Croatia digital nomad visa

Who the permit suits

• Remote employees of companies registered outside Croatia.
• Owners of companies abroad who work for them remotely.
• Freelancers with clients outside Croatia.

Working for Croatian employers or serving Croatian clients on this permit is not allowed. The permit is for nationals of countries outside the EU and the European Economic Area.

Income or savings: how much in 2026

The threshold equals 2.5 times Croatia's average net salary for the previous year, which was €1,449 in 2025. It is updated every spring when the statistics bureau publishes new data. Dollar amounts use the European Central Bank rate of 5 October 2026, rounded up.

How much the permit costs in 2026

• administrative fees for the application and the biometric temporary residence card;
• an entry visa if your nationality needs one;
• a police certificate, apostille or legalisation and Croatian translation;
• health insurance for the whole stay;
• rent in Croatia;
• our support, if you hand preparation to us.

For a family, fees and insurance are paid for each member, and income or savings rise by a share for each member. A manager will calculate the total for your family in the chat.

Documents

• application and a valid passport;
• proof of remote work: a contract with a foreign employer, documents on your foreign company or client contracts;
• bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months, or a savings statement for the whole term;
• health insurance for the whole stay;
• a police certificate from your country of citizenship, apostilled or legalised;
• your address in Croatia;
• for family, marriage or partnership documents and children's birth certificates.

Documents in other languages are translated into Croatian. Certificates must be recent, so order them shortly before filing.

Who is refused

• income below €3,622.50 in any of the recent months and no savings for the whole term;
• the employer or clients are in Croatia;
• no insurance for the whole term or police certificate;
• breaches on previous Schengen entries;
• EU nationality: such applicants do not need the permit and have their own residence rules.

Family

A spouse, unmarried partner and minor children can get temporary stay with the applicant. For each family member the income or savings threshold rises by 10% of the average salary, about €145 a month. They need marriage or partnership documents, birth certificates and insurance for each.

After 18 months

The digital nomad permit is issued for at most 18 months and cannot be extended beyond that. A new permit on the same basis can be obtained only after a break, usually 6 months after the previous one ends. Time on a nomad permit does not count towards permanent residence, so those wishing to stay long term need another basis: work for a Croatian company, business or family reunification.

What to consider after moving

• Personal identification number. Issued by the tax administration; without it you cannot sign a lease, open an account or connect internet and utilities.
• Address registration with the police is needed for the temporary residence card, so arrange the lease straight away.
• Seasonality. On the coast rents and prices rise sharply in summer, while some services close in winter; Zagreb and Split work all year.
• Healthcare. Private insurance is needed for the whole stay, as a nomad is not part of the state system.

Taxes

A digital nomad permit holder's foreign income is exempt from Croatian income tax for the whole permit term. This does not remove taxes in the country where you remain tax resident, so before moving we check that country's rules and its treaty with Croatia. See taxes in Croatia.

Risks and what may change

• The threshold rises every year with the Croatian average salary.
• The term is capped at 18 months, then a break or another basis is needed.
• The tax exemption applies only to foreign income and only while permit conditions are met.
• Coastal rents rise sharply in summer, so sign a lease for the whole term in advance.

Alternatives

• Spain digital nomad visa - with the right to live there up to 5 years.
• Portugal digital nomad visa - with a path to permanent residence.
• Greece digital nomad visa - also by the sea.
• Montenegro residence - a neighbouring country outside Schengen.

What changed and what we rely on

The digital nomad permit is now issued for up to 18 months; previously the maximum was a year. The 2026 threshold is €3,622.50 a month, based on the 2025 average net salary of €1,449. Sources: Croatia's Ministry of the Interior, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and the Tax Administration; checked on 6 October 2026.

Every way to get residency in Croatia

This is one route. All the other grounds for residency in Croatia, with conditions, amounts in dollars and timelines, are compared on How to get residency in Croatia in 2026: every route.

Why choose Croatia

How to get Croatia's digital nomad permit: step by step

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