How Do Digital Nomad Visas Compare by Country?
Greece: €3,500 a month net, plus 20% for a spouse and 15% per child; national visa for up to 12 months, convertible to a residence permit. Source: Law 5038/2023, Article 68.
Italy: annual income of at least three times the healthcare co-payment exemption level, six months' experience and highly qualified work; permit for up to one year, renewable annually. Source: Decree of 29 February 2024.
Malta: €42,000 gross a year; one-year permit, renewable three times to a four-year maximum; €300 application fee per applicant. Source: Residency Malta FAQs.
Portugal: €3,680 a month, four times the 2026 minimum wage of €920; temporary stay visa for under a year, or a residence visa leading to an AIMA permit. Source: Portuguese visa portal.
Spain: €2,442 a month, 200% of the €1,221 minimum wage; consular teleworker visa for one year, or a residence authorisation for people already in Spain lawfully. Source: UGE teleworker FAQ.
UAE: a salary certificate of at least US$3,500 a month for a one-year virtual-work residence visa, filed with ICP or GDRFA Dubai. Source: UAE government portal.
All figures checked 26 Sep 2026. Greece's figure is net of tax; Malta's is gross.
Do You Need a Lawyer for a Digital Nomad Visa?
None of the official rules above makes hiring a lawyer a condition; Malta, for example, takes applications through an online portal. Counsel earns the fee on the points where these routes differ: Malta bars any work for Maltese clients, Spain lets self-employed applicants take Spanish clients only up to 20% of their activity, Greece measures employment income after foreign tax, and Italy requires a partita IVA for self-employed nomads.
Visa approval also does not settle tax residence or social-security coverage. Ask for a written scope that says who handles the tax and social-security questions, not just the filing.
UAE Filing, Costs and Timing
Costs vary by property, business or talent route and may include valuation certificates, typing centre or government charges, medical checks, Emirates ID and legal fees.
Digital nomad visa lawyers should test remote-work eligibility, income, insurance, criminal records, social-security treatment and tax-residence risk before filing.