I was recently drawn to an experiment where an IT specialist who could carry out their work anywhere, provided they had a reliable internet connection, tried working from abroad. For the cost of his one bedroom studio flat in the North of England, he decamped to an all-inclusive, five-star hotel in Turkey for a month.
Not only did he find that it was marginally cheaper, but he also had access to a swimming pool and beach, three meals a day, unlimited drinks and maid service for his one month duration.
I realised that the experiment was carried out in winter when hotel prices were lower, but as someone who lives in Turkey, I was also well aware of the lower cost of living compared to the United Kingdom. The one drawback was the visitor visa that only allowed you ninety days in one hundred and eighty.
This week Turkey announced their Virtual Digital Visa, which targets people up to the age of 55, with proof of educational achievement, proof of valid work that can be carried out remotely and a certain level of income from that work.
I recognise that Turkey may not be everyone’s choice of destination for a virtual office, so I researched to discover that there are 61 countries offering Virtual Digital Visas. Some are called Nomad Visas while others have names such as the Work in Nature Visa in Dominica. Indeed, the Caribbean has some of the most appealing names for their visas including the Barbados Welcome Stamp Visa.
But don’t be put off if you don’t like warm beach locations, there are plenty of places in every continent on the planet. Suddenly, if you are an IT specialist who only needs a good internet connection and a laptop then the world is your oyster.
But is this solution good for all countries? Some of those countries that are missing from the list are some of those with higher costs of living. I well remember the days after World War II when the attractions of the new Silicon Valley created what was called the Brain Drain. Suddenly the scientists were being attracted to the sunshine of California.
Today the technological assets of a country have never been more important, but could the Virtual Digital Visa mean that a new ‘brain drain’ is happening? If this takes off in a big way we can expect to see likeminded young people starting collaborations in these visa countries. These groupings are of people who already have the entrepreneurial spirit to establish a life in another country, so creative development in their new found home is likely to benefit that country, not their own one.
Some of those countries yet to join the Nomad Visa club need to act if they are not to see the more able of their communities migrating to shores with better and more welcoming conditions than their own. There are still people that have the necessary skills and who see the advantages of some of the top Western Countries, but these countries need to have attractive conditions attached to the visa. Most existing Nomad visas offer tax free incentives, recognising that their earning capacity will benefit the community they live in.
However, at present, the West seem to be too preoccupied with stopping people breaching their borders rather than encouraging those that would be beneficial to the country. Rwanda may not be a first choice for a work location, but Mauritius and the Seychelles have some of the bast terms for Virtual Digital Visas.
Meanwhile, as I sit in one low cost of living economy, preparing to return to my other one in Turkey, I will continue to sit at my terminal with my excellent internet connections before popping downstairs to the pool before lunch in the sun!
