Doesn’t life tend to get boring? It’s usually a never-ending cycle of constantly waking up, working, and going home to bed. This genuinely never allows us to experience the world’s true beauty. Most people have come to accept this reality of living the life that someone else has planned for them. They think the beautiful honing sound of a significant cities craziness is the ideal everyday life. Yes, most individuals do it because it pays the bills and allows their families to live a splendid life. What if you can do it while living a work and travel abroad dream? Well, lucky for you, there is one Balkan nation, familiar to many Game of Thrones fans that recently launched a digital nomad visa program. And that country is looking for individuals to complete this dream move. The country is Croatia. In this post, Guest Author, Thomas Mustac, covers all you need to know about the Croatia Digital Nomad Visa.

Guest Author Bio: Thomas Mustac has his MA from Iona College with an Advanced Certification in Nonprofit Public Relations. He is a full-time publicist at a Florida based Public Relations firm. He has extensive expertise in travel as he has traveled to over 10 countries and runs his own travel site Interstache.

Where is Croatia?

When looking at a map of Europe, Croatia is across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. It is surrounded by neighbouring Balkan countries Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia, and Montenegro. In geographical terms, this area always attract many European tourists. It’s fantastic knowing in a few hours you could be in a new country learning new customs and traditions. Now, I’ve grown up in the United States, and many might say moving to another country in Europe is the same thing as visiting another state in the U.S. But it is dramatically different.

What’s Great About Living in Croatia?

If you’re wondering what is great about living in Croatia well, I’d firstly comment on the weather. And secondly, it is being allowed to live there on a digital nomad visa. So to the weather. The kind of weather you can expect in Croatia is different depending on what part of the country you are in. In the North, the Zagreb or Osijek regions expect colder temperatures than the Dalmatian coastline where you will find the cities of Split and Dubrovnik. Most locals, even if they decide to live in the North, tend to visit the coastline quite often mainly because of the warmer weather only a short drive away. The one thing that can be noticed instantly about Croatia is it’s almost always sunny with 52% days of full sunny weather throughout. This allows this Adriatic gem to produce some of the world’s best wines, olive oil, and truffles. As well as the great weather, Croatia has so much more to offer in its own culture and customs that transcend generations. 

How Can you Live and Work in Croatia?

You might be asking how you can move to Croatia tomorrow? And is it a simple process to truly make this move? I would say yes. But there are multiple answers on how to do it because, for people worldwide who have Croatian citizenship, it is straightforward since you are a citizen. When you have Croatian citizenship, it is equivalent to a golden ticket. You are viewed equally to any other local Croatian, so for you, it can be as simple as jumping on a plane, renting an apartment and beginning your new life in Croatia. It is similar for other EU citizens however, more difficult for non-EU citizens but now, this is where the Croatia digital nomad visa enters.

Citizens of EU Member Countriess

Croatia became the 28th member of the European Union (EU) on 1 July 2013. If you are a citizen of one of the other EU member states you can live and work in Croatia. Get the details from the offical European Union website.

Non-EU Citizens

If you are from a non-EU country you will be pleased to know Croatia is officially offering temporary residence to digital nomads effective January 1, 2021. That’s right, Croatia now has a Digital Nomad Visa. 

What is the Croatia Digital Nomad Visa and its Eligibility Criteria 

The Croatia Digital Nomad Visa is a residence permit allowing digital nomads, remote workers and freelancers to stay in Croatia for up to 12 months. And you can apply to have this extended. The main criteria to get a digital nomad residence permit in Croatia is:

• You are non-EU/EEA citizen.
• Have a monthly income of 16.907,50 kuna per month or €2,250 approx.
• Are working for a company based outside of Croatia, or are self-employed freelancer, remote worker or digital nomad.

The Application Process

To apply you will be required to supply a number of documents with your application. These include Proof of Purpose, copy of your Passport, background check from your home country, marriage certificate (if married and bringing your spouse and children), health insurance policy, proof of funds to support yourself and lastly, an address in Croatia (this can be of a hostel or hotel where you will be staying initially). To get more details on the visa and to apply, visit the offical website of the Croatia Digital Nomad Resident Visa here. So, is it a lot to do? I would say probably yes, but it is ultimately definitely worth all these steps considering you’ll be living your dream life once this process is complete. 

Finding Places to Live in Croatia

Dubrovnik – a beautiful place to live and work as a digital nomad

There are plenty of short-term accommodation options for people arriving in Croatia. There are hostels, hotels, villas, apartments and Airbnbs to choose from for your initial stay. Unless you know where you are going to live in Croatia, most people arrive and stay in the capital, Zagreb. Or one of the major towns like Dubrovnik or Split. Check out Booking.com for short-term accommodation in these areas. For longer-term stays you may look for an apartment rental. Renting an apartment will allow you to live and work remotely from home. There are also coliving and coworking spaces available also. What are they, read about them here.

Top Croatian Destinations for Digital Nomads

There are a number of places in Croatia that digital nomads like to base themselves, mainly because there are coffee shops with fast wifi but also coworking spaces. Dubrovnik has a number of great coffee shops to work from. However, it is a very touristy town and you may be competing with holiday makers for services which could interfere with you getting work done. Split is the second most popular city in Croatia and offers a number of great cafes, nightlife and coworking spaces. So you can work by day and party in the evening if that is what you want to do. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and coworking spaces are growing. Good news for those digital nomads that like to get their work done.

Playing and Travelling in Croatia

Spending an extended time in a country allows you to immerse yourself in the local culture and explore the country at will. Croatia has a lot to discover, it is a stunning place to visit and here are some suggestions of things to see and do. Here is some inspiration which you can book through GetYourGuide.

Final Words on Living and Working in Croatia

The digital nomad process has allowed Croatia to open its doors to attract digital nomads, remote workers and freelancers. This is great news because being allowed a stay of up to one year lets you immerse yourself in the local culture. Plus you generate income for Croatia by using its services – accommodation, wifi, water, utilities, etc. Are you ready to jump on a plane for Croatia now? We’d love to hear if you are in Croatia living your digital nomad dreams or planning your visit. Please feel free to leave your comments in the comments following.