How long each nomad visa takes to process
Processing time is the figure that decides whether a nomad visa is a plan or a fantasy. If you need to be somewhere in six weeks, half of this table is already out, and no amount of income clears that.
The ranking below sorts on the top of each published range rather than the midpoint, because a range is a promise about the best case and a hint about the worst. Plan for the top number and you are rarely wrong.
The fastest published nomad visa processing in our dataset is Bahamas at 5 days, followed by Uruguay (days — online) and Argentina (5–10 days).
The slowest is Portugal at 2–4 months. Germany and Norway both publish 1–3 months, and appointment backlogs at consulates routinely push all three beyond the published figure.
| Country | Published processing time | Valid for | Income floor | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 5–10 days | 180 days | — | $200 |
| Bahamas | 5 days | 1 year | — | $1025 |
| Estonia | 15–30 days | Up to 1 year | $4,900/mo | $110 |
| Greece | 10–30 days | 1-year visa | $3,800/mo | $75 |
| New Zealand | Days (NZeTA) | Visitor: up to 9 months; remote work for a foreign employer now explicitly allowed (2025) | — | — |
| Spain | 15–45 days | 1-year visa | $3,000/mo | $85 |
| Thailand | 5–15 days | 5 years | — | $280 |
| Uruguay | Days — online | 180 days | — | $12 |
| Barbados | 1–2 weeks | 12 months | $4,200/mo | $2000 |
| Cape Verde | 2 weeks | 6 months | $1,600/mo | $60 |
| Curaçao | 2 weeks | 6 months | — | $294 |
| Mauritius | 1–2 weeks | 1 year | $1,500/mo | — |
| Namibia | 2 weeks | 6 months (not renewable) | $2,000/mo | $124 |
| Seychelles | 1–2 weeks | 1 month to 1 year (Workcation Program) | — | $50 |
| Albania | 2–4 weeks | 1 year | $820/mo | $100 |
| Belize | 2–4 weeks | 6 months (Work Where You Vacation) | $6,250/mo | $250 |
| Brazil | 2–4 weeks | 1 year | $1,500/mo | $100 |
| Colombia | 1–4 weeks | Up to 2 years | $1,000/mo | $230 |
| Croatia | 3–4 weeks | Up to 18 months (not renewable back-to-back) | $3,580/mo | $80 |
| Hungary | 3–4 weeks | 1 year | $3,250/mo | $110 |
| Iceland | 3–4 weeks | Up to 6 months | $7,300/mo | $90 |
| Japan | 2–4 weeks | 6 months (not renewable back-to-back) | $5,600/mo | $20 |
| Kazakhstan | 2–4 weeks | 1 year (Neo Nomad visa) | $3,000/mo | $60 |
| Mexico | 1–4 weeks | 1 year | $4,200/mo | $53 |
| Romania | 2–4 weeks | 1 year | $4,300/mo | $120 |
| South Korea | 2–4 weeks | 1 year | $5,000/mo | $100 |
| Taiwan | 2–4 weeks | 6 months | $3,330/mo | $130 |
| Turkey | 1–4 weeks | Up to 1 year | $3,000/mo | $80 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2–4 weeks | 1 year | $3,500/mo | $287 |
| Latvia | 1 month | 1 year | $3,450/mo | $60 |
| Costa Rica | 2–6 weeks | 1 year | $3,000/mo | $190 |
| Montenegro | 3–6 weeks | Up to 2 years | $1,470/mo | $60 |
| Serbia | 3–6 weeks | Temporary residence for remote workers (new framework) | — | $100 |
| Cyprus | 5–7 weeks | 1 year | $3,800/mo | $70 |
| Kenya | 4–8 weeks | 1 year | $4,600/mo | $200 |
| Malaysia | 4–8 weeks | 3–12 months | $2,000/mo | $225 |
| South Africa | 4–8 weeks | Up to 3 years | $3,000/mo | $110 |
| Czechia | 1–2 months | Up to 1 year (Digital Nomad Program) | $2,700/mo | $120 |
| Ecuador | 1–2 months | 2 years | $1,410/mo | $450 |
| Italy | 1–2 months | 1 year | $2,530/mo | $125 |
| Malta | 1–2 months | 1 year | $3,800/mo | $300 |
| Panama | 1–2 months | 9 months | $3,000/mo | $300 |
| Peru | 1–2 months | 1 year | — | $200 |
| Slovenia | 1–2 months | 1 year (not immediately renewable — 6-month gap) | $3,550/mo | $100 |
| Germany | 1–3 months | Freelance (Freiberufler) permit | $1,400/mo | $100 |
| Norway | 1–3 months | Up to 2 years (independent contractor permit) | $3,250/mo | $630 |
| Portugal | 2–4 months | 1 year | $3,480/mo | $200 |
Nomad visa routes ranked by worst-case published processing time. Sorting is on the top of each stated range, because that is the number you have to plan around.
Under two weeks: the ones you can actually plan around
These routes publish a worst case of two weeks or less:
- Argentina — 5–10 days, for 180 days
- Bahamas — 5 days, for 1 year
- Estonia — 15–30 days, for up to 1 year
- Greece — 10–30 days, for 1-year visa
- New Zealand — Days (NZeTA), for visitor: up to 9 months; remote work for a foreign employer now explicitly allowed (2025)
- Spain — 15–45 days, for 1-year visa
- Thailand — 5–15 days, for 5 years
- Uruguay — Days — online, for 180 days
- Barbados — 1–2 weeks, for 12 months
- Cape Verde — 2 weeks, for 6 months
- Curaçao — 2 weeks, for 6 months
- Mauritius — 1–2 weeks, for 1 year
- Namibia — 2 weeks, for 6 months (not renewable)
- Seychelles — 1–2 weeks, for 1 month to 1 year (workcation program)
Thailand deserves a note here. 5–15 days for 5 years is the best speed-to-length ratio in the entire dataset by a very large margin. Nothing else grants five years, and nothing granting more than a year processes in under two weeks.
Two months and up: start early or do not start
These publish a worst case of eight weeks or more:
- Kenya — 4–8 weeks, for 1 year
- Malaysia — 4–8 weeks, for 3–12 months
- South Africa — 4–8 weeks, for up to 3 years
- Czechia — 1–2 months, for up to 1 year (digital nomad program)
- Ecuador — 1–2 months, for 2 years
- Italy — 1–2 months, for 1 year
- Malta — 1–2 months, for 1 year
- Panama — 1–2 months, for 9 months
- Peru — 1–2 months, for 1 year
- Slovenia — 1–2 months, for 1 year (not immediately renewable — 6-month gap)
- Germany — 1–3 months, for freelance (freiberufler) permit
- Norway — 1–3 months, for up to 2 years (independent contractor permit)
- Portugal — 2–4 months, for 1 year
Read these against the validity column and the picture changes. Namibia is not on this list, but the shape to watch for is a long processing time attached to a short permission. Malaysia publishes 4–8 weeks for 3–12 months, and Kenya publishes 4–8 weeks for 1 year. In both cases a meaningful slice of the permission is consumed before it starts.
What 'see below' means
Five entries in the dataset carry no single processing figure: Armenia, Georgia, Indonesia, Philippines, Uzbekistan. In each case the route is not a single application with a single queue — it is visa-free entry, an on-arrival process, or a multi-stage residence procedure where the stages have separate timelines. Our country pages set out the stages individually.
Common follow-up questions
Which nomad visa is processed fastest?
Bahamas publishes 5 days, and Uruguay processes online in days — online. Thailand is the standout on value: 5–15 days for 5 years.
Which nomad visa takes the longest?
Portugal, at 2–4 months. Germany and Norway both publish 1–3 months, and consulate appointment backlogs frequently add to all three.
Does the published processing time include getting an appointment?
No. In most schemes the clock starts when the consulate accepts your file. The wait for a submission appointment is separate and at busy consulates can exceed the processing time itself.