How to Get a Digital Nomad Visa in Croatia
Does Croatia have a Digital Nomad Visa? Yes, they do. And you can get it now.
Documents for Croatia Digital Nomad Visa
The following documents will be needed all the way to the residence permit:
- One questionnaire you should complete online and one questionnaire you should print out to submit in person in Croatia
- A copy of a passport with an expiration date longer by three months than the period of intended stay in the country
- Health Insurance. Must be valid in Schengen zone or worldwide for at least 30 days and cover €300000
- Employment contract, certificate of employment, certificate of incorporation of own company or other evidence where it is clearly stated that the company is not registered in Croatia and the work is done remotely
- Bank statement with the amount in the account of at least €30,471.72, or a statement showing a regular monthly income of at least €2,539.31, or payment invoices for at least 6 months with similar income
- A certificate of no criminal record
- Proof of housing. For visa and initial approval, a hotel reservation is sufficient. For a resident card, you will already need to show a long-term rental contract
- Tickets to Croatia
Documents are provided with a certified translation into English or Croatian.
Step-by-step guide to get Croatia Digital Nomad Visa
Your path to a residence permit starts with getting a visa. But to get it, you need to first get your nomadic residence permit approved. It sounds confusing, so below is a look at what you need to do and in what order:
I. Get approved for a Nomad residence permit online
- Gather a package of documents and make scans.
- Go to the website of the Croatian Home Office.
- Start filling out the application form: personal information, passport, education, job, etc.
- Upload the scanned documents:
Travel document - passport
Health insurance - insurance
Proof of purpose of stay - proof of remote work
Means of subsistence - bank statement or invoices
Excerpt from criminal records - certificate of criminal record
Address of accommodation - hotel reservation or rental contract
- Submit your request and receive an automatic confirmation.
- Later, the police officer in charge of your case should contact you and send an approval or request additional documents. The longest stage, but during correspondence you can clarify unclear points.
- Get approval in the post.
- Applicants with a Schengen visa or citizens of countries that do not require a visa to Croatia can go straight to point V.
II. Fill out the visa application form
You can submit your visa application no earlier than 2 months before and no later than 2 months after the start of your residence permit. For example, you requested a residence permit from April 1st, then you can apply for a visa from February 1st to June 1st.
1. Once approved, you can request a long term visa.
2. Go to the Croatian MFA website and start filling out the application form.
3. The finished questionnaire as a pdf-file should be printed and signed. Keep the PIN-code of the application form - you may need it at the visa center.
Once you have been approved for a Nomad residence permit, you can obtain a D visa in almost any country even without a residence permit of that country. For example, there are cases of obtaining it in Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro. But it is better to clarify that by writing to a particular embassy.
III. Make an appointment at the visa center
1. Having received a ready questionnaire, you can make an appointment for personal filing at the visa center.
2. Go to the VFS Global website.
3. Follow the instructions: create an account, fill in the data, select a date.
4. Pay the €93 fee for the D visa.
5. Receive your enrollment confirmation in the mail and print it out.
IV. Visit the visa application center and get your visa
1. Collect the originals of all the documents you uploaded for the application form, including the confirmation of enrollment. You can take the documents required for the residence permit just in case.
2. Visit the visa center, give your documents and passport, and give your biometrics.
3. Track the status of the application on the page.
4. When the visa is ready, come to the visa center and pick up your passport with the visa pasted.
V. Fly to Croatia
0. Obtain an OIB (tax number). But according to the experience of those who received it, this step is not necessary, as this number is issued by the police after registration of residence.
1. Find a long-term accommodation, formalize a contract. For example, on a local website or on Flatio.
2. Fill in the application form and register your residence in Croatia at the local Police Department by writing to the post office or coming in person. This must be done within 30 days of receiving your visa.
3. Take the documents for the residence permit, including the completed application form, to the same place.
4. Pay a fee of €40 or €70 for the expedited procedure.
5. Wait for notification and pick up your resident card at the Police Department.