What Will It Take to Create a Global Digital Nomad Passport?

Dozens of countries established digital nomad visas during the pandemic, with the special passes designed to help remote workers cross borders as smoothly as possible.

Now one pan-European community wants to create a little more harmony, and has proposed a single visa for use across the European Union. Sounds like a great idea, but given the current state of geopolitical tensions, with immigration on the agenda, not to mention tax issues, it will have its work cut out.

Scale-Up Europe, a group of 150 founders, investors, researchers, business leaders and civil servants, has recommended public authorities implement the new digital nomad visa to allow employees to work legally anywhere across the European Union on a remote basis.

The group was set up by French president Emmanuel Macron in December 2020, to improve European technological sovereignty.

Its report, "How to build global tech leaders in Europe,” report was published in the summer, with the president set to review its recommendations in January next year.

Such a visa would have the potential to unlock vast amounts of travel, as well as knowledge exchange, enabling remote workers to travel freely through Europe. While travel through the Schengen region of 26 European countries is already fairly straightforward, this type of visa could appeal to international companies that allow employees to work remotely.

“It’s a good idea,” said Job van der Voort, CEO and co-founder of human resources platform startup Remote.com, which recently raised $150 million in funding. “In general, borders are a pain for anybody wanting to live and improve their li