The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE) in 2024
How US citizens can legally exclude up to $126,500 of foreign-earned income from federal taxes.
The math behind the move.
We aggregate real rental contracts, current tax brackets, and digital nomad visa requirements to show exactly what relocating costs in 2024. No lifestyle fluff.
Update Status
March 2024
Latest additions: Japan DNV rules, Spain Beckham Law updates, Buenos Aires rental inflation.
Index Coverage
42 Cities | 16 Visas
Visas by the Numbers.
View full visa database →Spain DNV
Min. Monthly Income
€2,646
Tax Rate (Beckham Law)
24% flat
Path to Citizenship
10 yrs (2 for LATAM)
Processing Time
~20 days (in-country)
Portugal D8
Min. Monthly Income
€3,280
Tax Rate (NHR)
Ending/Phasing out
Path to Citizenship
5 years
Processing Time
3-4 months
Japan DNV
Min. Annual Income
¥10,000,000 (~$68k)
Duration
6 months (no renewal)
Path to Citizenship
None
Tax Status
Exempt (if <183 days)
The Real Cost Index.
Numbeo relies on user submissions. We scrape current Airbnb long-term discounts and local rental portals (Idealista, Fincaraiz, Suumo) to calculate a weighted "Nomad Premium" index for 2024.
Monthly Baseline (1BR Central + Coworking + Groceries)
Tax Residency is not optional.
Living out of a suitcase does not exempt you from taxes. If you spend 183 days in a country, you are a tax resident. Period. Learn how territorial tax systems and bilateral agreements actually work.
Read the Tax Residency GuideDeep Dive Guides
All Guides →Valencia vs. Lisbon: Where did the value go?
A line-by-line breakdown of why Valencia has overtaken Lisbon for cost-to-quality ratio.
The complete list of Visa income requirements
From Colombia's $900/mo to the Cayman Islands' $100k/yr. Sorted and verified.
Territorial Tax Systems vs. Zero Tax Countries
Why Panama or Malaysia might be better for your business than the UAE.
Interactive Tools
Stop doing the math in spreadsheets. We built simple calculators to help you determine your tax liability and visa eligibility instantly.
Quick Eligibility Check
Enter your monthly remote income to see which major visas you qualify for right now.
Colombia (V Visa)
Spain (DNV)
Portugal (D8)
Dubai (Virtual Working)
How we source our data.
Primary Sources Only
We don't scrape SEO blogs. We read the BOE in Spain, the SEF directives in Portugal, and official embassy guidelines to pull real income thresholds and tax rates.
Local Rental Markets
Numbeo is flawed for nomads. We blend short-term Airbnb data with long-term local portals (Idealista, Fincaraiz) to calculate the true 'Nomad Premium'.
Monthly Audits
Tax brackets shift annually. Visa requirements change abruptly (like Italy's 2024 launch). Our index is manually audited every 30 days.
Don't accidentally overstay.
The 90/180 rule in the Schengen zone is strictly enforced. We built a visual calculator to help you optimize your time in Europe without triggering a ban.
Use the Calculator →Three myths about remote work.
01. "I can just use a tourist visa forever."
Border runs are becoming riskier. Many countries are linking entry data across regions. Legal residency protects your ability to travel.
02. "I don't owe taxes if I move around."
The 183-day rule is a baseline, not a guarantee. Countries use "Center of Vital Interests" to claim you as a tax resident even if you spend 0 days there.
03. "Numbeo says rent is $400."
Local rent averages require local guarantors and 12-month contracts. Nomads pay a premium for furnished short-term rentals. Our index reflects the reality.
W2 vs 1099
Being a full-time employee (W2) makes applying for digital nomad visas significantly harder than being a freelancer or contractor.
Visas in Spain and Italy require complex Social Security certificates of coverage from your home country, which employers are often unwilling to navigate.
Read the Employment GuideApproval Rates (Est.)
Freelancer (1099/Sole Prop) 95%
Business Owner (LLC/Corp) 85%
Full-time Employee (W2) 40%
Tax Optimization Strategies
Territorial Tax Systems
Learn how countries like Panama and Malaysia only tax local income, leaving your foreign revenue completely untouched.
→ Read StrategyThe Beckham Law (Spain)
A deep dive into Spain's special tax regime that caps your income tax at a flat 24% and exempts you from wealth tax.
→ Read StrategyUS FEIE (Form 2555)
How US citizens can legally exclude over $120,000 of earned income from federal taxes by passing the Physical Presence Test.
→ Read StrategyTravel Insurance is not Health Insurance.
Every single Digital Nomad Visa requires proof of comprehensive private health insurance with zero copays and full repatriation. SafetyWing and standard travel policies rarely meet the legal requirements for embassy approvals.
Read the Insurance Requirements GuideThe Ibero-American Shortcut
If you are a citizen of a Latin American country, the Philippines, or Equatorial Guinea, Spain offers a fast-track to citizenship.
Under the Spanish DNV, eligible nationals can apply for full citizenship after just 2 years of legal residency, bypassing the standard 10-year requirement.
Read the Spain GuideTime to Citizenship (Years)
Spain (LATAM)
2
Portugal
5
Spain (Standard)
10
Dubai / Japan
No path to citizenship
Don't rely on old blogs.
Visa laws change constantly. Subscribe to our raw data feed via RSS to get alerts when income requirements or tax brackets are updated.
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