Famous for its tropical weather, affordable living and welcoming locals, Asia is one of the most popular destinations for digital nomads in 2024
However, the lack of preparedness to host long-term visitors, and in some cases, overly-strict visa rules have been known to pose problems.
Alas, a majority of Asian countries only allow foreigners to remain for 30 days only, excluding visa renewals, and this includes tried-and-true nomad hubs Bali and Thailand, the Philippines, and even off-path Cambodia, which require visiting nomads to leave after only a month.
This is unlikely to be a problem when you’re country-hopping, but if you plan on exploring a single destination for longer, without being in a constant state of packing and unpacking and being able to settle into a routine, the 30-day rule can be daunting.
Interestingly, Asia’s least-celebrated tropical island has the easiest entry requirements in the entire continent, with tourists and remote workers alike authorized to stay a whole six months, and we can’t fathom why it is yet to be discovered by the nomad community.
Sri Lanka Launches New Generous eVisa
Having recently launched a new easy-to-apply eVisa, Sri Lanka has officially become the Asian country with the least complicated entry requirements if you’re a digital nomad, not only due to how unbureaucratic the visa is, but mainly its validity.
We know what you’re thinking: how can a visa-requiring country be exactly visitor-friendly? Well, an eVisa is different from a regular physical visa: it’s similar to a travel authorization and it can be obtained online by filling out a simplified form.
In Sri Lanka’s case, all American nomads have to do is log into the eVisa platform and apply for a ‘Standard Visitor Visa’. In the form, they’ll be required to include personal information such as given names and family name and their passport number.
Sri Lanka Travel Feneteko