The digital nomad setup checklist
Going nomad means sorting six things: where you can live, insurance, money, your business, connectivity, and tax. Miss one and it bites you later, usually at a border or a bank. Here is the whole list in order, with the right tool to handle each step.
- 1
Choose where you can legally live
Start here, because everything else depends on it. Income requirements, tax rules and how long you can stay vary wildly by country, so find the ones that will actually have you before you fall in love with a destination.
- 2
Get insurance that meets the visa rules
Most nomad visas require proof of health or travel-medical insurance just to apply, and you want the cover regardless. Sort this early, since you often need the policy document in your application.
- 3
Set up how you get paid and spend
Earning in one currency and living in another wrecks your money on fees and bad exchange rates. A multi-currency account lets you get paid like a local, spend at the real rate, and move money cheaply.
- 4
Structure your business (if you run one)
Freelancers and online business owners often form a US LLC for clean invoicing, US banking and Stripe access. Skip this if you're a salaried employee, but it's worth knowing the honest tax picture either way.
- 5
Stay connected anywhere
An eSIM gets you mobile data the moment you land, with no SIM swapping. A VPN keeps you secure on the public wifi you work from and lets you reach home banking and services that block foreign logins. Two apps and your connectivity is sorted.
- 6
Understand the tax angle
A visa is not a tax holiday. Some countries genuinely don't tax your foreign income; others are wrongly sold as tax-free. And your home country may still tax you. Know this before you commit to a base.
Your toolkit at a glance
Start with step one
Everything else follows from where you can legally live. The free checker matches your income and situation to every visa you qualify for, in seconds.
Run the free visa checker →Setup checklist FAQ
What do you need to become a digital nomad?
Six things, roughly in order: a visa or legal right to stay, health or travel insurance (often required for the visa), a way to get paid and spend across currencies, a business structure if you run one, mobile data and a VPN for connectivity, and a clear understanding of your tax position.
What should I sort out first?
Your visa. Where you can legally live sets your income target, your tax exposure and how long you can stay, and everything else follows from it. Use the free checker to see your options, then work down the list.
Do I need a US LLC to be a digital nomad?
No. It's only useful if you freelance or run an online business for foreign clients and want US banking, Stripe and a clean entity to invoice through. Salaried employees usually don't need one.
Do most nomad visas require insurance?
Yes, the majority require proof of health or travel-medical insurance as part of the application, which is why insurance sits near the top of the checklist rather than the bottom.
This checklist is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Visa, tax and account rules change and depend on your nationality and situation. Confirm the current requirements on each linked page and with a qualified professional before you act.