Working Online and Travelling the World

One entirely new way of living, two distinct words and millions of people around the world that would give up just about anything for it. What could we be possibly talking about? Well, does the phrase “digital nomad” ring any bells? This phrase generally conjures the image of a millennial expat in Bali, spamming his Instagram followers with selfies from a luxury villa, a computer in one hand and a gin tonic in the other. His social media bio: “Living on my own terms”.

What does the term “digital nomad” actually mean?

To be academically correct and offer a generally accepted definition, digital nomads are people who conduct their lives in a nomadic manner, while engaging in remote work, using digital telecommunications technology. 

Why does all this interest us? Well, it just so happens that Covid is actually a real thing, not just a long bad dream that we all wish would have ended before it even started, and, in the months since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we’ve seen a dramatic and rapid shift towards remote work as businesses had to evolve or risk being left behind.

This change has had its ups and downs, but what we can for sure deduct is the fact that we, the people, are no longer bound to the archaic way of living and doing business within the office walls. These aspects of life can now be fully done remotely, from the safe space of our computer whilst waiting for our plane to take off towards our next tropical destination. This location-independent, technology-enabled lifestyle allows one to travel and work anywhere within the internet-connected world. The only question that our heart must now answer is: “where to now?”

Where should you begin your digital nomad experience – how to decide?

Of course, there must also be some disadvantages to all this heavenly way of living, mustn’t it? Well, not really! You just have to get yourself a laptop, some clothes and a digital nomad visa. Yes, that’s a thing and you can now get one in no time. You simply have to choose where you want to live and then fill up all the necessary forms in order to get permission to do so.

Now, if only there was a place with incredible internet speed, cheap prices, affordable rent, rich history, friendly people, great food and magnificent vistas, that would actually encourage foreigners to move in. It does sound too good to be true, we know. Well, believe it or not, such a place does exist. Either that or the Digital Nomad Index 2021 has been lying to us all by claiming that Romania is among the top three choices in regard to the attractiveness of this type of lifestyle.

To be more precise, here’s a list of the average prices/month that might just be enough to convince you:

• internet broadband speed is 188 mb/s for only 7.5 Euros;
• rent within the two biggest cities and most developed cities in this part of Europe for only 320 Euros;
• full gym membership for only 30 Euros;
• all utilities (electricity, heating, cooling, water, garbage for 85 m2 apartment) for only 100 Euros;
• full monthly transportation pass for only 15 Euros.

Keep in mind that this is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to our country that you simply have to come to live here in order to fully understand and embrace the beauty that is Romania.

How complicated is it to actually get a digital nomad visa?

Having presented the benefits of moving to Romania, let’s see exactly how a non-EU member can do so. Here are the base-line requirements that you have to meet in order to get a  digital nomad visa (a long-term visa for other purposes) at Romania’s Embassy in your country. You must:

1. work remotely, using the information and communication technology as an employee of a company registered outside of Romania, or own a company registered outside of Romania at least three years before the date of applying for the visa, company whose activity can be developed remotely;
2. prove that you earn enough from the activity carried out as an employee or as the owner of a company registered outside of Romania in order to cover your living costs, more precisely prove that you earn, from the activity mentioned above, at least three times the average Romanian salary/month for each of the last 6 months prior to the date of submission of the visa application, as well as for the entire period entered in the visa. With the average salary in Romania currently at around 1,200 Euros/month (6.095 RON), this means that you need earnings of 3,600 Euros/month (18.285 RON);
3. have a clean fiscal and criminal record and all taxes, fees or contributions paid (you or, as the case may be, the company you own);
4. have medical insurance for the entire duration of your visa (for a minimum amount of 30.000 Euros);
5. have a place to stay;
6. have a ticket for your trip to Romania or a driving license, the car details (green card insurance, registration documents) and your itinerary, in case you plan to drive here.

Once the above-mentioned requirements are met, you can apply for a digital nomad visa.  After you arrive in Romania, if you wish to extend your stay after the expiry of your visa, you can do so by applying for a temporary residence permit. In order to obtain the temporary residence permit, you will need to prove that you still meet the conditions of being considered a digital nomad.

Your first temporary residence permit in Romania will be issued for a maximum period of 6 months, but, under certain conditions, you will be able to extend it.

How can WE assist YOU in your PURSUIT OF FREEDOM?

Well, with an experience of over 14 years in the Romanian legal market, we keep track of all legislative changes and take into account every way in which these could impact our clients’ objectives. Thus, we believe that no matter how complicated the legal system might be, our clients’ life must be as easy as possible.

Having said all this, we fully support the Government’s approach toward being more liberal and open-minded in regard to our everchanging society. We believe that digital nomadism truly is something worth experiencing, therefore, we, the LLA team, would like to contribute towards the growth of this trend by putting our efforts into maximizing its reach and helping every digital nomad that wants to join our beautiful country do so with ease.

Therefore, we have created the DN (Digital Nomad) Visa package that streamlines the entire process and keeps away the bureaucratic stress as much as possible.  We’ll guide and assist you every step of the way in order to get your digital nomad visa. No stress, no time wasted, just pleasure doing law for you.