While popular destinations like Barcelona, Venice and the Canary Islands grapple with the challenges of overtourism—spawning protests and local discontent—one European region is extending a warm welcome to foreigners: Extremadura, Spain.
Here, the local government has allocated €2 million (about AUD$3.44 million) to attract up to 200 digital nomads with grants of up to €15,000 (about AUD$24,789) to move to Extremadura and work. Women and men under the age of 30 can receive €10,000 (about AUD$15,858), while men over 30 years can make €8,000 (about AUD$12,686). After two years, women and men under the age of 30 will get another €5,000 (about AUD$7,929) if they stay in the region for another year. Men over 30 will get an additional €4,000 (about AUD$6,343) after two years and also must stay another year.
This strategic move aims to leverage remote work to inject new life into the area’s economy and reverse the trends of depopulation and economic stagnation. According to a report from Resist, a project funded by the European Union, Extremadura was identified as a less-developed region by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). “It has a high index of rural depopulation, an aging working population in rural areas and a lack of transport infrastructure, leading to socioeconomic issues,” says the report.
Currently, Extremadura has the lowest population density in Spain, with 26 inhabitants per square kilometer (compare that to the population of Barcelona, which has 16,000 inhabitants per square kilometer). In 2017, the regional newspaper Hoy reported that Extremadura was losing 200 young people aged 20 to 39 a month.
Across Europe, there have been many efforts like this to save dying towns and regions and attract new residents. In Italy, Tuscany was paying new residents AUD$50,795. The island of Sardinia offered new residents around AUD$23,814. And islands in Ireland were paying people AUD$146,785 to refurbish a house.
Extremadura’s program is also part of a growing global trend, with regions leveraging the benefits of remote work capabilities to address demographic and economic challenges. Similar to the approach taken by Tulsa, Oklahoma—which offers AUD$15,858 and a free co-working space to eligible remote workers—Extremadura is positioning itself as a fertile ground for professionals who can choose where they live based on quality of life rather than office location.
Extremadura also offers a compelling argument for those looking to ditch city life. The region offers a cost of living significantly lower than many parts of Spain. According to Numbeo, rents in Cacares—one of the major areas of Extremadura—cost are 63.3% lower than in Madrid, restaurant prices in Caceres are 19.3% lower than Madrid, groceries in Caceres are 5.2% lower than in Madrid. Extremadura also has a robust telecommunications infrastructure—making it an ideal spot for people whose work travels with them.
So what do you need to know if you want to make Extremadura your new home? Like many of these programs, there are stipulations. First off, citizens from any country in the world can apply, but if you’re not an EU citizen, you must be participating in Spain’s digital nomad visa scheme. You must not have lived in the Extremadura region for six months before you register to participate in the program. You also must move to an area with a population of less than 5,000 people.
Your career also matters. Extremadura prefers to have remote tech professionals. You also need to be able to prove your ability to work remotely.
Lastly, you need to commit to living in Extremadura for at least two years.
The grant application window is expected to open shortly after the initiative’s details are published in the Official Gazette of Extremadura, likely by mid-September. Applications have to be submitted electronically using the Extremadura General Electronic Access Point. Given the limited number of grants available, you should act fast if you want to make this exciting life change.
This article was originally published on forbes.com.
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