Bruce Dias 
Not all cities are the same when it comes to using or transferring crypto on a work trip. By 2026, the gap between the most successful cities and the other ones will be rather obvious. These are the five destinations that have the best crypto set-up among business travellers.
#1 Dubai, UAE
Dubai can be regarded as one of the most friendly locations to cryptocurrencies in the world. It aims to have 90% of transactions done digitally by 2026 (not just crypto but all payments), and its crypto regulator, VARA, has licensed or provisionally licensed big exchanges, such as Binance and Bybit.
Some fancy hotels and shops are also testing crypto payments using a middleman, and some travel companies have even declared their intention to accept crypto. However, it is not ubiquitous yet, and lots of payments are yet to be made using crypto instead of a credit card.
There is no personal income tax or capital gains tax in the UAE, and thus, there is no tax on your crypto profits. Depending on the arrangement, business income may fall under the 9% corporate tax of the UAE.
#2 Singapore
If Dubai is taking the lead with grand ambitions, Singapore is taking the lead with unambiguous, trustworthy regulations. The central bank of the country, the MAS, has already granted regulatory licenses to key payment providers in the crypto industry, which leaves the way clear to companies that play by the rules.
Singapore does not have a capital gain tax. Assuming you are holding crypto as an investment, you will not generally be taxed on those profits, but if you are trading a lot like a business, then it may be classified as income.
Finding shops that accept crypto is a shot in the dark. Most people use it practically, through regulated exchanges, private deals, or crypto debit cards. Singapore has a high emphasis on explicit regulations, which is why business travellers can transfer their crypto across borders without any issues or difficulties.
#3 Switzerland
Zug, a mere 30 minutes away from Zurich, hosts over a thousand blockchain firms and even allows people to use Bitcoin to pay for most of the city services, exchanging them for Swiss francs.
Starting in 2020, the financial regulator of Switzerland, FINMA, has explicit regulations on digital assets. Capital gains tax is not levied on crypto that the country considers personal investments, but wealth tax applies. If you are trading on a professional basis, then that can be counted as income and taxed.
The country has become an excellent location to travel to in Europe to develop fintech-related business, as Swiss banks are providing additional services to store and trade digital assets.
#4 Portugal
Porto and Lisbon are now vibrant Web3 and fintech centres. According to the current taxation laws in Portugal, if you sell crypto that you have held for less than one year, you pay taxes at 28% of the profits. Keep it longer than one year, and it generally is not subject to any capital gains tax. Also, any income from staking is taxable.
Portugal, as an EU member, is subject to a single set of crypto rules formed by MiCA. Directly buying and selling crypto in shops is still a rather uncommon case, though payment systems and financial technology apps are on the rise. The country is still the host of the large-scale Web3 and blockchain conferences and has excellent flight links to North America and the rest of Europe.
#5 Estonia
Estonia is not new to developing a digital-first society. Digital signatures, e-residency and online government services are now part of the way things are done there.
The tax burden on crypto gains is typically 22% of the income tax that is paid in Estonia, which is a flat rate. During recent years, Estonia tightened the crypto license regulations to prevent money laundering, which resulted in a more regulated, yet more transparent business environment.
Tallinn is well-endowed with a tech-centred atmosphere, but direct purchase with crypto at the stores is still uncommon in comparison with the usage of crypto-backed cards.
Before You Travel
It is only half the battle knowing which places are crypto-friendly. The worst thing you could do is to show up without doing your homework first. Crypto-focused sites such as CryptoManiaks can help you before your next visit; they regularly release easy-to-understand tutorials on how to do transactions with a crypto exchange, and how crypto wallets and various cryptocurrencies work.
Before you board your flight, there are a few things that you will need to get ready:
- Hardware wallet or trusted app wallet on your phone – your money is always available, even when you have the bank card frozen in a foreign country.
- A Visa or Mastercard based on crypto – change your crypto into local currency at checkout and use it at just about any typical point of payment.
- USDC/USDT loaded and ready – this type of stablecoin is most commonly utilised on exchanges and to send money, but it is still uncommon to use them directly in physical locations.
All of the listed five destinations here are crypto-friendly, though certain types or kinds of transactions may be limited.
The Bottom Line
Currently, Dubai and Singapore have some of the most advanced regulations and practical infrastructure to accommodate business travellers who would like to deal with crypto. Switzerland, Portugal, and Estonia have transparent, well-developed regulations and highly successful fintech industries. That being said, when you use crypto to buy your daily coffee, you are typically paying using a card that converts it to cash and not crypto.
Travelling with crypto is becoming a routine when it comes to handling transfers and working with funds. The readiness of the infrastructure, however, differs depending on the location, and it is still necessary to be prepared.
The actual question is: Is your setup prepared?
