Brazil offers special visas for immigrants with no employment relationship in the country, whose work can be done remotely.
In addition to its landscapes with a good Internet connection, the authorities are negotiating agreements with international organizations specialized in setting up service networks for digital nomads to settle in the country.
It is estimated that there are 35 million digital nomads worldwide, i.e., people who combine remote work and travel between countries and continents for various periods.
The Brazilian Agency for International Tourism Promotion, Embratur, announced that it would partner with the Portuguese company NomadX to stimulate the creation of coworking focused on foreigners who want to travel to Brazil and work remotely at the same time (the so-called “digital nomads”).
“The new Embratur will focus on innovation and technology to bring more foreigners to our country and improve the experience of those visiting us.”
“NomadX is already in Pipa, in Rio Grande do Norte. We want to expand this network to receive more tourists in Brazil”, said Embratur’s president, Marcelo Freixo.
ITACARÉ
Itacaré in Bahia is one of those places that’s somehow more than you expect.
There must be hundreds of gorgeous tropical beaches and fishing villages in the northeast of Brazil; what’s so special about this one?
This place is magic and one of Brazil’s best-kept secrets.
While most of the beautiful areas near the sea in Brazil are completely built up, Itacaré and its surroundings are full of Mata Atlantica, the Atlantic jungle. Jungle all the way to the sea and a paradise for surfers and party lovers.
If Colombia is the home of magic realism, Itacaré will give it a good run for its money.
Tiny marmoset monkeys run along the telegraph wires, bullfrogs that sound more like meowing cats sit in ponds, capoeira is a way of life, and there’s something about the place that makes it hard to leave.
It’s relaxed enough to feel like an escape from the world, but don’t mistake it for the kind of place where nothing ever happens.
Summer has more than enough bars and beach parties to keep you happy.
That is why whether on saltwater or freshwater beaches, the digital nomad or the remote worker traveling in Brazil must stop in Itacaré, one of the most beautiful destinations on the coast of Bahia, covered by the Atlantic forest and with practically deserted beaches.
There, the hard-working traveler comes into contact with the tranquility offered by the region, where it is possible to visit the attractions on foot.
The climate (warm all year round) is that of a small city with an ideal infrastructure for work.
NOMAD VILLAGE
In the paradisiacal Pipa Beach, in Tibau do Sul (Rio Grande do Norte), an official initiative is building the Nomad Village, the first special city for nomadic workers in South America.
The place – in partnership between the Ministry of Tourism and the Portuguese Nomadx, one of the largest companies in the segment in the world – was chosen for being a destination that combines nature, good internet connection, security, tranquility, and good weather, all year round to enjoy its characteristic beaches and dunes.
FLORIANÓPOLIS
The capital of Santa Catarina is known as the “Magic Island” and lives up to its name for its variety of clubs, good restaurants, a hundred beaches and islands to enjoy, a mild winter, and good connections that facilitate digital work.
With the country’s most extensive circuit of urban mountain trails, “Floripa” combines the refinement of a big city with an exuberant natural environment.
GUARAMIRANGA
Another paradise that leaves its mark on the experience of nomadic life is Guaramiranga (Ceará).
With a colonial style reminiscent of Swiss architecture (that is why it is known as the “Switzerland of Ceará”), Guaramiranga arouses curiosity for having that European air, with cold weather and fine rain, in the state of Ceará, known for being a traditional destination of sun and beach.
In Guaramiranga the traveler also finds lush forests.
OURO PRETO
For nomads who enjoy history, nothing is better than installing the “office” in the colonial city of Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais).
The scenario of the Inconfidência Mineira (Mining Conspiracy) and full of monuments, the city breathes history, and the nomad who sits in a cafe or restaurant or walks the streets of Ouro Preto will go back in time and realize the greatness of a historical period during which mining was crucial for the growth of the region.
The largest baroque ensemble in the world and one of the main regions of the gold cycle, the city is an open-air museum and was the first Brazilian destination to be considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
NomadX currently brings together a community of some 20,000 digital nomads who travel the world.
The company has locations in Lisbon, Caparica, Madeira, Cape Verde, and Pipa.
“Today, we have a community of about 50 people using our space in Pipa. A digital nomad spends an average of €1,800 monthly and about 2 months in each location.”
“We are talking about young people between 25 and 35 years old who earn between €3,000 and €5,000.”
“It has an important impact on the economy of small cities,” explained NomadX CEO Gonçalo Hall.
Some of the Brazilian cities that have expressed interest in receiving digital nomads are João Pessoa (PB), São Miguel do Gostoso (RN), Recife (PE), Maceió (AL), Santos (SP), and Florianópolis (SC).
Gonçalo explained that this type of visitor is not just interested in enjoying tourist attractions.
According to the director, they seek to insert themselves and live experiences in the community as if they were locals.
“They consume in the establishments that the residents like to go to, they want to learn the local culture, and some end up teaching foreign languages to the children.”
“It’s an immersion experience with many spin-offs for small towns,” he concluded.
With information from El Mostrador
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