Digital Nomad Visa Income Requirements (2026)
How much do you need to earn? Compare requirements by country, then check whether they use gross income, take-home pay or savings. Family size and the kind of work you do can change your options.
Income requirements by country
Examples from the covered routes. Remote-work and other residence routes are labeled separately. Figures are not a guarantee of eligibility.
Swipe the table to see each route’s conditions.
| Country / route | Requirement / reference | Key caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil DN | USD 1,500/mo or USD 18,000 in bank funds | Qualifying foreign-company remote work |
| Thailand DTV | THB 500,000 in funds | Financial evidence; mission-specific documents apply |
| Albania Digital Mover | ALL 408,000 total | July 2023 reference; no later amendment identified. Confirm before applying. |
| Colombia DN | COP 5,252,715/mo | 3× SMLMV; temporary decree, court outcome unconfirmed |
| Costa Rica DN | $3,000/mo | Family income threshold: $4,000/mo |
| Spain DNV | Formula-based | Tied to Spanish salary thresholds; family add-ons apply |
| UAE Virtual Work | $3,500/mo | Foreign remote-work route; other requirements apply |
| Greece DN | €3,500/mo NET | After-tax income — not gross |
| Portugal D8 | 4× RMMG | D8-TS vs D8-RES distinction matters for PR |
| South Africa RWV | Annual salary | Foreign employee only — freelancers excluded |
| Dominican Republic | Passive income | Not a DN visa — only passive/retirement routes |
| Romania DN | RON 29,127/mo reference | 3× July 2026 INS wage; immigration use of this benchmark unconfirmed |
Why threshold alone is not enough
Most comparison sites list income thresholds side-by-side as if they're directly comparable. They're not. The same “$3,500/month” number means very different things depending on:
- NET vs GROSS — Greece, Cyprus and Hungary use net income. The free check uses 40% of gross as an estimate; your application needs actual income evidence.
- Family resources — formulas may depend on the order or number of accompanying members, and some additional evidence is not collected by the form.
- Employment type — some visas only accept employees, others exclude freelancers, and several require passive income only
- Local formula — thresholds tied to minimum wages or salary indices change when those benchmarks are updated
- Currency conversion — original-currency requirements take precedence. USD estimates can change with exchange rates; compare the requirement in its original currency.
Net income: compare take-home pay
Greece and Cyprus use €3,500/month net income, with 20% for a spouse or partner and 15% for each child. Hungary’s White Card also uses net income (€3,000/month). The free check estimates take-home pay at 40% of gross. If this covers the household requirement, you can receive a likely income match; otherwise, confirm your actual net income. For example, USD 5,000 gross produces an estimated USD 2,000 net. This is converted to EUR for comparison; your actual take-home pay may be higher.
Bringing family changes the requirement
Family requirements differ by route:
- Spain’s first accompanying member adds 75% of SMI, and each further member adds 25%; this applies to single parents as well as couples.
- Costa Rica DN has a USD 4,000/month family threshold. In other routes, an unpublished add-on can still mean case-by-case proof of sufficient resources.
- Hungary White Card and Panama Remote Worker do not provide family reunification. Confirm family accompaniment for South Africa RWV before applying.
The calculator applies supported household formulas and flags unresolved evidence. Adult-dependent eligibility, consulate-specific amounts and net income may need manual confirmation.
Check which income sources count
Meeting the income threshold means nothing if your employment type doesn't match. Some visas only accept employees of foreign companies — freelancers and business owners are excluded. Others require passive income only (dividends, pensions, rental income). A few countries run entirely separate visa tracks for employees and freelancers.
This is why a simple threshold comparison is misleading. A country with a $5,000 threshold that accepts your employment type beats a $2,000 threshold that doesn't.
Savings-based alternatives
Not every route requires monthly income. A few countries accept proof of savings or liquid assets instead — either as the primary qualification or as a fallback when income falls short of the standard threshold. If your monthly income is borderline but you have substantial savings, these alternatives could open doors that an income-only comparison would miss.
What $2,000, $4,000, and $6,000 per month gets you
At $2,000/month
Brazil’s USD 1,500/month DN income option may fit this budget, subject to qualifying foreign work. Pension or passive-income routes require the appropriate income source. Do not treat savings and total-resources routes as monthly-income passes.
At $4,000/month
Several routes may fit a solo applicant, but EUR-linked thresholds depend on the dated exchange rate. Net-income routes, Mexico’s consular rules and other qualification checks may remain under review. See our $4K/month breakdown.
At $6,000/month
Higher income can clear the estimated-net check or South Korea’s higher income benchmark. Employment, family and document requirements still apply. Below Korea’s higher benchmark, a lower tier may apply and needs confirmation. Romania’s benchmark remains subject to confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest digital nomad visa in 2026?
- Financial requirements are not all monthly salary thresholds. Brazil DN uses USD 1,500/month or USD 18,000 in bank funds; Panama Jubilado requires qualifying pension income; Thailand DTV and Albania use resources rather than a monthly salary comparison. Employment and evidence requirements still apply.
- Which countries measure income as NET (after tax) instead of GROSS?
- Greece and Cyprus use €3,500/month net income, with 20% for a spouse or partner and 15% for each child. Hungary’s White Card also uses net income (€3,000/month). The free check estimates take-home pay at 40% of gross. If this covers the household requirement, you can receive a likely income match; otherwise, confirm your actual net income.
- Do income thresholds increase if I bring my family?
- Family formulas differ. Spain uses 75% of SMI for the first accompanying member and 25% for each additional member. Costa Rica DN uses USD 4,000/month with dependents, including single-parent families. Unverified add-ons and adult-dependent conditions are flagged for review, not silently treated as zero.
- Can I qualify with savings instead of monthly income?
- Brazil DN accepts USD 18,000 in available bank funds instead of its income option. Croatia has duration-based savings evidence: €43,470 for 12 months or €65,205 for 18 months for a solo applicant, with family additions. Thailand DTV requires THB 500,000. Mexico’s alternatives depend on the processing consulate.