Here's the truth nobody wants to say out loud: millions of "digital nomads" are technically violating visa terms every day, and a new discussion among US-based remote workers reveals just how normalized this practice has become.
A straightforward question on r/digitalnomad—"Do most people just enter and work visa-free?"—opened a floodgate of candid responses about the legal gray area that defines modern remote work across borders.
The answer, according to the community? Yes, most do.
The Visa-Free Reality
A US citizen with a single-member LLC considering remote work from Malaysia discovered what experienced nomads already know: there are virtually no countries that technically allow visa-free remote work, even those offering visa-free entry for tourism.
The distinction matters—or at least, it should. Tourist visas explicitly prohibit work. Digital nomad visas exist in some countries but come with costs, paperwork, minimum income requirements, and tax implications that many find prohibitive.
So what do people actually do? They enter on tourist visas and work remotely anyway.
Commenters described this as standard practice, particularly for Southeast Asian destinations like Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The logic: if you're working for a company outside the country, not taking local jobs, and spending money in the local economy, enforcement is minimal.
The Risk-Reward Calculation
This doesn't mean it's risk-free. Immigration enforcement is ramping up in some destinations. Thailand has made headlines for targeting long-term visa runners. Bali announced stricter enforcement of work permits in 2025. Portugal and Spain are scrutinizing remote workers who claim tourist status but clearly live in-country.
The stakes vary. Best case: you're asked to leave. Worst case: deportation, bans from re-entry, or fines. For most, the risk feels minimal compared to the cost and hassle of formal work visas.
But as countries implement digital nomad visa programs and see potential tax revenue, the calculus is shifting. What was once ignored may become actively enforced.
The Uncomfortable Reality
The digital nomad movement exists in contradiction: countries want the spending power remote workers bring, but lack frameworks to accommodate them. Workers want location freedom, but not the bureaucratic complexity of work permits.
The result is a mass-scale gray area where technically illegal behavior has become so normalized that newcomers wonder if they're missing something when they ask whether it's actually allowed.
They're not missing anything. It's just that everyone else is doing it anyway.
