Frequently Asked Questions

Visa income thresholds, insurance terms, and cost of living all change faster than most guides get updated. The stamp is a commitment, not decoration — every Learn and Compare page carries the date it was last checked against an official or primary source, and pages older than 90 days get flagged internally for re-verification.

See our full editorial and sourcing policy for how that actually works.

No. Everything here is general planning information built from public sources, meant to help you ask the right questions — not a substitute for a licensed immigration attorney, tax professional, or the relevant embassy or consulate. Visa rules especially have real consequences if you get them wrong, and only an official source or licensed professional can confirm current requirements for your specific situation.

Because we'd rather show you we haven't confirmed a figure yet than publish a number we can't stand behind. Income thresholds, exact fees, and processing times shift often enough that stating them with false confidence would be worse than flagging the gap.

If you land on a page with an unfilled figure, that's a real signal to verify directly with the source before relying on it — not a bug.

See the current verification status page for the real, live count of what has been confirmed sitewide.

On a rolling basis, prioritized by how fast a given category actually changes — visa income thresholds and insurance terms get rechecked more often than general application-process steps, which move slower. Every page shows its own verification date rather than a single site-wide "last updated" claim.

No. The readiness quiz, the visa-stage diagnostic, the Visa Finder, the Cost Calculator, and the Plan Builder all run in your browser with no account required. Email is only asked for if you want your results saved and sent to your inbox.

No. Your inputs and results are processed entirely in your browser and, if you choose, saved locally to that browser via localStorage so My Plan can show them on a return visit. Nothing is sent to a server unless you explicitly submit the email capture form to receive a copy.

Treat them as a starting point, not a fact. Every field is editable specifically because those defaults are rough estimates meant to be replaced with real numbers from your own research — rent, coworking rates, and daily costs shift enough that a fixed default would go stale fast. See the relevant cost-of-living comparison for the region for more context before finalizing a budget.

It only matches you to routes we've actually built a full comparison for — we'd rather send you to five solid, verified guides than twenty thin ones. Browse the full Logistics hub to see every country currently covered, and check back as the list grows.

Official government and embassy sources wherever possible, cross-checked against the actual immigration portal for the country in question rather than aggregator sites or other nomad blogs. Our full sourcing approach is in the Editorial Policy.

ExpatFYI is published by IGNE Publishing, an independent publisher of research and resource sites. We don't use fabricated author personas or invented credentials — see About for more on how the site is run.

No. Comparison verdicts are built around the criteria stated on the page — coverage, cost, eligibility — not commission rates. Where we do earn a commission, it's disclosed on the page and in full at How We Make Money.

It depends entirely on your income, passport, and how long you want to stay — there's no single easiest option. Mexico's Temporary Resident Visa is generally considered one of the more accessible routes for US and Canadian passport holders specifically. See the full Portugal vs. Spain vs. Mexico comparison for the tradeoffs.

Not always. Some countries — Vietnam is a clear example covered on this site — have no dedicated nomad visa at all, and people rely on tourist or business visas instead, with real limitations. Others, like Georgia, lean on generous visa-free entry rather than a formal program. Check the specific country guide before assuming a dedicated visa exists.

Most dedicated nomad visa programs support family inclusion, but the details — additional income requirements, required documents — vary by country and are often less clearly documented than the primary applicant's own requirements. Each country page on this site has a dedicated Family & Dependents section covering what's currently known, flagged for direct verification where the program is newer or less established.

Among the destinations covered here, Southeast Asian cities like Chiang Mai and Da Nang generally run lowest, though "cheapest" shifts based on your accommodation standard and lifestyle. Run your own numbers in the Cost Calculator rather than relying on a single ranking — it's the only way to get a figure that reflects your actual spending pattern.

Currency and inflation volatility differs a lot by country. Buenos Aires is flagged specifically on this site because Argentina's exchange-rate history means dollar-denominated costs there can shift meaningfully within months, not years — a caveat that doesn't apply the same way to, say, Lisbon or Budapest.

It depends on which currencies you're actually moving between and whether you're invoicing clients internationally. See the full Wise vs. Revolut vs. Payoneer comparison for the tradeoffs on FX fees, receiving accounts, and invoicing tools.

For most dedicated nomad visa programs, yes — you generally need to show an existing remote income relationship, not just an intent to find one after arriving. If you don't have that yet, start with the Career hub before the visa research.

Neither is objectively better — it's a tradeoff between income predictability and flexibility, and it affects visa eligibility differently too. The full breakdown is in Freelance vs. Employee: Which Fits Your Lifestyle.

Display advertising through Google AdSense, and commission on some products and services mentioned in our guides, at no extra cost to you. Neither influences which comparisons we publish or how a verdict is decided. Full disclosure at How We Make Money.

No. If you submit your email through the quiz, a checklist download, or the newsletter, it's used to send you what you asked for — not sold or shared with unrelated third parties for marketing. Full detail in our Privacy Policy.

It's used to send you the checklist and, if you don't opt out, occasional updates when guides are re-verified or new comparisons go live. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send.