Research predicts that by 2035, one billion people will work as "digital nomads", i.e. they will complete their obligations for employers in New York, London, Berlin or Moscow via digital technologies from other countries, continents and from warm seas and exotic destinations.
Such a project was recently successfully prepared in Estonia and started in several other countries, it is being prepared in Croatia, and a small team of enthusiasts believes that it is also possible in Montenegro. They are already preparing the project with partners from abroad and will soon present it to the new government. They believe that it is possible for thousands of digital nomads to come to work for their employers or themselves from Montenegro and spend part of their income here, contributing to the increase in tourist traffic and the growth of the economy.
Digital nomads are individuals whose work practically allows them to carry out their work activities from any point in the world that is covered by the Internet, and who until recently mostly traveled and stayed in the desired destinations as tourists through obtaining tourist visas and for no longer than three months.
"If Montenegro were to regulate the visa program for digital nomads, a special benefit would be the improvement of tourism and the extension of the season for the whole year. Digital nomads would no longer come to Montenegro just for a few weeks, but at least for a few months or a whole year", said Milovan Novaković, the initiator of the initiative, executive director and partner in the company "Colliers International", in an interview for "Vijesti".
You launched an initiative aimed at positioning Montenegro as a new popular destination for digital nomads, can you explain to us who digital nomads are? How many are there now in the world, is their further growth expected? What benefit can Montenegro get from them?
Digital nomads are individuals whose work practically allows them to carry out their work activities from any point in the world that is covered by the Internet, and who until recently mostly traveled and stayed in the desired destinations as tourists by obtaining tourist visas and for no longer than three months. Kovid-19 has also accelerated this industry and more and more people in the world want to do their work "fully remote". Research predicts that by 2035, one billion people will work "remotely". If Montenegro were to regulate the visa program for digital nomads, a special benefit would be the improvement of tourism and the extension of the season for the whole year. Digital nomads would no longer come to Montenegro just for a few weeks, but at least for a few months or a whole year.
Where have such projects been implemented so far? Do you have contacts with those who designed and implemented those projects and are they willing to help you implement them in Montenegro?
At the beginning of this year, Estonia became the first country in the world to officially start visas for digital nomads. Not long after, other countries such as Barbados, Bermuda, Georgia, Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Dubai and Mauritius followed in the footsteps of Estonia. The Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, officially announced that Croatia will soon legally regulate this industry and start a visa program for digital nomads.
We are in direct communication with Jan de Jong, who is the initiator of the visa program for digital nomads in Croatia. Montenegro can count on the full support of the expert team led by Jong if this program is implemented in our country.
How do digital nomads choose the country to come to? What do we need to provide them to come and stay? Do we have quality digital infrastructure? Would some laws need to be changed, and if so, which ones?
Research conducted by the company "Jobbatical", which is owned by Koaroli Hindriks, who is the initiator of the visa program for digital nomads in Estonia, showed that on a tested sample of 1.200 digital nomads, 87% of them believe that a simpler process of obtaining visas is the main factor of choice destinations they want to visit and work in. Therefore, nine out of ten digital nomads will choose their next destination depending on the level of regulation of the visa legislation for this area. I believe that Montenegro is a very suitable destination for digital nomads and that it has a satisfactory infrastructure, so in that sense it would be necessary to introduce a one-year digital nomad visa and to harmonize the Law on Foreigners as well as the relevant by-laws, all with the aim of creating a suitable legal framework that would encouraged the arrival of digital nomads in Montenegro.
You are initiating this project at the time of a major pandemic and economic crisis, does the current global situation affect the number of those who work from home or do tasks for the employer via digital technologies from some distant countries?
Yes, the covid-19 virus has had a significant impact on additional "awakening of consciousness" and adaptation to unexpected circumstances, and working from home is already becoming something that is quite common for many. Also, companies increasingly accept and adapt to emerging trends and support the work of their employees "remotely", where possible.
Ultimately, all of this will affect how many people will choose to live as digital nomads in the future.
The project could be ready in six months
When can we expect the initiation of a formal initiative towards the decision-makers, given that the new government has not yet been formed? If there was good will, how long would it take to realize it, that is, the green light for the arrival of digital nomads?
We believe that the new government will support this initiative and we sincerely hope that this exceptional development opportunity will not be allowed to go unrealized. We expect that within a period of no longer than six months from the day of the official start, the entire infrastructure necessary for the start of this program could be completed.
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