Croatia Digital Nomad Visa Requirements & Application Form

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Post author SJ

Written by our local expert SJ

Sarah-Jane has lived in Croatia for 10+ years. SJ, as she is known, has been traveling the Balkans & beyond since 2000. She now shares her passion for traveling with her husband & kids.

These are the Croatia digital nomad visa requirements as provided by the Croatian Government. Digital nomads can stay up to 12 months, this post lists the costs and paperwork required. 

Digital Nomad Visa Croatia
I love working on my terrace in Croatia

Whoooo hooo, we are now welcoming digital nomads in Croatia! Revisions to the Aliens Act and Croatian Tax Code in 2020 now provide the legal provisions for digital nomads to stay in Croatia for 12-months (maximum).

There are some digital nomads requirements before Croatia approves your nomad visa; of course, below we have them all. 

Firstly though, you should know that unlike the digital nomad visas elsewhere, our visa for digital nomads, is actually a Croatian residence permit. Though you will see everyone calling it a nomad visa, it is really a digital nomad residence permit that allows you to stay as a short-term resident in Croatia for a maximum of 12 months. 

DIGITAL NOMAD DONKEY - DONKIMIR AT THE BEACH

KEY THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CROATIAN DIGITAL NOMAD APPLICATION PROCESS AND REQUIREMENTS
  • A maximum of up to 12 months (no extensions) is granted for the Croatia digital nomad visa
  • You must be a third-country national who works for or owns a company that is not registered in Croatia and has no Croatian employees
  • You will need to show proof of income (and savings in the bank) before your digital nomad visa in Croatia is approved. Currently, the amount required on a monthly basis is a minimum of HRK 16,907.50 (2,700 USD), and if you intend to stay for 12 months, you need to prove that you have at least HRK 202,890.00 (32,000 USD) in the bank.

Along with your application, get ready to submit:

  • Proof you are a digital nomad
  • Copy of your passport
  • Proof of your current travel health insurance coverage (must be valid for the duration of your stay)
  • A background check supplied by your home country government
  • A Croatian address. For this, you will need to show proof. A PDF of your accommodation, hotel, or hostel booking will be enough

FAQ about applying for a permit to be a digital nomad in Croatia

Q: Can I bring my spouse and children? A: Yes, after you’ve been approved, that is a separate process (family reunification)

Q: Do I really have to have a Croatian address for the nomad visa application? A: Yes, you must. You can book any accommodation to start. i.e., a cheap hostel, and then when you arrive, you can change your address at the local MUP (police station) free of charge

Q: Can I apply for the Croatia nomad visa before I arrive in Croatia? A: Yes, you will need to allow around 3-5 weeks for the digital nomad visa to be approved

Q: Am I able to apply for the digital nomad visa after I have arrived in Croatia? A: Yes, provided you are eligible for tourist entry into Croatia, you can apply for the nomad visa when you are in Croatia

Q: Do I need to pay tax while in Croatia? A: No. No, you don’t.

You can find the online application form here.

The Croatian Government supplied the information below.

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Croatia Digital Nomad Visa Requirements

A DIGITAL NOMAD IS a third-country national who is employed or performs work through communication technology for a company or his own company that is not registered in the Republic of Croatia and does not perform work or provide services to employers in the Republic of Croatia.

Temporary stay is granted for up to a year (possibly even less), and it cannot be extended. A new application for regulating a stay of digital nomads can be submitted six months after the expiry of the previously granted temporary stay of digital nomads.

Close family members of a digital nomad who has been granted a temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia may join him in the Republic of Croatia. Info can be found at: https://mup.gov.hr/gradjani-281562/moji-dokumenti-281563/stranci-333/drzavljani-trecih-zemalja/281820

Applying For Temporary Stay

Balkan Flags_Croatia 1

The application is submitted to the competent authority depending on whether a third-country national is or isn’t required to hold a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia. Information on the visa system can be found at: http://www.mvep.hr/en/consular-information/visas/visa-requirements-overview/

If You Are Required To Hold A Visa To Enter The Republic Of Croatia:

You can submit your application abroad at a diplomatic mission/consular post of the Republic of Croatia (list of diplomatic missions/consular posts can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs at  http://www.mvep.hr/hr/predstavnistva/dmkurh-u-svijetu/

If You Are Not Required To Hold A Visa To Enter The Republic Of Croatia:

You can submit your application at a diplomatic mission/consular post of the Republic of Croatia or at the competent police administration/police station according to your temporary residence address.

Application And Documentation

Trogir to Dubrovnik Road Trip - Road To Biokovo

Copies of documents should be submitted in the Croatian or English language.

1. Fill in Form 1a (bilingual form available at https://mup.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/stranci/Obrazac%201a.pdf. You must enclose the following:
2. copy of a valid travel document (period of validity of a travel document must be three months longer than the period of validity of intended stay)
3. proof of health insurance (travel or private health insurance must cover the territory of the Republic of Croatia)
4. proof of purpose (contract of employment or other document proving that the person performs work through communication technology for a foreign employer or his own company which is not registered in the Republic of Croatia) that is
statement from the employer or third-country national (as proof that the person performs work through communication technology), and
contract of employment or service contract with a foreign employer, or
copy of the registration of his own company and proof that he performs the said tasks through his own company
5. proof of means of subsistence during his stay in the Republic of Croatia, until the adoption of a new Regulation on the manner of calculating and the amount of means of subsistence for third-country nationals in the Republic of Croatia, you can submit a bank statement or proof of regular income.
6. proof that he/she has not been convicted of criminal offenses from his/her home country or a country in which he/she resided for more than one year immediately before arriving in the Republic of Croatia. Information on the legalization of documents can be found at http://www.mvep.hr/en/consular-information/legalization-of-documents/
7. provide an address in the Republic of Croatia

When submitting your application and filling in your form, you will be required to provide your address of stay or of intended stay in the Republic of Croatia. This is important for determining the police administration/police station which is locally competent for processing your application. If this is the first time you are applying, and you do not have an address in the Republic of Croatia, you can provide a temporary address as the address of your intended stay (hostel/hotel if you have a reservation/confirmed reservation of accommodation).

After You Receive Notification On Granted Temporary Stay

Trogir to Dubrovnik Road Trip - Biokovo Nature Park
Sv. Jure

If You Are Required To Hold A Visa To Enter The Republic Of Croatia:

Once you are informed that your temporary stay was granted, you have to contact the diplomatic mission/consular post once again to obtain a biometric residence permit (please inquire beforehand about this possibility at the diplomatic mission/consular post) or a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia.
You can also submit your visa application online at https://crovisa.mvep.hr/

If You Are Not Required To Hold A Visa To Enter The Republic Of Croatia:

You are not required to take the steps described above, and you can enter the Republic of Croatia in line with the provisions of the Aliens Act.

NOTE: Third-country nationals are obligated to register their temporary residence address at a police administration/police station within 30 days from being granted a temporary stay or obtaining the visa, or otherwise, their temporary stay will be revoked.

UPON ARRIVAL IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA – REGISTERING TEMPORARY RESIDENCE ADDRESS AND ISSUANCE OF A BIOMETRIC RESIDENCE PERMIT

 

Croatia Travel Blog_Visa Requirements For Digital Nomads in Croatia

 

REGISTERING TEMPORARY RESIDENCE ADDRESS

Third-country nationals are obligated to register their temporary residence address within three days from their entry in the Republic of Croatia at the competent police administration/police station according to the location of their stay.
You can do this by filling in Form 8a (available at https://mup.gov.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/stranci/2013/Obrazac%208a.pdf) and enclosing a lease contract, a statement from the landlord, or a title deed.

ISSUANCE OF A BIOMETRIC RESIDENCE PERMIT

Both third-country nationals who are not required to hold a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia and those who are required to hold a visa have to obtain a residence permit – biometric card (must provide photos and biometric data) in person at a police administration/police station.
More information available at https://mup.gov.hr/gradjani-281562/moji-dokumenti-281563/stranci-333/drzavljani-trecih-zemalja/281820, Chapter 6.

COSTS

If the application is submitted at a diplomatic mission/consular post – the costs are paid when applying.
HRK 420.00 for granting a temporary stay, and
HRK 460.00 for the visa, or
HRK 310.00 for the biometric residence card (check with the diplomatic mission/consular post about the possibility of obtaining the card).
If the application is submitted at a police administration/police station – the costs are paid after the stay is granted.
HRK 350.00 for granting a temporary stay, and
HRK 70.00 for administrative fees for the issuance of the biometric residence permit and HRK 240.00 for the biometric residence card.

IF THE APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED AT A POLICE ADMINISTRATION/POLICE STATION-PAYMENT OF FEES ONLINE


Administrative Fee For Temporary Residence

Dubrovnik Coastline in Srebreno Region

Payment of administrative fees for the issuance of temporary residence through Internet banking (350 HRK) will be made in favor of the State Budget.
IBAN of the State Budget is HR1210010051863000160, model: HR64, reference number: 5002-713-OIB (enter OIB of the person for whom the administrative fee is being paid, if OIB has been assigned).

For persons who do not have an assigned OIB, the reference number is 5002-713-number of a valid travel document. (IMPORTANT: a maximum of 10 numbers, and if the number code initially contains zeros (0), they are not entered. NO letter marks, slashes, periods, commas, etc., are being entered).

For example, the number of the travel document/identity card of a foreign citizen is AZ004586; then the reference number is 5002-713-4586 (without letters and zeros, the maximum is ten numbers).

Fees For Biometric Residence Permit

a) The payment of a fee in the amount of 240 HRK for biometric residence permits via Internet banking will be made in favor of the State Budget.IBAN of the State Budget is HR1210010051863000160, model: HR65, reference number: 7005-485-OIB (enter OIB of the person for whom the payment is being made).
For those who have not been assigned an OIB, the reference number is 7005-485-RKP-case number.

b) The payment of an administrative fee in the amount of 70 HRK for the biometric residence permit through Internet banking will be made in favor of the State Budget.IBAN of the State Budget: HR1210010051863000160, model: HR64, call number: 5002-713-OIB.
For those who do not have an OIB, the reference number is 5002-713-number of a valid travel document. (IMPORTANT: a maximum of 10 numbers, and if the number code initially contains zeros (0), they are not entered. NO letter marks, slashes, periods, commas, etc., are being entered).

Mup.Gov.Hr

 

Comments (11)

  1. Great article! The clearest I’ve read so far.

    It would be very useful to add estimated timelines for each step of the process.

    1. Great article, I thought about becoming a tax residency in Croatia ( I found an apartment in Split ) but the taxes in Croatia are to high. Now I am thinking about place of residence in ISTRIA – it’s not near the ITALY and near the AUSTRIA (Graz). Can I be an resident in Croatia and set up the company in Estonia and have e-ID from Estonia
      I heard that they already opened new pick up point in ZAGREB – does anyone to try to get e-Residency card from mobile Zagreb point?

  2. Hi! Thanks for the great article!

    But I still a little confused by the amount of money in the bank for proof of means.

    At the start of the article, you wrote “if you intend to stay for 12 months, you need to prove that you have at least HRK 202,890.00 (32,000 USD) in the bank.” but then I see “proof of regular income to your account in which you must have available a minimum of HRK 28,800 for a period of 12 months.”

    So what exactly amount should I show on my bank account? Could you please explain it to me?

    1. If you look here, https://mup.gov.hr/aliens-281621/stay-and-work/temporary-stay-of-digital-nomads/286833 (where I got the info), you will see section 5 says

      “proof of means of subsistence during his stay in the Republic of Croatia,
      You can submit a bank statement or proof of regular income. Pursuant to the Regulation on the manner of calculating and the amount of means of subsistence for third-country nationals in the Republic of Croatia (Official Gazette no. 14/21), which entered into force on 13 February 2021, third-country nationals who are regulating their temporary stay as digital nomads are required to have the amount corresponding to at least 2.5 average monthly net salaries paid for the previous year, in accordance with the official data published by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. This amount is increased by 10% of the average monthly net salary for each additional family member or life partner or informal life partner. Currently, the amount required on a monthly basis is a minimum of HRK 16,907.50. More precisely, if you intend to stay in the Republic of Croatia for 12 months, you need to prove that you have a minimum of HRK 202,890.00 available.”

  3. Hi! I have one more question.
    If I’m going to get a temporary digital nomad resident permit for 6-12 months and going to enter Croatia by my own car with foreign non-EU plates. Can I drive it for the whole period of digital nomad permit? Or maybe I have to do some additional paperwork for it?
    Could you please explain it?

    Thanks in advance.

    1. I really have no idea. I have not seen any info about specific rules for DN’s as yet. When you get your permit, ask about it and get them to give it to you in writing to be safe.

  4. Hi, thank you for the article.
    1) Does the travel insurance need to meet a certain medical amount for the digital nomad visa?
    2) Is multiple entry allowed on the digital nomad permit, if not how long can you be out of Croatia for?
    3) Can you apply for an OIB number from abroad and have it emailed to you?
    Thank you, as much info on this would be appreciated.
    Sash

  5. Awesome article. Regarding being exempt from income tax as per the “digial nomad” visa.

    Will that also apply to EU nationals that have applied for a long-term residence permit, but are in compliance with all the other criteria for being eligible for a DN visa?

    I mean I am a digital Nomad with my own company, which is not related to Croatia, the only difference being I am a EU national.

    Looking forward to your answer,

  6. With you not needing to pay income tax I believe it was only if it wasn’t a passive income. Do you know how I could find out what Croatia class as a passive income? I’m worried I might fall under passive income and don’t want to get stung with a tax bill.

  7. If you are approved, is there a minimum stay required so you could not travel the eu for the full 12 months with this visa? Eg you must stay 6/12 months here?

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