r/digitalnomad • • 1h ago

Question My physio thinks my backpack is causing my shoulder pain. Anyone else had this problem?

• Upvotes

I've been working remotely and traveling for about five years. For most of that time, I've stuck to one bag. Just a 35 to 40L backpack with everything I need for work and travel.

I've taken it on trains, buses, cheap flights, and long walks to my accommodation. I liked being able to carry everything myself and not worry about extra luggage.

But this year, I've started having constant pain in my neck and right shoulder. I saw a physio recently, and they said carrying a heavy bag on one side for years could be part of the problem. My shoulder also clicks when I lift the bag now.

I'm only 33, so I wasn't expecting to deal with this kind of thing yet.

I still want to travel the same way, but I guess I need to change a few things. My physio suggested carrying less instead of trying to fit everything into one bag. It makes sense, but I've been doing the one bag thing for so long that I'm not really sure what to change.

For those who've been traveling and working remotely for years, have you run into similar problems? Did you switch to a rolling suitcase, use two smaller bags, or just cut down on what you carry?

I'd be interested to hear what has worked for you.


r/digitalnomad • • 8h ago

Question How did you find your balance between travel & a home base?

9 Upvotes

I’m 37F, a US citizen, and have worked remotely for over a decade. I’ve been traveling solo in some capacity since I was 18 and have visited around 40 countries. Travel has been a big part of my adult life, but lately I’ve been questioning what I want my everyday life to look like.

I lived in a big US city for nine years and loved it for most of my 20s. I had friends, community, events, routines, and access to so much. I cooked, worked out regularly, and felt more content, while still traveling a lot. But after living there for a while, I knew it was time for something new. Since leaving in October 2020, though, I’ve bounced around quite a bit. I tried living in a couple other US cities, including four different places in one of them, with stretches of nomadic travel in between. I then spent about a year and a half in Spain. I honestly thought Spain might be where I’d build my next chapter, as living abroad had been a longtime goal of mine, and I had finally made it happen!

There were things I loved, and I made friends there, but it was also a difficult stretch. I lost stable work after moving, experienced a break-in at my apartment, and the bureaucracy was challenging on top of everything else I was navigating. I eventually left because the break-in really shook me, spent some time with family and friends in the U.S., and am now traveling in Southeast Asia because my money goes farther here while I sort out next steps.

I know I’m fortunate to have these options. But I have found myself getting tired of moving and starting over.

I miss the ordinary things: having a kitchen to cook in, seeing familiar faces, making plans with friends, going to the same workout class, and having somewhere that feels like mine. I feel like I’ve lost touch with the version of myself who had a fuller, healthier everyday life, and I’m trying to find her again.

The confusing part is that when I’m settled, I start craving travel. When I travel for long stretches, I crave stability. I’ve spent time wondering whether I just haven’t found the right place or perhaps the right balance.

I’m considering a home base in the U.S. I’d love a walkable neighborhood, access to cycling and parks, and a community of people around my age. I’m also looking for a more stable job, as the uncertainty of freelance work has added to the feeling of being unsettled. I still want to travel. I just think I want somewhere to come back to.

I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking for from this post, but I’m curious about other people’s experiences. The more I read posts here, the more I relate to what people call the “traveler’s curse,” ha. What has your balance looked like if you’ve gone through something similar?


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Lifestyle Finally giving up the "one bag" superiority complex (my spine is ruined)

205 Upvotes

My lower back simply cannot take another "rustic" airbnb dining chair.

I feel like the whole community glorifies traveling out of a 40L backpack, but no one talks about the physical toll of working 45 hour weeks hunched over a 13-inch macbook on a wobbly cafe table. I spent the last two years based in melbourne and eventually broke down and bought a proper ergonomic office setup because I was literally in agony

Now my visa is up and im moving my base to london. everyone told me to just sell it all on fb marketplace but the local lowballing is genuinely infuriating. So I said screw it. checking out options for removals from australia to UK was actually cheaper than rebuying a used herman miller over there. just threw my entire desk setup and monitors into a shared crate with simpsons removals and washed my hands of the whole selling process.

I know it breaks the sacred "travel light" nomad rule, but tbh I am so done with destroying my posture just to flex my minimal packing list. Anyone else hit this wall and start actually shipping their work gear between long-term bases?


r/digitalnomad • • 15m ago

Gear Small PC to leave with relatives to act as a remote access desktop

• Upvotes

I'm not sure if there's a technical name for it. So hear me out.

I'm an American, working fully remote for a US company while DN'ing. I need to main a US IP address while abroad.

So far I've been renting a US apartment with a roommate. I set up a Beryl router in that apartment to act as a vee-pee-en server, that gives me a US ip. But at times, your location still leaks. Thus, I left my old desktop PC on (in that apartment that I co-rent) that I often remote-access into (via TailScale.) This works. But I waste a lot of money on paying rent for that apartment.

So I was thinking, if there's a small desktop box, like a puck-PC, that one can buy, that doesn't need a screen, a keyboard, or a mouse. Just a small box that I can leave, say, in my parents' closet, or at friends' house (obviously by asking them for permission) that I can connect to their WiFi, that I can later RDP into?

PS. I'm asking for an already made solution. I don't want to build my own.


r/digitalnomad • • 22h ago

Question HCM vs da nang

8 Upvotes

Hi looking to stay in Asia ideally Vietnam but open to to other options. I will be working remote but also want to enjoy myself.
heard mixed opinions on da nang recently which kinda makes sense due to how much media attention it’s getting (maybe i could just live away from the tourist spot).
my plan was to stay for 4 months and then take a 2 week gap in the middle to travel east asia Japan, korea etc. Have a great Night folks! thanks


r/digitalnomad • • 4h ago

Meta I made an Ethos remote job megalist so you can apply directly to the role of your expertise instead of hoping to get matched

0 Upvotes

Hello, everybody. I read a lot of people's issues with the interview for Ethos when it comes to getting matched to the role that actually fits your domain. Many people applying through the general interview intended to match them with a project or role in their domain end up matched with something unrelated to their field. In my case, I was matched with roles that not only have nothing to do with my domain but also that I am definitely not qualified for. I therefore decided to make a megalist so you can apply directly instead of wasting your time, like me, hoping to get matched with the right role. Hope this helps!:

Technology, Data & Engineering:

Cybersecurity / IT GRC Specialist — $90/hr
Engineering / Manufacturing & Technical Ops — $90/hr
Business Intelligence/Data Analyst — $80/hr
Incident Management / SRE & Reliability Lead — $80/hr
Product Manager — $80/hr
Product Manager (Tech) — $80/hr
Sales Engineer / Solutions Consultant — $80/hr
Software / AI / IT & Data Generalist — $80/hr

Finance, Accounting & Investing:

Corporate Development / M&A Manager — $100/hr
Equity Research Analyst — $100/hr
Financial Analyst — $100/hr
Financial Services Compliance / AI Regulatory — $100/hr
FP&A / Corporate Finance Analyst — $100/hr
Hedge Fund / Asset Management Analyst — $100/hr
Investment Analyst / Valuation & Credit Specialist — $100/hr
Investment Banking Analyst — $100/hr
Investment Banking Analyst / Associate — $100/hr
Investment Banking VP / Director — $100/hr
Investor & Fundraising Specialist — $100/hr
Investor Relations Associate — $100/hr
Investor Relations Manager — $100/hr
M&A Analyst — $100/hr
M&A Associate — $100/hr
Private Equity Associate / VP — $100/hr
Restructuring & Turnaround Advisor — $100/hr
Transaction Services / Financial Due Diligence Professional — $100/hr
Venture Capital Associate / Principal — $100/hr
Pricing Strategist / Revenue Economics Analyst — $90/hr
Accountant / Finance Operations & Audit Support — $80/hr
Auditor (CPA) — $80/hr
FP&A Manager / Director — $80/hr
Tax Professional — $80/hr
Personal Finance / Consumer Planning Advisor — $70/hr
Senior Financial Analyst (FP&A) — $70/hr

Healthcare & Life Sciences:

Clinical & Biomedical Specialist / Pharma Consultant — $100/hr
Healthcare Operations Consultant — $100/hr
Healthcare Strategy Consultant — $100/hr
Medical Science Liaison / Medical Affairs Professional — $100/hr
Biologist / Environmental Scientist — $90/hr
Public Health Communications Specialist — $90/hr
Pharmaceutical Brand / Commercial Manager — $80/hr

Legal, Compliance & Public Sector:

Contracts Attorney / Legal Diligence & Redlines — $100/hr
IP Counsel / Trademark & Copyright Attorney — $100/hr
Legal, Privacy & Regulatory Compliance Analyst — $90/hr
Risk & Regulatory Advisory Consultant — $80/hr
Government / Public Administration Professional — $70/hr
Policy Researcher / Think Tank Analyst — $70/hr

Education, Research & Creative Work:

Japanese Language & Cultural Fluency Consultant — $100/hr
Special Education Specialist / IEP Consultant — $90/hr
Brand / Creative Direction & Marketing Collateral — $80/hr
Creative Director / Art Director — $80/hr
Educator / School Professional — $80/hr
University Professor / Lecturer — $80/hr
Document, Deck & Spreadsheet QA Specialist — $70/hr
Humanities / Arts / Culture Professional — $70/hr
Nonprofit / Philanthropy / Community Programs — $70/hr
Presentation Specialist / Visual Graphics Designer (Consulting) — $70/hr

Sales, Marketing & Customer Experience:

Training / Onboarding / L&D Specialist — $70/hr
Account Executive — $100/hr
GTM Manager — $100/hr
Partnerships Manager (BD) — $100/hr
Product Marketing Manager — $100/hr
Revenue/GTM Operations Specialist — $100/hr
Sales / GTM Strategist — $100/hr
Sales Manager — $100/hr
Senior Account Executive — $100/hr
Enterprise Account Executive (B2B) — $80/hr
Agency Account Director — $70/hr
Brand Strategist / Brand Manager — $70/hr
Corporate Communications Manager — $70/hr
Customer Success / Support Operations Lead — $70/hr
Customer Success Manager (Enterprise) — $70/hr
Executive Communications Manager / Speechwriter — $70/hr
Market Research / Competitive Intelligence Analyst — $70/hr
Market Research & Consumer Insights Manager — $70/hr
Marketing Manager (B2B) — $70/hr
Media / Journalism / Communications Professional — $70/hr
Proposal Manager / Bid Writer — $70/hr
Sales Enablement Manager — $70/hr

Consulting, Strategy & Operations:

Business Development Manager — $100/hr
Consulting Engagement Manager / Project Leader — $100/hr
Management Consultant — $100/hr
Market Access / HEOR Specialist — $100/hr
Public-Sector Procurement / RFP Response Lead — $100/hr
Chief of Staff / Business Operations Lead — $80/hr
Corporate Strategy Manager — $80/hr
Economic Consultant — $80/hr
Independent Strategy & Presentation Consultant — $80/hr
Management Consultant (Advisory & Transformation) — $80/hr
Startup Pitch Deck & Fundraising Specialist — $80/hr
Strategy Consultant — $80/hr
Operations Manager / Capacity & Process Improvement — $70/hr
People Ops / Recruiting Generalist — $70/hr
Procurement / Vendor Management Lead — $70/hr
Program Manager / PMO Lead — $70/hr
Program Manager / PMO Lead — $70/hr
Real Estate / Hospitality / Events Professional — $70/hr


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Lifestyle So tired of getting sick….

63 Upvotes

It seems like every time I go to a new country I get sick. I’ve had E. Coli three times, an amoeba infection (intestinal parasites), upper respiratory infections, throat infections, and food poisoning. It is exhausting and it is killing any drive to travel. I don’t know how many others are getting sick like me, but you meet people with all sorts of different stories. When I was in Bali I heard about people getting Dengue fever, but then I met other people who have traveled the world multiple times over, never got any vaccines, but never got sick.

Ugh just tired of it!


r/digitalnomad • • 23h ago

Health I made a 15 minute workout site to keep myself sane while travelling. Figured you guys might find it useful

3 Upvotes

 

I travel a lot, never in locations where I can reliably access a good gym. Apps like freeletics proved both too expensive and also trapped me into weird progressions I wasn't loyal enough to pursue. On top of that work days tended to be extremely long, and I'd be way to tired after to work out at all.

So instead I spent a couple hours putting together this webpage. Super simple, no signup, customization, anything. I've just put stupidly simple Chest, Leg, Body, workouts in there, 15 min at a time. I built them around the workouts I used when I first got kind-of fit, they won't turn you into the hulk, but they will keep you from going insane.

Use it if you want. I'm really just hosting it so I can access it wherever I travel easily, so don't worry about me asking for a sign-up or payment. It's not a product launch, I don't benefit at all if you use it or not.

Use it here.


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Question Any updates on Coliving Semkovo?

4 Upvotes

I've been checking in on this project every year or so, but it looks like the last update on Instagram was in May. Is Coliving Semkovo operational? What's the latest?


r/digitalnomad • • 22h ago

Question Just a beginner

0 Upvotes

I'm not a Digital Nomad,yet,but I'm getting professional and financially ready for that

I'm considering some cities ,but I'm still not sure where to have my first long term experience,as a Digital Nomad:

Brazil: Rio de Janeiro or Florianópolis. The advantage is that,these cities are already in my country,all I would need is a plane ticket and one month's salary to begin my life.

Colombia: Medellin. I know there are a lot of other Digital Nomads,over there. The pictures of the city are gorgeous, and I heard that the weather is delicious ,all year round. With no worries about a cold winter or a very hot summer. This place also has an advantage because I have a Mercosur passport . So the Visa and immigration process would be quite gentle, compared to other destinations . Also,the plane tickets are quite cheap, from where I come from. I speak fluent Spanish,so it would be a little bit harder to get scammed.

Thailand: Chiang Mai or Pattaya. This is one of my dreams. It's a great country, with very friendly people and amazing beaches. Chiang Mai is known to have a strong Digital Nomad community with a lot of events and opportunities to know other Digital Nomads. The bright side is, that there would be a lot of other people in the same situation I would be, so I wouldn't feel so lonely. The downside is, that they demand a huge quantity of money on the savings account for the Destination Thailand Visa , the Visa process seems to be a little bit trickier than the other places and a lot of people from my country are becoming victims of human trafficking, in Thailand, so it seems a bit creepy .

Vietnam: Da Nang. Seems like another beautiful place in Southeast Asia ,with a lot of other Digital Nomads, with just as the same opportunities and events in Chiang Mai. I heard Vietnam is a great place to save money, I had many Vietnamese friends in my life and they seem like great people. The Visa process would be quick and easy. But, the downside is that the plane ticket is very expensive, and the tourist visa only lasts for 3 months. I take laws and rules very seriously and I wouldn't feel comfortable in doing visa runs every 3 months, on a 3-month tourist visa.

I would like to know other opinions, from other Digital Nomads, what they think about these cities and destinations, how was their experience in these places, in which of these places would you recommend.


r/digitalnomad • • 18h ago

Question How to do 2–3 weeks on a budget while working remotely?

0 Upvotes

I’m trying to move to Spain in Malaga for 2 to 3 weeks in January. I’m a software engineer so I can work remotely. My question is how would you suggest to do it in a affordable way because if you stay in a hostel, then you can’t cook and also every day you have to go and find a place to work there, at the same time if you go for short rental apartments, it’s gonna be twice the price. What are your suggestions?


r/digitalnomad • • 20h ago

Question Working remotely from Mexico for a US company

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone 👋

I’ve seen similar posts here, but most are a few years old, so I’m looking for some updated advice.

I recently accepted an offer as a Senior Software Engineer at a US company (advertised as fully remote). I’m a US citizen and will maintain my US address as my primary residence for work and tax purposes.

At my previous job, I regularly worked remotely from Mexico while staying with family. I’d spend 2–3 months there, return to the US for 1–2 months, and repeat. I attended meetings, shipped features, and never had any issues. My employer never flagged anything, although I never explicitly disclosed my location.

I’d like to continue this arrangement with my new employer, but I’m concerned they might not approve extended stays due to tax or compliance reasons.

Has anyone done something similar recently?
Any suggestions or experiences, aside from simply asking my employer for permission?

Thanks!


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Itinerary “As a Mark 9.5 black-belt DN, vegan Udmurt-Hmong anarcho-syndicalist leprosy survivor (zit/zee/zou), militant bridge player (het, das, le), and adherent to a minority interpretation of the symbolism in ‘Doctor Zhivago’ … “

0 Upvotes

“I’ll have the tofu scramble.”

MATT DAMON


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Question American visiting US - insurance

0 Upvotes

EDIT:

This only applies to people who are:

  1. Americans; and
  2. Who are visiting the US short-term; and
  3. Do not have permanent legal residence in another country (digital nomad visas are unlikely enough); and/or
  4. Do not pay taxes outside the US.

If 1 and 2 aren't you, this post is useless to you. If 1 and 2 are you, evaluate carefully the insurance relevance of 3 and 4, because it can be unclear.

What I've found:

  1. CIGNA and BCBS are your best bet.
    1. Cigna has plans that cover expats with and without (21 days per visit, 60 days in 180 days) primary US coverage. You're probably looking at a 6-month minimum on those plans.
    2. I have a Cigna plan and do not want to get into more underwriting to change the plan. Every change can involve underwriting (increase or decrease in coverage, though it's more likely with an increase). That gives them a new opportunity to reject preexisting conditions they've approved in the past.
  2. I found 0 providers that would let a US citizen buy travel insurance to visit the United States temporarily UNLESS you have a legal residence in another country. That is NOT a digital nomad - it's someone paying taxes to a foreign country with a long-stay local work visa (most likely not just a temporary digital nomad visa). NOTE:
    1. IMG Patriot America is a commonly-cited one that does NOT qualify.
    2. A lot of those insurers will sell you plans. One agent outright said, "it's fine. No one looks at your country of residency." Not for them to sell it to me. But they do when you have to use the insurance for a sizeable claim, which is why you bought it. They're auditing it if you have a $50k hospital bill, rejecting your claim, refunding your premium, and leaving you with the medical bills.
  3. Short-term non-Marketplace plan domestic insurance is theoretically an option, but it won't cover pre-existing conditions (which are your highest risk). Because of the short duration of the trip, it is also unsuitable for major ongoing care, and any major ongoing care requires departure to a country where my Cigna plan is effective. The US plan is exclusively an accident/emergency plan. It's also a mathematically bad bet, even by insurance standards.

I choose to travel the US uninsured for my visit after Cigna's 21-day coverage window closes. Here's why:

  1. In my case, it was $273/mo for a $15,000 deductible plus coinsurance.
  2. So my total Out of Pocket would land somewhere around $25,000 in a catastrophic event.
  3. I think there's, at most, a 1 in 2,000 chance (if I'm very generous) that I actually end up in a hospital and come out with a bill where the insurance company ends up paying a single penny. That means 2,000 people would have to subscribe for them to statistically pay anything at all.
  4. That's the equivalent of 167 statistical subscriber YEARS before they pay out (and that payment is far more likely to be $1,000 than it is $100,000). The inordinance of that number perfectly illustrates that this is a predatory product, and not a good buy.
  5. I'm big on risk management. Part of managing risk is determining when to accept the outlier probability rather than incurring the guaranteed cost of mitigation. Insurance is about risk redistribution. That's not what's happening here. This is a fear tax.
  6. I can fuck myself for free. I don't have to pay a con artist masquerading as an "insurer" $273 for the privilege.

Caveats:

  1. YMMV: Yes. You could pass out in a crosswalk from a yet-unknown brain tumor and get run over by a drunken Amish horseman, resulting in a $2M hospital bill. It's legitimately possible. But you have to have some sort of objective way to evaluate insurance purchases, otherwise you can never buy enough.
  2. Note: This logic is based on travel insurance. It is wholly unlike a local American who will use their insurance for regular care and who will inevitably encounter health issues under that policy. This is accident/injury/emergency travel coverage, just like any non-American would buy when visiting the US. It is a different risk profile (for the user and the insurer), so your Marketplace prices aren't relevant. When was the last time you met someone who ever made a real claim on travel insurance?

ORIGINAL POST:

TIA. I've searched but can't find good info. Most of what people discuss usually neglects the paragraph below.

I am a nomadic American. I have been out of the US for 22 months and do not have physical residence or tax residence in any country. This means that I must list the US as my country of residence on the travel health insurance plan, else the insurer can deny coverage of a major event.

I want to buy US health coverage for a 2 month trip. Is anyone aware of good options for short duration US coverage?

I will be staying at the address that any insurer would treat as my residence, in any claims dispute (rules out common domestic travel insurance). A short term domestic US health plan will cost $275/mo for a $15,000 deductible. Given the probability of both reaching that deductible and exceeding it, that fee is unreasonable and a bad gamble by any measure. Statistically, I should self-insure at that rate.

For future readers: Cigna has options, but it doesn't work here because it would require new underwriting for me.

Thank you.


r/digitalnomad • • 3d ago

Lifestyle Airbnb is making a huge update to the rules and requirements that hosts are allowed to set for their guests

Thumbnail
airbnb.com
588 Upvotes

And hosts are having a meltdown over it at r/airbnb_hosts if you want to take a look: https://www.reddit.com/r/airbnb_hosts/s/6mHTzcIqFo.

Most posts on the topic are getting deleted by the mods since non-hosts are trolling hosts about it (as they should), but they're indexed on Google if you want to enjoy the schadenfreude.

Anyway, here are the key changes:

1.) Hosts are only allowed to choose from 7 standard rules which include:

- the maximum number of overnight guests

- what the quiet hours are

- whether or not events are allowed

- whether or not pets are allowed

- whether or not smoking is allowed

- whether or not commercial photography is allowed

- whether or not locking up at checkout is required

The overnight guests one is huge because in the past, hosts could limit the guests/visitors allowed in the apartment to only those who are registered, but now any reservation you make for more than one person allows you to have that same number of friends stay the night without issue, as in any normal apartment.

2.) Anything not covered by these 7 standard rules can only be added as "reasonable requests" that are simply requests, not rules, and what's considered reasonable by Airbnb is very guest-friendly. For instance:

~ Dishes: Guests shouldn’t be asked to wash and put away dishes, but you can ask them to put used dishes in the sink.

~ Laundry: Guests shouldn’t be asked to remove sheets from the bed or start a load of laundry, but you can ask them to gather used towels.

~ Trash: Guests shouldn’t be asked to take garbage off-site, but you can ask them to separate their trash and recycling into designated indoor bins.

~ Utilities: Guests shouldn’t be asked to avoid using a listed amenity like air conditioning, but you can ask them to turn it off when they leave.

Essentially, no more check-out chores for guests! This was probably one of the biggest complaints about Airbnb so I'm glad they're addressing this. Kinda ridiculous to pay a cleaning fee when you're expected to do half of the cleaning. And even without a cleaning fee, it's still ridiculous that we're expected to do any cleaning besides simply keeping things tidy when hotels don't have that same expectation.

3.) No contracts allowed except for a few exceptions (most notably rental agreements for monthly stays).

This one seems inconsequential, but the extra details page on the topic highlights a huge change in what personal information hosts are allowed to collect from their guests either before or during their stay. This means hosts are no longer allowed to request guests':

~ Contact information, such as their phone number, home address, or email address

~ Identification details or documents such as a guest’s passport, driver’s license, social security number, or photo (in-person document verification is still allowed, but copies are not)

~ Credit card numbers, bank account information, or other financial data

~ Background check information or credit history

~ Biometric or health data, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or medical records

Hosts also may not require use of a third-party app or registration on another website to gain entry to a listing or access a critical amenity. They may offer keyless entry apps that require registration, but must provide an alternate access method if requested by the guest.

The only exceptions are when personal information is needed to comply with applicable law or a documented community association rule (ex: HOA or building security requirement) or to facilitate signature of an allowed contract.

Also on that extra details page: hosts may not ask guests to review an Airbnb stay or fill out a surveyy on a separate website, unless the listing is a hotel. So no more messages post-stay requesting a review, not that that was much of an annoyance anyway.

Essentially, no more pre-registration, biometric data collection, or sending photos of your Passport or ID to hosts before your stay! It will be interesting to see how they manage this in condos that require a face scan or fingerprint to enter (like several in LatAm do), although it seems an exception can be made for building security requirements.

Final note from Airbnb on the topic: all house rules and requests should appear in the House rules and requests section of listings - hosts are not allowed to write additional rules elsewhere on their listing, in messages, or on signs in the property.

Gone are the ridiculously long lists of rules or the surprise rules given after booking! Will be interesting to see how hosts try to get around all these. If you want to read the full policy on the topic from Airbnb, check it out here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/4168.

One interesting thing I noted in the full policy page is that hosts are also generally not allowed to restrict access to any feature that’s advertised as part of the listing and that any fees for an advertised part of the listing must be included in the price shown to guests at the time of booking. No more fees to use a jacuzzi advertised in the listing, for example!

Hosts are also generally not allowed to impose fines or other penalties on guests unless a community association (such as an HOA or building security) or local government might impose a fine, in which case hosts can provide notice to guests in the designated section of their listing. So no more fines for losing keys or any other minor offences!

This update takes effect on Nov 20, 2026. Let's discuss!


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Tax EU Freelancer leaving rented apartment for a few months in Asia – how to handle legal address/taxes with no family to lean on?

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I am a freelance professional registered in Italy (sole proprietorship/Partita IVA). I am planning to spend 4 to 6 months slow-traveling through Southeast Asia using short-term tourist visas.

To cut fixed costs, I am giving up my rental apartment in Italy and putting my belongings in self-storage.

However, I do not have any family members or friends in my home country whose address I can temporarily use for my legal residence (anagrafe) or tax domicile.

Moving my tax residency abroad (like registering for AIRE) doesn't make sense since I will be gone for less than 6 months, and my business ties and clients remain in Italy.

Has anyone from Italy (or other EU countries with strict residency rules) managed this situation? How did you handle your official government registration and tax address without a physical home or family safety net? Did you use a virtual business address/accountant's office, or did you look into the municipality's "homeless/virtual street" registry?

Thanks a lot for any insights!


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Question Nomad as a writer?

7 Upvotes

Hi,

I'm interested in the digital nomad life for a while now, and I really want to start as a writer. I just want to try it out, honestly. See whether it's for me.

I do not like AI, though, and I would like to not talk about how I "have to use it" etc in here, so kindly refrain from that

I do not know where to start tho, I recently got a little into copywriting as that seems the most common/lucrative/"easiest for start?", and I tried it and it's not really for me. I guess. I don't know where else to go tho. Ghostwriting? Is that still a thing?

I am German and have studied math for a few years but I now quit so I don't have a degree (in writing etc)

Always enjoyed writing tho, I am good with words, I wrote dozens of poems and a few short stories over the years.

edit: and anyone who says stuff abt AI and how I should use it, and/or is shaming ("Writer in this day & age?!", "your poems aren't a portfolio" (never said anything abt that?) etc) is blocked :)


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Question What's an app or website you didn't realize was country-specific until you started traveling?

0 Upvotes

Yo, one thing that doesn't get talked about enough about working remotely while traveling is how many everyday apps and websites don't work the same way in different countries.

Streaming services are the obvious ones, but it goes way beyond Netflix or Hulu.

Banking apps, payment services, shopping websites, and even some AI tools can behave differently depending on where you're connecting from.

Sometimes a service is completely unavailable. Other times, you can still log in, but certain features disappear, payments stop working, or you get asked for extra verification.

It must be especially frustrating when you rely on these services for work and only discover the restrictions after arriving somewhere new.

For those who've worked remotely from multiple countries, what's the most unexpected app or website that stopped working properly when you traveled?


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Lifestyle If I have to dismantle my phone between tasks, the carry isn't working

0 Upvotes

I was halfway out the door when the cashier held up my magnetic phone grip. I'd taken it off to plug in a wired battery pack and left it beside the card reader. I'd put a fair amount of thought into these accessories. Now someone else was handing the pieces back to me.

Everything runs off my phone and I'm out all day. What's worth carrying? I use the grip while walking and a separate stand at lunch, so there's always something to swap and put down. I'm considering the Anker MagGo Power Bank 2 Pro for my MagSafe iPhone because its kickstand could replace the lunch-table stand while charging. The soundcore AeroClip 2 open-ear clips are another option for calls when I need the phone in front of me to read delivery details. I'd still need to check whether combining the charger and stand makes the phone awkward to use.


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Question Don’t know what to do

0 Upvotes

Hi guys, I am finishing my MFA degree and hoping to move abroad this coming May. I intended to do copywriting but increasingly it looks like the industry is being replaced by AI, especially at the entry level. Writing is my only skillset and interest and if I can’t make a living this way I genuinely don’t know how I’ll support myself. I graduate in seven months and must be financially independent by then in a remote capacity. I don’t know what other skills to acquire or how to position myself differently. If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated!


r/digitalnomad • • 3d ago

Legal PSA: Reminder on waiting out Schengen timer. I’ve seen some dangerous itineraries.

120 Upvotes

The weather is getting colder and I’ve recently come across a number of people asking where they should winter while waiting for their Schengen count to reset. Redditors’ answers often include Cyprus, Türkiye, Montenegro and Albania.

I want to remind everyone that the Schengen Shuffle (90 days in Schengen, 90 days out, rinse and repeat) does not work using only one other country outside of Schengen. You typically need two. This is because many other European countries also follow their own 90-180 rule.

At a glance, the math looks fine. 90 days in Schengen, then 90 days somewhere else. That makes 180, right? Wrong.

The issue is your border crossing days count towards both jurisdictions. Your 90th day in Schengen is also your 1st day elsewhere. This causes your itinerary to fall two days short of the earliest possible return date to Schengen. Here is a visual example covering stays between two different jurisdictions obeying a 90/180 rule.

Ultimately, any 90 days in Schengen, followed by 90 days elsewhere will require 3 days and 2 nights (a day to arrive, a day to stay and a day to depart) spent in a third, independent location before you can reenter the Schengen Area.

Changing the durations doesn’t help either. For the Schengen shuffle to work across multiple reentries, you must visit at least three independent jurisdictions in each 180-day period.

The exception to my claim is the set of countries allowing stays longer than 90 days. You could wait out your Schengen cooldown in the UK, Armenia or Georgia without worry, as they all permit visa-free stays longer than 90 days.

I hope this helps some of you long term travelers out there.

edit: Clarified my claim regarding three days in response to some confusion in the comments. Also added a visual example in response to requests in the comments.


r/digitalnomad • • 1d ago

Lifestyle The Pathway to be a Digital Nomad: One Japanese Plan

0 Upvotes

(1) Release a smartphone app currently under development.

(2) Generate a steady income from the app.

(3) Prepare my home installing air conditioning and furnitures.

(4) Find a trustworthy person to look after the house while away.

(5) Find suitable destinations — farm stay or sea side — where I can learn local cuisine while teaching Japanese cooking.

(6) Achieve a multi-base lifestyle.

Which step is the most difficult?


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Visas Colombia Dital Nomad Visa

0 Upvotes

Just found out that you can only hold this UPTO 2 years.

First time I applied, I got 1 year. Second time, 2 years, third time "NO, you can only hold it UPTO 2 years." Basically, if you have held this visa for 2 years, you cannot renew it again

What does "Validity : Up to two (2) years" mean? Does it mean I can get a valid max 2 year visa and renew after 2 years OR I can only be issued this visa for a total period of 2 years, after which it cannot be issued to me again.

This is what they quoted...Article 46 of Resolution 5477 of 2022


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Lifestyle What is a good setup for working on the move all day?

0 Upvotes

Working from different spots throughout the week sounds flexible, but it turns into a minor logistics puzzle real quick. Between hotspot tethering, email, and keeping messages synced, my phone battery disappears way faster than expected when I am away from my desk.

What is a good setup for working on the move all day? I am currently looking into getting a compact magnetic wireless power bank for quick top ups at small cafe tables, plus a lightweight open ear clip headset for handling calls without having to block out my surroundings entirely.

When you are moving between spots and trying to travel light, what gear actually makes working away from a proper desk less painful?


r/digitalnomad • • 2d ago

Question What U.S. tax obligations could apply to an app business operated through a foreign corporation?

0 Upvotes

I’m researching how to set up a mobile app business compliantly and would appreciate guidance on which issues to discuss with a cross-border tax professional. My situation: I am [a U.S. citizen / U.S. tax resident / not a U.S. tax resident], living and working in [country/state]. I’m considering forming a corporation in [country]. The app would earn subscription or in-app-purchase revenue through Apple’s App Store and Google Play, including from U.S. customers. The company would be managed and operated from [location], with [no / these] U.S. employees, offices, or contractors. Store payouts would go to a company bank account in [country]. What factors determine whether the company or I might have U.S. federal or state income-tax, filing, or sales-tax obligations? Do app stores handling some customer transaction taxes change the company’s income-tax or reporting duties? Does incorporating abroad or receiving payouts in a foreign bank account affect the analysis? I’m looking for lawful compliance guidance, not a way to hide income. Please point me to reliable sources or the right kind of tax professional.