If you can work from home, you can work from a pink-sand beach.
The island of Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean, is offering one-year residencies to foreign workers and students who are able to do their jobs and carry out their studies remotely.
The Bermuda government's motive for the program is primarily economic.
The global pandemic has had a devastating impact on the island's tourism, "resulting in mass unemployment and decreased economic activity," said Minister of Labor Jason Hayward in a statement.
The hope is that the yearlong presence of employed foreigners will give a boost to restaurants, accommodations, and other businesses without taking jobs away from locals.
The nations of Barbados and Georgia have recently introduced similar measures allowing long-term stays for international visitors, even as other destinations in the Caribbean and Europe have gotten choosier about which nationalities are free to enter due to spiking coronavirus infections, particularly in the United States.
So far, digital nomads from the U.S. have not been excluded from the new residency programs, including the latest in Bermuda.
To obtain the island's one-year residency certificate, each applicant must pay a fee of $263 and meet these qualifications:
• Be over the age of 18.
• Demonstrate "good character." In the announcement, the government specifies that this includes not having a criminal record.
• Have health insurance.
• Provide proof of employment with a company that allows working remotely overseas or, in the case of a student, prove enrollment in a university program.
• Show proof of sufficient annual income to preclude the need of taking a job in Bermuda.
The application can be completed online at the government website, starting August 1.
Prepare for your extended stay by picking up or downloading a copy of Frommer's Bermuda.
