Welcome to the Digital Nomad Newsletter

In this edition: the Philippines wants your income (but not your taxes), Japan wants your salary (but only for six months), and Da Nang wants everything Bali had before the Instagram hordes showed up.

The Philippines Wants Your Laptop (and Not Your Taxes)

The Philippines has launched a new digital nomad visa, letting remote workers from 38 countries live in the country for up to two years, tax-free—provided they earn at least $2,000 a month from a foreign employer. It’s a bid to attract long-term visitors. It might work.

Key Takeaways:

• 12-month digital nomad visa now available; renewable for another year.
• Applicants need $2,000/month income and must work for a foreign company.
• Visa holders exempt from local income tax.
• Open to 38 countries including U.S., U.K., and much of the EU.
• Government aims to promote tech-friendly cities like Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

The interesting thing here is that the governent isn’t interested in taxing you as a digital nomad. This is one of the key complaints by digital nomads in other jurisdictions. It’s not even the costs involved that bother most people. It’s the hassle the puts people off.

I wrote Philippines for digital nomads in 2018 back in 2018 after spending a month exploring the country. I know that a month isn’t enough time for in-depth commentary on anything really, and I’d be first to point this out to another blogger. But 7 years ago, writing an non-click bait title got you absolutely no readers whatsoever. So I wrote this blog post about the practicalities of digital nomading in The Philippines and used it as a vehicle for some observations of the country.

I returned in April 2025, and while some things have changed, many of the original challenges and quirks remain.

What has changed and what hasn’t changed:

• The people: Friendly, funny, and with a good command of English. It’s still one of the easiest places in Asia to connect with locals, have a conversation, or get help.
• The natural beauty: The islands are stunning, and the lack of mass tourism in many areas gives it a kind of raw charm that’s harder to find elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
• Affordability: Day-to-day expenses like groceries, decent restaurants, healthcare, and short-term accommodation are not as budget-friendly as they used to be. I saw a significant increase in prices and a decrease in quality, especially when it comes to food. Accommodation was and still is weirdly expensive. Most apartments in the cities are prison-cell sized and expensive.
• Coworking spaces: Even back then, Manila, Cebu, and Davao had some solid coworking spots. Local freelancers and remote workers were embracing the scene.
• Visa access: Easy 30-day entry for many nationalities, and reasonably priced extensions. Immigration has pretty strict policies about onward travel for tourists. You won’t even get on the plane if you don’t have a ticket out of the country (within your visa time limit). You could also use a service like Onward Ticket (I can confirm that this service works)
• Business potential: The Philippines was, and still is, a hotspot for outsourcing and virtual assistants. For bootstrappers and founders, it’s a cost-effective place to build something.
• Internet hell: In 2018, it was the worst I’d experienced in Southeast Asia. Slow speeds, blackouts, and a monopolized infrastructure plagued even the big cities. On the islands? Forget about it. This time around, In Manila and Cebu, there was some hope. I even got 600MB download speed in a new apartment in Manila. Things are getting better.
• Traffic chaos: Manila and Cebu were impossible to traverse at rush hour. I wrote that most people barely leave their own neighborhoods—and I still think that’s true. And it’s only gotten worse, unfortunately.
• Relentless climate: Hot and humid almost year-round, with brief interludes of oppressive rain.
• Food (divisive): I liked it, but acknowledged that many foreigners don’t. If you’re not into fried meats or vinegar-heavy dishes, it can be tough to eat well—especially if you’re vegan or gluten-free. However, having spent so much time in Thailand and eaten my fair share of food in China and Japan, the food of the Philippines has dropped a bit in my estimation.
• Air quality: Urban pollution is very real, but I noted that it was surprisingly localized. Outside the city cores, the air was cleaner than expected. I obsessively check air quality everywhere I go, and compared to Thailand and lots of other places in Southeast Asia, The Philippines isn’t bad at all.

Manila has some interesting places and plenty of high-end neighbourhoods but these are often positioned right beside or in the middle of screaming poverty. Walk the wrong way down a street and you go from $5-a-cup coffee shops to people covered in dirt and sitting in sewer water. Shocking.

I’d been there before but this time around, Cebu really didn’t seem like a place I’d want to spend any time.

The Philippines is all about the beaches and the islands. Go there.

From Beach Town to Remote Work Capital: Da Nang’s Next Chapter

Da Nang isn’t “up and coming” anymore. It’s already there.

James Clark of Nomadic Notes has always had a knack for spotting the quiet tectonic shifts in Southeast Asia’s cityscapes, and this piece on Da Nang is no exception. When I tried dropping into Da Nang in May, I couldn’t even find a place to stay. That’s how fast things are moving. My previous visit was during rainy season in late 2023 and felt like I had the place to myself. I don’t recommend going at that time of year, by the way.

​Da Nang is the new digital nomad hub of Southeast Asia​

This article is a great read if you’re curious about where digital nomads are actually going (not just talking about going), how urban planning and infrastructure are shaping lifestyle choices in Vietnam, and what it looks like when a beach town grows up into a serious contender for Asia’s remote work capital. Da Nang has that "lifestyle city" feel and vibe.

Da Nang is more of a destination that Chiang Mai and Canggu now. Hopefully, it doesn’t end up becoming more like the latter.

Urban Life Without the Headache: Inside Da Nang’s Slow Climb

This town is a hot topic at the moment.

Da Nang is positioning itself as Vietnam’s most practical city for remote workers. It’s less chaotic than Ho Chi Minh City and less claustrophobic than Hanoi. Solid infrastructure, fast internet, and liveable prices. There’s no official digital nomad visa yet, but that hasn’t stopped a steady flow of remote workers setting up shop.

Thankfully, there’s a lack of Crypto bros and yoga cults. I haven’t heard anyone mention cacao ceremonies and the Andrew Tate-style big hitters pulling 10s in Thailand appear not to be on the road to Da Nang. This might change, of course, as the Bali crowd sniffs out newer, cheaper hunting grounds.

If you know the digital nomad scene, you’ll already have heard how Da Nang is the best new nomad place. There are countless YouTube videos of exactly the same three or four reasons why Da Nang is "amazing". And inevitably, the "I left Bali for Da Nang" videos have already started. It’s not hard to find blogs recounting unironically about leaving the digital nomad location everyone’s talking about to go to another digital nomad location everyone’s talking about. The boat has sailed guys.

No Guns, No Trump, No Problem: Spain Beckons the Disillusioned

Property purchases by U.S. citizens in Spain surged by 57% in Q1 2025, with the biggest demand coming from those disillusioned with Trump-era politics, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals and minorities who feel increasingly marginalized back home. Valencia is a standout destination, attracting Americans with its low cost of living, low gun violence, and even lower tolerance for political extremism.

The recent scrapping of Spain’s “Golden Visa” hasn’t slowed demand, as U.S. buyers remain the biggest spenders per property. Meanwhile, Spain’s socialist government is pushing back against foreign speculation as it grapples with its own housing crisis.

High Salary, Low Stay: Who Japan’s Digital Nomad Visa Is Really For

The price of entry is a salary of at least ¥10 million a year. Around $68K USD. Not exactly small change, especially for creatives, freelancers, or anyone who doesn’t refer to themselves as a “brand.” This isn’t for ramen-chomping backpackers hacking their way across Asia. It’s for high-earning knowledge workers who can afford to work from Shibuya and still pay for international health insurance.

​Japan’s Digital Nomad Visa: A New Gateway for Global Remote Workers and Real Estate Investors​

This might not be enough time for many people. A six-month immersion in Japanese culture. A taste for what this amazing country has to offer.

Six months feels too restrictive. This is more like an extended tourist visa dressed up in remote work branding. You’re invited to live like a local, but only long enough to start loving the place, not long enough to build anything lasting.

No renewals. No extensions. Just enough time to learn how to use the train apps and find a favorite konbini.

A redditor shared their experience of 6 months in Tokyo with the new Japanese Digital Nomad Visa.

Main takeaways:

• expect bureaucratic pain and short-term limits
• Tokyo’s overwhelming scale masks pockets of calm and charm
• Walking is the best way to experience the city
• Food, hospitality, and quiet acts of kindness stand out as core parts of the Tokyo experience
• Housing is a hassle. short stays mean compromises or expensive stays

Medellín’s Makeover: Who Wins in the Nomad Economy?

“We’re not against tourists,” she says. “But this new dynamic? Out of control.”

​Colombia’s Medellín sees rise in digital nomads, but locals say gentrification is pricing them out​

Landlords are kicking out residents for fatter Airbnb profits. Rents are skyrocketing and the local community is Eroding.

• 2022: 8,000 short-term rentals
• 2023: Over 20,000

Urbanist Alejandro Echeverria: “Growth isn’t the problem. Growth without conscience is.”

Unfortunately, many nomads simply do not care about local community. They want to be surrounded by other digital nomads and have brainstorming sessions with cheap prices and submissive wait staff.

This isn’t about hating tourists or gatekeeping cities. It’s about balance. Medellín’s major chanes aren't unique (see Barcelona, Mexico City, etc), but it’s a warning. Growth without guardrails turns cities into extraction zones. Is that what we want?

One solution: tax digital nomads fairly, and reinvest that revenue into housing and local infrastructure. Nomads who claim to love these places might also start acting like it by staying longer, learning the language, tipping properly, and choosing landlords who aren’t evicting locals.

Canada’s Low-Key Digital Nomad-Friendly Policy

Spoiler alert: Canada doesn’t have a fancy “digital nomad visa.”

But you don’t need one.

There’s no work permit. No special paperwork beyond what tourists file. As of mid-2025, foreign remote workers can legally stay in Canada up to six months under standard visitor status—no special nomad visa but accepted via the “Tech Talent Strategy.”

This is a practical workaround—legal stays without a formal visa. Canada checks boxes like healthcare, stability, and reliable infrastructure.

Requirements:

• Proof of income
• Health insurance
• Return/onward travel
• Clean criminal record
• Enough cash to support yourself

Nomads eyeing North American options might want to consider Canada for semi-structured stays with strong services and low red tape.

​Apply through the IRCC site, upload your docs, pay CAD 7 (eTA) or around CAD 100 (visitor visa), and wait. Processing takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks.

The absolute weirdos who prefer the office life

OK, that headline is just my not-so-deep-seated opinion, but I’m not Gen Z and didn’t come of age during the pandemic, so the office is probably a novelty.

David Brent fans clap along with this one.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/hard-working-gen-z-prefer-life-office/ (paywall)

https://ct.moreover.com/?a=56992624583&p=ce2&v=1&x=71zc06iV0sxsRWICIf4yKw (non-paywall version)

The Telegraph’s recent piece looks at this twist in work culture: professionals under 30 are showing up to the office more frequently than their older workmates.

Whyt? Well, clear boundaries between work and life, in-person mentorship, and social interaction that Slack just doesn’t deliver might have something to do with it.

They’ll soon learn 😉, but for now, it’s a brave new world.

Surveys from JLL and Centre for Cities show that Gen Z is clocking more office hours than any other generation. They want structure, community, and a path into adult working life that remote setups haven’t yet figured out how to do properly. Mentorship, skill-building, and human contact matter. Especially when you’re new, broke, and trying to figure out if you actually like your career.

You’ve got to respect that.

Nepal’s Nomad Visa Hype: Real Deal or SEO Mirage?

Between late May and early June 2025, multiple sources—including Travel Trade Journal (May 29) and China Daily (June 10)—reported Nepal’s government is preparing a five‑year, multiple‑entry digital nomad visa, aimed at boosting tourism and IT-sector growth

Key proposed requirements include:

• Foreign remote income (or $20 k+ in savings), minimum $1,500/month
• International health insurance ($100k coverage)
• A flat 5% tax for stays beyond 186 days
• Other perks: open a bank account, register a vehicle, use foreign driver’s license

All signs point to official rollout “within a year”—but no formal application portal or legal text has appeared yet. There’s no finalized fee schedule, no online form, and no embassy procedure.

Despite the lack of official launch, a flood of SEO-driven articles arrived. The usual suspects already report detailed eligibility, some even citing prerequisites as though the visa were active.

I’m just trying to highlighting the opportunity without overstating certainty.

Watch this one carefully. Nepal could become a standout nomad base. It’s affordable, scenic, and culturally rich. Watch out for announcements from government websites and treat any prerelease details as promises—not proof.

The Post-Pandemic Nomad Correction

According to this article in Business Insider, workers now value job security and work-hour flexibility over location independence. Life on the road is being traded in for stability. More companies are demanding employees be physically present. Even fully remote roles increasingly require being in certain countries

Compliance, costs, and control factors seem to be the main factors.

It seems to me that big companies = less flexibility. Small startups or solo clients = more wiggle room for travel while working or location arbitrage.

For many companies, “remote” doesn’t mean global. Companies now often allow remote work only within jurisdictions where they operate. Why? Taxes, liability, and immigration risk.

Digital nomad visas are more PR than practicality. I’ve always said this. There aren’t many useful digital nomad visas apart from the new Thailand DTV and a few others.

If you found this newsletter useful or entertaining, you might want to take a look at these tools I recommend. They help the words flowing. Or just hit reply. I’m always interested in hearing your thoughts, whether it’s about the newsletter or travel in general.

• ​Dollar Flight Club - Get the world’s best email on flights.
• ​Ratepunk - A Chrome extension that finds you the best prices on hotels, Airbnbs, and more
• ​Lingopie - Learn a language through real-world TV shows and movies. It’s one of my favourite platforms for picking up new languages while getting a genuine sense of the culture.
• ​Daily Drop - Track award flights and hotel redemptions across dozens of programs in one go. It’s a serious tool for travellers who want to use points without spending half their life on spreadsheets.