PASSPORT CONTROLCroatia
RECOMMENDED ROUTE 路 Temporary Stay of Digital Nomads2.5x prior-year average net salary (Croatian Bureau of Statistics); +10% of avg net salary per family member
What the file has to contain
These are the documents the authorities expect for the lead route. This is a reference list, not an eligibility check: whether any one item is met depends on your own situation. Items marked for apostille must be legalized before they will be accepted.
Copy of a valid passport; validity must extend at least 3 months beyond the intended period of stay.
In-person applicants fill in bilingual Form 1a; online applicants use the MUP Digital Nomads Croatia portal, which serves the same function.
Employment or service contract with a foreign employer, OR a signed statement from the employer/applicant confirming work via communication technology, OR proof of registration of your own company abroad (tax or business court) plus proof you perform the work through it. The company must not be registered in Croatia and you must not serve Croatian clients.
EUR 3,622.50/month via bank statement of regular income OR six months of payslips; OR total savings of EUR 43,470 (12-month stay) / EUR 65,205 (18-month stay) in the bank. +10% of avg net salary per dependent. Submit as a labelled PDF, max 2MB, currency clearly stated.
Travel or private health insurance covering the territory of Croatia for the entire intended period of stay.
Certificate proving no criminal convictions from your home country, and from any country where you resided for more than one year immediately before arriving. Must be a legalised document (apostille for Hague-Convention countries), issued by the central criminal-record authority of that country (e.g. FBI/state police for the US, ACRO for the UK, Ministry of Justice for many EU states). Not required for extension applications.
Provide your address (or intended address) of stay in Croatia; determines the competent police administration. A temporary address (hostel/hotel with a confirmed reservation) is acceptable for first-time applicants.
Provided in person at the police administration/station when the biometric residence permit card is issued.
Croatia is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so a foreign criminal-record certificate needs an apostille from the issuing country's competent authority (not full consular legalization); documents must be in Croatian or English, otherwise translated by an authorized translator.
From paperwork to residence card
The recorded process folds into stages, each listing the real steps it covers. Timing depends on your consulate and is not fixed, so no week estimates are shown here.
Prepare and legalize
- Confirm eligibility and income threshold
- Gather documents in your home country
Lodge the application
- Apostille and translate documents
- Submit the application
Decision and collection
- Obtain a long-term D visa (visa-required nationals only)
Arrive and register
- Enter Croatia and register your temporary residence address
- Give biometrics and collect the biometric residence permit card
- Open a Croatian bank account (optional/practical)
The law says
Official rules, verified against government text.
- Income requirement
- $3,950 / month (USD)
2.5x prior-year average net salary (Croatian Bureau of Statistics); +10% of avg net salary per family member - Initial duration
- Up to 18 months (12 + structuring), non-consecutive
- Renewal
- 6-month cooling-off required before reapplying; non-renewable
- Maximum stay
- 18 months
- Tax status
- Foreign-source income exempt from Croatian income tax; unchanged. Family-reunification loophole closed (post-March 2025 practice): can no longer bridge past permit expiry without leaving.
- Processing time
- Not fixed in law; practitioners typically report ~30-60 days, up to about 3 months.
- Official cost
- Police-station route (no entry visa needed): EUR 46.45 for granting temporary stay + EUR 9.29 admin fee + EUR 31.85 biometric residence card (EUR 59.73 accelerated) = approx EUR 87.59 (~USD 95). Consulate route (visa-required nationals): EUR 55.74 temporary stay + EUR 93.00 for the long-term D visa, or EUR 41.14 for the biometric card; VFS service fees extra where applicable.
- Official source
- Temporary stay of digital nomads
The street says
8 SIGNALSWhat applicants report, kept separate from the official numbers.
Voices from the field
How to Move to Croatia in 2026 | How to Relocate to CroatiaTeach Clockwise TV 路 2026-06-02
Do Croatia digital nomad visa days count toward [permanent residency]
I have applied for a Croatian digital nomad visa but am yet [to hear back]
Anyone got Croatia's digital nomad visa but actually lived [there long-term]?
Open the full source file (6)
- Temporary stay of digital nomadsGOV 路 Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia (MUP) 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- Croatia Digital Nomad Visa 2026LEGAL 路 Shadi Associates 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- Temporary stay of digital nomadsGOV 路 Ministry of the Interior (MUP) 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- How to apply for the digital nomad residence permit in CroatiaPRACTITIONER 路 Expat in Croatia 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- Temporary residence permit in Croatia for digital nomads: requirements, procedure, taxes, risksPRACTITIONER 路 Nordic Star Law 路 accessed 2026-08-03
- Digital Nomads Croatia online application portalGOV 路 Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia (MUP) 路 accessed 2026-08-03
The bottom line on Croatia is that the digital-nomad route is real and active, but it is a temporary stay only, not a path to permanent residence or citizenship. The bar you need to clear is a reported monthly income of at least 3,950 USD, which is set at 2.5 times the prior-year average net salary, plus 10% of that average for each family member. The permit can last up to 18 months, but since time on it doesn鈥檛 count toward residency, you should only take it on if you鈥檙e fine with a finite stay, not a long-term plan.