on a tourist visa.

Unfortunately digital nomads are not well understood in many parts of the world, and the laws are not set up kindly for us. While we are technically working, we’re not taking jobs away from locals — which is what work visas try to prevent.

When immigration asks what you’re doing in their country, most digital nomads say “tourist”.

When officials ask what I do for a living, I say I work in marketing, and I’m traveling on vacation. Keep it simple. Complicated explanations will get you pulled aside for more questioning, and possibly denied entry if they don’t like or understand your answer.

Digital Nomad Work Visas

There are a few progressive-thinking governments out there that have been trying to attract digital nomads to come live and work in their countries. They’ve created special remote work visas that you can apply for. Some examples:

• Estonia
• Georgia
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Croatia

Popular Digital Nomad Destinations

Many digital nomads seem to congregate in certain “hub” countries due to a combination of low-cost living, decent internet access, and the ability to renew tourist visas over and over again.

I’ve lived in a few of these locations over the years, like Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Below are some of the most common ones, but you can do even more research on this website.

• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Mexico
• Portugal
• Hungary
• Spain
• Colombia

But you don’t need to live in a foreign country to be a digital nomad.

There are many remote workers who live in their own country — for example I lived temporarily in Colorado, California, Texas and now Utah over the past few years.

Many digital nomads buy RVs or convert vans into homes too.

The key is location independence — freedom to move without many obstacles.

STEP 4: Making The Digital Nomad Leap

Saving Money

While it’s certainly possible to travel very cheaply, it’s not free, and you’ll need to save some money before starting your adventure around the world.

If you currently have a day job, you’ll need to try and downsize your lifestyle, spend less, maybe find a way to earn some side income, or take on a second part-time job on nights and weekends.

I DO NOT recommend quitting your day job until you either have a very healthy savings account that will pay for your travel, or you’ve already built up a side-hustle that is making regular income.

It’s not fun running out of money in a foreign country!

Build your online business first, or find a job that allows you to work remotely before leaving to travel as a digital nomad. Here are some articles to help:

• How To Save Money Before Traveling
• How To Make Extra Money On The Side

Getting Rid Of Your Things

There was something magical about selling or donating most of my worldly possessions back before I left the country. I swear it was therapeutic.

Embrace minimalism, and start listing your crap on Craigslist, Ebay, and Facebook Marketplace. It will be hard to part with things at first, but it eventually becomes addicting.

You can keep sentimental stuff like photos, important papers, or special heirlooms with family members or rent a small storage unit.

Optimizing your life to fit inside a backpack, you’ll soon realize just how little we really need to survive.

Dealing With Criticism

Trying to explain to family and friends that you want to quit your job and travel around the world is often a difficult task. Many people won’t understand or support your choice.

Choosing to ignore the critics and try anyway can be tough, for myself included.

If everyone you know and love is telling you it sounds like a bad idea, you’ll start second-guessing yourself.

Just know that there are currently millions of digital nomads out there doing this, so you’re not alone.

Tell them you’re taking a Gap Year or Sabbatical, just as an experiment. Send them some books or articles to read — like this one.

If your digital nomad experiment doesn’t work out, you can simply come back and get a “real job” again. It’s not the end of the world!

A Little Dose Of Reality…

In our heavily marketed online world, it seems everyone and their grandmother is trying to sell you a course or workshop touting the miracles of making money online and/or traveling the world.

Unfortunately there’s lots of smoke & mirrors out there, and it can be daunting trying to figure out who is legit, and who’s just full of sh*t.

After 10-years working online, I’ve seen everything. The reality is that people CAN make money online and travel as digital nomads — but not everyone is successful. Some people just aren’t cut out for the lifestyle or running the business side of things.

But the same is true for any new endeavor, whether it’s opening a restaurant or going to medical school. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!

It’s not easy. Becoming a digital nomad takes time, sacrifice, and hard work.

STILL WITH ME? GREAT! I know that was a long post. We’re just scratching the surface too — I’m writing a lot more on this topic soon, so make sure to sign up for my free monthly newsletter to get all my latest updates!

History & Future Of Digital Nomads

Now before I lose your attention to something else on the internet today, I wanted to share some fun digital nomad history with you.

The very first digital nomad was a guy named Steve Roberts who biked across America in 1984 while working from his Radio Shack Model 100 personal computer!

Writing articles from the road, then uploading them to his assistant in Ohio via a pay phone and a CompuServe account.

Then, in 1997, Japanese technologist Tsugio Makimoto predicted the rise of digital nomads in a book. He believed remote working would force nations “to compete for citizens”, and that digital nomad-ism would prompt “declines in materialism and nationalism”.

All of this was revolutionary back then, but look at us now…

These days I can post social media updates from a remote backpacking trip in the mountains of Afghanistan via satellite!

Remote work is only going to get easier in the future, as more companies realize they don’t need a physical office space anymore and new technologies like Elon Musk’s high-speed satellite internet service Starlink go online.

The future is looking bright for digital nomads and remote workers! ★

FAQ: Top Digital Nomad Questions

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I hope you enjoyed my guide to becoming a digital nomad! Hopefully you found it useful. Here are a few more wanderlust-inducing articles that I recommend you read next:

• What’s In My Travel Backpack?
• Useful Travel Photography Tips
• How To Become A Freelance Photographer
• Travel Scams You Need To Avoid
• This Is How I Get Paid To Travel

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Travel Tips

Winter is here, and with the pandemic still raging, many of us are stuck at home day-dreaming about international travel. But where can Americans travel right now?

The COVID-19 pandemic has canceled countless holiday travel plans this year, and its looking like travel won’t be the same again anytime soon for many people.

While I won’t go into the ethics of traveling as a tourist during a pandemic, I know many Americans are wondering where they can go right now.

As a long-time digital nomad, I also know many nomadic types without a real home are looking for somewhere to lay low until the pandemic is over.

Thousands of remote workers who practice nomadic lifestyles and previously called places like Thailand, Spain, or Bali their temporary home now need to relocate.

Because the United States is a hot-spot, many countries originally closed their borders to Americans. But an increasing number of countries have since reopened for tourism, with differing requirements.

A few countries have even created special visas for remote workers & digital nomads to wait out the pandemic abroad!

So where can Americans legally travel internationally right now during the pandemic?

Covid Travel Insurance

Traveling without insurance is never a good idea, especially during a pandemic. If you must travel, SafetyWing offers travel insurance that covers COVID-19!

Learn More Here

COVID-19 Travel Reopening Guide

Many popular tourist destinations have closed themselves off to Americans this year — including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe. So where can American tourists go?

Here’s the latest list of countries & territories open to Americans:

[su_row]
[su_column size=”1/2″ center=”no” class=””]

• Albania
• Anguilla
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Aruba
• Bahamas
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belize
• Bermuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Dominican Republic
• Dubai
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• French Polynesia
• Grenada
• Honduras
• Ireland
• Jamaica
• Kenya

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[su_column size=”1/2″ center=”no” class=””]

• Kosovo
• The Maldives
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• Namibia
• Nicaragua
• North Macedonia
• Panama
• Puerto Rico
• Rwanda
• St. Barths
• St. Lucia
• Saint Maarten
• St. Vincent & Grenadines
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Slovenia
• South Korea
• Tanzania
• Turkey
• Turks and Caicos
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates (Dubai)
• United Kingdom

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Are Americans Allowed To Travel Right Now?

Yes, Americans are allowed to travel internationally. The US Government lifted its Level 4 travel advisory in August that recommended avoiding all unnecessary travel. Depending on your state, you may have to undergo a 14-day quarantine once you return home.

Keep in mind that each country in this list has specific restrictions, that are constantly changing. It is important to check back with local governments and tourism boards before leaving on a trip.

In many cases, countries are requiring Americans to show proof of a negative COVID test within 48-72 hours of your departure to avoid a 14-day quarantine.

But due to the horrible testing situation in the United States, getting a COVID test result just a few days before your departure (when results can sometimes take over 7-days) may be very difficult depending on your state…

The CDC is also still advising against nonessential international travel.

I’ll try to update this list as I learn of any new information.

The Countries Open To Americans

As of December 3rd 2020, Americans are allowed to travel to these countries:

Albania

Albania is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as other international tourists. A negative COVID-19 test is NOT required to enter, however there are still health & temperature checks on arrival. No quarantine is needed unless specifically ordered by health officials.

Just keep in mind some airlines have canceled or reduced the number of flights to Albania, like British Airways.

In November the Ministry of Health announced restrictions for indoor and outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people until further notice. There is a public curfew in effect from 10:00pm and 6:00am — except for work reasons, health care emergencies, or urgent needs.

You can find more information about traveling to Albania here.

Anguilla

Anguilla (a British Territory in the Caribbean) is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as other international tourists. However you must be pre-approved to visit.

Visitors must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test conducted within 3-5 days prior to arrival date. You must also have travel insurance which covers COVID-19 medical costs (like SafetyWing), and complete an online passenger information and health screening questionnaire.

You can find more information about traveling to Anguilla here.

Antigua & Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as other international tourists. Visitors are required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 7 days of flying.

Visitors will also be screened with temperature checks and possible additional COVID-19 testing on arrival, at the traveler’s expense.

All arriving passengers will be monitored for COVID-19 for periods of up to 14 days, but they can leave their hotel property if they practice social distancing and wear masks.

You can find more information about traveling to Antigua & Barbuda here.

Antigua Digital Nomad Visa

Antigua just announced a digital nomad visa called the Nomad Digital Residence (NDR). It’s for remote workers who can show the means to support themselves and any family members joining them.

It allows visitors to stay on the Caribbean island for two years. The aim is to attract remote workers to live and work on the island while contributing to its economy.

Aruba

Aruba is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be screened with temperature checks and COVID-19 testing on arrival.

If you’re tested on arrival, you’ll have to quarantine in a hotel for 24 hours while waiting for the test results. You’ll also have to pay for the test.

You can find more information about traveling to Aruba here.

Bahamas

Barbados is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Visitors over 10 years old must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test conducted within 5 days prior to arrival date. You’ll also need to apply for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa and purchase their special COVID-19 health insurance.

You can find more information about traveling to the Bahamas here.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Visitors must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test conducted within 72 hours prior to arrival date. You must also “home quarantine” for 14 days on arrival — even with a negative test result.

You can find more information about traveling to Bangladesh here.

Barbados

Barbados is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

If traveling from a high-risk country, like the United States, you’ll be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of flying. You’ll also be required to take another test on arrival and quarantine at your hotel until the results are returned.

You can find more information about traveling to Barbados here.

Barbados Remote Work Visa

Barbados has gone one step further, however, and is inviting digital nomads and remote workers to come wait out the pandemic while working from their white-sand beaches.

The Barbados Welcome Stamp allows visitors to stay on the Caribbean island visa-free for up to one year. The aim is to attract remote workers to live and work on the island while contributing to its economy.

Belize

Belize is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Travelers will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of arriving, or be tested on arrival at a cost of $50 and quarantine at your hotel until the results are returned.

Visitors will also be required to download and check in daily on the Belize Health App (NAC Belize).

You can find more information about traveling to Belize here.

Bermuda

Bermuda is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Americans, Canadians, British and other tourists from high-risk countries will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 7-days of flying in order to receive a Travel Authorization.

You can find more information about traveling to Bermuda here.

Bermuda Remote Work Visa

Bermuda has also joined the list of countries who’ve created a special remote work visa called Work From Bermuda in order to entice location independent entrepreneurs to visit and work from home on their beautiful Caribbean island.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Travelers will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 48 hours of arriving. U.S. citizens are not required to quarantine unless ordered to by health officials. There is a public curfew in effect from 11:00pm and 5:00am.

You can find more information about traveling to Bosnia here.

Brazil

Brazil is technically open for tourism, however it also boasts a Level 4 Travel Advisory (Do Not Travel) listing due to Covid-19 from the US State Department.

There are no official quarantine restrictions, other than that older people and high-risk people should stay home. Brazil has one of the highest COVID-19 case counts in the world.

Colombia

Colombia is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and face masks.

Travelers no longer need a negative COVID-19 PCR test before arriving, and there is no quarantine either. However they will have to fill out a pre-registration ‘Check-Mig‘ health questionnaire.

You can find more information about traveling to Colombia here.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Visitors must also show a negative COVID PCR test taken less than 48-hours before departure, fill out an online health form, and purchase special travel insurance that includes COVID-19 (like SafetyWing).

You can find more information about traveling to Costa Rica here.

Croatia

Croatia is allowing tourists from all countries to enter, including the United States. Croatia has decided to ignore the European Union restrictions, which is ultimately decided by each individual country.

Incoming travelers from the United States must show a negative COVID PCR test taken less than 48-hours before departure, or else submit to a 14-day self-quarantine on arrival.

You can find more information about traveling to Croatia here.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, and will have to fill out a Health Affidavit to confirm they haven’t had any COVID symptoms.

Authorities will administer the brand new COVID-19 rapid breathalyzer tests tests to a random number of passengers, plus anyone showing symptoms.

You can find more information about traveling to Dominican Republic here.

Dubai (UAE)

The city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, and will have to fill out a health declaration form to confirm they haven’t had any COVID symptoms.

Travelers will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 96 hours of arriving, and ensure they have travel insurance that covers COVID-19. Everyone will also have to enter their travel information on Dubai’s COVID-19 DXB App on arrival.

You can find more information about traveling to Dubai here.

Egypt

Egypt is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Incoming travelers from the United States and other COVID hot spots must show a negative COVID PCR test taken less than 48-hours before departure, or else submit to a 14-day self-quarantine on arrival.

You can find more information about traveling to Egypt here.

French Polynesia

French Polynesia (and the island of Tahiti) is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Travelers need to submit to a COVID-19 (RT-PCR) test 72 hours before departure. Four days after arrival, you may be subject to another COVID-19 test after 4 days.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention conducts these tests on a random basis, and guests may also get visits from medical staff, authorized by the Department of Health to supervise.

There is no 14-day quarantine needed on arrival, however there is a curfew in effect for Tahiti and Moorea from 9pm to 6am until November 16th, with the possibility to extend it.

You can find more information about traveling to French Polynesia here.

Georgia

The Republic of Georgia is currently NOT allowing most international tourists to visit, unless they happen to be remote workers looking to stay in the country long-term (at least 6-months). These people will have to apply online for advance permission to enter.

Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks, as well as a 14-day self-quarantine on arrival.

You can find more information about traveling to Georgia here.

Ireland

Ireland is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries, provided they self-quarantine for 14-days on arrival. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Visitors will be required to fill out a Passenger Locator Form, with a $2860 fine or 6 months in jail for lying on the form.

You can find more information about traveling to Ireland here.

The Maldives

The Maldives is currently allowing American tourists to visit, as well as tourists from other countries. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Travelers will not be required to take a COVID test on arrival unless they show symptoms. If they need a PCR test, they’ll have to wait in quarantine until the results come in.

You can find more information about traveling to the Maldives here.

Mexico

Most of Mexico is open to Americans if you’re flying in. The US-Mexico land border is closed to all but “essential crossings.” Non-essential crossings are prohibited until at least July 21, 2020. Some towns in Mexico near the border have also set up roadblocks to keep Americans out.

If you fly, some Mexican states are open for tourism when arriving by airplane, like Quintana Roo, Oaxaca, Yucatan, Campeche, Mexico City, Jalisco, and Baja California Sur. They are designated “orange” under the Mexican system, which means there are some restrictions, but it’s not a total lock-down.

You can find more information about traveling to Mexico here.

Puerto Rico

Yes, Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, but because the American President thinks it’s a country (seriously, WTF), I thought I’d include it here.

Puerto Rico is currently allowing international travelers to visit. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Incoming travelers must show a negative COVID PCR test taken less than 72-hours before arrival, or else submit to a 14-day self-quarantine on arrival while you wait for test results.

You can find more information about traveling to Puerto Rico here.

Serbia

Serbia is currently allowing Americans and other international travelers to visit. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

There is no mandatory quarantine at this time. Serbia is located in southeast Europe, but is not part of the European Union.

However travelers should be aware that the country is currently in the middle of mass protests against the government.

You can find more information about traveling to Serbia here.

South Korea

South Korea is currently allowing Americans and other international travelers to visit. However there is a 14-day quarantine in effect, so it’s more for long-term stays rather than for people on vacation.

You’ll be required to download South Korea’s Self-Check App.

On arrival, members of the Ministry of Health and Welfare as well as the Korean Army will determine if you’ve eligible for self-quarantine or government quarantine. For goverment quarantine, there is a 2.1 million KRW fee ($1,760 USD).

You can find more information about traveling to South Korea here.

St. Barts

St. Barts is currently allowing Americans and other international travelers to visit. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Incoming travelers must show a negative COVID PCR test taken less than 72-hours before arrival, or else submit to a 14-day self-quarantine on arrival while you wait for test results.

Those staying longer than a week will need to pay $150 for another COVID test on the 8th day. The only way to fly to the island is via Antigua or San Juan Puerto Rico — their main international airport (Princess Juliana) is closed to flights from the United States.

St. Lucia

St. Lucia is currently allowing Americans and other international travelers to visit. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Incoming travelers from the United States must show a negative COVID PCR test taken within 7 days of travel, and complete a Pre-Arrival Registration Form before traveling.

You must also have confirmed reservations from a COVID certified accommodation provider.

You can find more information about traveling to St. Lucia here.

Tanzania

Tanzania is currently allowing Americans and other international travelers to visit. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Travelers will be required to fill out a Health Surveillance Form on arrival.

However while this is the official Tanzanian government stance, locals are urging tourists to stay away, as they believe the virus is not under control in their country.

Tanzania is not releasing its COVID data to the public, so there is no clear picture of what the situation is like on the ground.

You can find more information about traveling to Tanzania here.

Turkey

Turkey is open to Americans at the moment. Passengers arriving in Turkey will be required to complete an information form and will be checked for symptoms.

Anyone suspected of having COVID-19 will be transported to a hospital for examination. You could be subject to 14-day isolation/quarantine if someone else in the plane tests positive.

You can find more information about traveling to Turkey here.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is open to Americans at the moment. A negative COVID-19 test is NOT required on arrival, however US citizens are required to quarantine for 14 days, and you may be contacted for verification.

Anyone found to be breaking quarantine is subject to a fine of £1,000. If just transiting through the UK and not passing into border control, you are exempt from self-isolation requirements.

You can find more information about traveling to the UK here.

US Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands, also a territory of the United States which includes the islands of St. Thomas and St. Croix, is currently allowing other Americans to visit. Visitors will be subject to temperature checks, social distancing, and wearing face masks.

Incoming travelers with symptoms will need to be tested and quarantined on arrival.

Healthy visitors will be free to leave their hotel and explore the rest of the islands.

You can find more information about traveling to the US Virgin Islands here.

American Tourists Still Banned From…

Iceland Closed To Americans

Unfortunately while Iceland was hoping to open up to American tourists on July 15th, they decided to stick with the European Union rules, which means no US passport holders. European Union citizens and Canadians can visit Iceland right now though.

Canada Travel Ban

Canada has closed its borders to most international tourists, including Americans. This is to prevent the spread of Corona virus within the country.

Only foreign nationals who are immediate family members to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident are allowed to travel to Canada, provided they stay in the country for at least 15 days to observe quarantine.

You can find more information about travel restrictions in Canada here.

New Zealand & Australia Closed

Both New Zealand and Australia have closed their borders to foreign travelers, including Americans, except under very specific circumstances.

You can find more information on New Zealand travel restrictions here.

You can find more information about Australia travel restrictions here.

COVID-19 Travel Resources

It is important to note that the COVID-19 pandemic is still spreading around the world. Most health experts warn against traveling internationally for tourism right now.

I simply wanted to put together a list of options for people traveling on US passports, because this information is scattered around online and regulations continue to change on a day-to-day basis.

Here are some more helpful links:

• World Map Of Coronavirus Restrictions and Case Counts
• Tips For Travel Planning During The Pandemic

Also, if you think I’m missing any countries in this list, feel free to comment below so I can keep everything up-to-date!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Best Tips For Working From Home

Work From Home

Working from home is not as easy as it sounds, and many people are suddenly learning this the hard way. Here are some tips that I hope will make it easier for you!

With the Coronavirus pandemic taking an economic, physical, and emotional toll around the world, millions of professionals have unexpectedly been forced to work from home and telecommute for the first time.

I’ve been working remotely (from home or in foreign countries) for the last 10 years while running my travel blogging business, and my wife Anna also works from home. We have a 1 year old son to look after too.

So I know from personal experience that it can be stressful & takes practice!

Working from home can be tricky when you have no coworkers or bosses nearby to keep you on track. It’s easy to get distracted, feel lonely, become overwhelmed, or stay unproductive!

So here are my best tips for working from home to help you tackle this new normal — who knows, you may never want to return to the office again!

My Best Working From Home Tips

My Home Office in Italy

1. Create A Home Office Or Workspace

Working from home doesn’t mean typing on your laptop from a beach hammock. Photos like that are usually staged and it just isn’t practical. Have you ever tried to read your laptop outside in the glaring sun?

One of the biggest challenges to working from home according to Stanford economics professor Nicholas Bloom is keeping work separate from the rest of your life. Building a dedicated workspace helps.

I highly recommend investing in things like a standing desk, ergonomic office chair, an external monitor for your laptop, hanging artwork on the walls, placing potted plants around (real or fake), and creating a workspace that helps YOU feel calm and productive. Whatever that may look like.

While working from your couch or the kitchen counter is possible, in my experience it’s much easier to get distracted if you don’t use a dedicated room or corner that you’ve designed specifically as a workspace. Here are some gift ideas for people who work from home too.

Anna’s Home Workspace

2. Stick To A Work Schedule

When I first started working from home many years ago, I would just work whenever I felt like it. Why not sleep until noon and work after that? Well, after a few months of this, I realized I wasn’t really getting much done. I kept putting off work because I could — there was no boss breathing down my neck.

Eventually you realize you’ll need a regular routine, much like when you were working from the office. A dedicated start time, an end time, and maybe even some kind of “commute” to act as a transition between your work day and home time.

Pick any hours you’d like of course, but then stick with them. Some people, like myself, work best in the mornings. Others, like my wife, prefer evenings.

Normally my morning “commute” consists of driving our son Dylan to daycare, then grabbing a coffee. Returning home to sit at my desk officially starts my workday.

3. Put Some Pants On!

I’ve certainly worked from home in my underwear on more than one occasion — with a glass of wine in one hand and a bag of cookies in the other. It can be fun, but generally the day ends up being pretty unproductive.

So now I tend to get dressed up for “work” just like when I had a typical 9 to 5 job, even while working from home.

You can definitely dress more relaxed, but working from your home computer without pants is probably best saved for causal Fridays.

Plus, with all the video conferencing going on these days, you probably want to appear presentable on camera. That also means taking a shower, shaving, hair, makeup, etc. Whatever your routine used to be — keep most of it.

Noise Canceling Headphones are Key…

4. Avoid Common Distractions

It’s so very easy to get distracted these days — in fact companies are making billions trying to figure out new ways to fight for your limited attention. These challenges are especially difficult for people who work from home.

I recommend completely logging out of social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter when you don’t need to access them for work purposes. Turn off certain notifications on your smartphone too.

If that’s still not enough, you can use software like Apple’s Screen Time that limits when you can even access these programs.

To keep from getting distracted by other things going on in your home, try picking up a pair of noise canceling headphones and listen to your favorite tunes.

You need to step it up and police yourself! Otherwise you’ll suddenly look at the clock realizing the day is over — with nothing to show for it.

5. Communicate With Loved Ones

When you start working from home, other people may not understand what it means. Family and friends may assume you have nothing to do all day, or can just postpone your work indefinitely to help them with random chores and errands.

That’s not how this works. Kindly explain that working from home doesn’t actually change too much — you still need to be strict with when work-time starts and ends. Don’t let them take advantage of the fact that you’re home.

Set boundaries and let people know there will be blocks of time when you need to focus on work and nothing else. Because if you’re not working, you’re not earning money! Working from home is not an extended vacation.

6. Get Some Exercise

Don’t neglect your body while working from home. Even if you sit at a desk all day, there are ways to exercise and stay healthy. Remember that in a normal office environment you’re moving around the building — so do the same at home.

Take a break and go for a walk down the street. Experiment with using a standing desk so you’re not sitting in a chair all day. Practice office stretching routines every few hours.

Maybe hit the gym or go for a run before/after work. Exercising on a regular basis will help you feel healthy and stay focused on the work at hand. You’ll be more productive.

7. Remember To Socialize

Working in a home office 5 days a week can be lonely. In a regular office setting you have coworkers to joke with or catch up on the latest gossip at the water cooler. Try to keep up with these types of social interactions — and find new ones.

Connect with other people through messaging programs like Slack or video calls like Zoom. Even text messaging works. Check up on coworkers, see how they’re doing, get book recommendations, or ask what they’ve been watching lately (I’m loving Hunters on Amazon Prime right now!)

You can also join online communities made up of others who work from home like you do. Because I’m a blogger, I’m part of some Facebook mastermind groups with others in the same field. We often share tips, struggles, and funny anecdotes that we can all relate to.

Relaxing in the Mountains

8. Find Time To Decompress

While the introverts among us (like me!) will thrive working from home, others might experience strong feelings of loneliness and depression without the normal office setting they’re used to.

This is one reason why it’s so important to decompress after work.

Go for a walk. Take a hike (if pandemic restrictions allow). Play with your pets or kids in the backyard. Do some yoga or meditation. Listen to music or a podcast. Jump on a video call with friends.

Whatever you need to relax and “turn off” work mode for the day, do it.

9. Take Sick Days

Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should work if you’re feeling sick. If you work for yourself, it can be tempting to work in bed from your laptop. Don’t do this — it’s better to rest and get healthy again as soon as possible.

If you’re employed by another company, do they offer paid sick leave while you’re working remotely? What kinds of guidelines are in place for this scenario? Ask questions and talk to human resources to find out.

No one should be forced to work while sick, whether they’re working in a typical office setting or telecommuting from home. Get answers now so there are no misunderstandings. With so many people forced to work remotely for the first time — there are bound to be some problems.

Joking with my Coworker!

10. Working From Home With Kids

One benefit to working from home is the ability to spend more time with your family. But this can also be a headache, as I’m sure many are experiencing with schools shut down during the pandemic.

Trying to juggle parenting while working from home is difficult.

When we have to work at home with Dylan around, my wife and I try to take turns watching him while the other one works. Luckily he still takes afternoon naps, so we both get a 2 hour break in the afternoon.

Sometimes I’ll get up extra early to work while he’s sleeping, and Anna works late in the evening after he’s gone to bed. It can be tough — but manageable with good communication and planning.

Obviously this becomes much more difficult if there’s no one else to help you watch them. Sending your kids to daycare makes things easier, but it’s not an option for everyone.

Try to stock up on books, games, and puzzles to keep them entertained. Don’t be afraid to fire up Netflix Kids and let them watch shows or movies too. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures!

Work From Home Tools & Resources

Great Software For Working From Home

• Asana
• Slack
• Dropbox
• Zoom
• Evernote
• Sanebox

Useful Work From Home Products

• Noise Canceling Headphones
• Adjustable Standing Desk
• Ergonomic Office Chair
• Wireless Mechanical Keyboard

Happy Remote Working!

So there you go, a few of my best tips for working from home after 10 years as a professional remote worker.

It can be a jarring experience in the beginning, but eventually you’ll become a pro. Good luck, stay safe out there, and don’t forget your pants!

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Have any questions about working from home? Do you have other suggestions to add? Let me know in the comments below!

This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Nomadic Living

How do long-term travelers and online businesses receive mail & packages while traveling? I use a virtual mailbox service that can scan and forward my mail anywhere.

I’ve been working as a digital nomad for the past 10-years, basing myself in multiple countries or simply living out of my backpack while traveling.

I’ve lived as an expat in Italy, France, Thailand, Mexico, and Spain.

Yet I have a virtual mailbox with a physical address in San Antonio, Texas.

Using this mailbox forwarding service, any incoming mail or packages are scanned, which I can then view through a dashboard to read my business or personal mail online.

From there, I can decide to scan the contents (letters), forward the mail/packages from my virtual PO box somewhere else, or have it shredded/recycled. I can even deposit checks from my computer!

My virtual mailbox service is incredibly helpful for running my online business and getting paid to travel around the world!

I use this virtual address to receive payments from clients, for business & personal bills, bank & credit card statements, legal documents, packages, and more.

Hi, I’m Matthew Karsten

I’ve been traveling the world for 10+ years as a professional photographer, writer, and digital nomad.

About The Author

Guide To Virtual Mail Forwarding In 2023

What Is A Virtual Mailbox?

A virtual mailbox is a special service that gives you an actual physical mailing address or virtual PO box that you can use as your permanent address for sending physical mail or packages, even if you’re traveling overseas.

Typical Virtual Mailbox Services Include:

• Online mail notification
• Online viewing of envelopes & packages
• Open and scan contents of your mail
• Mail forwarding service
• Shred, dispose or recycling of mail
• Package storage and shipping
• Check deposit service
• Signature upon delivery

Different online travel mailbox services offer different features. Some are more advanced than others.

There’s usually a base price with additional fees depending on which extra’s you want (like check deposit) or how much mail you receive.

Some virtual mailboxes offer a PO box address, while others offer a real physical street address — which is often required for many banks and official government correspondence.

Best Virtual Mailbox Services For Travel

1. Anytime Mailbox

COST: Starts at $5.99 USD per month

Anytime Mailbox is an international online postal mailbox service that can scan your mail, offers recycling and shredding, and mail forwarding. They have over 1200 address locations available worldwide in the US, Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Oceania.

Plus they have their own iOS and Android apps to access your mail from your smartphone.

Anytime Mailbox is the cheapest virtual mailbox in this list, depending on what level of service you choose and where the address is. They also have physical locations that allow you to pick up your mail in person.

2. Earth Class Mail

COST: $69-$179 USD per month

Earth Class Mail is the virtual mailbox service that I personally use. Their suite of features is the most advanced, especially if you’re running an online business.

They have the largest number of US-based addresses for different states of all the services mentioned here. Their online software, features, speed, and sorting facilities are top-notch, but you’ll also pay a premium for it.

While expensive, I can’t imagine running my travel blog without virtual mailbox forwarding. It’s one business expense that’s totally worth it. I use it to receive client checks, important packages, business & personal banking correspondence, tax documents, everything!

The digital mailbox service integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, Bill.com, Dropbox, Google Drive, and more.

They also offer a fully-automated CheckStream Deposit Service if your business receives a lot of physical checks.

3. Traveling Mailbox

COST: $15-$159 USD per month

Traveling Mailbox is another decent mail forwarding service with 5 plans to choose depending on your needs. Like Earth Class Mail, all accounts include basic envelope scans, junk mail filtering, unlimited cloud storage and free mail shredding.

They have over 30 addresses around the US. Premium features like check deposits cost extra. There are additional fees if you go over your monthly limits. The service integrates with Evernote, Bill.com and Dropbox.

4. US Global Mail

COST: $10-$20 USD per month

US Global Mail has been around since 1998, and they offer individual and family plans for short-term (monthly) or long-term (1-2 year) periods.

They offer free letter storage for 180 days, and free package storage for 30 days. Mail forwarding rates are quite affordable. One major downside is that they only offer one address location in Houston, Texas. This isn’t ideal if you need your address to match your state of residence.

5. Post Scan Mail

COST: $10-$35 USD per month

Post Scan Mail is another virtual mailing service that allows you to open mail virtually, scan it, forward it, store it, or have it destroyed.

They offer unlimited shredding and recycling, so you don’t have to pay extra for getting rid of junk mail sent to your virtual address.

Post Scan Mail gives you free online storage for all your scans, whether they are scans of the documents of the envelopes. Their folders make organizing your mail easier too.

Who Should Consider A Virtual Mailbox?

Long-Term Travelers

You’ve saved money for years, and are now planning your dream trip around the world. Or maybe you snagged one of those new remote work visas. But who will take care of your mail? If you don’t want to burden family or friends with sorting your mail, a virtual mailbox is a perfect option.

Online Businesses

Are you running your online business from a home office? A virtual mailing address can help prevent extra junk mail, and give you a more prestigious address located in a big city. It will also give you an anonymous mailbox to keep your home address safe from prying eyes.

Digital Nomads

Are you one of the 4.8 million Americans who now call themselves digital nomads? Technology has made the digital office and nomadic living a reality for many, and now you don’t have to be tied down by physical mail either.

RVers & Vanlifers

Living out of a vehicle like an RV or campervan poses a challenge to receiving your mail & packages, especially if you’re on the road. Forward your mail to the next RV campground you plan to stop at, no matter what state you’re driving through.

Expats

Are you living overseas in a foreign country with a travel-friendly job, but want to keep a physical mailing address in the US for billing, voting, and tax purposes? Sign up for a virtual mailing address in your former home state.

How To Set Up Mail Forwarding

To officially authorize your virtual mail service to receive mail on your behalf, you need to complete USPS Form 1583 and have it notarized.

Unless you’re signing up for Earth Class Mail, who offers free complimentary notarized online activation, you’ll need to get the form notarized in person.

Or if you’re already outside the United States — through an online notary service like NotaryCam (which only costs $25).

Where To Pick Up Your Mail

So, now that you have your virtual mailbox set up, where do you actually forward your mail if you’re living out of an RV or backpacking overseas?

Hotels

Many nicer hotels will let you forward mail and packages to them if you have a reservation there. The problem is timing your stay with when the mail will arrive. I’ve done this a few times. It’s safer to book a room for a least a few days.

Coworking Spaces

Many co-working spaces allow members to receive mail at the office. Again, you may need to sign up to become a member for a week, a month, etc.

Local Post Offices

Some post offices in foreign countries allow you to forward your mail to them, to be picked up later.

FedEx, UPS, DHL

It’s also possible to send packages to the local office of these popular shipping companies, where you can then pick it up when you arrive. You’ll need to ship it via their particular service though. I’d call ahead to let them know what you want to do, and ask how long they’ll hold your package for you.

Virtual Mailbox Tips & Advice

• Reduce the amount of physical mail you generate by signing up for paperless billing and online statements. Opt out of credit card & insurance offers using https://www.optoutprescreen.com/
• Many financial institutions require a physical mailing address and don’t allow PO boxes. Make sure to choose a plan accordingly.
• When picking a virtual mailbox service, pay attention to the plan limits and figure out how much mail you think you’ll receive.
• You might be able to reduce your state taxes by setting up residency in a state with no income tax. Pick a virtual address in that same state.

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.

Travel Jobs

Are you good with computers, following instructions, and social media? You might be the perfect fit to work as a virtual assistant making money online remotely.

Today, my friend (and my own VA) Jess shares her experience becoming a virtual assistant, along with tips for how to find jobs while traveling. Here’s Jess:

Hi guys! My name is Jess, and I work as Matt’s virtual assistant for this blog.

After traveling around the world full time for 9-months, my savings were starting to run out, and I was determined to find a travel job that would allow me to earn an income on the road.

I was already “living the dream”, now I just needed to figure out how to afford that dream!

After many trials and errors, I finally figured out how to make extra money traveling the world while working as a virtual assistant (VA).

In this article, I’m going to share how to start working as a virtual assistant, where to find virtual assistant jobs online, what skills are important to know, and tips for working & living remotely.

Virtual Assistant Job Guide 2022

My Search For A Travel-Friendly Job

I remember the moment I decided to become a virtual assistant. I thought to myself “If other people are doing this, why can’t I?”.

It all started when I wrote out a list of all the skills I had picked up from studying and working in digital marketing, photography & video throughout the years prior to my gap year.

I knew what I was good at, but I had no idea how I was going to find someone who needed my skills.

Somewhere along the way, I figured it all out – and now it’s time for me to pass this wisdom onto you my young Padawan. ;-)

What Is A Virtual Assistant?

This will change from client to client, but essentially a Virtual Assistant can do any digital task you need them to!

Most virtual assistants provide support to their clients by answering customer emails, updating websites, organizing files, bookkeeping, coordinating schedules, social media management, research, or even photo & video editing.

Basically, any small task that your client doesn’t want to do or doesn’t have time for. Freeing up valuable time that can be used on his or her primary business objectives.

In modern times, the need for an executive assistant to work in the same physical office space as their clients has reduced dramatically with the power of the internet, online tools, and new software.

Virtual Assistant Duties & Tasks

Virtual assistants can work as executive assistants, administrative assistants, or personal assistants depending on the client. Tasks may include things like:

Email Management

Answering customer support emails, highlighting promising business opportunities for the client to follow up on, declining unattractive offers, clearing out spam messages, or putting together a monthly newsletter.

Social Media Management

Scheduling posts on social media accounts like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube. Designing graphics to use. Crafting descriptions. Researching hashtags. Maybe even responding to comments, updating profiles, and more.

Website Management

Formatting, editing, drafting, and scheduling blog posts on WordPress or another CMS (Content Management System) for the client’s website. Moderating the comments section. Fixing broken links and other general website maintenance tasks.

Administrative Tasks

Managing a client’s calendar, setting schedules, booking travel arrangements, creating spreadsheets, answering phone calls, etc.

Computer skills are also very important, as is knowledge of certain common software programs like:

• Word Processors (Microsoft Word, Google Documents)
• Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets)
• Blogging Platforms (WordPress)
• Image Editors (Adobe Photoshop, Canva)
• Social Media Tools (Tailwind, Buffer)

Become A Virtual Assistant

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My Typical Day Working As Matt’s VA

While I’m going to share what my day looks like, there are all kinds of variations to this. Because virtual assistants can do all sorts of different tasks.

• 9 AM: Email Management
  Rise and shine! Time to check in on Slack (our team collaboration tool for organizing tasks, sending files and chatting about projects) to see if there’s anything to add to my to-do list for the week.
  
  

  Next, I respond to and organize emails as well as approve blog comments — which can start to pile up overnight. Matt receives a lot of similar questions & comments via email, so we have some standard replies for saving time. I save them as drafts and Matt adds his own personalizations before hitting “send”.

• 10 AM: Content Research & Blog Post Formatting
  I review Matt’s upcoming blog content, maybe do some extra research, or format unfinished blog posts so they’re ready to publish.

  We are constantly working to improve Expert Vagabond content, updating older blog posts with more relevant information, plus adding maps or additional imagery to enhance the reader experience.

• 12 PM: Social Media Management
  Over the past few months, I’ve worked on creating Matt’s Pinterest ‘brand’, to ensure that there is a consistent look and feel between all of his pins. Creating some eye-catching pins using his images.
  
  

  Once the Pinterest images are ready to go, it’s time to open up Tailwind to schedule the pins to go out for the next week. I create, source and schedule 15 – 20 pins per day. Matt recently decided to try out Flipboard as another platform for sourcing and sharing content, so I usually spend 30-minutes updating our online Flipboard ‘magazines’ for the week.

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Benefits Of Working As A Virtual Assistant

1. Work From Anywhere In The World

For me, this cancels out ALL of the disadvantages of VA work. I found out about this position when I was traveling through Asia earlier this year.

My bank account was telling me it was time to go home, but I wasn’t ready to stop traveling yet.

Having the opportunity to work from anywhere gave me the freedom to live life on my own terms. I can work from home, from a coffee shop, from a different city, or even a foreign country!

2. Cut Costs On Your Commute

When I worked in a typical office in Dublin, I would spend €11 and 2.5 hours on my commute every day.

Working from home allows me to save €220 every month – that’s €2,640 every year. That’s the price of a new camera or an incredible holiday abroad. I’ll take that over commuting any day!

3. Set Your Own Hours

If working the 9 – 5 grind works for you, stick at it! But if not, how about finding a job that allows you to work at a time that suits you.

Not much a morning person? Do the late shift. Not much of a night owl either? Not a problem, working from 11am to 7pm solves that problem. This is the kind of flexibility you just don’t find in a typical office environment.

4. Spend More Time With Your Family

What would you do if someone gave you an extra 2.5 hours in your day? I spend mine with the people I love, doing the things I used to have to save for the weekends.

The Downside Of Virtual Assistant Jobs

1. Loneliness

If you are thinking of getting into the digital nomad world, you’re going to have to get used to the idea of being alone.

There’s no one sitting beside you to support you or even just have a little chat with over lunch. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, you should look into co-working spaces or networking events that you can go to in the evenings to get some human interaction in your day.

2. Distractions

I’m learning how to master this slowly but surely…

When there is no one looking over your shoulder all day, making sure you are focused on the task at hand, it is easy to become distracted by anything and everything!

You have to remember that you will only get paid for the hours you actually complete, not the 40 minutes you spend daydreaming out the window.

3. Self Discipline

Tying in nicely with the last point, self-discipline is a skill. Technically, you are your own boss now, so you have to make sure that you get the task done on time.

If you lack in self-discipline, you will lag in productivity. Set yourself boundaries, time frames and rules – then stick to them.

How Much Money Can You Earn?

Virtual assistants can usually make between $10 to $35 an hour with a median hourly rate of about $16. It will really depend on your skills, qualifications, and experience level.

If you’re just doing data entry, the pay might not be that great.

But if you’ve built up some basic graphic design skills, understand WordPress, know how to edit videos and photography, have in-depth experience with social media platforms, or other specialized knowledge, you can earn more.

Where To Find Virtual Assistant Jobs

If you’re ready to start making extra money on the side with a virtual assistant business, here are a few places to get started.

Freelancer Websites

• FlexJobs
• Upwork
• People Per Hour

Social Media

Let your family and friends know you’re looking for a virtual assistant job by posting it on social media. Networking is a powerful tool. You may be surprised who knows someone that may be able to help you up with a job.

In fact, this is how I got my job! By posting on social media that I was looking for VA work.

Reach Out To Potential Clients

I’m sure you follow some professional bloggers, YouTube video creators, or social media influencers who you’d love to work with. It doesn’t hurt to send them all a quick message via email offering your services.

Be friendly, don’t be pushy, and if they aren’t hiring — maybe they know someone who is?

Tips For Landing Your First VA Position

Step 1: Work On Your Skills

The first step is to define the skills that you can use as a Virtual Assistant. Not sure if you have the right skills for the job? No problem!

Put some hours aside every week to learn skills and within a few months, you will be ready to put your new knowledge to the test.

There are millions of Youtube videos you can watch that will teach you how to run a successful social media campaign, manage calendar appointments, edit video on Final Cut Pro, create social media images using Adobe Photoshop and more.

You can also sign up to Skillshare (2 months free with that link!) to get unlimited access to over 23,000 classes.

This is exactly what I did to improve my organizational skills, digital marketing, video editing and photography before I started to look for jobs online.

Step 2: Find The Right Industry

For me, I knew that I wanted to work in the travel industry so that immediately narrowed down my options.

A lot of people go straight to the internet to search for a job. I decided to start my job search using the “networking” route by telling everyone I knew what I wanted to do.

I told my family and friends “I’m looking for a Virtual Assisting role in the travel industry. If you know someone who might be able to help me, could you give them my details?”

Then I put the message out to my connections on Facebook and Instagram.

Within a week, a friend of mine posted that Matt from expertvagabond.com was looking for a virtual assistant! Moral of the story – put it out into the world, and the world will often support you.

Step 3: Create A CV & Cover Letter

Throw away that boring Microsoft Word CV that you created when you were 16 in computer class! It’s time for a modern upgrade.

My go-to tool for CV creation is Canva.com. Not only does it have a tonne of templates for you to use, but you can also customize them to really showcase your top skills and highlight the many reasons why someone should hire you.

Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of personality to your CV. Keep in mind that your potential employer is probably sifting through a hundred CV’s, so you want them to open yours and say “Ooooh, what’s this?”. Leave them feeling intrigued.

Please remember that your CV should only be 1 – 2 pages long and your cover letter should be 2 – 3 paragraphs maximum. Employers usually don’t have a lot of time to look at them, so you need to present the information as concisely as possible.

Step 4: Interview Prep

Now that you have nailed the CV & Cover Letter, it’s time to prepare for the interview stage.

It is almost 100% guaranteed that they are going to ask you to tell them more about yourself, so make sure to have a little elevator speech worked out in advance.

Remember you don’t have to solely focus on the business side of life. Give them an insight into your hobbies, where you get inspiration from and how your life has lead you to this new role.

This is your moment to show them exactly why you are perfect for their virtual assistant position, so take the time to discuss your skills, your experience, your education (even if it is just from Youtube and Skillshare!).

They will love to hear that you are constantly learning and improving your knowledge of the key skills needed for the role.

ALWAYS have 2 – 3 questions prepared to ask them at the end of the interview. If you don’t, it can look like you are not interested in finding out more about them or their business.

If they have already answered all of your questions throughout the interview, you can tell them the question you wanted to ask, and thank them for already answering it in so much detail.

Step 5: Go Above & Beyond

If you want to really knock their socks off, why not create an example of the work you will create for them.

Show them your social media image designs, or write out a sample travel blog post to show them how serious you are about taking these tasks off their hands.

Not only will you stand out from the crowd, but it will instantly build trust that you can get the job done.

In the past, I’ve created video CV’s for clients who have a background in Youtube and have even created a brand new CV in the style of my favorite book for a position to work with the book’s author.

You have to do whatever it takes to stand out from the hundreds of other candidates.

The truth is there are many advantages and disadvantages to this type of job, but if you can master the art of virtual assisting, the world is your oyster!

It takes dedication, drive and an enormous amount of self-discipline, but it is definitely a dream job that will give you the freedom to live life on your own terms (and travel if you want to).

If you are attempting to find a VA job at the moment, just remember that the first client is the hardest. If you can land that first client, the next 50 clients should be no problem.

So keep on trying, keep improving your skills, and don’t stop learning until you’re living it up swinging from a hammock somewhere with your laptop in one hand and a cocktail in the other! ★

BIO

Jess Glynn is the author of The Gap Year Guru and has worked in digital marketing for over 5 years, specializing in Social Media and Content Creation. In 2017, she decided to quit her job and write about her travels through Brazil, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines for 9 months. Follow her on Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter!

Virtual Assistant Job Resources

Remote Job Listing Websites

• FlexJobs.com
• Guavabean Facebook Group
• Remote.co
• Freelancer.com

Useful Tools & Software For VAs

• Canva
• Slack
• Trello
• WordPress

Become A Virtual Assistant

Want to start your own business working as a virtual assistant? Learn the skills needed and how to land new clients.

Start Your VA Business Today

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This is a post from The Expert Vagabond adventure blog.