By Ivo Benz Melo · Client Manager at moveWise · Last updated: 10 November 2026

💡 The short answer: On our 2027 ranking (built on data checked in October 2026), the best European cities for digital nomads are Barcelona, Rome, Lisbon, Milan and Málaga. They combine a legal residence route for remote workers, average or lower consumer prices and busy airports. Berlin and Amsterdam rank last, not for lifestyle, but because Germany and the Netherlands have no dedicated permit for remote workers of foreign companies. Spain's route starts at €2,849 a month gross, Italy's legal base is about €24,790 a year.

Key facts for 2027 (data checked October 2026)

• Visitors' limit: without a residence visa you can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; since 10 April 2026 these stays are recorded by the EU Entry/Exit System instead of passport stamps.
• Spain: Digital Nomad Visa at 200% of the minimum wage: €2,849 a month gross, the figure we prepare applications to (Real Decreto 126/2026).
• Italy: remote worker visa with a legal income base of three times the healthcare co-payment exemption threshold, about €24,790 a year; many consulates apply €25,500 to about €28,000 (DM 29 February 2024).
• Portugal: D8 residence visa at four times the minimum wage, €3,680 a month in 2026 (Decreto Regulamentar 4/2022).
• Greece, Hungary, Czechia, Estonia: dedicated routes exist, with narrower conditions (official thresholds from €3,000 net a month in Hungary to €4,500 gross a month in Estonia).
• Germany and the Netherlands: no dedicated digital nomad permit; the freelance or self-employed residence routes apply.
• Prices: household consumer prices in 2025 ranged from 77.5% of the EU average in Hungary to 115.6% in the Netherlands (Eurostat, published by Statistics Norway, June 2026).

This guide is for non-EU remote employees, freelancers and founders who want to live in a European city legally, not only visit it. You will be able to shortlist two or three cities and see which ones your passport and income actually allow.

It was prepared by MoveWise, an immigration consultancy that files remote-worker visas for Spain, Italy and Portugal every week. Every number has a named, dated source; we use no crowd-sourced cost indexes or unsourced internet speeds.

The pitfall it helps you avoid: falling for a city on a "top nomad destinations" list, then finding that its country has no route for you.

👉 Book a free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us your passport, income and the cities you like, and we will tell you honestly whether a Spanish, Italian or Portuguese remote-worker visa fits.

In this guide:

• What changed in 2026
• Is a European base right for you?
• How we ranked the cities
• The 2027 ranking at a glance
• Quick picks by profile
• The 14 cities, one by one
• Rent against the visa minimum
• Living legally in Europe as a digital nomad
• How to choose your city and move, step by step
• Timeline: what to realistically expect
• How much it costs to move
• Most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
• Frequently asked questions
• How MoveWise can help

What changed in 2026

👉 No more passport stamps for visitors. Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) records short-stay travellers' entries and exits digitally (European Commission), so overstays are easier to detect. Holders of a national long-stay (D) visa or a residence permit are outside the EES; if your entry is not stamped, keep your boarding pass and travel records. ETIAS, the online travel authorisation that visa-exempt visitors will need, is not yet in operation; the EU will announce its start date several months in advance.

👉 Higher thresholds in Spain and Portugal. Spain's minimum wage rose to €1,221 a month in 14 payments (Real Decreto 126/2026), lifting the Digital Nomad Visa minimum; Portugal's rose to €920, so the D8 test is now €3,680 a month.

👉 Seasonal lets tightened in Spain. Since 1 July 2025, short-term and seasonal rentals advertised online need a registration number (Real Decreto 1312/2024). Real Decreto-ley 29/2026, in force since 8 October 2026 but still awaiting parliamentary approval, limits seasonal leases to more than 31 days and, as a rule, no more than 12 months (BOE).

Is a European base right for you?

Yes, if you earn from employers or clients outside the country you choose and can prove it.

✅ Remote employees of a company outside the destination country, with a contract you can document.

✅ Freelancers and contractors whose clients are mainly abroad (Spain allows Spanish clients up to 20% of your activity).

✅ Couples and families, in Spain, Italy and Portugal, where family members can apply with you.

❌ Retirees and people living on savings: remote-worker visas require work. Look at Spain's Non-Lucrative Visa, Portugal's D7 visa or Italy's Elective Residence Visa.

❌ People who want to work for local employers: that needs a work permit, not a digital nomad route.

❌ "Perpetual travellers" hoping to avoid tax residence everywhere: living somewhere more than 183 days usually makes you tax-resident; read our digital nomad tax residency guide first.

How we ranked the cities

We scored the 14 cities remote workers ask us about most, including every city in the earlier edition of this list, on three criteria with official or primary data for all of them, each from 1 (worst of the 14) to 10 (best).

• Legal route for remote workers (40%): 60% comes from four yes/no tests checked on official government pages (open to any nationality; covers employees and freelancers; family can be included; leads to a residence permit renewable beyond two years), 40% from the single applicant's monthly income threshold, lowest official figure, lower is better: Italy €2,066 (€24,789.93 ÷ 12), Spain €2,849, Hungary €3,000 net, Greece €3,500, Portugal €3,680, Estonia €4,500 gross. Czechia's current figure could not be confirmed officially, so it scores bottom on this sub-test; any point we could not confirm scores zero. Countries with no dedicated route score 1.
• Consumer prices (35%): Eurostat's 2025 price level index for household consumption (EU average = 100; Hungary 77.5, Portugal 86.6, Greece 87.4, Czechia 89.4, Spain 91.6, Italy 97.1, Estonia 101.2, Germany 108.3, Netherlands 115.6), as published by Statistics Norway on 19 June 2026 (preliminary figures). It is a national figure: big cities usually cost more than the national average.
• Flights (25%): 2025 passengers at the city's main airport, from the airport operator, aviation authority or statistics office, on a logarithmic scale (going from 3 to 17 million passengers adds far more route choice than going from 50 to 68 million).

Not scored: rent (no source covers all 14 cities on the same basis; we show it against the visa minimum where we have it), and climate, coworking, community and internet (no single official dataset covers all 14 cities, and directory counts change weekly).

The score is a shortlisting tool. If you hold an EU passport, ignore the legal criterion: the ranking changes completely.

The 2027 ranking at a glance

Total score out of 10; the sub-scores are in each city profile.

1. Barcelona, 8.24: Spain's accessible visa plus Spain's second-busiest airport.
2. Rome, 8.17: Italy's low legal income base and Italy's biggest airport.
3. Lisbon, 7.83: Portugal's lower price level; the D8 asks for more income.
4. Milan, 7.79: Italy's route and Malpensa's 31.2 million passengers.
5. Málaga, 7.67: the Spanish visa, a mild climate and a 26.8-million-passenger airport.
6. Porto, 7.26: Portugal's second city, lower rents than Lisbon.
7. Valencia, 7.04: the Spanish route with a smaller airport.
8. Bologna, 7.02: Italy's route in a compact university city.
9. Budapest, 6.89: the lowest prices of the 14; a short, restrictive permit.
10. Athens, 6.75: a dedicated visa at €3,500 a month.
11. Prague, 6.04: a programme limited to certain nationalities and professions.
12. Tallinn, 3.27: a visa of up to 12 months at €4,500 a month gross.
13. Amsterdam, 3.25: the busiest airport, no remote-worker permit.
14. Berlin, 3.12: no remote-worker permit; freelance route only.

Why is Barcelona first here but joint fifth in our ranking of the best cities in Spain for digital nomads? The lists answer different questions. This one compares national rules and prices, so cities in the same country differ only by their airport; the Spain list compares rent, budgets, climate and community, and there Alicante and Las Palmas lead. Use this list to pick the country and the Spain list to pick the Spanish city.

Quick picks by profile

• Lowest income threshold: Italy (Rome, Milan, Bologna), if you meet its qualification and experience rules.
• Most flexible for freelancers: Spain (Barcelona, Málaga, Valencia), with up to 20% Spanish clients allowed.
• Lowest everyday prices with a legal route: Budapest, if a two-year maximum without family suits you; Lisbon and Porto among the cities with long-term routes.
• Best flights: Amsterdam, Barcelona and Rome, but only Barcelona and Rome come with a remote-worker visa.
• Families: Spain, Italy and Portugal, where family members can apply with you.
• Winter sun: Málaga, Valencia and Athens (or Las Palmas, in our Spain list).

The 14 cities, one by one

Each profile gives the score, the legal route most remote workers use, rent where a comparable source exists, flights and the trade-offs. National price levels are in the method above. Spanish budgets come from our Spain ranking; for other countries we give no budget rather than an unsourced one.

1. Barcelona, Spain

Spain's accessible visa plus the most international city scene in Spain, at some of Spain's highest rents.

• Score: 8.24 (legal 8.8 · prices 6.7 · flights 9.5).
• Legal route: Spain's Digital Nomad Visa: €2,849 a month gross, 200% of the minimum wage (Real Decreto 126/2026) and the figure we prepare applications to; applications filed from Spain go to the Unidad de Grandes Empresas y Colectivos Estratégicos (UGE-CE). The permit lasts up to three years, renewable for two.
• Rent and budget: €20.1 per m² asking (Idealista, September 2026), about €1,005 for 50 m²; about €1,871 a month for one person in our Spain ranking. Barcelona is a declared stressed housing zone, with limits on new leases.
• Flights and climate: Barcelona-El Prat, 57.48 million passengers in 2025 (Aena); January average 9.2°C, July average maximum 28.0°C (AEMET normals).
• Watch out: competition for long-term flats. More in our guide to moving to Barcelona.

2. Rome, Italy

Italy's busiest airport and Italy's low legal income base, against a higher national price level.

• Score: 8.17 (legal 10.0 · prices 5.4 · flights 9.1).
• Legal route: Italy's remote worker visa (nomade digitale – lavoratore da remoto): at least three times the healthcare co-payment exemption threshold, about €24,790 a year (Ministry of Labour integration portal); several consulates apply €25,500 or more. You must be highly qualified (a degree of at least three years, a regulated profession or long relevant experience) with at least six months' experience in the field. The permit lasts up to one year and is renewable.
• Rent: €19.2 per m² asking (Idealista Italy, Q3 2026), about €960 for 50 m².
• Flights: Rome Fiumicino, 50.9 million passengers in 2025 (ENAC).
• Watch out: your lease must cover at least 12 months of the visa's validity. See our Italy Digital Nomad Visa requirements.

3. Lisbon, Portugal

A lower national price level and a busy airport; the weak point is Portugal's higher income test.

• Score: 7.83 (legal 7.6 · prices 7.9 · flights 8.1).
• Legal route: Portugal's D8 residence visa: average income of at least four times the minimum wage over the last three months, €3,680 a month in 2026 (Decreto Regulamentar 4/2022); many consulates also expect about €11,040 of savings, which is consular practice, not law. The visa allows four months and two entries; AIMA then issues a two-year permit, renewable for three years at a time.
• Rent: median €17.43 per m² on new leases signed from July 2025 to June 2026, the highest in Portugal (INE Portugal). Signed leases, not asking rents, so not directly comparable.
• Flights: Lisbon airport, 36.1 million passengers in 2025 (INE preliminary data, reported by Lusa).
• Watch out: your lease must be registered with the tax authority (Finanças) to count at AIMA. See our Portugal Digital Nomad Visa checklist.

4. Milan, Italy

Italy's business capital: Rome's legal route, more international companies, and the highest rents in Italy.

• Score: 7.79 (legal 10.0 · prices 5.4 · flights 7.6).
• Rent: €22.4 per m² asking (Idealista Italy, Q3 2026), about €1,120 for 50 m².
• Flights: Milan Malpensa, 31.2 million passengers in 2025, plus 11.1 million at Linate (SEA, March 2026).
• Watch out: a 50 m² flat takes more than half of Italy's legal income base. See the best cities in Italy for digital nomads.

5. Málaga, Spain

The most balanced Spanish city here: Spain's visa, a large airport, mild winters and rents well below Barcelona's.

• Score: 7.67 (legal 8.8 · prices 6.7 · flights 7.2).
• Rent and budget: €16.5 per m² asking (Idealista, September 2026), about €825 for 50 m²; about €1,685 a month for one person.
• Flights and climate: Málaga-Costa del Sol, 26.76 million passengers in 2025 (Aena); January average 12.1°C, July average maximum 30.5°C (AEMET).
• Watch out: a busy tourist season. More in our guide to moving to Málaga.

6. Porto, Portugal

Portugal's route and prices with rents below Lisbon's.

• Score: 7.26 (legal 7.6 · prices 7.9 · flights 5.8).
• Rent: median €14.48 per m² on new leases signed from July 2025 to June 2026 (INE Portugal).
• Flights: Porto airport, a record 16.9 million passengers in 2025 (ANA, reported by RTP).
• Watch out: lower rent does not lower the D8 income test.

7. Valencia, Spain

Spain's visa with big-city services, a beach and moderate rents; it drops here only because its airport is smaller.

• Score: 7.04 (legal 8.8 · prices 6.7 · flights 4.7).
• Rent and budget: €16.3 per m² asking (Idealista, September 2026), about €815 for 50 m² (Fotocasa's figure is higher, €18.96); about €1,686 a month for one person.
• Flights and climate: Valencia airport, 11.85 million passengers in 2025 (Aena); January average 11.8°C, July average maximum 29.7°C (AEMET).
• Watch out: rising rents. More in our guide to moving to Valencia.

8. Bologna, Italy

A compact university city, already in the earlier edition of this list, with Italy's route and rents well below Milan's.

• Score: 7.02 (legal 10.0 · prices 5.4 · flights 4.5).
• Rent: €16.6 per m² asking (Idealista Italy, Q3 2026), about €830 for 50 m².
• Flights: Bologna airport, 11.13 million passengers in 2025, plus high-speed trains to Milan, Florence and Rome.
• Watch out: strong student demand for flats at the start of the academic year.

📍 Florence is not scored but often asked about: asking rents are €21.7 per m² (Idealista Italy, Q3 2026), close to Milan's, and its airport handled about 3.8 million passengers in 2025.

9. Budapest, Hungary

The lowest price level of the 14 cities, but the most restrictive permit.

• Score: 6.89 (legal 4.6 · prices 10.0 · flights 6.2).
• Legal route: the White Card (Hungarian Immigration Office): at least €3,000 net a month for the six months before entry, from employment abroad or a share in a profitable foreign company; one year, extendable once. No family reunification permits, no work for Hungarian employers, and no switch to another permit afterwards.
• Flights: Budapest airport, 19.63 million passengers in 2025, up 11.7% (Budapest Airport figures).
• Watch out: a two-year maximum suits a chapter of your life, not a long-term move.

10. Athens, Greece

A busy airport, below-average prices and a dedicated visa at a mid-range threshold.

• Score: 6.75 (legal 5.2 · prices 7.7 · flights 7.9).
• Legal route: a national long-stay visa of up to 12 months for employees, freelancers and self-employed people based outside Greece, with a steady income of €3,500 a month (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The Greek Foreign Ministry says the scheme can lead to a residence permit, but the official pages we could open set out neither that permit's duration nor the family rules, so those items scored zero; check them with the consulate.
• Flights: Athens International Airport, 34.0 million passengers in 2025, up 6.7% (AIA, March 2026).
• Watch out: summer heat, and family rules to confirm before you plan around them.

11. Prague, Czechia

A central location and below-average prices, but a programme limited by nationality and profession.

• Score: 6.04 (legal 5.1 · prices 7.2 · flights 5.9).
• Legal route: the "Digital Nomad" programme, launched in July 2023 for highly qualified IT professionals from listed countries (originally Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, the USA and the UK), as employees of foreign companies or freelancers with a Czech trade licence; income of at least 1.5 times the Czech average wage, recalculated each year; a long-term visa for up to one year, extendable, after which a long-term residence permit can be requested (Czech Embassy in Seoul). Check the current lists first.
• Flights: Prague airport, 17.75 million passengers in 2025, up 8.5% (Prague Airport).

12. Tallinn, Estonia

Famous for Estonia's digital state, but its visa is short and demanding, and e-Residency is not a right to live there.

• Score: 3.27 (legal 3.7 · prices 4.4 · flights 1.0).
• Legal route: at least €4,500 a month gross over the six months before you apply, as an employee or partner of a foreign company or a freelancer with mainly foreign clients; a short-stay (C) or long-stay (D) visa for up to 12 months (Government of Estonia, e-Residency). The Foreign Ministry's D-visa page also lists means of €132 a day (€3,960 a month); confirm the current figure with the embassy.
• e-Residency is not residence: the Estonian Tax and Customs Board states that it gives neither tax residency nor permission to live in or enter Estonia or the EU (EMTA).
• Flights: Tallinn airport, 3.49 million passengers in 2025 (Tallinn Airport).

13. Amsterdam, Netherlands

The best flight connections in this list, but no permit for remote workers of foreign companies.

• Score: 3.25 (legal 1.0 · prices 1.0 · flights 10.0).
• Legal route: none dedicated. Self-employed people can get a permit if their business serves an essential Dutch interest, assessed on a points system; US and Japanese nationals have a separate treaty route with a minimum business investment of €4,500 (IND).
• Flights: Amsterdam-Schiphol, 68.77 million passengers in 2025 (ACI Europe).

14. Berlin, Germany

A large creative and tech scene, but no permit for remote employees of foreign companies.

• Score: 3.12 (legal 1.0 · prices 2.7 · flights 7.1).
• Legal route: a residence permit for freelance work: you show you can finance your activity and your living, with a business plan, health insurance and, from age 45, adequate pension provision; first permit up to three years (Make it in Germany).
• Flights: Berlin Brandenburg, 26 million passengers in 2025 (Statistical Office Berlin-Brandenburg).

Rent against the visa minimum

The number most city lists leave out: how much of the visa's minimum income a 50 m² flat takes, for a single applicant at the lowest official threshold. Spain and Italy use asking rents; Portugal's are signed-lease medians, usually lower.

• Milan: €1,120 for 50 m² = 54% of Italy's legal base of €2,066 a month.
• Rome: €960 = 46% of €2,066.
• Bologna: €830 = 40% of €2,066.
• Barcelona: €1,005 = 35% of Spain's €2,849.
• Málaga: €825 = 29% of €2,849.
• Valencia: €815 = 29% of €2,849.
• Lisbon: about €872 = 24% of Portugal's €3,680.
• Porto: about €724 = 20% of €3,680.

Italy's low threshold is easy to reach on paper but tight in Milan and Rome once you rent, and thresholds are gross. Portugal's is harder to reach, but rent then takes a smaller share. For full Spanish budgets see our cost of living in Spain guide and how much money you need to move to Spain.

👉 Want to check whether your income works for Italy? Talk to a MoveWise Client Manager — we will tell you which figure your consulate applies and whether your qualification and experience fit.

Living legally in Europe as a digital nomad

How to be a digital nomad in Europe comes down to one question: are you visiting or living there?

Visiting: the 90/180 rule

Most non-EU passport holders can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across all Schengen countries together, not per country. Since 10 April 2026 the Entry/Exit System records each entry and exit. Do not rely on visitor status for a long stay.

Living: a residence visa or permit

To stay longer you need a national visa or permit from the country where you live. In the three countries we work in:

• Spain: apply from Spain to the UGE-CE through an authorised representative, with a decision due within 20 working days (positive administrative silence if no decision), or at a consulate for a one-year visa. Full details in our Spain Digital Nomad Visa requirements guide.
• Italy: apply at the Italian consulate in your country of residence, then request the residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) within eight working days of arrival.
• Portugal: apply at the consulate for a D8 residence visa, then attend your AIMA appointment in Portugal.

Other countries: see our guide to digital nomad visa countries.

Tax and health insurance

Living in a country more than 183 days a year usually makes you tax-resident there, whatever your visa says; our digital nomad tax residency guide explains the tests in general terms (it is not tax advice). Visas also require health cover: Spain, for example, does not accept travel insurance or policies with copayments or waiting periods (UGE-CE FAQ); see our health insurance guide for the Spanish visa.

Where to stay and work

Most remote workers start in a furnished medium-term let or coliving, then sign a long lease once the visa is close. Italy and Portugal want a registered lease; a short-term booking does not count. Our guide to coliving and coworking in Europe covers what immigration offices accept.

💡 Pro tip: decide your country before your city. The visa, the income test and the paperwork are national; the city changes your rent and your flights, not your eligibility.

How to choose your city and move, step by step

1. Check your passport and income first. EU citizens can skip the visa steps; everyone else should match income, contract and qualifications to the country's route. If you are still building remote income, start with our guide to digital nomad jobs and career paths.
2. Pick the country whose threshold fits your gross income and family size.
3. Shortlist two or three cities and compare rent with your net income.
4. Test the city within your 90 visitor days, working as you would every day.
5. Prepare documents early: criminal records, apostilles and sworn translations take longest.
6. Arrange accommodation that the visa accepts: in Italy and Portugal, a registered lease of the right length.
7. Apply from inside the country where that is allowed (Spain) or at the consulate (Italy, Portugal and most others).
8. Register locally after arrival: address registration, residence card, tax and social security, in the order your country requires.

💡 Pro tip: before you sign, ask whether fibre is installed and for a recent speed test; keep mobile data as a backup.

Timeline: what to realistically expect

These are typical ranges, not guarantees.

• Spain from inside the country: 20 working days for the UGE-CE to decide, then positive silence; a request for more documents gives you 10 working days to reply and delays the decision.
• Consulate routes (Italy, Portugal, others): appointment waiting times and decisions vary by consulate; in our Italian files, two to three months is common.
• After arrival: residence card and local registration appointments take longest in big cities.

How much it costs to move

• Visa and permit fees: each country sets its own. Spain's residence card costs €16.08 for the first issue (Orden PJC/617/2025); Italy's permit kit costs about €116; Portugal's AIMA fee depends on the current table.
• Documents: apostilles, sworn translations and criminal records, priced by each authority or translator.
• Health insurance that meets the visa rules.
• Housing upfront: in Spain, one month's deposit on a home lease plus up to two months of extra guarantees; the landlord pays the agency fee.
• A buffer: we suggest at least two months of living costs while you wait for appointments.

Most common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

1. Choosing a city where you cannot live legally. Fix: check the country's route for your passport and job first.
2. Treating e-Residency as residence. Fix: Estonia's e-Residency is a digital ID for a company, not a right to live in Estonia.
3. Using an old or generic income figure. Fix: use this year's official threshold and your consulate's own figure.
4. Budgeting on the gross threshold. Fix: build your budget on net income after tax and contributions.
5. Counting 90 days per country. Fix: the 90/180 rule applies to the Schengen area as a whole.
6. Booking a holiday flat as visa accommodation. Fix: Italy and Portugal want a registered lease; short-term bookings are not accepted.
7. Signing a 12-month lease that starts too early. Fix: in Italy the lease must cover 12 months of visa validity; set a later start date or a longer lease.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best European city for digital nomads in 2027?

Barcelona scores highest on our 2027 ranking, at 8.24 out of 10, followed by Rome (8.17), Lisbon (7.83), Milan (7.79) and Málaga (7.67). They combine an accessible remote-worker visa, average or lower prices and busy airports. With an EU passport, ignore the visa criterion: Budapest, Lisbon and Athens rise.

Which country is best for digital nomads in Europe?

Spain and Italy offer the most accessible routes on our scoring: Spain from €2,849 a month gross with flexible rules for freelancers, Italy from about €24,790 a year if you meet its qualification rules. Portugal follows, with a higher €3,680 monthly test but a lower price level.

Can I live in Europe as a digital nomad without a visa?

No, not long-term. Most non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, and since April 2026 entries are recorded digitally. To live in one country longer you need its national visa or residence permit, such as Spain's Digital Nomad Visa or Portugal's D8.

Which European countries have a digital nomad visa?

Six of the nine countries in our ranking have a dedicated route: Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Hungary and Estonia, plus Czechia's programme for selected nationalities and professions. Germany and the Netherlands have none; freelancers use their self-employment permits. Our digital nomad visa countries guide covers more countries.

What is the cheapest European city for digital nomads?

Budapest, on prices: Hungary's consumer price level was 77.5% of the EU average in 2025, the lowest of our 14 cities. But its White Card lasts two years at most and excludes family. Among long-term routes, Lisbon and Porto (86.6%) and the Spanish cities (91.6%) are the most affordable.

Is Berlin good for digital nomads?

Yes for freelancers who qualify for Germany's freelance permit, no for remote employees. Germany has no permit for people working remotely for foreign companies; freelancers need a business plan and proof they can support themselves. That is why Berlin ranks last here despite its tech scene.

Does Estonian e-Residency let me live in Estonia?

No. The Estonian Tax and Customs Board states that e-Residency gives neither tax residency nor permission to live in or enter Estonia or the EU. To live there as a remote worker you need Estonia's digital nomad visa, which requires €4,500 a month gross and lasts up to 12 months.

Spain, Italy or Portugal: which digital nomad visa needs the least income?

Italy, on paper: its legal base is about €24,790 a year, although several consulates apply €25,500 to about €28,000. Spain follows at €2,849 a month gross. Portugal's D8 needs €3,680 a month. Italy also requires a high qualification, so check every condition, not only income.

How do I become a digital nomad in Europe?

Three steps: secure remote income from outside the country, choose a country whose remote-worker visa fits your passport and earnings, then apply and register locally after arrival. Our guide on how to become a digital nomad covers the work side; our visa guides cover the paperwork.

How MoveWise can help

We handle remote-worker visas for Spain, Italy and Portugal, the countries at the top of this ranking.

• Module 1, eligibility assessment: we compare your passport, contract or clients, income, qualifications and family with the three routes and tell you which one fits.
• Module 2, full preparation and submission: your Legal Manager prepares the complete file, from criminal records and apostilles to income evidence and the lease review, files it (in Spain as your authorised representative with the UGE-CE) and answers any request for more documents.
• After approval: we guide you through address registration, the residence card or permesso di soggiorno, and the AIMA appointment in Portugal.
• Our guarantee: a full refund of our fee if your application is refused, under the conditions of our service agreement.
• What clients say: more than 500 client reviews on Trustpilot.

If you are still at the very start, our guide on how to become a digital nomad covers the first steps, and our Spain Digital Nomad Visa service, Italy Digital Nomad Visa service and Portugal D8 service pages explain how we work.

👉 Book your free consultation with a MoveWise Client Manager — tell us which cities are on your list and what you earn, and we will tell you honestly which country's visa fits and what to do next.

Sources and legal references

• European Commission, Entry/Exit System
• EU travel portal, EES and ETIAS
• European Commission, ETIAS
• Real Decreto 126/2026, minimum wage (BOE)
• UGE-CE, Digital Nomad Visa FAQ
• Orden PJC/617/2025, immigration fees (BOE)
• Real Decreto 1312/2024, Registro Único de Arrendamientos (BOE)
• Real Decreto-ley 29/2026 (BOE)
• Integrazione Migranti (Italian Ministry of Labour), digital nomads and remote workers
• Italian Embassy in Canberra, digital nomads checklist
• ENAC, 2025 executive summary
• Decreto Regulamentar 4/2022 (Diário da República)
• INE Portugal, local housing rents, Q2 2026
• Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, digital nomads
• Hungarian Immigration Office, White Card
• Czech Embassy in Seoul, Digital Nomad programme
• Government of Estonia, e-Residency: digital nomad visa
• Estonian Tax and Customs Board, e-residents
• Make it in Germany, visa for freelance work
• IND Netherlands, residence permit for self-employed persons
• Statistics Norway, price levels in Europe 2025 (Eurostat data)
• Aena, 2025 passenger figures
• ACI Europe, 2025 airport traffic
• SEA Milan Airports, 2025 results
• Prague Airport, 2025 traffic
• Tallinn Airport, 2025 traffic
• Athens International Airport, 2025 results presentation
• Statistical Office Berlin-Brandenburg, 2025 air traffic
• Idealista Spain, September 2026 rents
• Idealista Italy, Q3 2026 rents
• Airport figures reported by the press, citing the operator or statistics office: Lisbon (Observador/Lusa, INE data), Porto (RTP/Lusa, ANA data), Budapest (Daily News Hungary, Budapest Airport data), Bologna and Florence (Assaeroporti compilation)

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules and consular practice change frequently; the information was verified on 10 November 2026. For advice on your situation, speak to a qualified professional.

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While the requirements for obtaining a visa for Spain and Italy are straightforward, preparing the necessary documents and navigating the application process can be challenging. Mistakes or incomplete paperwork could put your application at risk.

If you have any doubts or questions about the process, you can book a free consultation for the following visa types, we’ll be there to help you every step of the way:

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