Teadusseminar "Diffusion of policy innovation: The case of digital nomad visas" (Jan Bednorz)

15.10.2025

11.00-12.00

Narva 18 - ruum 1024 ja Zoom

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Diffusion of policy innovation: The case of digital nomad visas

Jan Bednorz (University of Tartu)

Digital nomads are a class of highly mobile professionals who work digitally while travelling on a long-term basis from one location to the next (Hannonen, 2020). The number of digital nomads has grown exponentially, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic and the normalisation of remote work. In response, some countries have begun positioning themselves as digital nomad-friendly destinations and responding strategically to attract this mobile workforce, including through dedicated immigration regimes, often labelled as ‘digital nomad visas’ (Bednorz, 2024; Koskela & Beckers, 2024; Sánchez-Vergara et al., 2023; Toivanen, 2023). This research positions these digital nomad visas as policy innovation (Bednorz & Hannonen, forthcoming) and examines their proliferation by applying sociological (Rogers, 2014) and geographical (Hägerstrand, 1968) theories of innovation diffusion. It first looks at innovation implementers – countries across the world that have implemented digital nomad visas, and identifies time, spatial, and structural patterns in diffusion trends (Bednorz, 2024; Bednorz, Solvak, & Orel, under review). It then turns towards innovation adopters – individuals (digital nomads) who have applied for digital nomad visas. Using a unique dataset from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, it reconstructs the uptake patterns of a digital nomad visa and profiles digital nomad visa holders (Bednorz, work-in-progress).

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