Want to know what sucks? Ending your trip before it even begins, because you didn’t know about some obscure entry requirement.

I’ve almost gotten tripped up a few times myself, so here’s to a mistake-free 2024 🤞

This Week in Nomad Deals

• 2024 Airfare Projections: U.S. domestic airfares are projected to remain at multi-year lows for most of 2024, per Hopper’s annual travel outlook.

• U.K. + Spain: According to a recent Nebeus survey, 22% of British nomads rate Spain as their favorite remote work destination.

• Best Remote Job for 2024? A shortage of accountants is driving demand and pay for the industry, with 20% of open roles being fully remote.

Avoid These Common Travel Screwups

Holders of strong passports are accustomed to simply waltzing into most countries and being granted a tourist visa. But that doesn’t always happen, especially if you’re coming for an extended stay as a digital nomad.

Here are four major screwups that could end your trip before it even begins (and some hacks to work around them).

1. Not booking onward travel

Digital nomads traveling for extended stays don’t always know when they’re coming back. The problem is that many countries don’t want you bumming around indefinitely, and require that you show proof of plans to leave before letting you enter.

In practice, these rules are typically enforced by the airlines before you even board the plane. Entry requirements can vary depending on your citizenship, so be sure to check onward travel rules for your own passport.

How to Solve: You can simply book a refundable ticket to show the gate agent, then cancel upon arrival. Alternatively, you can use an onward ticket service to “rent” a ticket for a short period of time (see the chart below for a few options).

2. Less than six months remaining on your passport

Many countries adhere to the “Six-Month Rule,” which means that your passport must be valid for at least six months after the day of entry. Others follow a three-month version of this rule. Again, requirements may vary based on your nationality, so be sure to check before you make plans.

How to Solve: In the event that you don’t have time to renew your passport, follow the Nomad Deals guide on how to get a U.S. passport fast or check out the fast passport video on YouTube.

3. No yellow fever vaccine paperwork

While pandemic-era vaccine and testing requirements have mostly faded, some little-known public health rules remain in place.

For example, certain countries such as Colombia require that you are vaccinated for yellow fever (or show a medical exemption) if you are coming from a high-risk area, e.g. Brazil. This obscure rule isn’t always enforced, but many travelers recounted facing a rude awakening at the airport.

How to Solve: Barring actually getting the vaccine or a medical exemption, some travelers skirt this rule by transiting to another country first (e.g. Brazil to Colombia with a stop in Peru).

4. Saying too much to migration officials

Strictly speaking, digital nomads aren’t allowed to work remotely on a tourist visa. In practice, these restrictions are widely flouted and almost never enforced. However, officials in countries with tight migration rules (e.g. Japan) have been known to turn back nomads whom they suspect will break these laws.

How to Solve: Keep your mouth shut about being a digital nomad, and just tell officials that you are there for tourism.

The Cheapest Average Flights to Europe

In our latest study, we looked at the average cost of the lowest-priced, one-way airline tickets from the U.S. to Europe. The analysis uses data from the largest U.S. metropolitan areas, and covers the period from January to March 31 (Q1 2024).

These airfares don’t include extras like baggage or nonstop service, which can significantly increase the overall cost. That said, these numbers are useful for pinpointing which cities are relatively less expensive in terms of airfare from the U.S.