Much has been written in recent months about teleworking. Will it become established as a new semi-permanent modality, or will the benefits—social, psychological, and in terms of stimulating creativity—of working in person prevail, and will work routines return to pre-pandemic times?

However, teleworking did open a new window that seems to be greatly appreciated by younger people: the figure of the digital nomad. In short, the pandemic showed that in many jobs, the location of the worker was irrelevant, and the possibility arose, for example—and if income allowed it—to work from Rome for an employer in Lima. Several countries saw this as an opportunity to attract young professionals who were willing to consume and did not compete in the local labor market, and who could also foster an environment of greater entrepreneurship. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), 47 countries already have work visas for these individuals. At the time of writing, Spain was discussing the approval of a similar law.

According to the WEF note, there are currently an estimated 35 million digital nomads, almost a third of whom are based in the United States. Most digital nomads are in their thirties, and in the case of women, they are mainly engaged in creative professions, while men are mostly engaged in software development.

The bill in Spain would grant five-year visas to these nomads, but the reality is that they prefer to continue on the road. According to a Lonely Planet survey, a third of those consulted said they prefer to change their place of residence within three months. This is the case of a blogger who, according to the WEF, said that in one year he and his wife lived at 97 different addresses, slept in 21 different countries, and flew almost 271,000 kilometers.