Which Digital Nomad Visa Fits Which Income: 2026 Thresholds Mapped

Digital nomad visa income thresholds span a wide range in 2026, from under £1,000 a month in parts of Latin America to over £4,000 a month in Japan or the Cayman Islands. A UK earner's monthly income is the clearest filter for which programmes are within reach; each country's qualifying figure is set in its own official currency.

Why income band, not region, is often the more useful filter

Most comparisons of digital nomad visas group countries by geography, Europe against Latin America against Asia, which is useful for lifestyle planning but not always the fastest way to work out which programmes a specific UK earner can actually qualify for. Since the defining eligibility test for the great majority of these schemes is a minimum monthly or annual income figure, organising the same set of countries by income band instead answers the more immediate practical question directly: given a particular monthly income, which countries are realistically within reach. The bands below are built from the official thresholds covered in the individual country guides on this site, converted to approximate GBP purely so a UK reader can orient themselves quickly; the conversions move with exchange rates and are never the figure an immigration authority actually checks, which is always the official-currency figure set out in the country's own guide.

Under roughly £1,500 a month

At the accessible end of the range, several Latin American and smaller programmes set thresholds well under £1,500 a month in official-currency terms. Colombia's Visa V route asks for roughly $900 a month. Ecuador's threshold sits around $1,350 a month. Brazil accepts $1,500 a month or $18,000 in savings. Cabo Verde's threshold is $1,500 a month. Argentina's sits around $1,600 a month. A separate small group of countries, including Georgia, Mauritius and Curacao, set no fixed minimum income at all, relying instead on proof of funds or continued foreign employment, which can make them accessible to earners below even this band, subject to their other eligibility requirements.

Roughly £1,500 to £2,500 a month

This band covers a genuine mix of Southeast Asian, Southern European and Central American options. Malaysia's DE Rantau programme asks for RM 10,000 a month, in this range. Italy's digital nomad and remote worker visa requires around €28,000 a year, roughly €2,333 a month, though it comes with the significant additional condition, covered in the dedicated Italy guide linked below, that applicants must also qualify as highly skilled workers regardless of income. Mexico's temporary resident route commonly used by remote workers sits around $2,595 a month. Costa Rica and Panama both sit around $3,000 a month or the local equivalent, placing them at the upper end of this band.

Roughly £2,500 to £3,500 a month

This is the densest band among the countries covered on this site, and includes several of the most commonly chosen European options. The UAE's Dubai remote work visa asks for $3,500 a month. Montenegro's threshold sits around €3,000 a month. Greece requires €3,500 a month. Malta's Nomad Residence Permit requires €42,000 a year, €3,500 a month, since its 1 April 2024 revision. Croatia's threshold, recalculated annually and currently €3,622.50 a month under the update published in Narodne novine 3/26, sits toward the top of this band. Portugal's D8 visa, following its 2026 increase to €3,680 a month, four times the national minimum wage, also falls here. Barbados's Welcome Stamp asks for $50,000 a year, around $4,167 a month, and South Africa's points-based Remote Work Visa sits around ZAR 1 million a year, both toward the upper end of this band.

Above roughly £3,500 a month

At the top of the range sit a small number of programmes aimed squarely at higher earners. South Korea's Workation visa asks for around $65,000 a year. Japan's threshold, ¥10,000,000 a year, converts to one of the highest monthly figures among all the countries covered on this site. Anguilla's threshold sits around $75,000 a year. Iceland's Remote Work Long-Term Visa, at roughly ISK 1,000,000 a month, is among the very highest thresholds anywhere. The Cayman Islands' Global Citizen Concierge Program, at $100,000 a year for a single applicant, sits at the top of this band and of the comparison generally.

Using this responsibly

This mapping is a starting filter, not a final answer. Every threshold shown here is a minimum, and most programmes add further conditions beyond income, proof that the income is genuinely foreign-sourced, health insurance, a clean criminal record, and in some cases, such as Italy's, professional qualifications entirely independent of income level. Thresholds also move: several of the figures above, including Portugal's, Croatia's and Spain's, changed within the current tax year alone, so a figure that placed a country in one band six months ago may since have moved it into another. The individual country guides linked throughout this page carry the fullest, most frequently checked version of each threshold, together with the fees, documents and family rules that a headline income figure alone cannot capture.

Frequently asked questions

Which digital nomad visas can I get on a lower income?

Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Cabo Verde and Argentina all set thresholds under roughly £1,500 a month in official-currency terms, and a small number of countries, including Georgia and Mauritius, set no fixed minimum income at all.

What is the income threshold for Portugal's digital nomad visa in 2026?

€3,680 a month, four times Portugal's 2026 minimum wage, placing it in the higher band of European nomad visa thresholds alongside Croatia, Greece and Malta.

Is Italy's digital nomad visa a good option for a moderate income?

Its income threshold, around €28,000 a year, sits in the moderate band, but it comes with a significant separate condition: applicants must also qualify as highly skilled workers through a degree, licensed profession or documented experience, regardless of income.

Which digital nomad visas require the highest income?

Japan, Iceland, the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and South Korea's Workation visa all sit at the top of the range, generally requiring the equivalent of £4,000 a month or more in official-currency terms.

Do these GBP figures change?

Yes. They are approximate conversions for orientation only and move with exchange rates. The figure that actually matters for any application is the official-currency threshold set by that country's immigration authority, covered in each country's dedicated guide.