According to the Digital Nomad Friction Index 2026 study by Holafly, Georgia was named the best country for digital nomads in 2026; Peru and South Africa also made the top three.
Analysts compared 17 popular destinations for remote workers. The assessment took into account the complexity of obtaining visas, access to banking services and healthcare, cost of living, internet quality and safety.
Georgia took first place: there is no mandatory requirement to register a residence address or obtain a tax identification number, and a bank account can be opened with just a passport within a few hours.
In second place is Peru, where foreigners can obtain permanent residency under the Rentista programme if they have a stable income. The country did not top the ranking due to a high risk of earthquakes and El Niño-related events.
South Africa took third place: non-residents are not required to register a residence address or obtain a tax identification number, but the country scored lower on the accessibility and quality of medical services.
Fourth and fifth places were taken by Thailand and Malaysia: both offer special visas for digital nomads, and opening bank accounts is not excessively difficult, although there is a noted risk of natural disasters.
Also in the top ten were Croatia, Hungary and Portugal — all three offer visa programmes for digital nomads, but mandatory registration and tax identification number requirements lowered their scores.
The ranking results could influence Ukrainian remote workers’ decisions about which country to choose and shape demand for international banking, insurance and travel services.
