Digital Nomads Can Now Stay in Croatia for Up to Three Years

In addition to bringing stricter rules for employers hiring foreigners and greater protection for foreign workers, recent amendments to the Aliens Act have brought something positive for the increasingly numerous digital nomads who find a peaceful, safe, and beautiful environment for temporary living and remote work in Croatia.

Since mid-March, when the amendments came into effect, digital nomads are no longer limited to just one year of stay in Croatia. Thanks to the amendments to the Aliens Act, they can immediately apply for a temporary residence visa for a maximum of 18 months – with the possibility of one extension, allowing them to live and work from Croatia for up to three years. Additionally, family members can join a digital nomad who has been granted temporary residence in Croatia.

This is double the length of stay that was previously possible. Since Croatia opened its doors to digital nomads in 2021 by introducing visas, they could register their stay in Croatia for a maximum of 12 months, and then extend it for an additional six months.

– The digital nomad program was designed as a tourist promotion of the Republic of Croatia, and in this way, it allows digital nomads who wish to extend their stay in Croatia beyond the existing 12 months to achieve that – note the Ministry of the Interior, commenting on the extension of the stay for digital nomads from a total of one and a half years to three years.

Strict Rules

However, the rules of the Ministry of the Interior should be read carefully, as if a digital nomad decides to stay in Croatia for less than the possible 18 months, their temporary residence can be granted for a maximum of another six months. This means that it is not possible, for example, to first stay for 12 months and then request an additional 18. Thus, the possibility of a stay of 18 + 18 months applies only to those who initially requested the maximum term.

It is also important to note that the same individual can reapply for the digital nomad visa, but only after a six-month break.

Digital nomads are exclusively citizens of third countries (i.e., outside the EU) who are not employed by a Croatian employer but work remotely via the internet. In their visa application, they must provide proof of employment or ownership of a foreign company, as well as proof that the work is indeed performed online. Although the application can be submitted online, the extension of stay is not automatic and must be requested no later than 60 days before the expiration of the current temporary residence.

However, there are certain conditions for obtaining a visa. For example, applicants must prove a monthly income of at least 3,295 euros. Until recently, this amount was 2,870 euros. If they plan to stay in Croatia for 12 months, they must prove that they have funds amounting to at least 39,540 euros, and if they plan their stay for 18 months, they must have a minimum of 59,310 euros. However, Croatia is relatively competitive regarding these conditions compared to other European countries that require even higher amounts, as we recently wrote in Lider. Additionally, digital nomads in Croatia are not subject to income tax, which further attracts them to Croatia.

Two Croatian Cities Are the Most Popular

That Croatia is a popular destination for digital nomads is confirmed by data from Nomad List, a global community of digital nomads, according to which Rijeka ranks 30th among the most desirable cities for digital nomads in the world, followed immediately by Zadar, which is in 37th place. Split is in 80th place, while Zagreb occupies 85th place. On the list of the best countries for living and working remotely, ranked by quality of life, happiness, education, healthcare, and cost of living, Croatia ranks 12th, while neighboring Slovenia is in first place.

According to the latest available data from the Ministry of the Interior, in the first nine months of 2024, 824 applications for the digital nomad visa were submitted in Croatia, of which only 342 were approved, mostly from Russia (105) and Ukraine (88). Russians and Ukrainians have been the most numerous applicants for the digital nomad visa in Croatia since 2022, or the beginning of the war in Ukraine. They are followed by Americans with 51 approved applications and Britons with 12. As of September 30, 2024, there were 629 digital nomads with valid temporary residence in Croatia.