First Year as a Digital Nomad: Health, Cards, Documents

Most advice for new digital nomads is about visas, coworking spaces and the best cities. Less is written about the paperwork that quietly decides whether your first year goes smoothly: a passport that is valid for the border, health cover that actually applies to you, cards that still work when one is lost, and documents you can produce when a landlord or a bank asks. This guide is a timeline for the first twelve months, built to point you to the right guides rather than repeat them.

This is general information, not financial, legal, immigration or insurance advice. Rules differ by country and change. Facts were checked on 3 November 2026 against the sources listed at the end, and most of them are UK government sources, so US readers should check the matching US pages. Where we could not confirm a point from an official source, we say so in the text.

Last updated 3 November 2026. This piece sits in the Protect section.

The short answer

Before you leave, check your passport’s issue and expiry dates against the entry rules of your first destination, decide your health cover, carry two cards from different providers, and scan your key documents. In the first 90 days, confirm that your cover applies to where you actually live, not just where you visit, and sort out any licence or document that needs certifying. In the rest of the year, keep a short list of renewals and review your cover at each move.

A timeline for the first year

When What to do Where to read more
8 to 12 weeks before leaving Check passport dates and entry rules; decide health cover; order a second card; get any documents certified Sections below
The week before Scan passport, cards and key documents; set up backup codes and a second way to receive security codes; carry some local cash Lost card or blocked phone abroad: an access plan
First 30 days Confirm your cover starts and covers your real situation; test your cards; tell your bank where you live if it needs to know Bank closing your account because you live abroad
First 90 days Decide how long you will stay in each country; check tax residence; sort licence and document questions Tax residence versus where your client is
Months 4 to 12 Keep a renewals list; review cover and where your savings sit; practise your emergency plan once Deposit protection abroad

Passport: check the dates before you book

For UK passport holders travelling to the Schengen area, the GOV.UK entry requirements page for France says the passport must meet two conditions. The date of issue must be less than 10 years before the date you arrive, and the expiry date must be at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area. A passport renewed before 1 October 2018 can have an issue date more than 10 years old, which makes it invalid for entry even though it has not expired. GOV.UK also says you will be denied entry if your passport has been reported lost or stolen.

It also says the EU Entry/Exit System is being implemented across the Schengen area. For short stays you may need to register biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo, which is free. It may add time at the border, so allow extra time. A long-term resident in a Schengen country is exempt.

That page is about France and Schengen. Other countries have their own passport and visa rules. GOV.UK publishes foreign travel advice for each country, and its entry requirements section is where to check. We could not open the US State Department’s entry pages, so US passport holders should check them for their destination.

Health cover: what applies when you are a resident, not a visitor

This is where new nomads most often assume the wrong thing. We have two guides that go into the detail, so use them for the decision itself:

What those guides do not repeat is where the state cards stop working for you.

The UK GHIC is for UK residents, on temporary visits

The NHS says you can apply for a UK Global Health Insurance Card if you are a resident in the UK. It covers necessary state healthcare during a temporary visit, including treatment for long-term or pre-existing conditions, on the same basis as a resident of that country. It is free and lasts up to five years. The NHS also says it does not replace travel and medical insurance and does not cover things such as being flown back to the UK, which is medical repatriation. If you have moved your home abroad, you should not assume your card works the way it did on holiday. The NHS says that if you move abroad permanently you will no longer automatically be entitled to NHS treatment, so read its planning your healthcare page and its GHIC page before you rely on the card.

The NHS says an S1 form, which lets the UK pay for state healthcare in the country where you live, may be available to some people who live in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, for example people who receive a UK State Pension. It is not a general right for people who move abroad.

US Medicare usually stops at the border

Medicare.gov says Medicare usually does not cover health care while you are travelling outside the US, with limited exceptions, and that in most cases you pay all costs. It suggests travel insurance for more coverage and says some Medigap policies may cover emergency care abroad. If you are a US citizen planning to live abroad, check your plan’s terms before you go.

Cards and money in the first months

You will use cards more than you expect in the first weeks, and a blocked card is the commonest early problem. Our guide on a lost card or blocked phone abroad covers liability, two cards, backup codes, scans and local cash. Here is what it does not cover.

What it costs to use a UK debit card abroad

MoneyHelper says that overseas use of a debit card is usually at the Visa or Mastercard exchange rate, and that your bank may add a currency exchange fee, often around 3%, plus a spending or cash withdrawal fee. It says euro payments inside the EU are an exception to the spending and cash fee. Check your own bank’s tariff, because it varies. Where you have a choice, MoneyHelper also says chargeback can be possible within 120 days for a debit card, and that Section 75 covers credit card purchases over £100.

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Some shops and cash machines offer to charge you in your home currency instead of the local one. We did not find a regulator page on this practice. Consumer-finance guidance commonly advises paying in the local currency, so compare the rate it shows with the mid-market rate before you accept.

Where your money sits

Do not leave all your cash in one place. Our guides on deposit protection abroad, emergency cash when ISAs and the FSCS do not apply, why Wise is the rail, not your emergency fund and operating cash versus investment cash when you hold two currencies explain how to split the money you need this month from the money you are keeping.

Documents: what to certify, copy and carry

Certified and legalised documents

Some countries ask for UK documents to be legalised before they accept them for a visa, a marriage, a lease or a company. GOV.UK says the Legalisation Office checks a document and, if the signatures, stamps or seals match its records, attaches an apostille, which is an official stamped certificate. Public-registry documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates and Companies House certificates are covered. Other documents can be legalised if they have been certified by a UK public official such as a notary or solicitor, for example copies of a power of attorney or a contract. GOV.UK says it cannot legalise documents issued outside the UK; those must be legalised in the country that issued them. Ask the receiving body what it needs before you pay, because the type of certificate can differ.

Driving licence

GOV.UK says to take your Great Britain or Northern Ireland driving licence with you to drive abroad, and that you may need an international driving permit depending on the country. It also says: “Do not apply for an IDP if you’re moving abroad.” Instead you need to exchange your UK licence or apply for a new one in the country you are moving to. For a short stay as a visitor, check the country’s own rules on GOV.UK’s driving abroad page. We did not check US licence rules, so US licence holders should check their destination’s rules.

Digital copies and device security

Keep scans of your passport, visas, cards and certificates in a place you can reach from a new device. If a laptop or phone is lost, our guide on a stolen laptop or phone abroad covers what to do in order.

Banks, tax and clients: pointers only

Your first-year checklist

  • Passport issue date and expiry date checked against the entry rules of your first destination.
  • Health cover chosen for where you will live, not only where you will visit, and its start date confirmed.
  • Two cards from different providers, with a way to receive security codes if your phone fails.
  • Scans of passport, visas, cards and certificates, stored safely.
  • Documents that need an apostille or certified copy identified before you need them.
  • Driving licence plan: a visit, or an exchange if you are moving.
  • A renewals list: passport, visa, card expiry, insurance, GHIC if applicable.
  • One practice run of your emergency plan before you need it.

Frequently asked questions

Does my GHIC work if I live abroad?

The NHS says you can apply for a GHIC if you are a resident in the UK, and it is for necessary state healthcare during temporary visits. If you have moved your home abroad, the NHS says you will no longer automatically be entitled to NHS treatment, so do not assume the card still applies; check the NHS pages linked above. It does not replace insurance.

Do I need travel insurance as a digital nomad?

Many nomads need something that covers longer stays than a standard trip policy. Our travel insurance versus international health cover guide explains the options without recommending a particular one.

How long does my passport need to be valid?

For the Schengen area, GOV.UK says UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and must expire at least 3 months after you plan to leave. Other countries differ, so check each country’s page.

Should I get an international driving permit?

For visits, you may need one depending on the country. GOV.UK says not to apply for one if you are moving abroad; instead, exchange your licence or apply for a new one there.

What is an apostille?

An official certificate attached to a UK document so that other countries accept it. GOV.UK’s Legalisation Office provides it for eligible documents.

How much will my UK debit card cost abroad?

MoneyHelper says your bank may add a currency exchange fee, often around 3%, plus a cash or spending fee. Check your own bank’s fees.

What should I do if I lose my card?

Freeze it in the app if you can, tell the issuer, and use your second card. Our access plan guide has the full steps.

What this guide does not cover

It is not financial, legal, immigration or insurance advice. We do not cover visas or nomad residency schemes, because they differ by country and change often. We do not repeat the detail of insurance products, card-loss steps, deposit protection or device theft, because our other guides cover them. We have not checked US State Department pages or US licence rules for this edition, and we have not covered pensions, tax filing or business set-up.

Sources

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Matt Cartwright
Matt Cartwright

Matt Cartwright runs Bankrolled, a trading name of CLYFAR LTD, a UK company. He edits every guide for people whose income, home and savings sit in different countries, and checks each rule, limit and fee against the official source before it goes up. Nothing here is personal advice.

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