Portugal ranks among the top ten countries in the world for digital nomads, with a score of 3.58 in the ranking of the renowned international Visa Guide.
Leading the Digital Nomad Index is Spain, followed by Argentina, Romania, the United Arab Emirates and Croatia. Portugal occupies a respectable sixth position, beating Uruguay, Malta, Norway and Andorra.
One of the determining factors in Madrid’s rise over Lisbon is the series of political changes announced for 2024, which can be interpreted as unfavorable to digital nomads. Among these changes is the end of the regime for non-habitual residents, which granted a tax reduction for a period of ten years for new residents, regardless of nationality.
The index ranks countries based on various criteria, including availability of a special visa, internet speed, tax policies and duration of tax exemptions. In addition, income requirements for visa applications, cost of living in euros, GHS (Global Health Score) and the popularity of tourism are taken into account.