Solutions · Digital Nomad

Digital Nomad Setup: company, account, visa

Deregistered, no tax number, your bank asking for your address: these are the typical stumbling blocks of nomad life. Where you live, where your clients are and who sends the invoice decide on company, account and visa. A company in Hong Kong or the USA makes accounts, payment processing and cards independent of your registered address. On tax: Hong Kong only taxes profits sourced in Hong Kong, and what is due at home depends on your residence.

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Digital Nomad Setup:
company, account, visa

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Last updated: 11/2026

What do digital nomads need: a company, an account or a visa?

Usually all three, but in an order. First clarify where you are tax resident; then the question “who sends the invoice?” decides whether and where a company makes sense; then comes the account, and finally the visa for the country you want to live in. A company does not change your personal tax; that follows where you live. And a visa covers your stay: residence is not permission to work.

Nomad Check · 1 minute

Company, account, visa: your order of steps

Four questions on residence, clients, invoicing and visa. The result appears here straight away; on request we email you the checklist “Company, account, visa”.

Where are you registered or tax resident today?
Where are your clients?
Who sends the invoice today?
Are you planning a visa for a country?

Your result appears here once all four questions are answered. Nothing is sent.

Overview

When your home bank asks for your address

You are deregistered from your home country. You no longer have a valid tax number. Your banks at home will sooner or later ask questions, and if you cannot provide proof of address, they may close your accounts. Then it becomes hard to issue invoices or receive payments.

If it happens in the middle of a project, you have open invoices with clients who want to pay but no longer have an account to pay into.

The route: a company in Hong Kong or the USA. It lets you build an account structure that is not tied to your registered address, whether you are in South America, Africa or Southeast Asia. Your business partners see a reputable company in Hong Kong or a US company. We support you with opening the account; the bank or payment provider decides on it. PayPal, Stripe, Oceanpayment and the common payment methods can be connected, and cards for withdrawing cash worldwide are possible depending on the provider.

On tax: Hong Kong only taxes profits sourced in Hong Kong. How much tax is ultimately due depends on residence, place of management and documentation. If the company is run from Germany, Austria or Switzerland, it can be taxable there. A Hong Kong company needs neither your residence there nor a local director. For your personal tax you still need a clear answer on where you are resident.

Typical Profiles & Situations

Freelance developer traveling

Works for international clients, lives in changing countries and needs a stable company structure and banking that works everywhere.

Online coach or consultant

Offers coaching or consulting online and needs payment links, invoicing and a professional company profile.

Content creator traveling

Earns through sponsorships, affiliate and own products and needs a company that cleanly processes all revenue streams.

E-commerce entrepreneur without fixed residence

Runs Shopify stores or Amazon FBA and needs payment processing and banking not tied to a residence.

Agency owner with remote team

Runs a marketing or design agency with team in different countries and needs a central company structure with international banking.

Trader or investor traveling

Trades stocks and digital assets and needs a company structure with access to brokers and properly documented trading.

Four more situations, answered briefly

Tap the situation that fits you.

Your home-country bank may not support your mobile life forever

Many digital nomads still rely on bank accounts, payment flows and tax assumptions from their former home country. Once they become more mobile, lose local ties or change residence, banking access and incoming payments can become fragile. Strasia helps build a more reliable international setup with company structure, banking options and payment flows designed for mobile entrepreneurs.

Common Risks & Hidden Complexity

Banks may close your accounts

Without valid proof of address, banks in your home country often close accounts sooner or later. Then you lose access to your money and payments no longer arrive.

Unclear tax residence and weak documentation

Many mobile founders assume that moving around automatically solves tax and compliance questions. In reality, unclear residence, weak documentation and inconsistent banking records can create problems later. Strasia helps build a structure that is easier to explain, maintain and defend.

Tax grey area

Anyone deregistered without being tax resident elsewhere is in a tax grey area. Without a clear residence, a clear company structure and proper records, back payments can follow.

Payment processing without company

PayPal, Stripe and other providers require a registered company for many features. Without a company you often depend on private transfers, which looks less professional to clients.

Popular Structures & Setups

Hong Kong Limited for Nomads

Fits if your clients are worldwide or in Asia. Territorial system: profits sourced outside Hong Kong may qualify for offshore exemption, subject to IRD review; what applies at home depends on your residence. No local director needed, guided account opening with OCBC, Aspire and Airwallex. Cards for worldwide cash withdrawal.

US LLC for Nomads

Fits if your clients are mainly in the US. Pass-through taxation: the LLC itself generally pays no US federal income tax; profits are allocated to you and taxed where you are tax resident. Reporting duties such as Form 5472 apply. US banking, Stripe and common payment platforms after review by each provider.

USA

Singapore Pte. Ltd. for Nomads

Fits if you have clients in Southeast Asia and a director resident in Singapore is possible; that is mandatory there. Support with account opening at banks such as CIMB and OCBC, for nomads with higher revenue and clients in the region.

UK Ltd for EU Clients

Fits if your clients are mainly in Europe. Access to Stripe and European payment methods for euro payments.

Dubai Free Zone for Nomads

Fits if you genuinely want to live in Dubai. UAE: 9% corporate tax on profits above AED 375,000; qualifying free zone companies may benefit on qualifying income. No personal income tax in the UAE; at home, your residence decides. A visa is not automatically included; we clarify with you whether one is possible through the company. A fixed base in the Middle East from which you travel worldwide.

Dubai

Dual Structure (HK + USA)

Only fits once both markets bring real business. Two companies: HK for Asian clients, USA for Western clients and US banking.

HKUSA

Visa

Where you may stay is not automatically where you may work

Three routes we discuss most often with nomads. Residence is not permission to work.

Thailand: Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)

Valid for five years, multiple entry; up to 180 days per entry, extendable once per entry by up to 180 days
For remote workers, freelancers and digital nomads; proof of funds (reference 500,000 baht)
No work for Thai employers

Malaysia: DE Rantau Nomad Pass

First 3 to 12 months, renewable up to three times for 12 months each, 48 months at most
Annual income from 36,000 US dollars (tech and digital) or 60,000 US dollars (other professions), MDEC FAQ of 1 Nov 2026
No work for Malaysian employers; the spouse may not work; most banks do not open an account on it

Singapore and Hong Kong: visa with your own company

Anyone wanting to work locally for their own company needs a work or entrepreneur visa, such as the EntrePass or Employment Pass in Singapore
A company alone gives no right to live or work there

Compare entrepreneur visas →

Visa validity, permission to stay, work authorisation and tax residence are separate. A long physical presence in Thailand can create Thai filing or tax questions regardless of the visa label. Obtain individual tax advice before changing remittance patterns or relying on treaty relief. Visa details as published by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DTV) and in MDEC’s DE Rantau FAQ of 5 November 2025.

Before choosing between Hong Kong and the US: the video guide to the Hong Kong company shows why your residence matters, and our Form 5472 guide explains the reporting duty of every foreign-owned LLC.

Our Nomad Service Package

Company formation in HK, USA, SG, UK or Dubai

Support with opening accounts at established banks and payment providers

Support with connecting payment providers (PayPal, Stripe, Airwallex, Oceanpayment)

Debit and credit cards for worldwide cash withdrawal

IBAN for European payments (via Airwallex)

Tax assessment and compliance

Ongoing bookkeeping and tax returns

Coordination with your tax adviser on deregistration and departure

Our Process

Initial Consultation

60 Min.

We analyze your business model, current situation and travel plans. From this we develop the right structure.

Company Formation

Depends on country

Formation of your company in the chosen jurisdiction, including all registrations and compliance requirements.

Banking & Cards

Guided

Support with account opening, payment processing and cards so you can receive payments worldwide. Banks and payment providers decide on accounts.

Ongoing Support

Ongoing

We handle bookkeeping, tax returns and compliance, and you focus on your business and your travels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a fixed residence for a Hong Kong company?

No, the company needs neither your residence in Hong Kong nor a local director. It operates through a registered address in Hong Kong, and you can work from anywhere. For your personal tax you still need a clear answer on where you are resident.

What happens to my bank accounts in my home country?

If you are deregistered and cannot provide proof of address, many banks close accounts sooner or later. From 11 January 2027 CRD VI adds a factor: banks outside the EU may offer deposits, lending and guarantees to clients in the EU only through a branch in the EU; contracts concluded before 11 July 2026 are grandfathered, and a narrow exemption applies if you approach the bank on your own initiative. That is why it pays to build the banking structure beforehand.

Can I issue invoices in Europe with a HK company?

Yes, through Airwallex you get a European IBAN. Your clients can pay normally by bank transfer. Additionally you can use PayPal, Stripe and other payment methods.

How do taxes work as a nomad?

What decides is your residence, not the company location alone. Hong Kong only taxes profits sourced in Hong Kong; profits sourced outside Hong Kong may qualify for offshore exemption, subject to IRD review, depending on actual operations, where contracts are concluded and documentation. What also counts is where you are tax resident and where the company is managed from: if it is run from Germany, Austria or Switzerland, it can be taxable there. We clarify details in the initial consultation.

Can I get cards for cash withdrawal?

Yes, depending on the bank or payment provider, there are debit and/or credit cards linked directly to your company account. You can withdraw cash worldwide at ATMs, even in countries with weak banking systems.

Which business models does this work for?

For business models that run without a shop, warehouse or staff on site: e-commerce, consulting, coaching, agency work, content creation, influencer marketing and trading. If you have staff or premises in a country, we first check whether the company belongs there.

How fast can I get started?

Formation itself is quick in most countries. Account opening takes longer, because the bank or payment provider reviews the business and the owners and decides itself. That is why we do not quote a fixed figure; in the initial consultation we tell you what to expect in your case.

Do I need a company at all as a digital nomad?

Not always. The question is: who sends the invoice? If you are employed, your employer pays your salary and you usually need no company. If you freelance, company formation pays off when clients prefer to deal with a company or payment providers require one. A company does not change your personal tax; that follows where you live.

Do digital nomads without a residence have to pay tax?

As a rule, yes; the only question is where. Anyone who deregisters without becoming tax resident elsewhere often remains taxable in the old country, or falls into a gap that raises questions with banks and authorities. What decides is residence, habitual abode and centre of life, and with several countries the double taxation treaty. Together with your tax adviser we clarify where you are resident before the company is formed.

Which bank account works best for digital nomads?

Usually one that is not tied to your private registered address: a business account of your company with a bank or payment provider where the company is based, plus cards and an IBAN for euro payments. We support you with opening the account; the bank reviews the business and the owners and decides itself. A visa alone rarely opens an account; in Malaysia, for example, most banks do not accept the DE Rantau pass for it.

Can I work in Thailand on the DTV visa?

The Destination Thailand Visa is meant for remote work for employers and clients outside Thailand, not for work for Thai employers. Requirements include proof of remote work (an employment contract abroad or a portfolio) and proof of funds, reference 500,000 baht; the fee is set by each embassy, reference 10,000 baht. The visa is valid for five years with up to 180 days per entry. A long presence can raise Thai tax questions regardless of the visa.

What is the DE Rantau Nomad Pass in Malaysia?

A residence pass from the digital agency MDEC for remote workers and freelancers. It first runs 3 to 12 months and can be renewed up to three times for 12 months each, up to 48 months in total. It requires an annual income from 36,000 US dollars (tech and digital) or 60,000 US dollars (other professions), per the MDEC FAQ of 1 Nov 2026. It does not allow work for Malaysian employers, the spouse may not work, and most banks do not open an account on it.

Can I be a digital nomad as an employee?

Yes, if your employer allows working from abroad and your visa covers remote work for a foreign employer, such as the DTV or the DE Rantau pass. You usually do not need your own company for this. Also clarify social security and payroll tax with your employer, since both follow your residence and place of work.

Which country for the company if I travel all the time?

It depends on where your clients are: Hong Kong for clients in Asia and worldwide, a US LLC for clients in the US, a UK Ltd for clients in Europe, Singapore for Southeast Asia if a director resident in Singapore is possible. Travelling alone does not make any location tax-neutral; the place from which you manage the company can matter.

Digital nomad with children or family: what should I consider?

Dependants have their own rules. On the DE Rantau pass, the spouse and children can come along, but the spouse may not work, and children often need their own pass for school. For the DTV, the embassy decides on the evidence required for spouse and children. Plan visa, income and schooling together before you form the company.

Leaving the UK, Canada or Australia as a digital nomad: when does tax residence end?

Not when you board the plane, but when the rules of your home country say so. The UK decides with the Statutory Residence Test, which counts your days in the UK and ties such as a home, family or work there (HMRC RDR3). Canada looks at residential ties: a home, a spouse or partner and dependants in Canada usually keep you resident, and 183 days or more in a calendar year make you resident in any case (CRA Income Tax Folio S5-F1-C1). Australia applies four residency tests, including a domicile test that can keep you resident while you travel (ATO). Banks and payment providers also ask for your tax residence when you open an account, so a nomad without any residence often gets stuck there. We plan the company together with a base and a visa that fit it.

Settle your order of steps in the initial call

Free initial consultation: 60 minutes, no obligation.

HK Incorporation USA Incorporation Consulting & Agency Visa & Migration Non-EU accounts from 2027 (CRD VI)

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Strasia Group · Hong Kong

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