For third-country remote workers employed abroad, running a company outside Croatia, or serving overseas clients; work or services for Croatian employers are not permitted.
Route overview
Temporary stay of digital nomads
Typical timeline / duration: Granted up to a maximum of 18 months; if initially less than 18 months, extension can be granted for maximum 6 months; new application only 6 months after expiry.
Important notes
The applicant must be a non-EU/EEA/Swiss national working through communication technology for an employer, own company, or clients outside Croatia.
The stay does not permit work or services for Croatian employers. The applicant must also meet the basic temporary-stay conditions for a passport, health insurance, purpose of stay, means of support, first-application criminal-record proof, and a Croatian stay address.
Application documents must be in Croatian or English. Documents in other languages must be translated by an authorised translator and legalised or certified where required.
Stay may be granted for up to 18 months. If the first grant is shorter, apply for an extension no later than 60 days before expiry; the extension can be up to six months. A new digital-nomad or related temporary-stay application is generally possible six months after the previous stay expires.
The current minimum means of support for one applicant is EUR 3,622.50 per month. Alternatively, show EUR 43,470 available for a 12-month stay or EUR 65,205 for an 18-month stay. The amount is updated using Croatian official statistics; each additional family member or life partner increases the required amount by 10% of the previous year's average monthly net salary.
Visa-required third-country nationals apply through a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular office. Visa-exempt applicants may apply there or, while legally in Croatia, at the competent police administration or station for the intended address. A confirmed hotel, hostel, or other temporary address can be used for a first application without a settled address.
Preparation checklist
Complete bilingual Form 1a or use the official online application; submit a 3 x 3.5 cm colour photograph and a copy of the valid passport. The passport must remain valid for at least three months beyond the intended stay.
Provide proof of purpose: a statement from the employer or applicant confirming remote work, plus a foreign employment or service contract. If using your own overseas company, provide its registration and proof that the work is performed through that company.
Provide health-insurance proof covering the entire intended stay and medical risks in Croatia.
Provide means of support using one of the three official options: a bank statement showing the full amount required for the intended stay; bank records showing regular monthly income of at least EUR 3,622.50; or payslips for at least the previous six months showing the required amount. The balance alternative is EUR 43,470 for 12 months or EUR 65,205 for 18 months. The documents must clearly state the currency and be submitted as a clearly labelled PDF of no more than 2 MB. Tax records can support the income-source explanation, but do not replace the three primary forms of proof listed by the official page.
For a first application, provide a criminal-record certificate from the home country or a country where you lived for more than one year immediately before arriving in Croatia; legalise or certify it as required. The official page says this proof is not required with an extension application.
Provide an address of stay in Croatia. For a first application without a settled address, a confirmed hotel, hostel, or other intended accommodation address may be used. Supporting documents must be in Croatian or English, or accompanied by an authorised translation.
For accompanying family members, prepare marriage, birth, or partnership evidence and increase the means-of-support proof by 10% of the previous year's average monthly net salary for each additional family member or life partner. Keep copies and the application reference.