The Ultimate Guide to becoming a Digital Nomad and work while traveling the world

Chances are, you’ve probably seen people on social media who seem to always be traveling. One month, they're in Costa Rica, the next few months they're traveling through Europe, and they spends New Year’s Eve in southern east Asia. You dream about living like them, but can’t understand how they're able to constantly travel from one country to another, apparently without having to work to afford this lifestyle. 

Reality is that digital jobs have become more common, mostly after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic that forced millions around the world to work remotely. Since then, an increasing number of people have realized that they can work remotely as long as they have access to the internet, and more and more people have decided to take the leap and become a digital nomad.

What does it mean to be a digital nomad?

In simple words, a digital nomad is someone who works from their computer, without fixed work schedules and from any location in the world. The only requirement is to have a stable internet connection and a job with characteristics that allow you to work from anywhere in the world. 

If working while traveling the world is one of your dreams, here’s how you can become a digital nomad and tips you’ll need to successfully and securely enjoy this lifestyle. 

How to become a digital nomad

Here are 7 aspects you need to keep in mind if you want to travel and work from anywhere in the world. 

➡️ Find a job you can do 100% remotely and learn how to use different digital tools

Even though it isn’t necessary for you to study a specific career to be a digital nomad, there are some majors that’ll make it easier for you to work remotely than if you were a doctor or lawyer. What’s important is that you get qualified in certain digital tools that are usually used for remote jobs, which will bring you closer to finding a job you can do from anywhere in the world. 

Some of the most demanded remote job positions are copywriter, SEO specialist, graphic designer, programmer, developer or web designer, community manager, virtual assistant, content creator, UX/UI specialist, among many others. 

As you can probably imagine, to perform said positions you’ll need to know how to use certain digital tools such as Wordpress, Adobe Suite, Figma, Java, Python and many others. Therefore, if you wish to become a digital nomad, it is a great idea to get trained and qualified to use the digital tools required for the positions you are most interested in.

Another way of working remotely and according to your own schedules is by developing your own project, but it is likely that it will take more time to generate profits and make it possible for you to live from them.

➡️ Have enough savings

One of the most important recommendations if you want to become a digital nomad is that you have enough saved for about 6 months of solvency in case anything happens and you’re unable to work.  

If the pandemic taught us something, it is that the whole world can change from one day to another. It is important to be prepared to face some expenses you weren’t expecting or didn’t consider in your budget. 

➡️ Hire a Medical Insurance with international coverage

This is key, and many make the mistake of not choosing their medical insurance wisely. 

On InternationalHealth.com you’ll be able to get advice from the best experts and find medical insurance with international coverage to protect your health wherever you may go. 

Also, did you know that a visit to the ER in the US can cost you up to thousands of dollars? Get informed about how the Health System at your destination country works, so you don’t face any additional unexpected charges.  

➡️ Find a destination

Some of the things you need to keep in mind when choosing where to go are your budget,  how easy it is to get an internet connection, the quality and easiness to get medical attention, the local weather, among others. 

It is also important to get informed about how the system, legislation, customs and culture in the country you plan to visit works. That way, it will be much easier for you to get adapted and make a good impression among the locals, which will facilitate making new friends and establishing contact networks. 

You can read more about what you  should and shouldn’t do as a digital nomad in this article.

➡️ Find cheap accommodation 

Even though it might be hard to believe, there are tons of options for you to get cheap or even free accommodation. Here are a few ideas 😉:

→ Hostels for digital nomads: There are hostels that offer specific packages for people who travel as a digital nomad and need longer stay periods. The prices of these packages are more convenient than if you were to stay the same period of time at a regular hostel. 

→ Van Life: You’ve probably seen people on social media who travel while living in a van or an adapted car in which they have all the commodities they need to live, like a portable kitchen, bathroom and even portable showers. This is a great way to save money on accommodation while you travel, as long as you’re willing to live in a reduced space.  

→ House Sitting: Another alternative is to get free accommodation by taking care of a fellow traveler’s home while they are gone. There are websites where you can register as a house sitter and apply. You can also pet sit, staying at someone's home while they’re gone and taking care of their pets. In exchange for taking care of someone else’s home or pet, you’ll be able to stay at their place for cheap or even for free. 

Psst 🤫: Another way to work while you travel and save on accommodation is to work as a crew member on a cruise ship. If this is an alternative you’re interested in, go read our article International Health Insurance for Marine Crew to learn about how to protect your health while at sea. 

➡️ Make sure you’ll have access to a stable WiFi connection 

This is key: If you’re going to work remotely, you’ll need a good internet connection. It is important to make sure that you’ll have a place where you can access good wifi when you’re deciding on your next destination.

Principles, disadvantages and challenges of a digital nomad’s lifestyle

Just like everything in this life, living as a digital nomad can’t always be seen with pink colored glasses… Here are some of the principles, disadvantages and challenges of life as a digital nomad you should be aware of before taking the leap. 

One of the principles of life as a digital nomad is work based on achieving goals, and not on meeting a specific schedule. This will give you freedom in terms of work- and free times, because what’s important isn't complying with a schedule, but accomplishing short and long term goals even if that only takes you 2 hours of work. 

Another principle is that you have to be capable of adapting to the new trends and demands for remote work positions. If a certain platform or tool is being replaced by a new one, you’ll need to qualify yourself – as quickly as you possibly can –to use said tool in order to keep your remote job. 

Even though these principles signify you’ll have a lot of freedom in terms of schedule, this liberty comes with certain challenges such as being capable of self managing your times and being productive even when not required to work on a certain schedule predefined by your employer. It is important that you're able to manage your times and establish a routine or schedule in which you devote yourself to work.

It is also key to be productive during that time, so you’re able to achieve your daily, monthly and annual goals, even when you’re not working full time as you would if required to go to the office on a daily basis. 

One of the disadvantages of life as a digital nomad is the time difference you may face depending on your location, in respect of your employer’s. If your employer requires you to connect at a certain hour every day, it is likely that there will be some places in the world you won’t be able to travel to because the time difference is so big it won’t allow you to be working at that certain time. In addition, not having a good WiFi connection or facing constant inconveniences such as light outages could impair your work. 

Another disadvantage of this lifestyle is understanding certain processes and procedures you have to go through when moving abroad, such as visa issuances, stay permits and others. 

What to do when facing a health problem as a digital nomad 

One of the big challenges you’ll face as a digital nomad is what to do when getting sick or involved in an accident that requires medical care. What’s most important when facing any of these inconveniences is that you have certain protection. On InternationalHealth.com you’ll be able to compare and quote the wide variety of Medical Health Insurances we offer, so you’re able to find the insurance that works best for you.  

The specific process to follow when facing a problem that requires medical attention will depend both on the health system of the country you’re in and your insurance’s policy. If you want to live as a digital nomad, we recommend that you hire an insurance with international coverage. Always remember to check in which countries you’ll be covered to avoid having any inconveniences or facing any additional charges when in need of medical attention abroad. 

Why hire insurance with InternationalHealth.com? 

☑️ You can find and enroll in the best insurance plan based on your profile. 

☑️ Its completely free. You will find the same prices as if you were hiring directly with the insurance company, but you get exclusive after sale service from IH.

☑️ We work with every insurance company. Therefore you will have the best options to quote and hire.