Sure, plenty of countries are now offering digital nomad visas to people who can carry on with their existing roles remotely, but if you want to properly immerse yourself in a new culture when you move abroad, becoming part of the local workforce is a good place to start – and for that, you’ll need a work visa.
Handily, Remitly has analysed data from 30 destinations across the planet to unveil which are the most accessible when it comes to copping work visas, and the results are in.
Claiming first place is Latvia, with an entry score of 7.64 out of 10. Why? Well, the Baltic country is part of the EU’s Blue Card scheme, and it requires a minimum salary of just £20,500 per year. Oh, and processing times are really, really fast – on average it takes just 10 days to receive approval.
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The application fee costs £83, which is the same in Ireland, the second-place entry. It scored 7.32 out of 10, and for the Emerald Isle, you’ll need to acquire an employment visa, which has a 95 percent approval rating and allows stays of up to five years.
Third place is Iceland, which scored 6.58 and where you’ll need a residence permit for employment. Despite the country having the highest average annual wage on the list (£69,120), it has the lowest salary requirement (£16,973). However, processing time is longer here – it takes about three months to be granted approval.
The 10 easiest countries to relocate on a working visa in 2025
- Latvia
- Ireland
- Iceland
- Germany
- USA
- UK
- Spain
- Poland
- Canada
- Slovakia
Have a look at the research in more detail here, and check out which destinations were just named the best places to relocate.
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