Croatia Visa and Residency Information - International Living

Croatia is part of an increasingly popular part of Europe, the Balkans. The country is not yet part of the European Union, but is in the process of harmonizing its laws to match those of EU member states, in hope of gaining EU status soon.

Temporary Visas

North Americans do not require a visa for trips of up to 90 days.

Long-Term Visas

Temporary Residence Permit

This is a misnomer since the permit is actually valid for a year and can be renewed indefinitely. To obtain a temporary residence permit, you need to apply in person at the local Ministry of the Interior (Ministartsvo Unutarnjih Poslova, or MUP) office. You’ll need to present a copy of your passport, two photos, a birth certificate with an apostille, evidence of health insurance, housing, adequate funding, and a criminal history report. You’ll need a stated reason for wanting to live in Croatia. This can be related to an investment, a business, family, employment, study, or real estate rental or purchase. Having a yacht moored in a Croatian marina also qualifies as a reason for being granted a residency permit.

Digital Nomad Visa

Table this visa is available to anyone who can prove a minimum income of approximately €2,300 per month, health insurance, and proof of accommodation. Your income must come from non-Croatian companies or clients. It's valid for a year and requires that you stay six months outside of Croatia before you apply a second time.

Retirement Visa

Technically this is a form of temporary residence permit, but it functions as a retirement visa since it's based on passive income. It requires a monthly income of at least €460, or proof of sufficient savings to draw on to sustain yourself. For couples, the amount is around €660 per month. As with other visa types, you also need health insurance and proof of accommodation. Like other temporary residency categories, it can be renewed annually.

Permanent Residency

After five years of legal residency in Croatia in any category, you can apply for permanent residency. During this time, you should not have been outside Croatia for more than 10 months or for more than six consecutive months. You must have a basic knowledge of Croatian, to A1 level.

Citizenship

After eight years of continuous legal residence, you may be able to apply for Croatian citizenship, although you need to speak Croatian fluently and demonstrate full cultural integration.

Requirements and Documentation

The following are required to get any type of Croatian residency:

• A passport valid for at least three months.

• A completed application form.

• Two passport sized photos.

• Proof of passive or active income sufficient to support yourself, As well as proof of any savings or investments.

• Proof of health insurance.

• Proof of accommodation in Croatia.

• A criminal background check from your home country, translated into Croatian and apostilled.

• Birth and marriage certificates as needed.

Processing Time

Average processing times depend on the nature of the application. For some, such as yachtsman, it can be as little as two to three weeks. For other applications, it may take three to four months.

Cost

If you apply for a residency permit inside Croatia, the cost is between €45 and €80. Applying at a Croatian consulate or embassy costs between €65 and €95. Once you have got your residency, you will need to get a biometric residence permit that costs about €32.

Permanent residence permits are slightly more expensive, at €105, but they are the same price as the digital nomad visa.

Contacts

• 2343 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

• Tel. (202) 588-5899

• Email: washington@mvep.hr

• Consulates: Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY