For someone who already works online or has traveled a great deal, learning how to prepare to be a digital nomad might be pretty simple. On the other hand, many digital nomads start from scratch, with no remote work or travel experience.
If you're more in the latter category, it'll take some extra hustle.
But the good news is that with some research, strategy, and elbow grease, the nomadic lifestyle is waiting for you if you really want it.
Take it from Christopher Mitchell of Traveling Mitch. He's lived on four continents and visited more than 80 countries, and he believes that it's more possible than ever to build a life on your own terms.
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Christopher Mitchell, Founder of Traveling Mitch |
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"While I'm admittedly biased, I feel strongly that within each of us there is a great desire to move and explore for exploration's sake. What impeded this exploration in the past was the notion that we could only travel when we weren't working, and buried under mounds of paperwork. That's all changed, and now you can ditch the 9-to-5 and be more productive than ever. To thrive in this space takes discipline, creativity, and hard work, but if you continue to grow, learn, and hustle each day, you'll find that you've created a life that suits you perfectly." |
In this article, we'll talk about how to become a digital nomad and go over four tips to add to your checklist. Let's go.
1. Make Your Job Preparations
One of the first things you'll need to figure out is how to generate your own income. This is the most intimidating part of the process for most people, and one of the biggest roadblocks that stop dreamers from making the leap.
While some people already have a job that lets them work from home, or a cool company that helps them make the switch to remote work, many people just don't have that luxury. You may just have to create your own revenue stream.
I'm going to be honest: learning how to start a digital nomad career from scratch can get difficult. But the odds of this working for you are growing by the day. The number of location-independent workers continues to surge, showing that more people than ever are finding ways to sustain themselves while traveling.
Some aspiring digital nomads choose to start a side hustle as they build their own business alongside their current 9-to-5 or part-time job. The side hustle approach will guarantee that you keep a consistent income flow while you steadily build your digital nomad salary.
Digital nomad jobs may include things like starting a dropshipping business, becoming a social media marketer, creating online courses, or doing freelance graphic design, just to name a few of the hundreds of ways you could generate income online.
But make sure you go into it with a resilient, resourceful, and patient attitude, as it can almost double your workload, and it might take a little while for you to pick up steam. As with any new professional venture, you'll benefit big time when you accept that challenges and occasional failures are part of the deal.
Building multiple revenue sources is critical for long-term success. Don't rely on just one client or income stream. Spread your risk across different projects and platforms. This diversity protects you during slow periods and gives you financial security when unexpected situations arise that prevent you from working for extended stretches.
2. Sort Through (And Let Go Of) Your Stuff
Calling all hoarders: you're gonna have to work on that.
When you think about every digital nomad you've ever seen, they all have at least a few things in common. One of those things is a noticeable lack of belongings. Many nomads are backpackers, slinging their entire lives onto their shoulders whenever it's time to hit the next destination.
While some people are blessed with the gift of not being too attached to their stuff, it's an understandably difficult process for many others. After all, we're emotional creatures and our stuff can hold a lot of sentimental value.
In addition to the psychological obstacles, you might also encounter some logistical ones.
What will you do with all the stuff you're not taking? There are a few options:
- Sell them in a garage sale or online, like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or even Amazon or eBay.
- Get a storage unit for maybe six months or a year with the option of extending if you decide to stay out longer.
- Keep them with a close friend or family member who has some extra space and wouldn't mind holding onto them.
Selling your stuff can actually be a win-win, as it can double as more cash to pay off some debt or contribute to your emergency fund.
At first, you might have no idea what should stay and what should go. Start with the bigger ticket items and the items that are collecting dust. Ask yourself: have I used this in the past month? Do I really need it? Try easing yourself into the process by doing a dry run.
You can even pack a mock suitcase and try living off only those items for a while. The act of physically packing the suitcase will give you the opportunity to go through your stuff and critically think about how much you value and use each item.
And it will make you more mindful of how you actually use them from day to day. If you try this for at least a couple of weeks, you'll have a much better idea of what should stay and what should go.
Here are some other things to think about:
- If you have a car, you might want to sell it or rent it out to a friend or family member.
- If you have a home or apartment lease, you can try negotiating with your landlord to shorten your terms.
- Alternatively, you can try renting out the space on a website like Airbnb. Keep in mind that you probably need someone to help manage it while you're gone, unless you find a long-term renter.
Generally speaking, it's probably not a good idea to get rid of everything you own before you're certain that nomad life works for you.
Reducing unnecessary monthly expenses is equally important. Cancel gym memberships, streaming subscriptions you rarely use, and work on eliminating high-interest debt before you leave. Trimming these costs frees up more money for your travels and reduces financial stress while you're abroad.
3. Prepare to Go International
When you decide to become a digital nomad, several issues will arise having to do with living and working internationally. These may include being able to access your finances easily or having the right type of mobile device for a given country.
Optimize Your Access to Money
Watch out for foreign withdrawal and transaction fees. Call your bank and ask what their fees are for international withdrawals. Depending on the answer, you might want to consider getting a different bank with smaller or no fees.
If you find that you'll be paid in a different currency and your bank charges a lot to convert it, you might also want to get an international bank account.
Call your credit card companies too to see their international transaction costs. There are plenty of cards with no fees if yours are too steep. And if you need a new card, try something that gives perks like travel points or cash back.
U.S. citizens can check out cards like the United Explorer Credit Card, Capital One VentureOne Rewards card, and Schwab High Yield Checking.
Remember to tell your bank that you're traveling. Before you ship out, it's a good idea to call your bank and credit card companies to let them know where you're traveling. Otherwise, your account or card may get frozen from 'suspicious activity' flagged by their automated fraud detection systems.
Consider a money transfer app, or a service like Wise, which is a favorite of many digital nomads. It offers low transfer and conversion fees, catering to people who send and spend money abroad and get paid in different currencies.
And surely you've heard of PayPal, which also offers a debit Mastercard. While PayPal is massively successful, you'll likely encounter higher fees for converting currency and sending and receiving money.
Finally, have a backup plan. Part of learning how to be a successful digital nomad is to always have a backup plan. For example, say that your only debit card gets lost or stolen.
How will you access your cash? Will your bank send you a new card internationally? If it won't, is there a friend or family member back home who you can have it delivered to, then they can mail it to you?
If you're in a bind, there are services like Western Union and other local options that allow you to send yourself cash that you can pick up from a physical location, like a Western Union office or a local grocery store in certain cities.
Look for cards that won't charge you when withdrawing from ATMs overseas. Some financial institutions will even reimburse ATM fees, which adds up to significant savings over time. Having the right banking setup means you can create more accurate budgets and avoid surprise charges eating into your travel funds.
Sort Out Your Phone Situation
Does your current carrier have good international options? With many carriers, you can suspend your phone line for up to a few months and pay a small monthly fee instead of your full-service bill. This way, you don't have to lose your phone number by completely cancelling your service.
Once you suspend or cancel your phone, you can just pop in a local SIM card or download an eSIM to have data in between WiFi spots in each city you visit. This will keep you connected so you don't have to worry about emergencies.
If you're interested in learning more, check out this detailed guide on SIM and eSIM cards for traveling professionals.
To make sure your phone is compatible with a local SIM card, it should cover two bases:
1. It's unlocked. Many phone companies will sell you a locked phone, which means that it's restricted to only give you service from that carrier or in a certain country. If you're buying a new phone, you can buy one that's unlocked. Or you can call your phone carrier and ask them to unlock your current phone, which is usually a fairly simple process.
2. It's GSM. This is mainly an issue with U.S. phones. There are two main radio technologies that smartphones use to connect to the world: CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM (Global System for Mobiles). While there are a few U.S. carriers that still use CDMA, namely Sprint and Verizon, other U.S. carriers and most of the world uses GSM. That's why using a GSM phone will minimize potential complications with using international SIM cards.
If you need to make international calls, you can likely get a SIM card package that includes them.
Check out cheap internet-based calling services like Skype or Google Voice. If you need to have frequent conference calls with clients, try a service like Zoom, Webex, and Join.me, that can connect audio via the internet or traditional phone line.
Be Proactive With Your Healthcare
Consider travel or nomad insurance. Traditional travel insurance can get murky for a digital nomad who's constantly on the move. Fortunately, companies like World Nomads specialize in this kind of situation. They offer flexible plans that cover certain places and activities, and you have the option to extend your coverage to keep traveling.
You can also get coverage for your belongings, like lost or delayed baggage from travel, or if any of your stuff is stolen.
Healthcare protection is essential when traveling abroad. You might face unexpected illnesses or injuries, and having proper coverage means that you won't face devastating medical bills if something goes wrong.
Several options exist for obtaining coverage. You can purchase a policy through specialized travel health insurance providers like GeoBlue. Some employers offer international coverage options. Depending on where you're from, your government may provide certain protections for citizens abroad.
If you currently have insurance and trusted healthcare providers like a family doctor or dentist, get your regular checkups and cleanings before you leave home. If you have medication prescriptions, see if you can stock up, and research your options for getting refills on the road.
While travel insurance is great for emergencies, it's more difficult to get coverage for routine services. Plus, the overall quality and availability of healthcare will vary depending on where you're going. Best to cover your bases at home. Here is a handy guide to current providers.
Understand Visa Requirements
Different countries have varying rules about how long you can stay and what documentation you need. Many nations now recognize the growing trend of remote workers and have created special visa categories specifically for digital nomads.
Some countries require proof of steady income or minimum bank account balances to qualify for extended stays. Others have launched dedicated digital nomad visa programs that allow foreign nationals and their families to live and work remotely for a year or longer.
Always investigate visa requirements well before booking your travel. Each country has its own rules, and some can be quite strict. Don't assume you can just show up and figure it out later.
Go Paperless
If you currently get important bills, notices, and other communications via snail mail, contact all of these companies and ask to receive them via email. If you need the paper copies, have the mail forwarded to someone who can safeguard them for you while you're away.
4. Check Your Mindset
You've probably heard those cheesy motivational quotes that try to pep talk you into facing your fears. Like: “Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear,” or “Fear is temporary. Regret is forever.”
These sayings are worn out for a reason. They speak to a fundamental truth about how our fear of the unknown and resistance to change can make us stagnant. Uncertainty can be scary, especially when we grow up in societies that glorify stability and coloring inside the lines.
Learning how to live as a digital nomad really takes courage, boldness, and the ability to embrace the uncertainty that comes with every new place. While it's normal to feel hesitant about a radical life change, successful nomads are able to take these emotions and turn them into fuel.
Also, try not to make comparisons. Culture shock is inevitable for those who haven't done much traveling. If you haven't been outside of your home country too often, you'll learn this fast.
When you're only used to one way of life, drastically different ones will stick out like a sore thumb, often making you feel alienated and homesick. Making comparisons will put a damper on your experiences. Instead of looking at different cultures and lifestyles through the lens of your homeland, it's better to go straight into it with an open and accepting mind.
The sooner you accept that you're not in Kansas anymore, the easier it will be for you to adapt and assimilate to new cultures. And when you're in their home, you need to play by their rules. You'll also find that this mentality will help you be a more respectful visitor, and an overall better global citizen.
When you browse through blogs and websites about how to become a digital nomad, there's a heavy focus on all the glamor of being a nomad. But what they don't tell you is that it can cause significant strain on your mental health.
You'll get stressed and anxious when things go wrong. You'll get lonely if you're moving around a lot. You'll get burnt out from blurred lines in your work-life balance.
It's critical that you take care of yourself, especially if you already struggle with issues like depression, anxiety, or other conditions that impact your mental health. While a nomadic lifestyle provides a physical reprieve from a lot of the daily stresses you might experience now, it can actually exacerbate some of these conditions if they're left unchecked in the long run.
If you work with a therapist or other mental health professional, ask if they're willing to hold sessions via Skype instead. You can also look into online services like BetterHelp or Talkspace.
Prioritizing mental wellness is just as important as any other preparation you make. The lifestyle looks glamorous from the outside, but it comes with real psychological challenges that need attention and care.
Now that you have some tips for how to become a digital nomad, wait for my blog post where I teach you how to research your first destination.
How to Become a Digital Nomad FAQ
What Are the Best Jobs for Digital Nomads?
The best full-time jobs and side gigs for sustaining yourself as a digital nomad depend on the kind of work you enjoy, and all you need are a laptop and a trustworthy internet connection. Some of the most lucrative gigs to get you started are dropshopping, helping brands with social media marketing, developing evergreen online courses you can sell between jobs, and doing graphic and video work.
How Do You Prepare To Become a Digital Nomad?
While finding sustainable sources of income is probably the most important preparation to make before leaving home to become a digital nomad, there are several other factors to keep in mind. Before your journey, make sure you can live out of a backpack or suitcase for an extended period of time. You don’t want to bring extra stuff that’ll weigh you down. If you have an apartment and/or car to maintain, think about who can watch over them while you’re away. You also want to ensure that you’ll have access to your finances in other parts of the world, which may require a conversation with your bank or getting a few handy payment apps.
Do You Need a Visa To Become a Digital Nomad?
Most likely, you need a visa to travel and work successfully as a digital nomad, but which visas you require will depend on your nationality (what passport you have) and your destination’s local regulations. Before you travel, make sure to renew your passport, as it’s often not possible to travel with a passport nearing its expiration date, and research the visa requirements of every country you’re planning on visiting. Be aware that visiting for 30 to 90 days can be visa-free, depending on where you’re coming from, but working is a whole other matter. Some countries won’t allow you to live and work without a steady income or minimum account balance, and others have freelance visas for which you can apply. Side note: the most accurate visa information will be on a country’s official site. Blogs and LLMs may give good advice, but not the most up-to-date and accurate information.