165,000 Brits now work abroad as study ranks top digital nomad hubs

A new study highlighted by HR News on 15 October 2026 puts the number of Brits working abroad at 165,000 and claims to rank the best countries for digital nomads. That's the extent of the concrete information available from the material provided — the headline, publisher, and publication time. The full study methodology, country rankings, and source data were not included in the page text.

Why it matters

Even a single headline figure tells you something about the labour market. If 165,000 UK nationals are working remotely from outside the UK, it confirms that remote work abroad is no longer a niche experiment.

For jobseekers in Nepal and elsewhere, the trend matters for two reasons. First, more countries are formalising remote-work stays with dedicated visas. Second, UK and EU employers who accept distributed teams are more likely to consider candidates based in South Asia for fully remote roles, provided you can show overlap hours, reliable internet, and tax compliance.

General context: Digital nomad visas are not work permits for the local labour market. They typically let you live in a country for 6-12 months while you work remotely for a foreign employer or your own clients. Most require proof of income, health insurance, a clean criminal record, and a minimum monthly earning threshold. Rules change often, so you must check the immigration department of the destination country itself, not just round-ups.

Key details

Here is what is confirmed in the material we were given:

• Headline claim: 165,000 Brits now work abroad.
• Topic: A new study that reveals the best countries for digital nomads.
• Publisher: HR News.
• Published: Thu, 15 Oct 2026 19:54:09 GMT.

What has not been announced in the material:

• The name of the organisation that carried out the study, its sample size, or methodology.
• The list of countries ranked, or the criteria used — such as visa cost, internet speed, cost of living, or tax.
• Any deadline, salary figure, or eligibility rules — this is not a recruitment notice.

We are not adding those rankings here because they were not in the source text and we don't guess.

What to do next

If you are in Nepal and exploring remote work abroad, treat this headline as a prompt to do proper checks, not as a visa list:

• Verify the study itself: Search for the original HR News article via Google News and read the full methodology before you act on any ranking.
• Check official immigration sources: For any country that interests you, go to its immigration ministry website. Look for "remote work visa" or "digital nomad visa" and note income thresholds, permitted stay, and whether you can bring dependants.
• Prepare a remote-work file: Most embassies ask for 6-12 months of bank statements, proof of remote employment or freelance contracts, health insurance valid in the destination, police clearance, and accommodation proof. Keep scanned copies ready.
• Don't mix channels: A digital nomad visa is applied for directly with the destination government or its embassy. It is not processed through Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment. If someone asks for a large fee to arrange a "nomad job abroad", be cautious and verify.
• Tax and time zones: Clarify where you will be tax-resident and whether your employer allows work from that country. Some firms block certain locations for data protection reasons.

For Nepali applicants specifically, remote work does not require a labour permit from DoFE, but if you later convert to a local job in that country, you will need to follow the official labour migration process.

Bottom line: the 165,000 figure points to a real shift, but without the full study we can't list the top countries. Use the headline as a starting point, then rely on embassy sites and the original report for decisions.