The short version
- Earn online before you move, not after. Many visas ask you to prove money first.
- Pick one skill a business already pays for, and that you can do from a laptop.
- Put it on one simple page with a price, then sell it to one client.
- Save three months of costs, plus the money for a ticket home.
Why earn online before you move?
Because most ways to stay abroad ask for proof of money before you go. Income you can take with you is what lets you leave, and then lets you stay.
Take Croatia's stay for digital nomads. You must work for a company, or your own company, that is not registered in Croatia. You show at least EUR 3,622.50 a month, with bank statements or payslips for the last six months. Or you show the full amount in the bank: EUR 43,470 for 12 months.
Working holiday visas ask for savings too. Here is what four of them ask for:
| Visa | Savings they ask for |
|---|---|
| Canada, working holiday | At least CAD 2,500 |
| UK, youth mobility | GBP 2,530, in your bank for 28 days in a row |
| Finland, working holiday | About EUR 2,450 for the first 3 months |
| New Zealand, working holiday | At least NZD 4,200 |
Many working holiday visas also ask for a ticket home, or the money for one. See every country, age limit and savings rule in the free working holiday visa finder.
How do you pick a skill people pay for?
Start with what you already do at work. If a business pays you for it now, other businesses pay for it too. The skill just needs to work over the internet.
Skills that often work from a laptop:
- Writing, like emails, web pages or product descriptions.
- Design, like logos, slides or social posts.
- Video editing.
- Building websites.
- Bookkeeping or admin.
- Customer support.
- Translation.
Then test it. Can you name three businesses that pay for this today? Search job boards and freelance sites for the skill. If you find people paying for it, there is demand. If you cannot find any, pick another skill.
Pick one. Not three. One skill is easier to explain, easier to price and easier to get better at.
What goes on a simple offer page?
One page that answers the questions a buyer has. Keep it short:
- Who it is for. "Small shops that sell online" beats "anyone".
- What they get. One clear thing, like "5 product descriptions".
- When they get it. A real date, like "within 7 days".
- The price. A number, not "get a quote".
- One example of your work. If you have none yet, make one.
- How to start. One button or one email address.
It can be a simple one-page site or a profile on a freelance site. What matters is that a stranger can read it and know what to buy.
How do you get your first paying client?
Ask the people who already know you. They trust you, so the first yes comes faster.
- Tell friends, family and old workmates what you now offer. Send them the page.
- Ask your current or old employer if they would buy it as a side job.
- Write to businesses that need the skill. Short messages, one at a time, each about their business.
- Post on freelance sites and reply to jobs that fit your one offer.
The step is done when money arrives, not when someone says "sounds good". One paying client proves that a stranger will pay for this. Then you do it again.
How much should you save before you move?
Our target is three months of costs in the new place, plus the money for a ticket home. It gives you time to settle and find more work without panic.
To work it out:
- List your monthly costs in the new country: rent, food, phone, transport and insurance.
- Times it by three.
- Add the price of a flight home.
- Check the visa you want. If it asks for more, save that amount instead.
Some visas also want to see the money sit in your account for a set time. The UK asks for 28 days in a row. Start saving early, so the money is there when you apply.
Does earning online change your tax?
Not on its own. Income you earn online is still income, and moving does not change that by itself. Each country has its own rules on when you stop being tax resident and who taxes you after you leave. Check those rules before you move. The tax guides cover how tax works when you move.
What comes after income?
Banking. Once money comes in, you need accounts and cards that keep working when you cross a border. Read the bank accounts that work abroad next.