Applying for a Digital Nomad Visa With a New Remote Job: What Evidence Can You Use?

Research checked: August 21, 2026

Digital nomad visa evidence can be more complicated when you have just started a new remote job, because a signed contract may not satisfy every income-history or employment requirement.

You have accepted a new remote job and want to apply for a digital nomad visa.

The signed employment contract feels like the obvious key document—and it is important—but a new contract is rarely the only evidence an immigration authority will examine.

A contract can help prove:

• That a genuine employment relationship exists;

• Who your employer is;

• Your job title and duties;

• Your salary;

• Your employment start date;

• Whether the position can be performed remotely; and

• Whether your employer has authorised you to work from the destination.

What it may not prove is equally important.

A newly signed contract may not show:

• That you have already worked for the employer for a required minimum period;

• That the employer-company has existed for the required length of time;

• That you have actually received the stated salary;

• That you have the required history of regular income;

• That your income has been stable over several months;

• That applicable social-security arrangements are in place; or

• That your professional relationship satisfies a country-specific continuity requirement.

That distinction can determine whether a new hire can apply immediately or should wait.

Spain provides one of the clearest examples.

Under Spain’s international-teleworker framework, an applicant must generally demonstrate an employment or professional relationship with the foreign company or companies for at least three months before the application. The foreign company must also demonstrate at least one year of real and continuous activity, and the documentation must show that the remote relationship will continue under the conditions required by the route.

A person who signed a qualifying remote contract yesterday may therefore have strong evidence of a future salary and remote-working arrangement but still fail Spain’s three-month relationship requirement at that moment.

Croatia works differently.

Its current digital-nomad framework accepts a contract of employment, service contract or other employer evidence to establish the remote-work purpose. For financial means, applicants can use alternatives such as:

• A bank statement showing the total amount required for the planned stay;

• A bank statement showing regular monthly income at the required level; or

• Payslips covering at least six months.

That means the absence of six months of payslips from a brand-new job does not necessarily make every Croatian application impossible if another accepted form of financial evidence satisfies the requirement.

Portugal illustrates another variation. Its official subsistence guidance recognises documents such as an employment contract or employer declaration for remote employment performed for an entity outside Portugal, while different evidence can apply to independent professional activity.

The practical question is therefore not simply:

“Do I have a remote employment contract?”

It is:

“Which legal requirement does each document prove, and does this destination require a history that my new job has not yet produced?”

A strong application separates those questions instead of expecting one contract to prove everything.

For broader context on remote-work immigration routes, see Trailandra’s digital nomad visa guide.

Digital nomad visa evidence: four questions every new remote worker should answer

Digital-nomad and international-telework routes differ by country, but their evidence requirements usually fall into several distinct categories.

Keeping these categories separate makes it much easier to identify whether a new job creates a genuine eligibility problem or simply requires additional documentation.

1. Does qualifying remote work actually exist?

First, the immigration authority needs evidence that you have genuine work that fits the route.

For an employee, useful documents can include:

• A signed employment contract;

• An employer certificate;

• A job-offer or appointment letter where officially accepted;

• A job description;

• Confirmation that the work can be performed remotely; and

• Written permission to work from the destination.

The document should clearly identify:

• The employer;

• The employee;

• The employment start date;

• The role;

• The salary;

• The nature of the work; and

• The remote-working arrangement.

A vague contract stating only a title and salary may be much weaker than a contract plus an employer letter explaining exactly how the work will be performed remotely.

2. Has the relationship existed long enough?

This is where many new hires encounter difficulty.

Some routes require evidence that the applicant has already maintained the relevant employment or professional relationship for a minimum period before applying.

Spain, for example, generally requires the applicant to prove a relationship with the foreign company for at least the previous three months.

In that situation, a future start date or a contract signed only days before filing may not satisfy the rule even if the salary is high enough.

Other countries may not impose the same minimum employment-history requirement.

Do not assume that because one digital-nomad visa accepts a new contract, another country will do the same.

Check whether the rule requires:

• An existing contract;

• A minimum number of months already worked;

• A minimum client-relationship period;

• Employer operating history; or

• Evidence that the relationship will continue after approval.

3. Can you prove the required income or financial means?

A salary written in a contract is not always the same thing as proven income.

Some authorities may accept contractual salary as part of the financial evidence.

Others may request:

• Bank statements;

• Payslips;

• Tax returns;

• Employer payment records;

• Invoices;

• Client-payment history;

• Savings;

• Proof of recurring deposits; or

• A combination of these documents.

This distinction matters for a new employee.

Someone may have a contract paying €5,000 per month but have received only one salary payment—or none at all.

Whether that is enough depends on the destination’s rules.

Croatia currently provides a good example of alternative financial evidence. Its Digital Nomad Visa framework allows applicants to demonstrate the required means through a bank balance covering the intended stay, regular income shown by bank statements, or payslips for at least six months.

A new hire who lacks six months of payslips may therefore need to determine whether a qualifying bank balance or another accepted evidence route solves the problem.

4. Does the employer and arrangement satisfy the route?

Even where the applicant personally meets the income threshold, immigration authorities may also examine the employer and the structure of the work relationship.

Possible requirements can include evidence that:

• The employer is legally registered outside the destination;

• The company has operated for a minimum period;

• The applicant will not enter prohibited local employment;

• The work can genuinely be performed remotely;

• The employer explicitly approves international remote work;

• Social-security obligations will be met; and

• The relationship will continue for the required period.

Spain again provides a useful example: its teleworker documentation requires evidence that the foreign company has carried out real and continuous activity for at least one year, in addition to the applicant’s own minimum relationship period.

A brand-new employee working for a well-established company therefore presents a different case from a brand-new employee joining a company that was itself incorporated only recently.

Practical takeaway: a successful application usually requires evidence about both sides of the relationship—the worker and the employer.

Before applying, build a simple evidence matrix:

Requirement	What you need to prove	Possible evidence
Qualifying remote work	A genuine remote job or professional activity exists	Employment contract, employer letter, service agreement
Relationship history	The work relationship has existed for any required minimum period	Earlier contracts, HR certificate, invoices, client agreements
Financial means	You meet the required income or savings threshold	Payslips, bank statements, tax records, contract, savings evidence
Remote-work permission	The employer allows you to work from the destination	Employer authorisation letter, remote-work policy
Employer eligibility	The company satisfies any registration or operating-history requirement	Commercial-register certificate, incorporation records
Continuity	The work is expected to continue during the visa period	Employer confirmation, contract term, renewal documentation
Social security	Required contributions or coverage arrangements are addressed	Registration evidence, certificate of coverage, employer declaration

The goal is not to submit the largest possible pile of documents.

The goal is to ensure that every legal requirement has at least one strong piece of evidence proving it.

1. Is the remote-work relationship genuine and eligible?

Your contract, offer letter, job description, and employer verification letter can establish that the role is real. Contractors may instead use a service agreement, statement of work, retainer, invoices, and evidence of client payments. Business owners may need company-registration records and proof that they personally perform the remote work through that business.

Some routes also require the employer or client to be established outside the destination. A job can be genuine but still fall outside a route’s permitted work structure.

2. Can you perform the work from that country?

“Remote” does not automatically mean “approved for international remote work.” An employer may allow home working only in a particular country, state, or time zone. A strong employer letter should explicitly state that the employer authorizes you to perform your duties remotely from the named destination country.

3. Do you have sufficient income or accessible funds?

Authorities may ask for paid income, savings, or both. Payslips and matching bank deposits show income that has actually been received. A bank balance can show available funds where the route accepts it. A contract generally shows promised future income rather than money already available to you.

4. Have you met a required work or income history?

This is often the obstacle for new hires. A destination may require three months with the employer, three months of salary deposits, or recent income over a longer period. A compelling contract does not automatically override an explicit seniority or income-history rule.

What a new remote-work contract can—and cannot—prove

A detailed, signed employment contract is valuable evidence. Ideally, it identifies the parties, position, salary, payment frequency and currency, start date, duration, and the nature of the employment relationship. If it confirms that work may be performed remotely from the destination, it can be even more useful.

For an application, a new contract can usually support the following points:

• A job or professional engagement exists.
• The employer, client, and applicant have a defined relationship.
• The work is expected to begin or has begun on a stated date.
• The applicant has a stated future salary or fee arrangement.
• The role can be performed through telecommunications technology, if the document says so.

But a new contract usually cannot prove that:

• Salary has already been paid.
• You have been employed by that company for a required period.
• You have a required record of regular recent income.
• The employer has the required operating history.
• You have enough liquid funds for the intended stay.

This distinction is particularly important if you are relying on a job offer rather than a started role. Never present anticipated pay as salary already received.

Build a stronger employer letter

A generic letter saying that you “work remotely” leaves important questions unanswered. Ask an authorized HR, payroll, legal, or senior-management representative for a factual letter tailored to the destination’s published checklist.

What a strong employer letter should include

A useful employer verification or international remote-work authorisation letter can include:

• Your full legal name and, where appropriate, passport details;

• The employer’s legal name, registration jurisdiction, business address and contact details;

• Your job title, employment type and a concise description of your duties;

• Your employment start date;

• Whether the role is permanent, fixed-term or subject to probation;

• Your gross salary, payment frequency and currency;

• Confirmation that compensation is expected to continue during the intended stay, where true;

• Confirmation that your duties can be performed remotely using computer and telecommunications technology;

• Explicit authorisation to perform those duties remotely from the specific destination country;

• Confirmation that the employer understands you will be physically present in that country;

• The expected period of international remote work;

• The signatory’s full name and position;

• A company email address and telephone number; and

• The signatory’s signature and date.

Every statement must be accurate and consistent with the employment contract and the destination’s requirements.

Spain demonstrates why specificity matters. Current Spanish telework-visa guidance requires employed applicants to document at least three months of seniority with the foreign company and the company’s explicit permission for the employee to work remotely from Spain.

Malta’s Nomad Residence Permit checklist similarly requires an employment contract describing the applicant’s duties and stating that the work can be performed remotely, independently of location.

Croatia accepts evidence such as an employment or service contract with a foreign employer together with documentation confirming that the applicant performs work through communications technology.

Practical takeaway: a generic letter saying “this employee works remotely” is weaker than a destination-specific letter confirming who employs you, what you earn, when the relationship began and that the employer expressly authorises you to perform the work from the country named in your application.

Digital nomad visa evidence checklist for a new hire

Remote-work and employment evidence

Prepare:

• A signed employment contract or service agreement;

• A signed offer letter where relevant;

• A destination-specific employer authorisation letter;

• A job description or statement of duties;

• Evidence of your employment start date;

• Onboarding or payroll-enrolment confirmation where available;

• Every available payslip;

• Bank statements showing matching salary deposits;

• A concise CV; and

• A simple professional timeline if you recently changed jobs.

The documents should tell one consistent story.

Your contract, employer letter, payslips, bank statements and application form should not contain unexplained differences in:

• Start date;

• Salary;

• Currency;

• Employer name;

• Job title;

• Employment status; or

• Intended remote-work period.

Income and financial evidence

Depending on the destination, useful evidence can include:

• Official personal bank statements showing your name, account information, balance, transactions and statement date;

• Payslips;

• Payroll certificates;

• Income-tax returns or assessments;

• Previous-employment payslips and matching deposits;

• Current-employment salary deposits;

• Contractor invoices and corresponding payments;

• Client-payment records;

• Savings statements where savings are an accepted alternative;

• Evidence explaining legitimate large deposits;

• Evidence of bonuses or other recurring compensation where relevant; and

• A simple summary showing income, savings and currency conversion where this helps the reviewer follow the documents.

A contract stating that you will earn €5,000 per month is different from a bank statement proving that you have received €5,000 per month.

Likewise, an unexplained lump-sum transfer should not automatically be presented as ordinary employment income.

If a recent large deposit came from:

• A bonus;

• Sale of an asset;

• Transfer between your own accounts;

• Loan repayment;

• Family transfer; or

• Another legitimate source,

explain it and provide supporting evidence where relevant.

Do not assume that a large balance automatically satisfies a route that specifically requires recurring income.

Employer and company evidence

Some destinations investigate the employer as well as the applicant.

Depending on the route, you may need:

• A commercial-register extract;

• Certificate of incorporation;

• Company registration number;

• Tax-registration evidence;

• Registered business address;

• Evidence of the company’s business activity;

• Evidence of how long the company has operated;

• Employer website or business information where requested;

• Details of the person signing the employer letter; and

• Social-security documentation.

Spain is a particularly important example.

Current Spanish telework rules require evidence that the foreign company or group with which the applicant has the employment or professional relationship has carried out real and continuous activity for at least one year.

That means two timelines can matter at the same time:

Requirement	Spain example
Applicant’s relationship with foreign company	At least 3 months before application
Foreign company’s operating history	At least 1 year of real and continuous activity

A person can therefore meet the personal three-month requirement but still have a problem if the employer itself is too new.

How timing affects five digital nomad destinations

Spain: a brand-new employee will usually need to wait

Spain is one of the clearest examples of a route where a newly signed contract may not be enough.

For an employed applicant, current Spanish consular guidance requires evidence showing:

• At least three months of seniority with the foreign company before the application;

• The applicant’s income;

• Explicit company permission to work remotely from Spain; and

• Evidence that the foreign company or group has carried out real and continuous activity for at least one year.

For self-employed professionals, the qualifying contractual relationship with one or more foreign companies must also have existed for at least the required three-month period.

Depending on the applicable Spanish checklist, evidence concerning continuation of the professional relationship can also be required.

A strong employment offer, a high salary or substantial savings therefore does not automatically remove Spain’s separate three-month relationship requirement.

For someone who has only just signed or started a new job, Spain should generally be treated as a wait-until-the-relationship requirement is satisfied destination unless the authority processing the application confirms otherwise in writing.

For the route in more detail, see Trailandra’s Spain digital nomad visa guide.

Spain also has important social-security and health-coverage requirements. Do not assume that ordinary travel insurance automatically satisfies the teleworker framework.

Portugal: proof of future work and proof of past income are separate

Portugal illustrates why a new employee should separate proof of the employment relationship from proof of financial history.

Official Portuguese guidance for remote workers recognises employment documentation.

Depending on the visa pathway, this can include:

• An employment contract;

• An employer statement confirming the employment relationship; and

• For certain temporary-stay pathways, a promise of an employment contract.

Portugal’s official digital-nomad framework has also required applicants to demonstrate tax residence and average monthly income over the preceding three months at the applicable statutory threshold.

That creates two different questions:

1. Do you have qualifying remote work?

2. Can you demonstrate the required recent income history?

A new contract may answer the first question without automatically answering the second.

For example, someone starting a new €6,000-per-month position could clearly demonstrate a strong future salary while still lacking three months of payments from that employer.

Official Portuguese material does not provide a universal rule saying that income from a previous employer will always satisfy every application following a job change.

If relying on income earned before the new job began, confirm the treatment with the Portuguese consulate or visa-processing authority handling the application.

Croatia: potentially more flexible when sufficient funds are already available

Croatia can be more practical for some newly employed applicants because its financial-means rules provide multiple evidence routes.

Current Croatian Ministry of the Interior guidance allows applicants to demonstrate the purpose of their digital-nomad stay using evidence including:

• An employment contract with a foreign employer;

• A service contract;

• An employer statement confirming work through communications technology; or

• Evidence relating to the applicant’s own foreign company.

For financial means, Croatia currently accepts:

• A bank statement showing the entire amount required for the intended period of stay;

• A bank statement showing regular income at the required monthly level; or

• Payslips for at least the previous six months showing the required income.

As of August 21, 2026, Croatia’s official Ministry of the Interior page lists the minimum financial requirement as:

Intended stay	Current financial benchmark
Monthly benchmark	€3,622.50
12-month stay — full funds alternative	€43,470
18-month stay — full funds alternative	€65,205

These amounts can change because Croatia calculates the requirement using a formula connected to the previous year’s average monthly net salary.

For a new employee without six months of payslips, the key point is that six months of payslips are not the only published financial-evidence option.

Someone who meets Croatia’s full-stay bank-balance requirement may therefore have a more plausible immediate application than someone applying to a route with a mandatory employment-seniority requirement.

That does not guarantee approval.

Croatia also requires other evidence, including health insurance, proof of the purpose of stay, criminal-record documentation and accommodation or intended-address information.

See Trailandra’s Croatia digital nomad visa changes for 2026 for related planning information.

Malta: the new contract does not replace three months of received income

Malta’s Nomad Residence Permit has a particularly important distinction for new employees.

The current official application checklist requires an employed main applicant to provide:

• An employment contract clearly describing duties and obligations to the employer;

• Confirmation that the work may be performed remotely and independently of location; and

• A bank statement clearly showing employment income received during the previous three months.

The applicant must also provide the last three months of official bank statements, and the main applicant’s income must be credited directly to those accounts.

For freelancers, service contracts must show the work duties and rate of payment, together with bank statements demonstrating incoming payments from the declared activity during the previous three months.

For self-employed applicants, the bank statements must similarly show the income received from the declared self-employment during the previous three months.

Malta additionally requires main applicants across these employment categories to demonstrate a guaranteed source of qualifying income for at least five cumulative months from the application date.

This makes Malta difficult for someone who has only just started a new job.

A newly signed contract may prove:

• The employment relationship;

• Future salary;

• Remote-work capability; and

• Future continuity.

But it does not manufacture three months of historical salary deposits.

Malta’s checklist is also strict about bank-document quality. Official statements downloaded directly from a bank or banking application are required. Screenshots, copy-and-paste documents and self-generated statements are not accepted.

Practical takeaway: if you have only just started the job, Malta is generally not a route where a good contract alone substitutes for the recent banking history required by the current checklist.

Estonia: prepare for conflicting official guidance

Estonia currently requires extra care because two government-linked sources do not fully align.

The live Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs long-stay D-visa page currently requires:

• Evidence of income for the three months immediately preceding the application;

• Evidence showing the amount, regularity and source of income; and

• For teleworking under the Digital Nomad Visa, financial means of €132 per day, equivalent to €3,960 per month.

However, Estonia’s government e-Residency programme published an updated Digital Nomad Visa FAQ in March 2026 that still refers to:

• Income evidence for the six months preceding the application; and

• A benchmark of €150 per day / €4,500 per month.

Because the two official sources currently conflict, do not write an Estonia application around the assumption that only one period will definitely be requested.

For a new hire, a cautious preparation strategy is to:

• Obtain as much income history as possible;

• Preserve previous-employment records;

• Provide the new employment contract;

• Obtain a detailed employer remote-work letter;

• Prepare bank statements showing all relevant income;

• Explain the job transition clearly; and

• Confirm the documentary expectation with the Estonian representation or Police and Border Guard Board office handling the actual application.

For current application planning, Trailandra uses the live Ministry of Foreign Affairs D-visa page as the primary operational source, while explicitly acknowledging the conflicting e-Residency guidance.

What to submit at each stage of a new job

Before your start date

Your strongest available package may include:

• Signed employment contract;

• Signed offer letter where relevant;

• Destination-specific employer authorisation letter;

• Previous-employment payslips;

• Previous salary deposits;

• Tax records;

• Savings evidence;

• Employer-company records; and

• A concise explanation of the job transition.

This can be viable only where the route accepts future employment or another financial-evidence method and does not impose a minimum prior-employment relationship that you have not yet completed.

After starting but before the first payday

Add:

• HR confirmation that employment is now active;

• Onboarding evidence;

• Payroll-enrolment confirmation;

• Employer confirmation of the first scheduled salary date; and

• Updated remote-work authorisation.

This is stronger than an offer-only application.

It still does not satisfy a requirement for historic salary deposits or a stated minimum relationship period.

After one or two payslips

Add:

• Every payslip issued;

• Official bank statements showing matching deposits;

• Previous-employment income records;

• Tax documentation; and

• Savings evidence where accepted.

This begins to demonstrate that the new employment and salary are genuine.

But:

Two months of evidence do not equal three months where the law or checklist expressly requires three months.

After three or more months

At this stage, a new employee can potentially assemble:

• Signed employment contract;

• Employer authorisation letter;

• Three or more payslips;

• Three or more months of matching salary deposits;

• Proof of the employment start date;

• Employer-company records;

• Social-security evidence where required; and

• Tax or financial-means documents.

This is the point at which destinations such as Spain and Malta can become considerably more realistic for a new hire—provided every other condition is satisfied.

New-job timing comparison

Situation	Spain	Portugal	Croatia	Malta	Estonia
Contract signed but job not started	Usually insufficient for 3-month relationship rule	May help prove future work, but income history remains separate	Potentially possible depending on accepted work and funds evidence	Weak because prior income deposits are required	High uncertainty; income-history evidence remains important
1 month into job	Usually still too early	Depends on full evidence	Potentially workable with qualifying funds	Usually still lacks 3 months of income deposits	Prepare both current and previous income evidence
3+ months into job	Much more realistic if all other requirements are met	Stronger evidence package	Stronger	Three-month banking requirement becomes more realistic	Stronger, but confirm active 3-vs-6-month expectation
Substantial savings but little salary history	Does not replace 3-month employment relationship	Depends on applicable requirements	Can be useful because full-stay funds are an accepted alternative	Does not erase historical-income requirements	Do not assume savings replace the requested income evidence

This is a planning comparison, not an approval prediction.

Common mistakes to avoid

Confusing an offer with income

A promised salary is not the same as a salary already received.

Using mismatched dates

Your:

• Contract;

• Employer letter;

• Payslips;

• Bank deposits;

• Travel dates; and

• Application form

should form one coherent timeline.

Hiding probation or fixed-term status

Do not try to make the job look more permanent than it is.

State the arrangement accurately and, where appropriate, ask the employer to confirm the expected employment duration.

Assuming “remote” means international remote work

A domestic work-from-home policy does not automatically authorise you to work from Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Malta, Estonia or another country.

Obtain explicit international permission where required.

Submitting informal bank evidence

Where official statements are required, use official statements.

Malta’s current checklist specifically rejects screenshots, copy-and-paste records and self-generated statements.

Ignoring your previous job

Previous employment records can be useful when demonstrating:

• Professional continuity;

• Historical income;

• Source of savings;

• Career history; or

• A recent transition between employers.

But previous employment cannot automatically substitute for a rule requiring three months with the current qualifying company.

Spain is the obvious example.

Ignoring translations, apostilles or legalisation

Foreign documents may need:

• Certified translation;

• Apostille;

• Legalisation;

• Original signatures; or

• Specific formatting.

Check this early.

Estonia, for example, currently states that foreign public documents submitted with a long-stay D-visa application must generally be legalised or apostilled and translated into Estonian or English.

Do not confuse immigration permission with tax and employer compliance

A Digital Nomad Visa or remote-work residence permit is an immigration status.

It does not automatically determine:

• Your personal tax residence;

• Where employment income is taxable;

• Employer payroll withholding;

• Employer registration;

• Social-security coverage;

• Employment-law obligations;

• Permanent-establishment exposure;

• Corporate-tax obligations;

• Data-protection requirements; or

• Whether your employer’s internal compliance team approves the arrangement.

This is especially important for new employees.

Your employer may willingly issue a remote employment contract but still restrict international remote work because working from another country could create compliance exposure for the company.

Obtain written employer approval where relevant before relocating.

For the employer and tax side, see Trailandra’s digital nomad tax and permanent establishment guide.

Information only: This article provides general information, not individual immigration, tax, employment or legal advice. Visa rules, evidence requirements, income thresholds, document formalities and consular practices can change. Verify the current requirements with the immigration authority, embassy, consulate or authorised application centre that will process your case.

Bottom line

A new remote job is not automatically disqualifying for a digital nomad visa.

But a strong contract does not erase requirements that the job has not yet had time to satisfy.

The key distinction is between:

• Proof of future employment;

• Proof of an existing employment relationship;

• Proof of salary actually received;

• Proof of historical income;

• Proof of accessible savings;

• Proof of employer eligibility; and

• Proof of permission to work internationally.

If a destination requires three months with the same employer, waiting may be the correct strategy.

If it accepts a new contract together with a full-stay savings alternative, an earlier application may be possible.

If it requires three months of salary deposits, a contract promising future salary cannot substitute for those deposits.

The strongest rule for a new hire is:

Choose the destination based on the evidence you can legally prove today—not on the salary your new contract promises you will earn later.

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Sources & Official Resources

The following official sources were checked during the preparation of this article. Immigration requirements, financial thresholds and documentary standards can change, so verify the current checklist directly with the competent authority before applying.

• Spain — Telework (Digital Nomad) Visa

• Spain — Telework Visa, New York Consulate

• Croatia — Temporary Stay of Digital Nomads

• Portugal — AIMA: Means of Subsistence

• Portugal — AIMA: Remote Professional Activity Residence Authorisation

• Malta — Nomad Residence Permit Application Checklist, Version 10

• Estonia — Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Long-Stay D Visa

• Estonia — e-Residency: Digital Nomad Visa FAQ