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How to apply for Croatia's digital nomad visa
Croatia calls it "temporary stay of digital nomads". Where you apply depends on one thing: whether you need a visa to enter Croatia. Here's each step, from the Ministry of the Interior's own page.
- Income
- €3,622.50/month, or €43,470 savings (12 mo)
- Fees
- €87.59 in Croatia · €148.74 at a consulate
- Stay
- Up to 18 months
- Croatian employers
- Can't work for them
Pick your route
You don't need a visa for Croatia (e.g. US, UK, Canadian, Australian passports)
- Check you qualify: you're not an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen, and you work through communication technology for a foreign employer or your own company that isn't registered in Croatia, with no work for Croatian employers.
- Gather the documents below.
- Apply in one of three ways: online through the MUP digital nomad portal (it's forwarded to the police station for your intended address), at a Croatian embassy or consulate, or in person at the police station for your address if you're already in Croatia legally.
- If you applied in Croatia, you can stay until the decision becomes final. A case worker reviews the file and may ask for more documents.
- Once approved, pay the fees (police-station route), register your address and get your biometric residence card (see "After approval").
Not sure whether you need a visa? Check MVEP's visa requirements overview ↗.
Sources: Ministry of the Interior (MUP): temporary stay of digital nomads ↗, MUP: online application for digital nomads ↗, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP): visa requirements overview ↗ · read Nov 3, 2026
You need a visa for Croatia
- Apply online or at a Croatian embassy or consulate ↗. An application filed at a police station in Croatia will be rejected.
- If you're in Croatia on a Schengen C (tourist) visa while you wait, you may only stay as long as that visa allows; the pending application doesn't extend it.
- Once approved, contact the embassy or consulate again to get a long-stay D visa (or, where offered, the biometric card). Visa applications can also be filed online through MVEP's Crovisa system.
- If you already hold a residence permit or D visa from another EU country, you don't need a Croatian D visa: register your residence at the police after approval.
Sources: Ministry of the Interior (MUP): temporary stay of digital nomads ↗, MVEP: Croatian embassies and consulates ↗ · read Nov 3, 2026
What you'll need
Documents checklist (8 items)
- The application: online through the MUP digital nomad portal, or Form 1a (bilingual) if you apply in person
- A copy of your passport, valid for at least 3 months longer than the stay you’re asking for
- Proof of health insurance for your whole stay that covers Croatia (the official rule is quoted below)
- Proof of purpose: a statement (from your employer or from you) that you work through communication technology, plus your employment or service contract with a foreign employer, or your own company’s registration and proof you work through it
- Proof of means of subsistence: bank statements or 6 months of payslips (see the income test below), as PDFs of up to 2 MB, clearly labelled
- A legalised criminal record certificate from your home country or any country you lived in for more than a year right before coming to Croatia (not needed again when you extend)
- An address in Croatia. First-timers can give a hostel or hotel with a confirmed booking
- Translations into Croatian or English by an authorised translator for anything not already in those languages, with the currency clearly shown
The criminal record certificate must be legalised; see MVEP's legalisation rules ↗. In-person applicants use Form 1a ↗.
Sources: Ministry of the Interior (MUP): temporary stay of digital nomads ↗, MUP: Form 1a (April 2026) ↗, MVEP: legalisation of documents ↗ · read Nov 3, 2026
The income test, with family
€3,622.50 per month (2.5× average net salary), or savings of €43,470 for a 12-month stay / €65,205 for 18 months.
The rule comes from Croatia's regulation on means of subsistence (Official Gazette 14/21 and 3/26): at least 2.5 average monthly net salaries for the previous year, per the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. You can prove it three ways: a bank statement with the full amount for your stay, a bank statement showing regular income at the monthly level, or payslips for at least 6 months. Each extra family member or partner adds 10% of the average monthly net salary.
Source: Ministry of the Interior (MUP): temporary stay of digital nomads ↗ · read Nov 3, 2026
Health insurance: what the official rule says
MUP asks for proof of health insurance for the whole time you plan to be in Croatia, and says travel or private health insurance must cover Croatia. We don't recommend or compare policies.
Source: Ministry of the Interior (MUP): temporary stay of digital nomads ↗ · read Nov 3, 2026
Fees, by where you apply
- Embassy or consulate (paid when you apply): €55.74 for the temporary stay, plus €93.00 for the D visa or €41.14 for the biometric card. VFS centres charge an extra service fee.
- Police station in Croatia (paid after approval): €46.45 for the temporary stay, €9.29 administrative fee for the residence permit, and €31.85 for the biometric card (€59.73 fast-track). That's €87.59 in total at the standard speed.
MUP publishes the bank details (IBAN, model and reference number) for paying online; send your case worker the payment proof as a PDF.
Source: Ministry of the Interior (MUP): temporary stay of digital nomads ↗ · read Nov 3, 2026
After approval
Address registration, residence card, family and extensions
Address: register your address at the police station within 3 days of entering Croatia, with Form 16a and a lease, title deed, or the owner's statement. MUP warns the stay is revoked if you don't register within 30 days of it starting (6 months if you needed a D visa).
Residence card: get your biometric residence card in person at a police station (photo and biometrics).
Family: close family can join through family reunification ↗, but only once your stay is granted.
Extending: An extension is only possible if your first grant was shorter than 18 months. Apply no later than 60 days before it expires; the extension is for up to 6 months. A new application is possible 6 months after your stay ends.
Sources: Ministry of the Interior (MUP): temporary stay of digital nomads ↗, MUP: temporary stay for family reunification ↗ · read Nov 3, 2026
Not legal or tax advice. Croatian police administrations and consulates decide every application, and MUP doesn't publish a processing time. Check the official page before you rely on anything here. We don't summarise tax rules.
Quick answers
How do I apply for the Croatia digital nomad visa?
Apply for "temporary stay of digital nomads" online through the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) portal, at a Croatian embassy or consulate, or (only if you don't need a visa for Croatia and are there legally) at the police station for your address. If you need a visa to enter Croatia, you must apply at an embassy or consulate or online, and you then get a long-stay D visa once approved (mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).
How much income do I need?
At least 2.5 average monthly net salaries, which MUP currently puts at €3,622.50 a month, shown with bank statements of regular income or payslips for the last 6 months. Instead, you can show savings of €43,470 for a 12-month stay or €65,205 for 18 months. Each additional family member adds 10% of the average monthly net salary (mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).
How much does it cost?
At an embassy or consulate you pay €55.74 for the temporary stay plus €93.00 for the D visa (or €41.14 for a biometric card instead); VFS centres add a service charge. At a police station in Croatia you pay after approval: €46.45 for the stay, €9.29 admin fee and €31.85 for the biometric card (€59.73 fast-track) (mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).
How long can I stay, and can I extend?
Up to 18 months. If you were granted less than 18 months, you can apply to extend no later than 60 days before it expires, in person at the police station for your address; the extension is for up to 6 months. A new digital nomad application is possible 6 months after your stay ends (mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).
Can I work for Croatian companies?
No. MUP defines a digital nomad as a non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen working through communication technology for a company, or their own company, that isn't registered in Croatia, and who doesn't work for or provide services to employers in Croatia (mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).
Can I apply while I’m in Croatia as a tourist?
If you don't need a visa for Croatia, yes: you can apply at the police station for your address and stay until the decision is final. If you need a visa and are in Croatia on a Schengen C visa, you can apply online but may only stay as long as the C visa allows, and if approved you must get a D visa from a Croatian embassy or consulate (mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).
Can my family come with me?
Yes, close family (including unmarried partners who meet the rules) can join through family reunification, but only after your digital nomad stay is granted. Family applications filed before that are rejected (mup.gov.hr and mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).
What do I do after I arrive?
Register your address at the police within 3 days of entering Croatia (Form 16a plus a lease, title deed or owner's statement), and get your biometric residence card in person. MUP warns that if you don't register your address within 30 days of the stay starting (6 months if you needed a D visa), the stay is revoked (mup.gov.hr, read Nov 3, 2026).