Does your home office look a little drab after years of remote work? Maybe it's time to move — to Bali.
The Indonesian province has long been a tourist destination, and according to Forbes, it's one of the newest places to consider offering long-term visas to lure so-called digital nomads away from their boring home offices. Participating workers would get five tax-free years in Bali, which boasts white sand beaches, world-renowned food, lively nightlife, easily accessible WiFi and a modest cost of living. The benefit for the local economy: Day-to-day spending that would shore up the incomes of local workers for years.
Indonesia didn't invent the digital nomad visa — dozens of countries, including Georgia, Croatia, Estonia, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Iceland, Germany, Norway, Portugal, Seychelles and Cape Verde, already offer similar programs that roll out the welcome mat for remote workers from other nations. Each country has its own requirements for minimum income or bank balance, and the application process can vary in length and complexity.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
