A different winner, a different formula—and a crucial distinction between income and funds for a visit.
Another nomad ranking. Another winner. Your group chat is about to become a foreign-policy seminar with better beach photographs.
Passportivity puts New Zealand at the top of its 2026 list, ahead of Dominica, Malta, Australia and Malaysia. Spain appears 16th. The model assigns 30% to visa accessibility, 25% to internet availability and 15% each to cost of living, safety and English proficiency. Its stated data cut-off is the end of 2025. [1]
Our interpretation: this is a different lens on the decision. That can be useful. It becomes less useful when we pretend every list is awarding the same prize.
| Published rank | Destination | Index score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand | 87.3 |
| 2 | Dominica | 85.3 |
| 3 | Malta | 85.1 |
| 4 | Australia | 84.8 |
| 5 | Malaysia | 82.9 |
| 16 | Spain | 75.8 |
| 19 | Portugal | 75.4 |
A NUMBER THAT NEEDS ITS LABEL BACK
Passportivity lists $610 a month for New Zealand in an income column. Before that becomes a “move to New Zealand on $610” graphic, pause. [1]
Immigration New Zealand’s Visitor Visa page specifies funds of NZD 1,000 per month, or NZD 400 if accommodation has already been paid. These are visitor-support requirements. They should not be presented as a universal minimum remote-work salary. [2]
The official remote-work conditions also distinguish working remotely for overseas interests from working for a New Zealand employer or supplying local people and businesses. Remote work is not, by itself, the lawful purpose of a visit; it can accompany a permitted purpose such as sightseeing or visiting family. [3]
That distinction changes the story. A visitor arrangement is something to understand on its own terms, not quietly rebrand as permanent relocation.
YOUR LIFE DOES NOT USE THE AVERAGE WI-FI
For our readers, the most useful next step is to make the ranking local. Investigate the town, neighbourhood and accommodation you would actually use. Ask for a connection test where you will work. Build a budget around actual housing options and your working hours. Think about time zones and whether your clients will still be awake when you are.
A country-level number cannot tell you whether the spare bedroom has a desk, whether the landlord permits your planned stay or whether you will feel connected to a community. Those details may sound less glamorous. They are also where the move happens.
THE BORDERLESS SELF TAKE
Let different rankings challenge your assumptions. Then write your own priorities before choosing your winner.
If a place looks promising, investigate its exact permission, actual costs and everyday working conditions. If it scores poorly for a factor you do not personally need, understand that too.
A ranking can introduce you to a country. It cannot do the relationship work for you. And it certainly cannot promise that the Wi-Fi reaches the balcony.
Sources
Featured illustration created with AI for Borderless Self. Rankings are attributed to their respective publishers; editorial interpretation is our own.
