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The Philippines Launches Digital Nomad Visa. Is It The Best in Southeast Asia?

4 min readMay 12, 2025

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Photo by Cris Tagupa on Unsplash

Southeast Asia was the digital nomad capital of the world long before the term “digital nomad” was tossed around.

Anyone who’s visited Thailand in the last 40 years has likely spent time on Khaosan Road, one of the world’s famous backpacker destinations. On that strip of pavement alone, you could find travelers who had called the city home for years, who worked out of corner dive bars and Internet cafes that charged by the minute.

Not to be outdone, countries like Malaysia, Indonesia (Bali specifically), and, to some extent, Vietnam have since opened their doors to digital nomads. With specific visas designated for traveling workers looking for a temporary home, Southeast Asia offered the perfect combination of weather (minus the humidity) and and affordable lifestyle.

One prominent nation in the region, however, has, at least up until this point, not explicitly opened itself up to digital nomads: the Philippines.

Although dissociated from mainland Asia, the country has long been a popular destination for individuals looking for a fresh start. It offers the most affordable golden visas on the

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Greyson Ferguson
Greyson Ferguson

Written by Greyson Ferguson

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