The Best Destinations to Work Remotely From for Canadians

Barbados has long been one of the best places for Canadians to live abroad and now it’s even easier if you work remotely. In July 2020, Barbados introduced the Barbados Welcome Stamp, which allows digital nomads to live and work on the island for 12 months before having to reapply. The non-refundable visa application fee is super pricey at around $2,500 and you need to prove that you have enough funds to support you for that year but in return, for a year "the office" can be a hammock overlooking a palm-fringed Caribbean beach.

Internet is fast and Barbados generally falls outside of the hurricane zone. Barbados is a member of the Commonwealth too and English is the main language spoken here. While the country has seen a spike in Covid cases at the end of 2020, it has generally managed to keep the infection rate low.

If your remote work guarantees you a high income, you might enjoy taking advantage of Dubai’s visa program allowing remote workers up to 12 months’ living and working in the emirate. For one thing, you won’t be required to pay income tax here. There are packages for renting office space or meeting rooms for only short periods of time – even just an hour for that Zoom call with your boss – and the view is likely to be spectacular.

The United Arab Emirates have managed to keep their rate of Covid infections generally in check but it’s wise to take extra care when entering the shopping malls and restaurants Dubai is famous for. While working remotely in Dubai allows you an exotic and exciting experience, there are some drawbacks, though: the heat, the high cost of living and the less than stellar treatment of women, for instance.

Even before the pandemic hit, we predicted that Iceland would be one of the healthiest spots to travel to in 2020. The country’s exemplary handling of the coronavirus has proved us right. Now Iceland has also expanded its long-term visa program for remote workers to anybody who doesn’t need a visa to travel there – including Canadian citizens. With this visa, you can stay for 12 months and experience how drastically different Iceland in summer is from Iceland in winter.

You need to earn at least about $10,000 per month to qualify and Iceland is one of the most expensive countries to live in. However, you get great infrastructure, breathtaking scenery and the opportunity to really get away from people. If you do have to deal with people, you’ll find that most Icelanders are able to speak perfectly good English.

Estonia was the first European country to officially introduce a special visa for remote workers. The Baltic country’s Digital Nomad Visa allows you to live and work there for up to 12 months if you meet the requirements. Estonia is a great option if you don’t make a huge salary: your monthly income needs to be about $5,500. Infrastructure and internet speeds are better in the big cities like Tallinn, where there are bigger expat communities and you’ll find more people able to speak English.

However, the countryside offers fairytale scenery complete with medieval castles, forests and lakes. While Estonia, like most European countries, saw a second wave of coronavirus infections towards the end of 2020, the country has so far managed to keep the situation under control.

Remember when all we wanted was Zika-free beach destinations? Bermuda has still managed to avoid becoming a Zika hotspot but what you really want to know is what the Covid situation is, right? Bermuda has managed to keep its Covid infection rate very low. The Caribbean island country now also offers the Work From Bermuda Certificate, which is a 12-month visa for remote workers.

At around $345, the application fee for this visa is much more affordable than for the similar visa for Barbados, but Bermuda also has a much higher cost of living: among the highest in the world. Still, you get fast internet, laid-back Caribbean vibes, great weather – except during hurricane season – and the privileges afforded to fellow members of the Commonwealth.

Mexico has long been a favourite with Canadians looking for sunnier climes, whether it’s for a vacation or to retire to. The country has something for every kind of lifestyle, whether you prefer small beach towns or bustling cities, and in tourist centres you can easily get by with English. Mexico is also cheap and even applying for a Temporary Resident Visa, which will allow you to live and work in Mexico for up to four years, won’t cost you an arm and a leg: around $54.

One of the requirements for getting a Temporary Resident Visa is a monthly income of around $1,600 in the previous six months and if you can maintain that income while living in Mexico, you can live very well indeed. The quality of the internet and infrastructure depends on where in the country you find yourself. However, it’s worth remembering that Mexico has one of the highest rates of Covid-19 infections in the world, with a surge in new cases in December 2020 attributed in part to Americans entering the country to flee the virus in their own country.

For a few years now, Georgia – and specifically its capital, Tbilisi – has been touted as a great destination for retirement. Now, the country is also trying to encourage more digital nomads to spend some time here. The Remotely From Georgia program is designed for people who work remotely and want to stay for at least six months. You need to earn at least about $2,500 a month and you’ll have to pay taxes locally. However, Georgia is cheap and off the beaten path yet offers everything you’ll need as a digital nomad, including high-speed internet.

In the more remote areas, the language barrier might be a problem – Georgia even has its own, unique alphabet – but in larger population centres you’ll find growing expat communities and plenty of English speakers. The country saw a short-lived wave of coronavirus infections in December 2020 but has managed to bring the numbers down again.

If you have one of the highest paying jobs in the world and want to live and work in a luxurious, tropical tax haven, the Cayman Islands are a great option. Their Global Citizen Concierge Program is a visa that allows remote workers to stay for up to two years. However, this program was designed to accommodate only a select few: you need to earn at least around $127,000 a year if you apply as a single individual and the non-refundable application fee starts at around $1,900.

For that price, you’d want to get your money’s worth and the internet speeds on the islands are indeed among the fastest in the Caribbean. The islands have managed to kept coronavirus infections under control so far. However, earthquakes and hurricanes can be a threat.

Heavily dependent on tourism in the last, Mauritius has decided to change tack and try to attract more digital nomads. With its Premium Visa, you can stay up to a year before having to renew the visa. You need to earn at least around $1,900 per month and your income should be mainly from outside of Mauritius. The visa application is free and processing is quick.

The quality of the internet and infrastructure depends on where on the island you are but can be very good: if you choose your location wisely, the most annoying thing about working remotely here will be keeping the beach sand out of your electronics. English and French are widely spoken throughout the island. Mauritius has kept its Covid infection rates low, for instance through a mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors.

Taiwan is one of the poster children for how to handle the coronavirus pandemic but one of the reasons for this is that the country allows only very limited entry to foreign visitors. However, Taiwan is a great option to consider once travel restrictions are relaxed. The capital, Taipei, is becoming a hub for digital nomads, with plenty of shared workspaces as well as fast internet.

The city is one of the safest in the world and has thriving expat communities to help you through the culture shock. While accommodation is a little pricey, you can make up for it with cheap yet tasty food and widely available free Wi-Fi. Like most countries in Asia, Taiwan doesn’t offer digital nomad visas yet. However, Canadians can stay for up to six months on a visitor visa. If you want to stay longer, you’ll need to apply for a resident visa.