The digital nomad lifestyle has been increasingly popular for years, and it’s no coincidence. Discovering exciting new cities, traveling around, or even working in the shade of palm trees with a refreshing lemonade in hand, a laptop in your lap, without constraints, while doing what you love… Of course, being a digital nomad doesn’t just mean this, and it’s not always this simple, but if you’re also drawn to this lifestyle, join us, and we’ll tell you how you can work in a way that allows you to explore the world while also showing you what KAPTÁR has to offer for you as a digital nomad!
Meaning of Digital Nomad
Digital nomads are individuals who can work from almost anywhere by leveraging the capabilities of modern technology. They typically only need a laptop and an internet connection, so it’s not a problem if they move from country to country or are constantly on the move to explore the cultural wonders of the world. It’s this flexibility and mobility that sets digital nomads apart from traditional office workers.
The world of work is constantly changing, a trend which has been greatly influenced by the pandemic. With the rise of online jobs and increasing flexibility from employers, the number of digital nomads is continuously growing. Some of them work on their own businesses, some engage in freelance work with longer or shorter-term projects, while others work as employees within the framework of remote work. There are plenty of opportunities, and which path you choose depends entirely on your needs and preferences.
Digital Nomad Jobs
You might already be doing a job that you can easily “nomadize,” but it’s also possible that you’ll need to completely retrain yourself to work in such flexible conditions. We suggest finding a marketable skill that you genuinely love for this lifestyle. Fortunately, there are more and more courses available where you can gain valuable knowledge for location-independent work. So, if you find this lifestyle appealing, you can easily dive into it today. Remember, it’s not just about learning something and being done with it. It’s important to continuously improve and educate yourself in any profession to ensure that you always have up-to-date market knowledge!
Here are some typical digital nomad jobs, without claiming to be exhaustive:
Web designer, graphic designer
Programmer
Software developer
Online marketer
Copywriter
Video creator, YouTuber
Blogger
Language teacher, translator
Accountant
E-commerce store owner
Virtual assistant
Accountant, tax advisor
Online course seller
Coach
Online customer service representative
Financial advisor
SEO expert
Data entry specialist
From this list, you can see that you have several options to find the best digital nomad profession for you.
Where can you find digital nomad jobs?
If you’re running your own business, you’ll need to consider how stable the company’s income is and how much opportunity you have to travel continuously alongside it. If you’d rather work as an employee or freelancer, you have several options for job searching.
Employee digital nomad
Perhaps this is one of the simplest ways to get into the digital nomad lifestyle. You may already have a job that allows you to travel easily, but if not, there are still many opportunities. You can find remote work related to your profession on several Hungarian job portals, and there are also many international sites where you can specifically browse these types of jobs. Examples include Jobspresso, WeWorkRemotely, or WorkingNomads. Remote job seekers often have a harder time because it’s more challenging to monitor their work constantly. You’ll need to prove yourself more, but there’s no problem with that if you’re determined enough!
Freelancer digital nomad
The essence of freelancing is finding clients for whom you can complete projects on a project basis. You may have read about this form of work in detail in our previous article, which is favored by copywriters, programmers, web designers, and many others! You can find clients through recommendations, advertise yourself on social media, create your own website to showcase your work, try email marketing, or use dedicated job portals like Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer.
Preparations
To embark on this exciting journey, you need to plan several things in advance. Make sure to consider these points thoroughly to avoid surprises!
When choosing your destination, pay attention to factors such as public safety, suitable weather conditions, quality healthcare, stable internet, and affordable living costs. Before starting your travels, it’s good to have at least a 6-month reserve and a stable income to prepare for any eventualities. Try to reduce unnecessary expenses, keep track of your spending, and be financially conscious! You’ll definitely need a good accountant who can assist you with tax-related issues. Choose the right financial service provider where you can manage both your domestic and foreign finances comfortably! In addition to your domestic bank account, consider finding a service that allows you to easily exchange money and withdraw cash if needed. For this purpose, Revolut could be a good alternative. While insurance may not be a cheap investment for the long term, it’s crucial as accidents, illnesses, or incidents can occur during your travels. Make arrangements in advance for your accommodation based on your budget and preferences.
Importance of Language Skills To be successful as a digital nomad, confident English language skills are essential. You need to communicate effectively in English because in most countries, this will be essential for your survival. Moreover, you’ll likely find English-speaking jobs or have clients who communicate in English. The goal isn’t to ace a language exam but to be proficient in real-life situations, so get ready to learn!
Digital Nomad Taxation
It’s essential to discuss how taxation works for digital nomads. Keep in mind that the following information is only informative; consult with your own accountant as well!
Taxation as an Employee Digital Nomad
If you’re working as an employee remotely, taxation is relatively straightforward because your employer will handle taxes and contributions for you. However, it’s crucial to discuss with your employer whether there are any requirements regarding the location of work, as your tax residency may vary depending on how much time you spend in which country.
Taxation as a Freelancer Digital Nomad
The most popular form of entrepreneurship for digital nomads is sole proprietorship. Even if you’re abroad, you’ll still need to pay taxes for your business; the question is where and how much. If you have international clients, you’ll also need to familiarize yourself with invoicing rules for foreign clients.
Personal Income Tax
Digital nomads are also required to pay personal income tax on their profits. The basic rule is that you have to pay personal income tax in Hungary if you are a Hungarian citizen and spend at least 183 days in Hungary in a calendar year. Hungary currently has double taxation avoidance agreements with 80 countries, including several EU member states. This means that you don’t have to pay personal income tax in both countries. However, if you want to work from a country with which Hungary doesn’t have such an agreement, you’ll have to pay tax there, which you can then deduct from the Hungarian personal income tax. However, you must still pay 5% tax in Hungary.
Health Insurance Payments
You must pay health insurance as long as you have a registered address in Hungary. If you’re staying abroad and your health insurance coverage still applies to Hungary, be sure to take out health insurance. If you work in multiple EU countries, it’s worth looking into the European Health Insurance Card. However, if you’re traveling outside the EU, make sure to get travel insurance.
Digital Nomad Visa
If you want to work as a digital nomad within the European Union, you can freely move to any member state and stay there for as long as you like, exercising your right of free movement. However, if you plan to travel outside the EU, you’ll need to look into the specific requirements of the country you intend to visit. If you plan to stay in a country for less than 90 days, a tourist visa will likely suffice, but if you plan to stay longer, you can apply for a digital nomad visa, which typically lasts for one year.
COSTA-RICAN FRI-YAY – Friday evening communal closure with a taste of Costa Rican recipes.
KAPTÁR – the Budapest Home for Digital Nomads
KAPTÁR coworking space is an excellent choice for you if you’re currently a digital nomad in Budapest or if you want to learn more about it from practicing digital nomads on how to do it best! Our community is extremely international, often frequented by foreign digital nomads who are temporarily or permanently staying in the country. Even if you haven’t embraced this lifestyle yet but would like to try it out, chat, and experience it, come join us! You’ll definitely meet people who are happy to share their experiences and insights on the topic!
The KAPTÁR community is very diverse; you can work alongside CEOs, freelancers, and countless inspiring, open-minded individuals! Not to mention, our office is located in the heart of Budapest, facing the Basilica, so it’s not only easily accessible from anywhere but also you can easily find exciting activities in the area after the workday ends. We’ve created a modern and inspiring environment where everyone can freely develop and connect with others! With modern equipment and a wide range of services tailored to unique needs, you can unleash your full potential! You have the opportunity for occasional coworking, purchasing coworking passes, community memberships, meeting room rentals, and private office rentals with us.
Focused working hours in the Classic Coworking Area
KAPTÁR Offers More Than You Might Think
Many people mistakenly believe that a coworking space is no more than a café where you can sit and work, just with an added fee. While this might be the case in many places, it’s not true for KAPTÁR! Cafés are often too noisy, filled with distracting factors. But what’s mostly missing there are valuable professional connections and the power of a supportive community. At KAPTÁR, you can meet numerous digital nomads, programmers, software developers, marketers, graphic designers, language teachers, and many other colorful personalities. You can learn a lot from each other and build friendships. You can also participate in community events such as communal lunches, various networking or productivity-improving workshops and training sessions, business networking events, barbecues, or excursions!
Digital Nomad Mixer – The Power of Community Building
Check out in pictures how one of our packed events unfolded, where foreign and domestic digital nomads could meet each other. With our community-building methods at KAPTÁR, strangers quickly engaged in quality, personal conversations, exchanged experiences, and forged friendships!
There can be numerous forms of digital nomadism, and there’s no set rule on how to do it perfectly. The key is to prepare thoroughly and experience what works best for you! Of course, this lifestyle isn’t suitable for everyone, as it requires a certain adventurous spirit and independence that not everyone possesses. If you feel like you’d like to give it a try and have the necessary knowledge and courage, then go for it! And remember, if you’re in Budapest, be sure to try out KAPTÁR to work in an inspiring environment while getting to know like-minded individuals!
