How we build and check our data

Every number on TravelOS comes from a named input, a stated calculation and a review date. This page explains all five datasets so you can judge how much weight to put on them — and where to go for the authoritative answer.

Last full review · next scheduled review 2026-08-17

Visa and entry rules

Inputs
Destination immigration portals, EU visa policy pages, ETIAS portal, IATA Travel Centre, US State Department and UK FCDO advisories.
How it is calculated
Each citizenship→destination pair stores a verdict (visa-free, e-visa, visa on arrival, visa required), the permitted stay and the counting rule (per entry, or 90/180 rolling for Schengen). Where a value differs by passport type or purpose of travel we show the tourist-passport value and flag the caveat instead of generalising.
Known limits
We do not model diplomatic, service or refugee travel documents, transit-only rules for every airport, or land-border exceptions. Passport-validity requirements are shown only where the destination publishes a specific figure.
Review cadence
Reviewed weekly for the highest-traffic routes, at least monthly for the rest.

Daily budget bands

Inputs
Partner booking price feeds, published national tourism statistics, and cost-of-living survey data.
How it is calculated
Three bands per destination — budget, mid-range and comfort — as an all-in daily figure per person covering accommodation, food, local transport and one paid activity. Bands are rounded to the nearest useful increment; they are planning estimates, not quotes.
Known limits
Peak-season, event and capital-city pricing can exceed the comfort band. Flights are excluded from daily budgets.
Review cadence
Refreshed on the weekly review cycle.

Safety score (0–100)

Inputs
Government travel advisories (US State Department, UK FCDO) plus published crime and road-safety indicators.
How it is calculated
Advisory level sets the baseline; indicators adjust it. Higher is calmer. The score summarises country-level conditions and never overrides an active advisory for a specific region.
Known limits
Country-level only. A safe country can contain areas under a do-not-travel notice.
Review cadence
Re-checked whenever a major advisory changes, and on the weekly review.

Nomad score

Inputs
Long-stay visa availability, internet speed data, monthly cost bands, and time-zone overlap with Europe and North America.
How it is calculated
Equal-weight composite of those four inputs, normalised to 0–100. It expresses how workable a place is for a remote worker staying a month or more, not how enjoyable it is as a holiday.
Known limits
Ignores personal tax residency, which is the decisive factor for many long stays.
Review cadence
Quarterly, or sooner when a country launches or closes a nomad visa.

Connectivity and eSIM

Inputs
Public mobile network coverage and speed reports, plus provider-published device and band compatibility lists.
How it is calculated
We list typical urban download speeds and the networks an eSIM provider roams onto. Compatibility statements come from the provider, per device — we do not assert that any phone works everywhere.
Known limits
Rural coverage and in-building performance vary widely from national averages.
Review cadence
Reviewed with each provider update.

Verify before you travel. Entry rules depend on your citizenship, passport type, purpose of travel and route (including transits and land borders). Always confirm the requirements with the destination's official immigration authority or your nearest embassy before booking.

Corrections

Found a number that no longer matches the official source? Email vladtrwork@gmail.com with the page URL. We log corrections in the editorial policy.

Primary sources we check against

Entry rules change without notice. TravelOS cross-checks these sources on a rolling schedule, but the issuing authority is always the final word. How we verify data