Would you like to know what is required for Croatian residency? A residence permit for Croatia can open the door to Europe and help you go where you’re treated best.
Nomad Capitalist can help you secure Croatian residence and create a holistic strategy to help you reach new heights in wealth and freedom.
In this article, we will outline how to become a Croatian resident, the benefits and requirements, and the application process.
Chances are you have vacationed in Croatia or the Republic of Croatia to give the country its full name. Croatian destinations such as major cities Dubrovnik and Split have been used as filming locations for Game of Thrones.
As you continue your vacation, you will no doubt ask yourself further questions. Like, is it easy to immigrate to Croatia? And how do I get a permanent residence permit in Croatia?
The high tourist season in Croatia is summer, but what if you want to visit Croatia for longer? Our Republic of Croatia residence guide will explore the various residency options available in the country.
What Is Residence?
Nomad Capitalist define it because the residency options they offer relate more to the concept of second residence. As in “the legal right to live in a country on a long-term basis.”
The right here is more important than the act, as the former brings benefits while the latter focuses more on obligations.
Suppose you are exploring residency options to join the ranks of Croatian citizens. In that case, Croatia passport holders can travel to a total of 168 destinations — either without a visa, through a visa on arrival, or via an eTA.
Croatia’s nine airports are well served by the world’s leading airlines. There are domestic connections between the major resorts of Dubrovnik and Split and the capital Zagreb.
Short-Term Stay in Croatia
Three ways exist to stay in the Republic of Croatia as a third‐country national. The first is a short-term stay for visits of up to 90 days.
If you are a tourist from another country, you can stay in Croatia for up to three months within six months. This is called a short-term stay, and it doesn’t give you permission to work in Croatia or become a resident.
Your short-term stay must be registered at a local police station. Your accommodation should do this within 24 hours of arrival, and you can report your stay online via e-Visitor or at the MUP administration office.
If they are unable to report this or you’re staying with a friend, you must register yourself at a local police station via MUP within two days from your arrival or when changing your temporary address.
Croatia Temporary Residence
The second way to stay is known as privremeni boravak and is for visits longer than 90 days. The temporary residency permit is usually granted on a one-year basis and can be renewed yearly.
Grounds for Being Granted Temporary Residence
Third-country nationals can apply for temporary residence based on the following:
- Family reunification as the spouse of a Croatian (spajanje obitelji)
- Family reunification as the family member of a Croatian or EU citizen
- Employment as a digital nomad (boravak digitalnih nomada)
- Owning real estate
- Prepaying rent
- Enrolling a dependent in secondary school education (srednjoškolsko obrazovanje)
- Enrolling dependents in higher education university studies (studiranje)
- Scientific research (istraživanje)
- Humanitarian grounds (humanitarni razlog)
- Life partnership (životno partnerstvo)
- Employment (rad)
- Volunteering (volontiranje)
- Setting up a Croatian company
- Long-term residence in another EU/EEA Member State (boravak osobe s dugotrajnim boravištem u drugoj državi članici EU/EEA)
- Autonomous stay (autonomni boravak)
- Other purposes (druge svrhe), with language study falling under this category.
There can also be other individual cases for temporary residency, depending on someone’s personal situation.
Documentation Required to be Granted Temporary Residence
Mandatory documents to obtain a temporary residence permit are:
- Temporary residence permit application form
- Passport photo 30×35 mm
- Proof of purpose of your stay
- Valid passport, valid for three months longer than your stay.
- Criminal history report 12 months if you are applying for the first time
- Proof of enough means of subsistence
- Proof of health insurance does not apply in some instances
Additional Documentation for a Temporary Residency Permit
Depending on the purpose of your application for a temporary residence permit, you may also need to enclose:
- Written consent of your spouse
- Consent of the Ministry of the Interior when applying for the purpose of secondary school education
- Guest contract, when applying for the purpose of scientific research
- Residence card that proves you have been granted long-term residence in another EU/EEA Member State
- Certificate of the Office for Croats abroad for members of Croatian people with foreign nationality or without nationality when applying to be granted temporary residence because of humanitarian reasons
- Proof of refugee status when applying for a temporary residence permit due to humanitarian reasons
- Work contract when applying for residence permits based on working for a Croatian company
- Proof of the employment of three Croatian nationals and investing €26,500 when applying for residence permits based on owning a Croatian company
- Proof of acquired educational qualification
- Certificate on the recognition of a foreign professional qualification when applying for employment‐based residence permits for a regulated profession
- Certificate of transfer within a company
- Volunteer employment contract
- Proof that your employment necessitates the use of communication technology when applying for residence permits as a digital nomad
- Proof of enrolment in a Croatian institution
- Proof of prepayment of rent.
Visa Issues
Depending on your nationality, you may need a visa to enter Croatia.
You can apply for residence at a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular office abroad if you need to.
However, there are a few exceptions where you can apply for residence at the police administration office (MUP) in Croatia, corresponding to your future address in Croatia.
You can apply at MUP if you are:
- A close family member of a Croatian citizen
- A life partner of a Croatian citizen
- Applying to study at a university at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate level
- A researcher who arrives in Croatia under a guest contract
- A close family member of a researcher or third-country national who comes to Croatia to study
- Applying for temporary residence due to humanitarian reasons
- A member of the family of holders of the EU Blue Card
- Applying for temporary residence as a digital nomad.
Suppose you don’t need a visa to enter Croatia. In that case, you can submit your application for temporary residence at a police administration office according to your future Croatian address, the headquarters of your employer, or your workplace, along with a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular office abroad.
Residence Card Application
After being granted temporary residence, you must apply for a residence card called boravišna iskaznica.
If you applied abroad for temporary residence, you need to visit MUP corresponding to the address of your stay after you enter Croatia. You are also obliged to register your temporary Croatian address at MUP within three days of entering Croatia.
If you applied for temporary residence from within Croatia, you will visit the same station where you applied for your residence permits.
The validity period of your temporary residence card may vary depending on the reasons you were granted temporary residence.
The validity period is two years if you are granted temporary residence based on family reunification or a life partnership with a Croatian national. If you apply to study, the validity period is one year.
To obtain this Croatia residence card, you need to bring:
- 30×35 mm passport photo
- Valid passport
- Proof of payment of the fees.
Temporary Residence Permit Costs
The administrative fees that you must pay to obtain this temporary residency permit are the following:
- An administrative fee for issuing a temporary residence permit – €46
- Preparation of the biometric residence permit – €32
- Preparation of the biometric residence permit accelerated procedure – €60
- An administrative fee for issuing a biometric residence permit – €10.
Termination of Temporary Residence Permit of Third-Country Nationals
The temporary residency permit of a third-country national will be terminated if:
- Conditions for granting temporary residence cease to exist
- You have a ban on entering and staying in Croatia, or SIS has issued a special warning
- You don’t register your Croatian address within 30 days after you are granted a temporary residence permit
- You request the cancellation of a temporary residency permit
- You stay outside of Croatia longer than 90 days in total or longer than 30 days at once from the day of granting a temporary residence permit for a one-year period
- You stay outside of Croatia for several times longer than 180 days in total or longer than 60 days at once from the day of granting a temporary residence permit for a two-year period
- You reside in Croatia contrary to the purpose of the temporary residence permit
- A temporary residence permit is granted based on family reunification with your partner, but you no longer live with them.
However, there are cases when the reasons mentioned above for the termination of a temporary residence permit don’t apply. The exceptions are valid for the following categories of those granted temporary residence:
- Researchers and students who reside in another EU/EEA Member State based on short-term or long-term mobility
- Third-country nationals who are granted work and stay permits who are sent to work in another EU/EEA Member State
- Justified reasons that imply a one-time absence from Croatia with prior notification to MUP. If justified reasons arise after leaving Croatia, a third-country national must notify the Croatian diplomatic mission or a consular office within 30 days.
Croatia Permanent Residence
A permanent residency permit is a pathway to Croatian citizenship for a foreign national.
Grounds for Being Granted a Permanent Residency Permit
A foreigner who has been given temporary residence, asylum, or subsidiary protection for five years without interruption may be eligible to receive a permanent residence permit.
A third-country national shall be considered as having continuously stayed, even if they were away for up to ten months at different times or up to six months in a row.
Application for the approval of a permanent residency permit should be submitted to the local police department or station, and the Ministry of the Interior shall decide it.
A permanent residence permit will be approved if, up until the date of submission of the application, they have been granted a temporary residence permit, asylum, or subsidiary protection and meet the following requirements for permanent residency:
- have a valid passport
- have the means to support themselves
- have health insurance
- speak the Croatian language and use the Latin script
- pose no threat to public order or national security
A permanent residence permit may be granted to a third-country national who:
- Is a family member or a life partner of a Croatian national who – until the date of applying – has been granted a temporary residence permit for four years at a stretch for the purpose of family reunification or life partnership
- Is an ethnic Croatian with foreign citizenship or without citizenship who proves their status with a certificate from an authority responsible for relations with Croats living outside the Republic of Croatia, who is found to have returned intending to live in the Republic of Croatia permanently, and who – until the date of submitting the application for permanent residency – has been granted a temporary residence permit for three years at a stretch
- Has been granted a temporary residence permit for three years at a stretch until the date of submission of the permanent residency application and has had refugee status for at least 10 years, as proved with the certificate of an authority responsible for housing accommodation
- Are family members who – until the date of applying for a permanent residence permit – have been granted a temporary residency permit for the purpose of family reunification, and one of their parents holds an approved permanent residence or long-term stay
- Was resident in the Republic of Croatia as of 8 October 1991 and is a beneficiary of a program for the return or reconstruction of housing accommodation, as proved with a certificate issued by an authority responsible for housing accommodation, and who is found to have returned intending to permanently live in the Republic of Croatia, with the requirement to provide proof that they have no criminal record in the home country or the country in which they stayed for more than a year prior arriving in the Republic of Croatia
- Are family members living in the Republic of Croatia:
- Whose one parent, at the time of birth of the child, was granted permanent residency with the consent of the other parent
- Whose one parent, at the time of birth of the child, was granted a permanent residence permit in the Republic of Croatia, and the other parent is unknown, has died, is proclaimed dead, deprived of parental care, or completely or partially deprived of their legal capacity in relation to parental care
- Who were born in the Republic of Croatia and have been living in the territory of the Republic of Croatia since their birth, but, for justified reasons which they could not help, have not regulated their stay.
A third-state national applies for the approval of a permanent residence permit with the local police department or station.rd.
This request for permanent residency is decided upon by the Ministry of the Interior.
Croatia Residence FAQ
What Proof of Financial Means Do I Have to Provide to Qualify for a Croatia Residence Permit?
When applying for residency in Croatia, you must show that you have enough money to support yourself. This is usually required when applying for temporary or permanent residency, regardless of nationality. Financial means (means of subsistence) is called sredstva za uzdržavanje.
How Is the Amount of Financial Means Calculated?
The amount of financial means for a temporary residence permit and permanent residency in Croatia is defined by the Regulation on the method of calculation and the amount of means of subsistence for third-country nationals in the Republic of Croatia.
The exact amount of financial means is calculated according to the amount of the average monthly net salary in Croatia in the previous year. The Central Bureau of Statistics publishes the average net monthly wage.
Based on this amount, different calculations are made to reach the amount the government believes you need to support yourself on a monthly basis.
How Much Money Do I Need to Obtain a Residence Permit in Croatia?
Secondary education students must have 15% of the average monthly salary, while university students need 25% of the average monthly salary plus return funds. Digital nomads require financial means equal to at least 2.5 average monthly net salaries, plus 10% additional for each family member or partner. Close family members of Croatian citizens are exempt from providing financial means.
For everyone else, the minimum amount of money you need to obtain a residence permit varies depending on your case and the number of people in your family.
For a single person, you need to prove 50% (€473 per month) of the average monthly salary in the previous year to obtain a residence permit in Croatia.
For a family of two, combine the amount for a single person with an additional 15% (€615 per month) of the average monthly net salary in the previous year.
For each additional family member, the amount increases by 10% (€95 per month) of the average monthly net salary in the previous year.
How Do I Prove Financial Means?
The methods of proving financial means vary based on the situation. For temporary residence due to family reunification, proof may include payment records, tax and pension statements, farming income evidence, a letter of support from a household member, and bank account statements.
Proof of financial means that can be used to obtain a residence permit for secondary education includes scholarships, certificates from educational institutions, statements of support from family members, and bank certificates.
Proof of financial means required for obtaining residency in relation to higher education includes proof of scholarship, participation in the program, a statement of support, and a bank certificate.
The text mentions different types of proof of financial means required for obtaining residency in relation to higher education. These include proof of scholarship, participation in mobility programs or agreements, a written support statement from a family member, and a bank certificate.
Proof of financial means required by the Croatian Government for those in the employment of research:
- Copy of guest contract
- Six calculations of paid salaries before the application in case of extending the temporary stay.
Proof of financial means required for residence due to life partnership:
- Six calculations of paid salaries before the application process to acquire residence
- Tax decision
- Pension statement.
Proof of financial means required for residence due to family reasons:
- Statement on the support of a third-country national written by a family or joint household member
- Bank account (for family reunification with digital nomads).
Proof of financial means required for residence due to employment in Croatia:
- Work contract in Croatia
- Six calculations of paid salaries before the residence application in case of extending the work permit
- Calculations of paid salaries in proportion to the validity of the previously issued seasonal work permit in case of extending a seasonal work permit in Croatia
- Bank certificate – trade business owners enclose it for the first work permit
- Tax decisions – trade business owners enclose it for extending the work permit
Proof of financial means required for Croatia residence due to long-term residence in a European Union/EEA member state:
- Pension statement
- Tax decision
- Decision on entry in the Register of Family Farms and proof of earning funds on this basis
- Statement on the support of a third-country national written by a family or joint household member
- Bank certificate
- Work contract if they intend to work in Croatia in case of the first residence permit
- Six calculations of paid salaries before the Croatia residence application in case of extending the work permit.
Proof of financial means required for Croatia residence for digital nomads:
- Proof of regular income of funds from abroad
- Bank certificate.
Proof of financial means required for Croatia residence for a foreign national with other purposes:
- Pension excerpt
- Statement on the support of a third-country national written by a family or joint household member
- Bank certificate.
Does Croatia Allow Dual Citizenship?
Suppose your goal of taking up one of the residency options made available by the Croatian government is to obtain a coveted Croatian ID card as in passport. In that case, you will be disheartened to learn that Croatia only permits dual citizenship to citizens by birth or descent. Croatia allows dual citizenship by permitting its citizens to hold foreign citizenship in addition to their Croatian citizenship.
Our ultimate guide to residency options in Croatia will help you acquire a long-term residence in the country and even join the ranks of Croatian citizens if you wish.
Nomad Capitalist will help you go where you’re treated best. Contact us to discuss your options, whether that is residence in Croatia, Europe, or elsewhere around the world.
