Americans looking for a sudden change of scenery can move to an idyllic, low-tax European destination without having to put out investment cash or get in line for a residency permit. There’s just one catch: they have to be okay with long, dark winters. Svalbard — a frigid but beautiful archipelago governed by Norway but existing outside the EU-regulated Schengen Area — allows anyone with the strength required to live 400 miles from the North Pole to simply book a flight and stay forever — with a few ground rules, of course. To live in Europe’s only visa-free zone, where the largest town tops out at just over 2,000 people, self-sufficiency is the key, due to scarce job opportunities. Housing is also expensive, even for Norway, one of the priciest countries on earth. The downside is that the region experiences “polar night” for whopping 84 days a year, which means sun worshipers should look elsewhere. Residents are even required to carry weapons when they leave town, in case they’re confronted by aggressive polar bears. Other than that, life in Svalbard is pretty great, according to locals. Remote workers are well suited for the area, since there are underwater fiber-optic cables running more than 500 miles from the Norwegian mainland, giving the town of Svalbard some of the fastest Internet service available. As for what there is to do, there are the beautiful fjords, whale spotting on the beaches, breathtaking displays of the Northern Lights, and when the sun comes back there’s a major party in the village. What more could you ask?
