Why we built VisaWisely
We got tired of visa websites that read like sales brochures. So we built the one we wished existed.
The problem we kept running into
If you've ever tried to research a visa online, you know the routine. Outdated income thresholds. Programs that quietly closed two years ago. Affiliate-heavy "best visa" listicles that recommend whatever pays the highest commission. Government websites in the local language with no translations.
We started VisaWisely because we needed it ourselves. The first guides were spreadsheets we built for our own moves — Lisbon, then Bangkok, then Mexico City. When friends started asking for copies, we cleaned them up and put them online.
What we actually do
For each visa, we read the official government source, parse the actual requirements, and then talk to people who've actually applied. We strip out the puffery and try to give you the honest picture: what the real income bar is (often higher than the official floor), what really gets people rejected, and what the trade-offs look like vs. similar programs in other countries.
Every visa page shows the date it was last verified. Programs change. Thresholds rise. Tax regimes get tightened. We update when changes happen — and when we don't have time to verify a recent change, we say so.
How we make money
VisaWisely is free for readers. We never charge for visa guides, and we don't sell email lists.
We make money through affiliate partnerships with services we genuinely think nomads and expats need: international health insurance (SafetyWing, Genki), money transfer (Wise, Revolut), eSIM data (Airalo, Holafly), and a few golden-visa consulting firms for high-end programs.
When you click an affiliate link and sign up, we get a small commission. The price you pay is the same — there's no markup. We only recommend services we'd actually use ourselves, and we say "no" to most affiliate offers we get pitched.
If you want to support the site, using our affiliate links when you set up your insurance/banking/eSIM costs you nothing extra and keeps the lights on.
What we don't do
We're not lawyers. We're not licensed immigration consultants. We don't process visa applications, sell legal advice, or handle anyone's paperwork.
For complex situations — denied applications, unusual income structures, family reunification edge cases — you'll want a licensed immigration attorney in the destination country. Our guides will help you understand the landscape; they're not a substitute for legal advice.
Who we are
VisaWisely is run by a small team of writers, researchers, and former (and current) nomads. We've held visas across Portugal, Thailand, Mexico, the UAE, and a handful of other places. We've also been rejected enough times to know how the bureaucracy actually works on the ground.
Get in touch
Found an outdated figure? Disagree with our take on a visa? Have a question we haven't covered? Email us at hello@visawisely.com. We read everything.