---
title: "Croatia digital nomad permit 2026: requirements and cost"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/croatia
description: "Croatia grants non-EU remote workers employed by companies outside Croatia a temporary stay of up to 18 months if they show at least €3,622.50 a month.…"
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Croatia digital nomad permit 2026: requirements and cost

Croatia grants non-EU remote workers employed by companies outside Croatia a temporary stay of up to 18 months if they show at least €3,622.50 a month. It costs under €90, can be filed online, at a police station or a consulate, and the income is exempt from Croatian tax, but it cannot be extended past 18 months and you must wait six months before reapplying.

Digital nomad visa. Official name: Privremeni boravak digitalnih nomada (Zakon o strancima). Facts updated 2026-10-04. Not yet reviewed by a person.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Who can apply | Non-EU/EEA citizens |
| Minimum income | $4,066/month (€3,622.50 a month (2.5 times the previous year's average net salary), or €43,470 for 12 months and €65,205 for 18 months in advance, plus 10% of the average net salary per family member) |
| Fee | about $98 (€46.45 for the temporary stay, €31.85 for the biometric residence card (€59.73 accelerated) and a €9.29 administrative fee) |
| Processing time | not stated |
| Initial stay | 18 months, not renewable |
| Renewable | no |
| Leads to permanent residence | no |
| Where to apply | Consulate, then in the country: Online through the Ministry of the Interior's e-application form, at the police administration or station for your Croatian address if you are in Croatia or can enter visa-free, or at a Croatian embassy or consulate if you need a visa. |

## Who can apply

Any third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) national who works through communication technology for an employer or their own company registered outside Croatia and does not provide services to Croatian employers. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it.

## What you need

- Completed application form for temporary stay of digital nomads (Form 1a)
- Passport valid at least three months beyond the planned stay
- Colour photo (35 x 45 mm)
- Employment contract, or company extract and statement, showing you work remotely for an employer or company not registered in Croatia
- Proof of means: bank statements or payslips showing €3,622.50 a month, or the full-period amount on deposit
- Health insurance covering Croatia for the whole stay (travel or private policy)
- Criminal-record certificate from your country of origin or last residence, legalised (apostille) and translated into Croatian, not older than six months
- Proof of a Croatian address: lease, property deed, hotel booking or host statement
- Fee payment receipts

Income proof: The Ministry of the Interior sets the means at 2.5 average monthly net salaries for the previous year, shown as monthly income or as the full amount for the requested period already in a bank account. Converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).

Fee: Fees charged in Croatia at the police administration; total €87.59 at the standard card rate. Visa-required nationals also pay the consular visa fee.

Processing: The Ministry of the Interior does not publish a processing time; applicants commonly report a few weeks to two months, longer at busy coastal stations in summer.

## How to apply

Consulate, then in the country. Online through the Ministry of the Interior's e-application form, at the police administration or station for your Croatian address if you are in Croatia or can enter visa-free, or at a Croatian embassy or consulate if you need a visa.

1. Gather proof of remote work: employment contract or company registration showing the employer or business is not registered in Croatia, and a statement that you do not serve Croatian employers.
2. Show means of €3,622.50 a month, or the full amount for the period requested (€43,470 for 12 months, €65,205 for 18 months) in a bank account.
3. Obtain a criminal-record certificate from your home country or the country where you lived in the last year, legalised or apostilled and translated into Croatian, and health insurance valid in Croatia.
4. Submit the application online, at the police station or at the consulate with your passport and a Croatian address (lease, hotel or host).
5. Once approved, register your address at the police station within three days of arrival, pay the fees and give biometrics for the residence card.

## After you arrive

Stay and renewal: Granted for up to 18 months (since the 2025 amendment; previously 12). If you were granted less than 18 months you can extend up to that total. After it expires you can only apply again six months after the end of the previous stay.

Residence: The nomad stay is capped at 18 months with a compulsory six-month gap, so it cannot build the five years of continuous temporary stay that Croatian permanent residence requires.

Family: Your spouse, common-law or life partner and minor children can join you through family reunification for the same period, provided you show an extra 10% of the average net salary per family member; they cannot take Croatian employment on that basis.

Taxes: Income earned under the digital-nomad stay is exempt from Croatian income tax (Income Tax Act amendments in force from 1 January 2021), so you pay no Croatian tax on your foreign remote-work earnings while on this status; you remain taxable in your home country if you are resident there. Other Croatian-source income is taxed normally.

## In practice

- The 18-month maximum appears on the Ministry of the Interior's English page; the amendment that raised it from 12 months took effect in 2025 and the fees and income figures on the page are 2026 values.
- You cannot switch to this status from a Croatian work permit, and you cannot extend beyond 18 months; many nomads leave for six months and reapply or move to a company-based permit.
- Visa-free nationals (US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of Latin America) usually enter on their 90 days and apply at the police station; coastal stations in Split and Dubrovnik are slower in summer.
- Zagreb has year-round coworking and the most reliable landlords; Split and Dubrovnik rents double in high season, and winter lets of 12 months are easier to find in Zadar.

## By passport

| Passports | Note |
| --- | --- |
| EU, EEA, CH | You do not need this permit. Register temporary residence at the police within eight days if you stay longer than three months. |
| US, GB, CA, AU, NZ, JP | Visa-free for 90 days in 180 in the Schengen area (Croatia joined in 2023). You can enter, find an address and file at the police administration without a prior visa. |
| All other passports | Nationals who need a visa for Croatia apply for the temporary stay at the Croatian embassy or consulate first and receive the entry visa once it is approved; the income and document rules are the same. |

## Cities in Croatia

- [Dubrovnik](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/dubrovnik): Walled city on the Adriatic
- [Hvar](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/hvar): Island party town with a Venetian harbour
- [Makarska](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/makarska): Pebble-beach riviera town under the Biokovo cliffs
- [Pula](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/pula): Roman arena and Istrian coast at low prices
- [Rijeka](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/rijeka): Croatia's port city and gateway to the Kvarner Gulf
- [Šibenik](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/sibenik): Dalmatian cathedral city without Split's crowds
- [Split](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/split): Dalmatian coast base with a nomad permit
- [Zadar](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/zadar): Dalmatian coast city cheaper than Split
- [Zagreb](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/zagreb): Central European feel with a nomad permit

## FAQ

### Who can apply for the Croatia digital nomad permit?

Any third-country (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) national who works through communication technology for an employer or their own company registered outside Croatia and does not provide services to Croatian employers. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it. Croatia grants non-EU remote workers employed by companies outside Croatia a temporary stay of up to 18 months if they show at least €3,622.50 a month. It costs under €90, can be filed online, at a police station or a consulate, and the income is exempt from Croatian tax, but it cannot be extended past 18 months and you must wait six months before reapplying.

### How much income do you need for the Digital nomad temporary stay?

About $4,066 per month (€3,622.50 a month (2.5 times the previous year's average net salary), or €43,470 for 12 months and €65,205 for 18 months in advance, plus 10% of the average net salary per family member). The Ministry of the Interior sets the means at 2.5 average monthly net salaries for the previous year, shown as monthly income or as the full amount for the requested period already in a bank account. Converted at the ECB reference rate of 2026-10-02 (US$1.1225 per euro).

### How much does the Digital nomad temporary stay cost and how long does it take?

The fee is about $98 (€46.45 for the temporary stay, €31.85 for the biometric residence card (€59.73 accelerated) and a €9.29 administrative fee); Fees charged in Croatia at the police administration; total €87.59 at the standard card rate. Visa-required nationals also pay the consular visa fee. Processing time: not stated. The Ministry of the Interior does not publish a processing time; applicants commonly report a few weeks to two months, longer at busy coastal stations in summer.

### How long can you stay in Croatia on the Digital nomad temporary stay, and can it be renewed?

18 months, not renewable. Granted for up to 18 months (since the 2025 amendment; previously 12). If you were granted less than 18 months you can extend up to that total. After it expires you can only apply again six months after the end of the previous stay.

### Does the Digital nomad temporary stay lead to permanent residence in Croatia?

Not by itself. The nomad stay is capped at 18 months with a compulsory six-month gap, so it cannot build the five years of continuous temporary stay that Croatian permanent residence requires.

### Can family members come with you on the Digital nomad temporary stay?

Your spouse, common-law or life partner and minor children can join you through family reunification for the same period, provided you show an extra 10% of the average net salary per family member; they cannot take Croatian employment on that basis.

### Do you pay tax in Croatia on the Digital nomad temporary stay?

Income earned under the digital-nomad stay is exempt from Croatian income tax (Income Tax Act amendments in force from 1 January 2021), so you pay no Croatian tax on your foreign remote-work earnings while on this status; you remain taxable in your home country if you are resident there. Other Croatian-source income is taxed normally.

### Where do you apply for the Digital nomad temporary stay?

Consulate, then in the country: Online through the Ministry of the Interior's e-application form, at the police administration or station for your Croatian address if you are in Croatia or can enter visa-free, or at a Croatian embassy or consulate if you need a visa.

### Can I extend or renew the Croatia digital nomad permit after 18 months?

No. The stay can be granted for up to 18 months in total; extensions are only possible up to that limit if you were first granted less. A new application can be made six months after the previous stay expired.

## Sources

- [Temporary stay of digital nomads](https://mup.gov.hr/aliens-281621/stay-and-work/temporary-stay-of-digital-nomads/286833), Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova Republike Hrvatske (mup.gov.hr), retrieved 2026-10-04 (Definition, 18-month maximum, six-month gap, €3,622.50 monthly means (€43,470 / €65,205), 10% per family member, fees of €46.45, €31.85 or €59.73 and €9.29, documents, where to apply, family reunification)
- [Porezne promjene od 1. siječnja 2021.](https://porezna-uprava.gov.hr/hr/porezne-promjene-od-1-sijecnja-2021/4750), Porezna uprava, Ministarstvo financija (porezna-uprava.gov.hr), retrieved 2026-10-04 (Income-tax exemption for receipts of digital nomads introduced with the 2021 tax changes)

Not yet reviewed by a person. Not legal advice; confirm with the issuing authority before you book.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/visas/croatia