Becoming a digital nomad is great, because it gives you access to a variety of amazing opportunities. Yet at the same time, it also brings different challenges into the mix. It makes sense for you to focus on accumulating all the documents and ensure you are legally staying within any country you’re in. That’s why, as an expat or digital nomad, it’s important to stay organized and figure out what documents are a necessity. Here’s what you need to know.
Grab your identification essentials
When it comes to traveling, you always want to have ID-related items that can help make your experience better. The great thing about identification essentials like your national ID card, passport or birth certificate is they are valid in most countries. Plus, they will be easier to help you prove your nationality, ID and all the other info. It helps immensely, and it will only lead to better results in the end.
Travel/immigration papers
What you will notice about being an expat or digital nomad is that you need to show permission for being in a specific country. And that’s why you will need stuff like the approval letters or residence cards/permits. Some countries will require an entry visa, and that can actually be super useful most of the time. The fact that you can also have other paperwork like your international driver’s permit or exit/entry records is important to take into consideration as well.
Financial documents
Another thing you have to keep in mind is the fact that you need things like proof of funds or bank statements. A lot of businesses or landlords will be interested in those, so it’s a good idea to have those ready. Plus, if you’re an expat, chances are that you need to file taxes into multiple countries. You need to keep a good record of your tax returns, proof of residency and receipts for any expenses that might be deductible. If you use payment platforms, keep a record of transactions on there as well.
Business and employment papers
What you should have are things like employment contracts, but also payment records and invoices. Ideally, you want to show that you are working with companies remotely, and you get paid. That will allow you to get the best accommodation and not worry about dealing with problematic landlords. Most landlords just want to ensure that you can pay for stuff, and if you show that you can, it’s all they need. Other than that, they will be cool with you for the most part.
Lease agreements
It doesn’t matter if you want to rent in the long run or for a shorter term. The idea is that you do want to have paperwork in the form of rent payments, utility bills, signed lease agreement, but also receipts for the security deposits. That’s important and it will help make things much easier. With that being said, you’re also going to need these for proof of address and visa renewals. It’s a nifty thing, and one that will only lead to a better experience in the end.
Insurance documents
The reason why you want to have insurance documents is rather simple, you get to show that you have insurance and you don’t need to worry about any risks or issues that might arise. But what kind of insurance do you need here? A lot of the time, you need health insurance and travel insurance, those two tend to be the most popular ones. Property of liability insurance is just as important, and it will lead to a better experience in the end.
Certificates
Especially when you go to other countries, you will need to show your expertise and knowledge. That’s why you need a copy of your diploma, licenses, training certificates and anything else that might be important. A lot of the time, you do want to have notarized translations if you go in a country with other language as the native one. In the end, it’s just better to notarize and translate stuff, and to also have the original or at least a copy of it.
Medical and health records
These are important mainly because you will be asked for any previous diseases, health problems and issues that you have. Ideally, you want to solve any of those health problems before exiting your country of residence. But a lot of countries also require you to show vaccination records, your medical history and other info. All of that can be handy in case you need any assistance. And in the end, it just makes sense to keep a good record of your medical info ready to use. Because you never really know when your medical info might be necessary.
Digital storage
Having paper documents exposes you to all kinds of potential problems. That’s why it makes sense to have a digital copy of these tools, whenever you can. Cloud storage with adequate encryption is always going to come in handy, and you have to take that into consideration. You also need to have offline copies on a USB drive, preferably with some encryption in there as well. If you use PDF files, it makes sense to password-protect those whenever you have the opportunity. And, of course, using secure document management apps that have 2-factor authentication matters just as much, and it can be super useful.
Also, it makes sense to have a document system that will work anywhere, no matter the situation. The main idea is to organize using the right category and figure out the right labels. Adding clear labels will help quite a lot, and you can also have regular updates, a thing that you will appreciate more than expected.
Closing thoughts
Being on the go as an expat is always going to be quite the challenge, so you have to be very well-organized and focused when dealing with any of these things. It’s not a simple thing for sure, but if you use these tips and ideas shown above, it will make things a lot easier. As a digital nomad or expat, your entire life is all about portability and figuring things out. It’s definitely not an easy thing, but knowing how to adapt and figure things out, that can indeed make a huge difference.
That’s why we think it makes sense to have a combination of physical copies and digital ones for your documents. Plus, it makes sense to be very well prepared and store those safely. Especially the digital stuff, as these days it can be very easy to access and it can end up in the wrong hands. But if you tackle that with complete precision, things will certainly be much easier to manage in the end. Just make sure that you embrace this focus on staying organized, and doing that can indeed make a huge difference.
