Big 7 Travel, with the help of information from Nomad List, has compiled a list of the best places in the world for remote workers in 2021. Lists such as these have increased in demand as more and more employees are becoming digital nomads and looking for places to live while they do their work.
Tallinn, Estonia, tops this one. It has long been a destination for digital nomads due to its long-held embracement of the internet.
For example, in 2005, it became the first country to allow e-voting in a national election, and, in 2014, it started offering e-residency to those who wanted to take advantage of its banking, taxation and company formation regulations while not being physically in Estonia.
Meanwhile, of particular interest to remote workers is its adoption of a digital nomad visa in 2020. It provides those who work remotely for non-Estonian companies to physically move to Estonia and remain there for up to a year.
This compares to the 90-day stays that many foreign nationals, including United States citizens, are limited to in any given 180-day period. However, note that many are restricted from applying for this now due to border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regardless, many digital nomads who are eligible to travel here now and are taking advantage of that as well as those who are planning future trips here are doing so for good reason.
In addition to all of its digital offerings, which includes nearly all public services being accessible online, Tallinn provides an interesting blend of the old and the new. For instance, its Town Hall Square dates to the 14th century.
Also, Estonians’ love of the outdoors is something that many digital nomads share. Tallinn is conveniently connected with Helsinki by boat and Saint Petersburg, Russia, by train as well.
In compiling this list, Big 7 Travel took into account factors such as cost of living, internet access, the availability of digital nomad-type visas, how friendly it is to expats and how accessible co-working spaces are.
Also ranking high on its list are Tbilisi, Georgia; Belgrade, Serbia; Bali, Indonesia; and Chiang Mai, Thailand. A complete list of its top 50 may be found on its website.