FBC – 481 – How to become a responsible digital nomad

How to become a responsible digital nomad.

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Who doesn't want to become a digital nomad?

Someone who can live in exotic countries and work from the beach or fancy coworking spaces?

The digital nomad lifestyle has been popularized in the last couple of years and there are more and more people aspiring to become one.

Being a digital nomad has its perks of course. However, there are also responsibilities that you need to be aware of.

In today's episode, I am going to tell you about the biggest one of them all.

Failure to take responsibility for this will get you in a world of trouble (and I REALLY mean it)

All the details can be found in today's episode

,

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

“The only thing worse than starting something and failing. is not starting something.”
, Seth Godin, founder Squidoo

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Martin Ebongue

Online Entrepreneur & free spirit:

Proud Owner Of The 50K Emails A Day Done-For-You Software

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Your Podcast Host

International Speaker | Podcaster | Free Spirit

Freedom Is A Choice: So choose wisely…

Welcome to the Freedom By Choice Podcast with your one and only hoste Martin. This podcast is reserved for freedom aficionados and entrepreneurs looking to create the lifestyle of their dreams.

In this podcast you will find all the support and answers you need to start, grow and scale a business that gives you the freedom you deserve.

I have compressed years of trials and errors, into easy to consume episodes, to take you from where you are now, to where you want to be.

The visa situation for people who are not Indonesian was kind of put on hold because of the virus, because, well, obviously, you can't leave the country, can go anywhere or anything.

But since today there is a new directive that came that said that a lot of people will have to leave the country in the next 30 days from now on, OK, which has triggered outrage from a lot of people saying, oh, what is the Indonesian government thinking? Do they not realize that we spend money here and all that kind of stuff, blah, blah, blah, etc.

It kind of sucks. But, you know, it is one of those things that I have been preaching for quite a while and I'm going to repeat this.

OK, so during the pandemic, basically what happened was that the government said, look, immigration is closed. You don't go to immigration because, you know, people gather there and it was not safe.

So you couldn't go to immigration, but you could pay an agent to go to immigration and get whatever it is that you needed done for your permit to stay here. OK, so it's just that this will cost you a little bit of money.

OK, and a lot of people were like, you know what, let me save 60 bucks. I don't want to do it, you know, while the border is closed. What can they do? They're not going to kick me out because I spend money in this country.

People told me, look, we heard this. We don't know if it's legit or not or if it's just like some sort of scheme where people are trying to make money because it's Korona.

But you still get an official stamp from immigration on your passport because normally if you have to leave the country on a certain date, then, you know, you need to leave the country or you need some sort of stamp that said that while you're still able to stay here.

So me, what I've done is, look, I'd rather pay 60 bucks and have a stamp that at the end of the day, instead of finding myself in a situation where I needed the freaking stamp four months ago and now I'm at immigration and they're asking me to pay a fine for being here longer than I should have, because there is something called that overstay here, that won’t happen.

People are moaning because it used to be far cheaper than this. I think before it was like ten, ten times less but they just increased it.

So I don't know where you guys are from, but for example, if you go to the US, and you stay one hour more than you should have, trust me, you're not going to like it. It's not that you pay a fine, they might throw you in jail. They will ban you for life or you can’t come back in the next five years.

So that overstay honestly is really not the end of the world.

So now flash forward today, like four months later. What happens is that the government said, look, if you are here and you haven't done this, you need to go in the next 30 days. And here's the problem.

How to become a responsible digital nomad

The problem is so people are like, yeah, but my country is closed, obviously, because my country is closed, they're not going to ask me to leave. But the government couldn't care less where you’re going. They just want you out. That's your freaking problem. It's not their problem. You know what I mean?

So all that just to say that, you know, there are two lessons there. Don't try to save pennies and end up in a situation where you wish you had invested the money because this is important and this is your like your visa and all that kind of stuff. You don't want to piss off immigration.

And second thing also is, you know, one thing that I've been preaching for a long time here is remember the quadrants that I told you about. You have four quadrants, right?

And I told you that the most important quadrant and the quadrant you want to live in and thrive is quadrant number two. “Something that's not urgent, but it's important”.

OK, and here in this case, this is typical quadrant number two. It wasn't urgent for people to go in and take care of their visa and stuff because, yeah, you know what? The borders are closed and blah, blah, blah. It wasn't urgent, but it was important and people didn't do it right.

You decided not to do it because that is not urgent. So now you end up in a situation where you are in quadrant one. It's urgent and it's important, but it's too late.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to be a responsible digital nomad?

A responsible digital nomad pays the right taxes, respects local culture, integrates instead of staying in expat bubbles, and contributes to the local economy. Being responsible means understanding visa rules, learning basic phrases, and not pricing locals out of long-term housing in cities where wages are 10x lower than yours.

Do digital nomads have to pay taxes in the countries they visit?

It depends on time spent and tax residency rules. Most countries trigger tax residency at 183 days inside a calendar year. Many digital nomads still need to file in their home country regardless of location. Talk to a cross-border tax accountant before you spend more than six months anywhere.

How do responsible digital nomads avoid contributing to over-tourism?

Stay longer in fewer places, book locally owned guesthouses, eat where the locals eat, and skip the most photographed spots during peak hours. Slow travel of three to six months per location reduces your carbon footprint, builds real local relationships, and keeps tourist money inside the community instead of large hotel chains.

What is the biggest mistake new digital nomads make?

Treating every country like a vacation. New nomads burn out in six months because they constantly move, drink heavily, and never establish a routine. The ones who last for years operate like residents: gym membership, regular sleep schedule, deep work hours, and one rest day per week. Stability beats novelty.

Related Reading

• How Can Entrepreneurs Diversify Their Revenue Sources To Ensure Stability As Dig
• How Do Digital Nomad Solopreneurs Maintain A Healthy Routine Amidst Changing Env
• What Tax Implications Should Digital Nomad Entrepreneurs Be Aware Of?
• How Do ‘All-Hats’ Entrepreneurs Prioritize Self-care While Scaling T

Being A Digital Nomad Is Not An Escape, It Is A Responsibility

Here is the uncomfortable part of the laptop-and-a-beach fantasy: the freedom only lasts if you carry your obligations with you instead of running from them. The nomads who flame out are the ones who treated a new country as a way to dodge taxes, contracts, and clients back home. The ones who last treat location independence as a privilege that comes with paperwork. I have lived on the road for years, and the boring admin is exactly what keeps the lifestyle sustainable.

Sort your tax residency, keep your commitments to the places you pass through, and do not become the person who prices locals out and gives nothing back. I talk about the real version of this life, including the parts nobody posts, on the Freedom by Choice podcast and in my own story. For the practical side, Stripe Atlas has solid guides on structuring a location-independent business, and Harvard Business Review has covered how remote and distributed work succeeds only with real discipline behind it.