[metacritic12]

Also it's an open secret that enforcement is poor to nil on the above setup.

The major checkpoint is at custom control, where choosing your words carefully will be important. I'm sure Google offers some good advice on this.

[patrec]

> Also it's an open secret that enforcement is poor to nil on the above setup.

OK, but what happens if you have a medical emergency? Googling suggests there are dedicated "digital nomad" insurance plans, but does a sizable fraction of digital nomads actually have insurance that provides cover for people who are doing illegal remote work?

[metacritic12]

Most developed countries (especially EU, but even USA) require that hospital take care of actual medical emergencies regardless of ability to pay or immigration status.

This is different than getting a doctor checkup or a scheduled surgery. For that you need to go home. But if you get into a car accident in the UK while a digital nomad, the process is probably the same as if you were a tourist.

E.g. NHS would take care of you, and sort the billing out later. And tourist insurance would probably even take care of you. For insurance underwriting purposes, being a nomad is a plus (other than customs law), because you spend all day in a library or WeWork, not bungee jumping or safari riding.

Of course, your point is correct that being on a tourist visa vs (say in the USA) a green card does cause a lot of headaches. Landlords will not rent long term to you. You cannot get a local job in case your main employer fires you (and you fall in love with the place). You'll have a hard time getting utilities, a bank account, etc.

[bombcar]

I would assume you either are young and gambling you don't have an emergency, or you accept that you'll be treated by whatever is available, hopefully stabilized, and return to your country of origin.

You may be able to survive on "tourist insurance" or whatever, if you keep your working down-low (if it's all laptop work, maybe nobody will know or care enough to investigate).