Discover the Best Cities to Digital Nomad in Central America
Being a Digital Nomad in Central America is everything I hoped it would be, and more!
Who doesn’t love getting some sun, surfing, or relaxing on the beach between meetings?
And it’s perfect if you work remote for a US company and need to work US hours.
Central American countries don’t observe daylight savings, so half the year it’s in Central Time, the rest of the year it’s Mountain Time.
Find out the 5 best cities in Central America to be a digital nomad – and work remote from the beach!
Do You Need a Digital Nomad Visa in Central America?
The short answer would be no; you don’t need one. You could spent 10-16 months traveling Central America on tourist visa’s alone. But if you want to really spend a lot of time in one place, there are a few options.
Costa Rica
For US residents, the typical tourist visa for Costa Rica is for 90 days (3 months); and you are required to present either a return ticket to your home country or to another country before the 90 days expire. (One way around this is to present fake return tickets, several websites can produce them… shhh)
Some people stay longer doing “visa runs” by crossing the border and returning to restart the 90 days.
However, if you want to spend even more time exploring Costa Rica, and not be sketch about it, you can opt for their brand new one year Digital Nomad Visa.
Here are the current requirements:
- Monthly stable income of $3000 for an individual, or $4000 for a family.
- Proof of health insurance for the year you are applying.
- Pay the visa fees ($100).
- Complete an in-person meeting with an immigration official in San Jose within 90 days of entering Costa Rica.
- Approval will be granted or denied within a few weeks.
You can extend the visa a second year if you spent at least 180 days in Costa Rica the first year.
Belize
The tourist visa allows for 30 days in Belize, with proof of a ticket leaving the country.
Thirty days is not a lot of time. Luckily if you need more Belize has a simple Work Where You Vacation program, allowing you to stay in Belize up to 180 days (6 months).
Here are the simple requirements:
- Proof of employment outside of Belize (annual income of USD $75,000 for individuals, USD $100,000 for couples/families).
- Notarized banking reference and statement of account.
- Clear criminal record (no more than 6 months old).
- Valid passport.
- Travel insurance policy (min. US $50,000 coverage).
- Pay the Work Where You Vacation fee at the airport.
Panama
No visa is required for a stay less than 90 days for residents of the US, Canada, and Europe, as long as you present proof of onward travel or a return ticket.
If you wish to stay longer, there is a fairly new Remote Worker Visa. This visa will allow you to stay in Panama for 9 months, with the option to renew for an additional 9 months.
The process is fairly complicated; here are the requirements:
- Make an appointment with a Panama embassy or consulate.
- Annual salary of at least $36,000 USD.
- Prepare the required documents.
- Visit VisaGuide.World for the exhaustive list; all of which need to be notarized.
- At the appointment, fill out the application form physically and submit the required documents.
- Pay the fees (about $300 total).
- Wait for approval; the process takes about thirty days.
I personally don’t think this one is worth it between in-person meetings at the consulate and the practically hundreds of documents you must acquire and notarize.
CA-4
The rest of Central America just has a standard 90 day tourist visa. This includes Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, known as the CA-4 group. To restart the 90 days, all you have to do is go to an outside country (like Mexico, Belize, or Costa Rica) and come back.
Mexico
I don’t consider Mexico part of Central America. But in terms of visa’s and traveling around the region, this information might be useful.
Without any special visa, Mexico’s visitors can stay in the country a maximum of 180 days (6 months).
There is an additional one year Digital Nomad Visa you can apply for, but considering you already get 6 months for “free”, I’m not sure if its worth the hassle.
Interested in being a digital nomad in Central America? Check out these 5 Epic Adventures to Cross off Your Bucket List in Central America.
Where to Digital Nomad in Central America
Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Puerto Viejo (de Talamanca) was actually one of the first places we ever visited when starting our digital nomad journey.
You might have heard the slogan ‘pura vida‘. Well Puerto Viejo takes that to the extreme. It is a very laid back surf town, with only a few streets but a lot of vibes. Even compared with other Costa Rican towns.
It’s located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica so it has a slightly different flavor than the rest of the country. It is a little bit remote, and pretty much the only place on the Caribbean coast that’s worth visiting.
Puerto Viejo draws the attention of surfers looking to conquer the epic Salsa Brava – the biggest break in Costa Rica – as well as backpackers hoping to get off the grid.
The WiFi wasn’t the most reliable when we were there, and the power would go out a couple times a week. Luckily we had a MiFi device that was a lifesaver a few times.
Although the town is small, there is a coworking space, cafes and coffee shops, and even a Selina.
Learn all about what it’s like to digital nomad in Puerto Viejo.
Things to Do in Puerto Viejo
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
San Juan del Sur is a super fun spot to be a digital nomad, and the best place to digital nomad in Nicaragua. I absolutely love this little beach town.
It has gained notoriety as a backpacker destination and surf hub. And I know it soon will be known as a Digital Nomad hub.
It’s the perfect mix of being ultra chill with a lot to do when you’re not working.
This is definitely the type of place people get ‘stuck in’ – where they plan to only stay a short time, but end up staying much longer. And we met many people who left and came back.
There’s enough to keep you entertained in San Juan, but it’s also a great home-base to take weekend trips to Granada or Ometepe.
The WiFi is overall pretty good, although really depends on the specific café or hotel; we had both great experiences, and times we wanted to pull our hair out. These are the best places to work in San Juan del Sur.
Discover more: A Digital Nomad’s Guide to San Juan del Sur
Things to Do in San Juan del Sur
San Juan is not a big town by any means, but you definitely wont get bored. From beach days to nights out, you’ll quickly fall in love with the relaxed vibe of this digital nomad destination.
Some things you wont want to miss:
Book these experiences in San Juan del Sur:
El Tunco, El Salvador
You guessed it, another small surf town. But El Tunco is one of my favorites.
But I will warn you; if you don’t surf and don’t want to learn to surf, you might not have much else to do.
My schedule as a digital nomad in El Tunco included surf lessons, work, pupusas, sunsets, and drinking lots of Supremas. Being in a place that allows you to slow down and live a more simple life is priceless.
The president of El Salvador is throwing a lot of money into revitalizing the coast to attract tourists and international surf competitions. I know that El Tunco and Surf City is going to blow up, so make sure you go before everyone else hears about it!
Learn more: Digital Nomad in El Tunco, El Salvador: A Complete Guide
Things to Do in El Tunco
Antigua, Guatemala
Antigua is just dreamy.
The quaint mountain town sits among several volcanos. On a clear day, you can even see one of them actively spitting fire.
Colonial architecture combined with centuries of earthquake damage makes just walking around the streets an incredible journey.
One of my favorite parts of Antigua is the food and restaurant scene. It truly sticks out and is the best food I had eaten during our entire time working remote from Central America. There is both amazing local Guatemalan cuisine, as well as mouthwatering international and fusion-style restaurants.
Antigua is not a big city by any means, but still has tons of coffee shops and some coworking spaces to choose from. There are even several hostels catering towards digital nomads.
Keep reading: Digital Nomad in Antigua Guatemala: A Complete Guide
Things to Do in Antigua
Book these experiences in Antigua:
Caye Caulker, Belize
Caye Caulker is a small island about 45 minutes off the coast of Belize. Like so small that in some places you can see opposite sides of the island. However, despite being such a tiny place, there is so much to do here.
We were worried at first it might be a little too remote and not have great internet. But luckily that was not our experience, and found the WiFi in our Airbnb was fast and reliable.
If working remote in a place you might not know the language intimidates you, Belize might be the spot for you. English is the official language of Belize as it was once a British colony.
Restaurants, groceries and excursions can quickly add up, but accommodations were surprisingly affordable.
The island’s moto is something we all need to remember: go slow.
Find out more: Digital Nomad in Caye Caulker, Belize: A Complete Guide
Things to Do in Caye Caulker
Book these experiences in Belize:
Now its Time to Digital Nomad in Central America
You now know the best places to digital nomad in Central America – but why choose? If you want to visit all of these amazing places, check out the ultimate digital nomad itinerary for Central America.
Central America is one of my favorite places to travel and work remote, and I know you will love it too. Drop any questions or comments below!
