Croatia

Digital nomad temporary stay permit. Croatia lets remote workers employed or self-employed outside Croatia live there for up to 18 months, no work permit, no local tax on the foreign income.

Free, with the law behind every answer

Digital nomad temporary stay permit

Temporary stay up to 18 months in a single grant (a 2025 amendment folded the old 12+6-month structure into one 18-month permit); spouse and children can join.

Who qualifies

Work remotely for an employer or your own company registered outside Croatia; no work for Croatian clients or employers.
Aliens Act (Zakon o strancima), Art. 74k–74l
Monthly income of at least 2.5 times Croatia’s average net salary, about €3,622.50 (roughly $3,985) a month as of 2026, or savings covering the whole stay (about €65,205 for the full 18 months); each extra family member needs 10% more.
Ministry of Interior, digital nomad permit guidance
Six months of bank statements or payslips, proof of accommodation in Croatia, health insurance, and a clean criminal record.
Ministry of Interior, digital nomad permit guidance

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Does it fit your family?

3 questions, from the program’s own rules.

Steady monthly income, from any source?

Not legal advice.

What it takes.

Income: Steady income each month, rising with each person who moves.
Just you$3,985
2 people$4,385
4 people$5,185
Time: 4–8 weeks once the file is complete, per the Ministry of Interior’s standard processing target.
Cost: About $120–200 in government fees (roughly €110–180: application, administrative fee and biometric card) plus certified translations; no separate investment.
The hard part: The 18-month hard cap with no renewal option, and a 6-month cooling-off period before you can apply again.

Dollar figures are converted from the local currency at the rate the program’s research used; the official figure is in the local currency.

This visa doesn’t lead to a passport.

2027
First residence permit
1.5 years, not renewable.

Language: Croatian and the Latin script, about B1, shown by an exam at an approved university or by schooling in Croatia. Over-60s are exempt.
Civics: A written questionnaire at the police station: 15 questions on Croatian society, history, culture and geography, 10 right to pass, 60 minutes.
Time away: Eight years of registered residence in Croatia without a break, holding permanent or long-term status on the day you apply. The Citizenship Act sets no day-count for absences.
Two passports: Usually not: new citizens are asked to give up their other citizenship.

The years count, but this permit ends after 1.5 years, before permanent residence at 5; the family would need to move to another permit to keep going.
Nomad stay is not on the Aliens Act’s list of time that does not count, but the permit ends at 18 months and a new one needs a 6-month gap, so it only builds toward the 5 years if the family moves straight onto another permit such as work or family.

The law behind these dates

Ministry of the Interior, Temporary stay of digital nomads

Living there.

Time you must spend there: No strict day-count, but the permit is for actually living in Croatia; long absences can prompt questions at renewal (moot here since it doesn’t renew).
Tax: Digital nomad permit holders are exempt from Croatian income tax and social contributions on the foreign income that qualified them.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Start today.

Read the Ministry of Interior’s digital nomad page and gather six months of income proof.Open mup.gov.hr ↗
Gather these documents.
- Proof of steady income: at least $3,985 a month
- Request your FBI Identity History Summary
- Health insurance that meets the program’s rules
- A lease or other proof of where you’ll live in Croatia

Postern can’t run this for you yet.

The official application forms, submission and recovery specification are not complete. Postern cannot run this application yet.

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