If you’re a digital nomad looking for someplace warm to escape winter, yet you’ve been discouraged from applying for Digital Nomad Visas due to the bureaucracy and high-income requirements, you’ve come to the right place.
Unless you’re making plans to actually immigrate, you don’t need a visa to live temporarily in a bunch of cool sunny spots in the Global South that welcome visitors for as long as half a year––or even more––even if they’re entering as tourists.
All it requires is a valid passport, and sometimes proof of accommodation and an outbound ticket to show you’ll be leaving once the six months are up––here are 5 of them:
Mexico
With coastlines on both the Pacific and Caribbean, culture-rich cities and pleasant temps year-round, Mexico is a no-brainer for American nomads planning a move abroad: it’s a short 2 to 3-hour flight away, the expat community is huge, and there’s a plethora of nomad-friendly destinations to pick from.
There’s Mexico City, with its diverse districts and cozy cafes, Playa Del Carmen, for the young, sociable beach bums, San Miguel de Allende, if you’re craving some Old World charm, and even up-and-coming Monterrey, a buzzing metropolis with an unmatched entrepreneurial vibe.
As America’s direct neighbor to the south, and every American’s go-to vacation in winter, Mexico is truly quite generous in its treatment of U.S. visitors, issuing them 6-month visas on the spot, with no requirement other than nationality.
Belize
Located just south of Mexico, Belize may well be one of the smallest nation-states in the Caribbean, but it certainly doesn’t suffer from a shortage of wonders, from the unruffled beaches and lengthy coral reef to the Mayan-dominated jungles dotted with ancient sites like Caracol and Altun Ha.
The official language of the country is English, making integration somewhat easier, and if you’re staying long-term, you’ll notice it can be fairly inexpensive as a nomad destination, with meals in local restaurants costing roughly $6, and rent starting at $249, as per Numbeo estimates.
The best part is, as an American citizen, you’re allowed to stay a whole 6 months uninterrupted in the Central American country, whether you’re taking a gap semester to travel or you’re planning on making a dreamy island like Caye Caulker your next office view.
El Salvador
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re going south, still: the former drug trafficking capital of Central America, and now one of the safest territories in the region, thanks to the zero-tolerance policy of incumbent President Nayib Buckle, El Salvador is a hidden gem that’s just now getting discovered.
Between the extensive Pacific coastline, interspersed with resort towns and untouched patches of jungle, and the volcano-backed hinterland, it is a paradise for nature enthusiasts, though city lovers won’t be disappointed in the national capital, San Salvador, and its lively social scene.
You’ll certainly be in no rush to leave, especially now that El Salvador has extended visa-free entry for Americans from 90 to a whopping 180 days, and this may be extended for an additional 90 if you apply up to 5 days before the six-month period is up.
That’s a total of 270 days in El Salvador, but if you’re going for the extension, you should know it’s not as straightforward as an on-arrival visa:
- Fill out form F44 from the official Migracion y Extranjeria website available here
- Purchase a new flight or bus ticket out of El Salvador for up to 90 days in the future
- Present proof of accommodation for the intended period of stay (hotel, Airbnb reservations)
- Gather proof you have the financial means to stay in the country (payment slips, bank statements)
- Upload a passport-style photo
- Copy all pages of your passport
- Ask a local person to accompany you to the immigration office in San Salvador, as a citizen of El Salvador must confirm your purpose of stay (this may be a friend or an Airbnb host, for example)
- Give authorities one additional local contact for further vertification (simply a name and phone number suffices)
You’re required to pay a fee of $25 when extending your visa.
Panama
Straddling the isthmus that links Central to South America, Panama is world-famous for its rainforests, self-titled canal, a magnificent feat of engineering cutting through the heart of the country, and linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and of course, a bustling Panama City:
An overlooked capital boasting a well-preserved colonial core, fringed by towering skyscrapers and.a lush Natural Metropolitan Park, it is incredibly affordable by American standards: according to Nomad List, living there will set you back an average of $2,534 monthly.
So much the better, seeing you get to stay 6 months in Panama as a U.S. passport holder, so long as you satisfy one very simple requirement (which I suspect most of you do): you cannot have a criminal conviction––in that case, you’re denied entry and even transit.
Colombia
We made it to South America! More specifically, the verdant oasis in Colombia is where the turquoise Caribbean, towering Andean peaks, and the Amazon jungle all meet under one tricolor of yellow, blue, and red.
Be it for the museum-packed Bogota, dubbed Athens of the South, a colorful Medellin, host to coworking centers and a thriving backpacker scene, or even a colonial-era Cartagena, with its UNESCO-listed city walls and Baroque churches, Colombia is the new digital nomad darling.
Last but not least, it also exempts Americans from applying for visas for visitors of up to 6 months, with a slight caveat: upon arrival, you’ll be issued a 90-day entry stamp on your passport, but if you aim to stay longer, you must apply for a 90-day extension, El Salvador-style.
The good news is, that getting a tourist visa extension in Colombia is much easier than in El Salvador, so long as you do it before your initial visa expires:
- Access the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Upload a PDF copy of the information page of your passport
- Upload a scan of your entry stamp issued at the airport upon arrival
- Present proof of onward travel leaving Colombia at the end of the 90 days
- Pay the $27.55 fee
…and you’re good to go!
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
