10 Jobs You Legally Can't Have as a Digital Nomad
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A big mistake people who are new to the digital nomad lifestyle make is not understanding what jobs you legally can and can’t have. Here are 10 jobs you can’t (legally) can’t have as a digital nomad and why.
First of all, this is not to be considered legal advice. Always seek a legal professional. What I’m about to share is known as “common knowledge” among the digital nomad community.
The digital nomad lifestyle is a bit of a grey area when it comes to getting visas and legalities. Typically, digital nomads are known to come on a tourist visa. These visas are the same as someone who would be traveling to a destination on vacation. However, common knowledge is that you can work remotely in a different country as long as:
You’re doing work from your laptop and computer
That you’re not physically working in a country
You’re not taking away work that could be given to a local
Your clients are not based in the same country you’re traveling to
That being said, every country is different and it also depends on what passport you hold. VisaHQ is a great resource for more information on visa requirements. That being said, based on the guidelines above, there are 10 jobs that don’t really fall in the realm of “digital nomad” work.
Tour Guide
Tour guides physically take visitors around a particular city/location/destination. Because this job requires you to be physically present to do your job and it could be considered taking work away from locals, you could not do this as a digital nomad.
An alternative to being a tour guide, that wouldn’t require you to be physically present, would be starting a travel blog or work remotely as a travel agent. This way all of your work can be done from a laptop.
Hotel or Hostel Reception/ Staff
Although a lot of foreigners typically opt for working at hotels or hostels as an easy “in” to experience another country, this would still not be considered a digital nomad job. If you wanted to work at a hotel or hostel you would need to get the required work visa and permit. Getting a working visa or permit to work at a hotel may be easier in some countries than others.
For example, in Bali, the island is heavily reliant on tourism which means it’s important those jobs go to locals, thus making it near impossible to work at a hotel or hostel as a foreigner in Bali.
Bartender / Server
Similar to hotel staff, Bartenders and Servers, because they need to be physically present to do their job, and it’s a job that could go to locals, it would not be considered a digital nomad job.
Photographer
A lot of people who want to be a digital nomad opt to become a photographer. However, this is dangerous territory to get involved with. As a photographer, you again need to be physically present to do your job and it is something that could be considered taking away work from locals. As a photographer, you would need a work visa or permit to legally work in another country.
If you get caught illegally working as a photographer in a foreign country you could get deported from that country.
Personal Trainer
As a personal trainer, oftentimes you are required to be physically present with your clients either at a gym or wherever you choose to do your exercises. In this case you’d be required to get a work visa or permit.
That being said, I’ve heard of personal trainers who work remotely as digital nomads. They either have online video programs, digital products such as meal plans, or meet with clients via video calling to guide them through a workout routine. In which case, this would fall more into the “digital nomad” job category.
Nanny / Au Pair
If you’re considering being a Nanny or Au Pair you will need a work permit/ visa as you would be physically working in a country.
English Teacher (Inside a physical school building)
There are a lot of digital nomads that earn a living teaching English. However, the key here is that they teach English online and not physically at a school. Online English teachers are often 1:1 tutors (as opposed to teaching a whole class) and they can earn a salary comparable to Western Standards.
However, if you want to physically teach at school in another country, you’ll need a work permit and visa. That being said, when you physically work as an English teacher in another country your salary is often reflective of the cost of living in that country. This means you won’t always make a lot of money unless you consider a country with a high demand for English Teachers, such as China.
Yoga Teacher
To lead a yoga class at a physical location or studio in another country you would be required to have a work visa.
Similar to other jobs, a way you could make teaching yoga “digital nomad friendly” would be by leading a person through a yoga session virtually by video, selling online courses on different yoga sessions, etc.
Again, Bali just introduced an ‘Entertainment KITAS’ also known as a ‘freelancer visa’. My understanding is that you can get a visa to legally work in Bali for 6 months as a Yoga Instructor.
Construction Worker / Trades
As a construction worker (or most trades), you need to be physically present to do your job. Because of this and the fact that you’d be considered taking away work from locals, you’d need a work permit or visa.
That being said, be mindful of the fact that construction workers in Canada, America, or Australia can make a decent living based on their wages, however, with some countries in Asia, the salaries are very low paying (and they don’t seem to be too advanced with work safety). This statement is heavily based on what I’ve witnessed in Bali.
A possible alternative to this would be writing blogs for a website that offers these services (construction, plumbing, electrical) and wants to improve their SEO (Search Engine Optimization). There are a few more creative ways you could do this but the writing example gives you an idea.
Musician / Singer / DJ / Dance
As a Musician, Singer, DJ or Dancer, if you are doing a show or event, you are required to be physically present and it is something that could be considered taking away work from locals. As a result, you would need a proper work visa and permit.
That being said, there are ways you could make these jobs digital nomad friendly. You, of course, can create music remotely and put it online. It’s more so that you can’t physically do any shows or events. For dancers, you could sell online courses that teach people how to dance, or if you’re a singer you could have a YouTube channel.
That being said, Bali just introduced an ‘Entertainment KITAS’ also known as a ‘freelancer visa’. I’m not too familiar with this but my understanding is that you can get a visa to legally work in Bali for 6 months as a Musician, Singer, DJ, or Dancer.
The World is Slowly Embracing Remote Work
These 10 jobs you legally can’t have as a digital nomad, mostly because they require you to be physically present to perform your work duties, and as a result, it may be considered taking away work from locals.
Because the digital nomad lifestyle is still new, there is a lot of grey areas when it comes to working visas. However, some countries such as Estonia are recognizing this change in the workforce and adapting with the creation of the world's first digital nomad visa. As more countries evolve and adapt to the future of work we will be able to more clearly define the legalities around the digital nomad lifestyle.
Don’t Give Up on Remote Work Just Yet...
In the meantime, remember that is it possible to take a traditional non-remote job remote, and make it remote. For example, as a personal trainer you can just make an online fitness course, or even sell meal plans - you can even do sessions with clients remotely via video call on your phone. I know someone who has a personal trainer and this is how they do their sessions.
All it takes is a little creativity.
You have more skills to tap into beyond what you do for your current job. You can monetize on passions, hobbies, and even your transferable skills. Whether it’s making a career shift or starting out on a whole new career path - it’s all possible.
If you’d like support in learning how you can use your existing skills to go remote check out my 1:1 remote mentoring. I offer one-off sessions as well as my 4-month coaching program.
