Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Sara listened to what the problem I was trying to solve, had a couple of ideas and then followed up by introducing me to a lawyer and realtor. Superb outcome. Thank you very much indeed. You'd be mad not to talk to Sara!
Great consultation that helped me understand Croatia digital nomad program much better. I received a lot of information that is not available publicly.
The session was very useful and Sara helped me with all the doubts I had.
Introduced to a Professional
Great experience
I found the services at very high standards and very knowledgeable professionals
Thank you for your support
Sara is incredibly knowledgeable about Croatia and the digital nomad visa process! She provided really helpful insight with the many questions I had. Lastly, Sara was very mindful of the amount of time we had and making sure we were covering all of the topics I was interested in discussing.
Introduced to a Professional
I inherited a house and some gravesites in Croatia and had been battling the Croatian bureaucracy for several years to get everything legally in my name. I reached out to "Expat in Croatia" to help me identify a Croatian lawyer ... Sara was responsive and immediately connected me with a vetted and competent lawyer. If you need to get something officially done in Croatia and you are hitting a brick wall, I recommend talking to Sara ... she is very knowledgeable of Croatia and how things work there.
Thank you Sara and (Teri), for such a professional service start to finish, both calming and super informative. Really went out of their way to accommodate myself and my girlfriend with all of our questions and arranging some last minute bookings. Sara helped us to work through some of the muddy water of making a residency application. The website itself is an amazing source of information, but as the different application options are fairly vast meeting online for a chat is worth every penny. Thank you.
We had a very informative and useful chat with Sara. The meeting was very well organised and Sara had all the answers to our questions. We now have a better understanding of the systems in Croatia and feel much more prepared to move forward with our plans.
Thank you Sara 🙂
Free Guidance, Introduced to a Professional
I can't speak more highly about the expat in Croatia staff. Fantastic prompt and excellent advice from all the staff. I have been dealing with Teri who has been very professional and very friendly in helping me with information and contacts in relation to my citizenship application. Great bunch of people. Highly recommended.
Concierge services, Consulting
Lucija was amazing
She helped us with our COVID vaccine which proved to be very difficult
Thanks to Lucija we were able to travel around Europe
I can highly recommend their services
Wow! Thank goodness for Sara and her team at Expat. Couldn’t have asked for better help. Sara is a wealth of knowledge. She answered all my questions in regards to applying for residency and citizenship without any hesitation. She knows this stuff like the back of her hand. Anyone looking for guidance should, without hesitation schedule a meeting. You won’t be disappointed.
I needed help with residence registration and finding an immigration lawyer. Sara was wonderful. She was easy to talk to and had so much helpful advice. I definitely recommend her services to anyone looking for guidance on documents and immigration in Croatia. I'm sure she saved me a lot of time, stress, and headaches. I have been through this process in many other countries and it's quite difficult, so to have a resource such as Sara is a big deal. I will definitely be back if I have any other questions and will recommend this service to anyone I know who needs help.
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Sara was super helpful, we had several questions regarding the visas and process, which Sara has resolved for us, also Sara has introduced us to an immigration attorney, who was able to clarify everything for us which we couldn't resolve during the call - as we had a unique case. In general it was a super nice experience talking to Sara. Will definitely recommend contacting her to my Friends if they plan to move to Croatia as well 🙂
Here's what I can tell anyone on the fence- just know that you will get the best help they can give you. When I needed help, it seemed like everyone was out of the office, or on a business trip, except for the wonderful people here. They would answer emails, come back to check up, and then check up again. They really do care.
I am a French citizen planning to take a year off in Croatia, and maybe to work a little from there to pay some bills. I had a consulting session with Sara and asked her about immigration and registering as a sole trader, and she could answer all my questions fingers in the nose - she came 100% prepared. In the 30mns call, we also managed to speak about health insurance, renting a place, opening a bank account, mobile phone services providers and buying a vehicle. I think I managed to ask her a couple of questions she had never been asked before, and she could answer them too. She also mentioned a few things I hadn't thought about asking. The only reason why I have not rated the interaction 'Above and beyond expectations' is because my expectations were very high, due to the website being so complete and done so well, and to her colleague Teri being so professional while setting up the appointment. Expat in Croatia is certainly above and beyond similar expats businesses elsewhere!
Introduced to a Professional
The team from Expat in Croatia was able to put me in contact with an amazing team of lawyers (Ivona and Ema) to help me with my application for Croatian citizenship. Being an American citizen who is living in Australia they were able to help me get all of the required documentation in regards to my parents Croatian citizenship from Registrar's Office as well as support me in obtaining my required documents. The only thing left now is to wait for the borders in Australia to open up so I can apply for my citizenship in person and finalize the process. I would highly recommend Teri and the team from Expat in Croatia and the vetted lawyers they put me in contact with to support you in your journey to obtaining Croatian citizenship!
Had a consultation session with Sara via Zoom. Her preparedness was refreshing, which facilitated an efficient and effective meeting. All questions were answered and explained well. Useful information has been sent immediately following the meeting as promised. Excellent service all round!
Concierge services, Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
For anyone arriving in Croatia, we cannot stress enough the importance of having Lucija (and Sara) on your side. We had email introductions before arriving and once we arrived in Split, Lucija met with us to assess our needs. She got right to work ticking off all of our "boxes" and within days we had found our long term apartment. Without Lucija, this would not have been possible. Her energy and positive attitude helped us to settle in and trust the process. We had done lots of research, but once here, we realized we could not do this on our own. Lucija is an expert with all the necessary paperwork, helped us to prepare it and stayed with us throughout. The experience was not only highly professional, but pleasant! A great service, a great experience! We will be forever grateful to Lucija!
Free Guidance, Introduced to a Professional
Sara was very helpful in assisting me with providing invaluable feedback on the process to obtain a Croatian citizenship. She was able to clearly outline the process and pointed me to a helpful immigration lawyer to move forward with an application.
I would highly recommend Sara for her guidance and insights if you are considering proceeding with applying for a Croatian citizenship.
Keep up the good work!
We had a consulting session with Sara in person in Split. She helped us a lot in answering questions about getting a residence permit in Croatia for both non-EU citizen and EU citizen. She drove us trough all the requirements needed for the long-rent residence and the digital nomad residence permits. She also talked about getting a residence permit based on studying a language. We also talked about the need of having a translator while visiting the MUP office and translating documents into Croatian, she told us she has some colleagues who specialise in doing these. Additionally we had time to talk about the weather in Split and things to do in the city once the tourist season is over. After finishing the meeting, she sent us follow-up email with useful links and I also shared a Youtube video with her where I found some information about migrating to Croatia that was a bit unclear, so she can take a look at that. Overall our meeting was very helpful and she answered all the doubts we had about getting residence permit in Croatia and the Croatian bureaucracy.
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Sara was prompt and helpful and I wouldn’t hesitate to ask again if we needed help. I also love the Croatian language lessons 😊 in Expat in Croatia. Please keep up the great work you do.
With many thanks
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
If you are looking to move to Croatia, talking with Sara is a must! She helped me understand the nuances of the application process, answered questions I would not have been able to answer on my own, and gave me priceless insider advice and a professional referral that turned out to be exactly what I needed in my case. Even if like me, you are someone who has done a ton of research on your own, you can save yourself a world of stress and costly wrong moves by getting Sara's expert guidance! I'm so glad I did!
I needed some advice due to overstay of my tourist visa, and I was in a fluster about where to even start. Sara is a class act! Not only did she respond in a timely manner, but her sound professional advice helped me greatly and I felt completely supported. Sara replied on a couple of occasions to my queries and I would not hesitate to recommend her services and the team to anyone who requires assistance or sound professional advice from people in the know. Thank you Sara, you are an angel!
Sara went above and beyond to officially confirm the answer to my question before replying and she even sent additional helpful information that I hadn’t even considered. Sara and Lucija’s blog posts on how foreign nomads can access the CoVid vaccine in Croatia are the clearest, most informative guides I’ve seen for any country. I wish they wrote for government websites, too, then we’d all be better informed.
Hvala, Sara!
I needed an overview and clarification on several points. By advising Sara I was able to quickly get to the essentials and focus on the future solution. The advice helped me make a decision. I will definitely book a session again to clarify new questions. The answers are clear and full of expertise. Many thanks for the help.
Free Guidance, Introduced to a Professional
I reached out for help on several items including real estate agent and legal counsel referal, pet transport advice among others. Response was quick and detailed with warm and professional approach. I highly recommend working with Sara and her team!
She is very kind during session, and gave useful information for us after session, too.
Thank you, Sara!
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
As an American with a Croatian wife, I had lots of questions. I am retired and looking to take up residence in Croatia. We need a lawyer for purchase of property and got a referral almost immediately. We need to transfer money from the States and got info on that. We got advice regarding residency, health insurance, drivers licenses. Sara had all that info for us. She's very knowledgeable and quite pleasant to talk to. She's got lots of practical advice. Truly this time was worth the investment. We may get in touch with Sara again in the future when things come up
Patricia B.
United States
Concierge services
Both Sara and Lucija were amazing to work with on every level. Once Sara worked her magicgetting me lined up with the requirements and a various details, Lucija came to the rescue Handling the documents, taking me to the excellent translator Ana, needed for the process... Then to the police station with documents and follow up visits. Amazing people and impeccable professionals.
Got a quick and useful reply. Thank you
Sara was beyond helpful with information being a foreigner can be difficult doing business with the language barrier but thank goodness for her help !
Amazing service Thankyou
Free Guidance, Introduced to a Professional
My experience with Sara and the rest of the Expat in Croatia team has been wonderful thus far! I'm in process of moving from the US to Croatia and although I'm incredibly excited I'm also incredibly anxious. The support I've received from Sara and the expat team has been very comforting and reassuring for me. They have graciously answered my dozens of questions and checked in with me unexpectedly to see how I'm doing. I'm very happy that I stumbled across this website and met this amazing team!
The video consultation with Sara was extremely helpful. The Expat in Croatia site has been the best resource we have found for applying for the Digital Nomad residency. We had some questions specific to our situation and she provided us with the information we needed. She is very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Well worth the fee to have our questions answered.
Sara was extremely helpful. Provided answers to all my questions and even sent helpful links for me to view to make my process easier. I cannot recommend her help enough!
Anthony H.
United Kingdom
Free Guidance
I have contacted Sara on a number of occasions, her replies have always been very helpful.
She is very kind and extremely knowledgeable on all matters relating to Croatia. I would certainly trust her advice and judgment.
Anthony
We chatted briefly on a call about digital nomad residency and Sara provided all the answers with good insight.
I came across Expat in Croatia while searching for Digital Nomad and I am glad I did. The guys at Expat in Croatia are truly remarkable and the content they produce and the support they provide to community it is outstanding. What more can I say - the guys deserve a huge recongation for everything they do. A truly amazing team who go above and beyond to serve their community. I can't recommend them highly enough. Top stars.
Had a 30 minute consultancy session with Sara and found her very friendly and knowledgeable. Helped answer a lot of the questions I had about the application process. Would highly recommend a chat with her if you are thinking about applying for Croatian citizenship.
Hi! Thank you for answering my questions about ESL teachers and nurses. You are a great help and you even sent me a list of schools. So lit!
Sara and I had a video chat regarding property my father left to my children. She was very helpful and pointed me to the direction of an English speaking Croatian lawyer. Thank you so much!!
In a single session Sara provided overviews of visiting Zagreb, transportation insights (and issues) with lived recommendations; she also provided insightful "must-dos" for me while I will be in Split (as a tourist) wrt to hiking national parks and island hoping, etc (I wished to avoid the traditional touristy spots, crowds, etc.).
Sara not only provided her perspective on living in Croatia but employment options, timelines, what could be on and off the table from an expat perspective seeking moving there. She knew about the healthcare needs, visas and provided residency options for my own circumstance. She then summarized our meeting with an email including direct links to sites with further source information.
This was an amazing value, it will save you time, $ and frustration. I have booked another session with her to make the most of my upcoming trip.
Ryan
(Canada)
Hi. I needed help with finding an office address in Crikvenica and Sara helped me right away. Thank you again for your kindness.
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Sara was absolutely fabulous. First, Teri got back to me right away and were really helpful about setting up an appointment with Sara. I was curious about obtaining my Croatian citizenship and Sara emailed me to get some details before our zoom call. During our call, she was extremely helpful. She not only answered all my questions about Croatian citizenship but talked to me about her experience in Croatia and what life is like as an American expat living there. She also connected me with an equally amazing Croatian immigration lawyer who is now helping me move forward in the citizenship process. Sara sent a follow up email after our call about everything we talked about, including connecting me directly with the lawyer via email, and I received another follow up email a week later from Teri making sure I connected with the lawyer myself. I had an awesome experience with Sara and I know I will definitely be reaching out to her again for help navigating this whole process.
Sara was an enormous help while Sherry and I were buying our yacht in Croatia.
Thanks Sara !
Cheers
Free Guidance, Introduced to a Professional
I stumbled across the Expat in Croatia website last year via Google when we started planning a move to Europe, and it quickly became my go-to reference for all things foreigners may want to know about living in Croatia. Since my husband is an EU national, we initially looked at 2 other countries, and I would spend 3 hours scouring 15 separate websites to locate a fraction of the content available on Expat in Croatia. Sara and I corresponded via email to clarify a few points on the residency process, and I have been referred to a vetted Tax attorney as well as Immigration attorney where both offered exceptional service (and value). Sara and her team always follow up to confirm I was taken care of by these professionals which gives me great confidence in their network and vetting process. Expat in Croatia is clearly a passion project for Sara, and I have become a HUGE fan of the site!!
Kristina P.
United States
Consulting
Sara was very prepared for our meeting. She is very knowledgeable, walking me through the processes. She followed up immediately with detailed steps. And she creates a very informative newsletter. Highly recommend Sara and her expertise.
Thx you Sara for answering my questions. Was very helpful.
Sara is a wonderful woman with a world of knowledge. She is kind, friendly, understanding, empathetic and overall she is very smart & clever. Both myself and my husband enjoyed our consultation with Sara regarding moving to Croatia & the logistics of the move.
~ Jodika & Julian - Alberta, Canada
I communicated with Sara via Zoom and she was very helpful. Reading information online can sometimes be overwhelming so it was nice to chat to an actual person about all the questions I have, lol! I found out some new information about how my family and I can and can not apply for citizenship, starting a business, etc. and was followed up with appropriate links to further look into things. I really appreciated her time! 🙂
Sara has been a delight to talk to! Loved her energy, she’s very kind and enthusiastic. I learned so much from her in just 30 minutes. All my questions were answered. On top of that, she has encouraged me to keep going and assured me that I have a big chance of achieving my goal. I felt a huge relief after the call.
A big shout-out to Teri as well! Thank you for the great assistance via email. 🙂
Overall, this is an excellent service from a professional team. Highly recommend!
Natalie and Dean B.
United States
Introduced to a Professional
Exceptional Service
Introduced to a Professional
My experience working with Sara has been beyond amazing and helpful. The attentiveness and support right from the start was something I was amazed with which I haven’t experienced elsewhere. She understood my question and inquiry via my email and got back to be very quickly with a solution and put me in contact with a vetted lawyer to which she highly recommended. I truly believe that I would not be able to get the information needed on my own and without Sara’s help. My ongoing experience was great, I was treated very well with Sara’s contact and got all my questions answered and solved. Sara and her team reached out a few weeks later after our initial contact to see how my progress was going with the vetted lawyer. I thought this was very kind and thoughtful knowing that they care about my situation and look forward to knowing my progress. I will be sure to highly recommend their resources to any one like myself who was in search of in depth information, guidance and support with an incredible experience.
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
We so appreciate the helpful and warm welcome we have received with Sara and her services and guidance. It was very valuable and put us right where we needed to be, when we needed and got us in touch with a fast efficient and knowledgable professional that quickly helped us to progess in days what was taking us months. Thank you for your great service and attitude.
Nicholas Z.
United States
Consulting
Excellent perspective on the real situation at the ground level in Croatia.
Sara was super knowledgeable, friendly, and so easy to talk to. We'll definitely be scheduling future consults with her once we arrive in Croatia.
I had scheduled a zoom session with Sara to go over the Digital Nomad Visa offered by Croatia. I had questions regarding income tax and taxes on capital gains and about the process of applying for the visa and things to consider for eg. location, culture, community, safety etc. before making a move to Croatia. Sara answered all my questions with all the experience she had, even where she couldn't give me a specific detail on something she promised to get back to me (and she did). It was my first ever consultation for a Digital Nomad visa, and I'm really glad she could clarify most of my queries. My session was followed up with an email from Sara with links to the information about whatever we had discussed over our call.
I had a 30 minutes session with Sara to explore my options of temporary residency in Croatia. I've sent some very specific questions beforehand and during our call, Sara has everything researched and ready for me. She explained all steps very clearly. She is very knowledgeable about Croatia so I also got some insights into how my life could be over there, which made me so excited about it. After the call, she followed up with more information, links and instructions. She's always available to answer any follow-up questions. Amazing experience!
Hello Sara,
You were very helpful and responded quickly to my question. Thank you so much. I so enjoy your newsletters, and videos. I look forward to your weekly feeds.
Regards
Marija.
Dawn-Lesley M.
United Kingdom
Free Guidance
Sara has been so kind and helpful when I have contacted her with various questions, she has been able to answer them quickly and thoroughly! I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else, she knows her stuff 🙂 Always really cheerful!
She emailed her response to my question very quickly and provided me with exactly what I needed.
Davidian O.
United States
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
sara is a wonderful person with tremendous knowledge on the ins-and-outs of croatia... based on my experience with her. would strongly any newbies to consult her for any kinds of your needs...!
Free Guidance, Introduced to a Professional
I would highly recommend working with Sara on ALL your needs and questions pertaining to Croatia. My family is looking to obtain our Croatian Citizenship and Sara has been an integral part of this process. I went on her blog and reached out to her by email and she responded quickly and was extremely helpful recommending a professional to help us with our request. Sara was fantastic and we are grateful for her help.
Introduced to a Professional
When I learned I was eligible for Croatian citizenship due to ancestry, I contacted a firm to help me with the process. It would often take weeks for emails to be answered. After a few months and a few hundred Euros, we didn't get very far in the process other than confirming that I am "likely" eligible.
I looked for other resources and was very lucky to find Sara at Expat in Croatia. After filling out the form on the website, I received an email the next day referring me to a Croatian attorney.
The attorney was extremely professional and guided me though the entire process. Fees were laid out up front including legal and translation services. The legal staff was able to locate my Grandfather's birth record, perhaps the most risky part of the process as without that record, we could not have moved forward. Also if the they had been unable to locate the record, fees would have been minimal and we would have ended the engagement.
As I received the required records such as birth and background check documents, the attorney verified all was in order. I was also impressed as in the middle of the process, the Croatian Government changed to a different application which the attorney was aware of.
Finally when I spoke to the Consulate in Washington, DC, she indicated that all my documents were in order. Apparently a lot of people come in with incomplete or invalid documents and applications. The Consulate indicated I had excellent representation.
Finally, Sara at expatincroatia.com routinely checked on my experience. She definitely has an interest in being sure her clients are satisfied. She made an excellent recommendation, but had things not worked out, I have confidence she would have made things right.
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Outstanding! I can just highly recommend Sara and the whole Expat in Croatia team. Asking several questions about immigration to Croatia which needed "insider background", Sara offered me her expertise based on a very reasonable fee. I chose mailing as my preferred communication media. Sara provided great help with her profound knowledge, which came in a very pleasant and charming style. Concerning tax questions, Sara introduced me to a vetted tax expert, who turned out to be highly valuable for ongoing relationship.
Altogether simply a true gain, much more than expected!
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
We had a complicated situation and Sara was able to shed light on issues that concerned us. She also has a delightful personality that puts one at ease.
I want to start my application this summer to be an expat in croatia so I contacted Sara. They were quick to email me for the consultation and Sara was very helpful with providing information. I totally recommend!
Introduced to a Professional
Married to a Croatian citizen for 30 years, I wanted assistance in obtaining citizenship to this wonderful country. 'Expats', and Sara in particular was an amazing resource. I cannot thank you enough!!!!!
Moving to a new country is complicated in so many small ways, big and small, and it can get overwhelming doing all of the research yourself. Sara is a treasure-trove of local and institutional knowledge - I had questions about visas, vaccines and moving my car from the UK, among other little things about how and where to get things done here. You can google around in the hope that internet strangers know what's up, or you can go to Sara and be sure, confident and relaxed.
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Sara is approachable, professional and welcoming. We initially had a video chat and since have exchanged emails. She responds in a timely manner and follows up with the resources and referrals that I requested. Her website is amazing, full of useful and most importantly accurate information including forms and links that actually work! She is very detail oriented and the information is kept up to date which is remarkable in itself. She has firsthand experience and is knowledgeable regarding Croatian bureaucracy. I highly recommend Sara, her referrals to vetted professionals and her website! Thank you for being here, I appreciate all you are doing!
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Hello- I found my experience with Expat in Croatia to be very helpful. Being Croatian/American and living full time in the US it’s very difficult to navigate the laws and requirements in Croatia. I had some specific questions which Sara was able to help refer to another professional and some general questions which were answered with a great detail and follow up resources. Highly recommend to anytime in a similar situation and needing up to date guidance on everything Croatian.
Free Guidance, Introduced to a Professional
After consulting different sites, I could obtain in one place and a quick time all the information to get the Croatia Citizenship, which is great. All the information obtained was clear, the people involved Sara and Antonela were also very kind, and for sure, I will be into the process soon. I recommend your service to any person that need to move forward with some process related with the Expat services.
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Just wanted to thank Sara (and Teri) for their assistance! My wife (who is a Croatian national) and I are planning to permanently reside in Croatia in the not-too-distant future; Sara provided accurate and current information regarding the process and documentation required. She also referred us to a vetted, English-speaking attorney in Croatia for some other issues. We communicated with Sara via email and video chat; she was prompt, helpful, and courteous every time. I highly recommend Expat in Croatia for anyone with Croatian ties living in the states contemplating a return "home" because a lot of word-of-mouth information out there is incorrect, and especially for any US citizens looking for a lifestyle change to a beautiful corner of up and coming Europe.
Sara is extremely professional and very insightful for anyone looking to either move to Croatia or just visit. We video chatted for 30 minutes and it completely relieved me of any anxiety and potential questions I had prior to arriving. Expat in Croatia is by far the best, most convenient, easy to use source for any questions or information you may have. I would recommend it 10/10 times!
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Sara was super kind and helpful. We had a 30 minutes conversation and I got to know everything I needed. Hvala Sara
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
Sara provided a very insightful first look into nuances of expat life in Croatia and detailed guidance on various topics from legal & housing to everyday life & travel. Sara was able to answer all our questions taking into account our personal situation, provide referrals and recommendations and followed up with even more personalized information and guidance. This interaction really helped us in shaping our plans.
Sara was on time and cognizant of my time as well. We had an amazing session where we were able to cover all of my questions and much more than I anticipated. I would highly recommend meeting with Sara before leaving your country to apply for any type of visa! She is on point and provided feedback afterward, making a list of meaningful resources easy to access.
Sara from Expat in Croatia is a wonderful, knowledgeable guide for all things related to travel and stays in Croatia and much more! I direct a non-profit ministry in the US and have traveled to Croatia many times as a tourist with my family and for business. I have followed Sara's Internet writings and posts for several years now, and have always found them helpful. While I have taken eight trips to Croatia and have spent many months here, time and again I have come back to see what "Sara" has to say about the latest changes and regulations for getting in and out of Croatia.
Croatia is a fantastic country. But the rules and regulations here are written very vaguely and are subject to interpretation, so even the most well intentioned person may struggle sometimes in finding out how these regulations are being interpreted--which may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction! If you have anything more than a quick in and out stay, you will want to contact Sara and get all the latest information and the REAL scoop. And even if you do have a relatively simple trip, a 30 minute or 1 hour call can be tremendously helpful to answer all of your Croatia questions, as she knows this country so well.
Recently, we encountered an entry and exit issue that we could not get any clear answers to. So when I saw that Sara offered online Zoom consulting sessions, I thought, I am going to call Sara! I could tell from her writings that she was a REAL person, with experience, who is KNOWLEDGABLE and UNDERSTANDS the bureaucratic challenges here. And so I called her--and she was just like like her blog/writings! Open, friendly, knowledgeable, empathetic and helpful--with a great smile! She helped answer many questions on our call, and then sent follow up links with tons of information and instructions on exactly how to contact, communicate, and fill out proper forms. She was great!
If you are looking for help for Croatia, I recommend calling Sara of Expat in Croatia! And make sure you sign up for her newsletter as well, which is packed with great information and will help make your trip to this fantastic country go as smoothly as possible. Why am I taking the time to write this? Because I love Croatia and want others to experience it, but help is often needed to navigate the various vague regulations here and good information is hard to find. So if you are looking for help, check Sara and her services out TODAY!
Thank you Sara for everything.
Made it to Croatia and we are following your advice.
Much Appreciated!
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
The video chat with Sara was very helpful. Importantly, Sara came across as friendly and open and was clearly enthusiastic about the continued economic and social development of Croatia.
Consulting, Introduced to a Professional
I have worked with Sara with some consulting, and with her introducing me to various professionals that I’ve needed to work with during my stay in Croatia. Sara has always displayed the utmost professionalism, competence, and a sincere attitude to want to help. There has never been a situation I’ve encountered that hasn’t been resolved and ultimately come to a positive resolution. Sara has a vast knowledge of the inter-workings of Croatia, has a wide array of the best professionals, and is fluent in the Croatian language and culture. I highly recommend her services if you’re seeking any information related to Croatia.
Sara provided expert consulting to me over a video call. The call was super helpful, Sara has a wealth of experience and knowledge. She was very helpful and happy to answer all the questions and concerns I had on the call as well as helping further over email. I would definitely recommend.
For the past year and a half of living in Croatia, we found the supportive information found in the Expat in Croatia newsletter to be invaluable. Considering a property purchase and residency, we set up a Zoom meeting with Sara. Sara clearly and expertly was prepared to guide us through our questions. Following up with a detailed listing of resources and contacts, we now feel we have all the information we need to move forward. Sara's service is an exceptional value and highly recommended for any "Expat in Croatia."
My video chat with Sara was incredibly helpful. Not only did she confirm the information I had as valid, but she alerted me to some important lacunae in my preparation for applying for residency. Sara offers an invaluable service for those looking to live in Croatia. I highly recommend reaching out and scheduling a session if you're another one of us who has fallen in love with Croatia and wants to make it your home.
Richard I.
United Kingdom
Consulting
We had a zoom call with Sara as we needed some urgent advice, Sara was able to help and immediately. She has a great in-depth knowledge of all things related to moving or working in Croatia. I’m sure we will be back for more soon. Sara is also very pleasant to deal with.
September 27, 2013 @ 4:28 pm
Oh, the horrors of international shopping. Baking is even more of a challenge. I am an American in Serbia. The flour I use comes from our farm. It tastes a lot different and I have had to adjust my recipes a good bit. Still, the challenges make me stronger and more confident, after they are overcome of course! 😉 Great post, I feel your pain!
October 1, 2013 @ 7:57 am
Hi Tina – There is a mill near Trilj that produces flour. I’ve been wanting to try it, but I’m sure it will take a lot of experimentation to get my baked goods right like what you’re going through. Does Serbia use the same numbering system for their flour?
October 26, 2013 @ 4:33 pm
Thanks for this useful guide – my baker husband found it useful! His big project is to build a brick oven in the courtyard of our house in Istria.
October 26, 2013 @ 4:46 pm
Glad it came in handy, Isabel! As I am a baker myself, I would LOVE a brick oven for making bread. You are one lucky lady. 🙂
December 16, 2013 @ 6:18 pm
Brilliant! Thanks for the guide – and Croatian pronuciation tips. I have been living in Korcula for several years and jsut recently started baking again. Your guide is great – going to pass it along to another recent arrival here.
December 17, 2013 @ 5:00 pm
Hi Ruth – Super glad you found it helpful!
November 26, 2014 @ 11:18 am
Soooooo grateful to find this breakdown on flour as I have stood and stared at the wall of flour choices only to leave frustrated! Thank you and happy baking!
January 21, 2015 @ 11:55 am
Thanks Melissa! Happy to hear you found it helpful. I’m a big baker, and it was such a struggle the first year I was here.
February 7, 2015 @ 5:24 pm
Hi Sara,
Thanks for for this incredibly useful post! Since moving to Belgrade I have tried to make chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies and both have failed miserably. Your blog taught me that it's because of the flour! (I was quick to blame the baking powder or baking soda)
Have you you found a good substitute for brown sugar? I thought of using white sugar + molasses buy I have no idea where to molasses!
thanks!
amy
February 7, 2015 @ 6:20 pm
Hi Amy!
So thrilled this post was helpful! Gosh, it can be so confusing. I was able to find brown sugar in Croatia, so didn’t need a substitute. Although, it wasn’t easy to find. I found it in the bio section of the grocery store and it was called muscovado. The organic stores (Bio & Bio in Croatia) have it too. Yes, molasses and white sugar is a good substitute but not in the Balkans where molasses doesn’t exist (although I wish it did!). Finding a bio store might be your best bet.
Good luck in your baking,
Sara
March 31, 2020 @ 1:09 pm
Hi Sara, Interspar has Molasses sugar! You can melt it or add a bit of water to create molasses! Stay safe!
March 31, 2020 @ 1:53 pm
Thanks for the tip, Jeanne! I buy the molasses sugar all the time for my chocolate chip cookies. 🙂
Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers,
Sara
February 12, 2015 @ 11:20 am
Hallo Sara,
We want to visiting Istrie by camper for three months. We want to bake our own bread. Can we buy whole wheat flour in the supermarket in Istrie. If not, we take the flour with us from Holland.
Thanks and many greetings
Marjan
February 12, 2015 @ 11:29 am
Hi Marjan,
It should be possible to find whole wheat flour in Istria. I’ve seen it at groceries store, typically in a bio section (separate from regular flour). If you don’t find it there, you can definitely get it at Bio & Bio. They have locations in Pula and Rijeka. You can find their addresses here: https://www.biobio.hr/nase-trgovine/
Happy travels!
Sara
February 12, 2015 @ 4:06 pm
Hoi Sara, thank you very much for youre information 🙂
Greets
Marjan
June 30, 2016 @ 8:01 am
Can anyone direct me to a shop in Sibenik, Croatia where I can buy rye flour for a bread maker.????
October 23, 2016 @ 7:35 pm
Am I understanding this correctly 400 crostian flour is equal to 00 flour. Thank.
November 7, 2016 @ 11:51 am
Hi Deirde,
Yes, they are similar. However, I recommend testing to make sure you get the same results you are used to as there are slight differences.
Cheers,
Sara
June 11, 2017 @ 9:39 am
Do they have self raising flour in Croatia or do I need to use baking powder.
July 5, 2017 @ 10:37 am
Hi Nicola,
I have not seen self raising flour here. You could use yeast, baking powder or soda bicarbonate, depending on what you are baking.
Cheers,
Sara
December 21, 2020 @ 5:56 pm
We use baking mixes like Bisquick in us for pancakes, biscuits or sausage balls..what should I buy for that in Zagreb…thank you
January 3, 2021 @ 1:10 pm
Hi Karen,
You could try larger shops like Mueller or Interspar to see if they have pre-packaged mixes like these. They aren’t traditional Croatian things, so you may not be able to find them.
Regards,
Sara
December 20, 2018 @ 5:38 pm
What type of flour can I use to make pasta. I normaly use simolina.
Thanks,
January 10, 2019 @ 3:17 pm
Hi Napoleon,
You can use fine semolina.
Regards,
Sara
July 6, 2021 @ 4:48 pm
Realise this is an age old thread but I have the same question – is “kukuruzno brasno” the same as semolina?
July 7, 2021 @ 4:02 pm
Hi Martin,
No, it is not the same. Kukuruzno brašno is made from corn, semolina is made from wheat (it is a type of “oštro brašno”).
Warm regards,
Marija
July 13, 2021 @ 1:05 pm
Thank you Marija – really appreciate your help. So presumably I can use the above for pasta dough (I found 00 but would always use a mixture at home)…
July 13, 2021 @ 3:52 pm
Hi Martin,
Well, I do hope that I helped! Btw, I use “glatko brašno” for preparing homemade pasta, but you can mix it a bit with another sort.
Dobar tek!
Marija
February 8, 2020 @ 11:46 am
Hi Sara, what a useful guide — thank you! We’re in Makarska and I’m hoping to whip up a batch of banana bread (with gluten) for our neighbors. Before I found your guide, a woman at the grocery store recommended that I try an even mix of 400 and 550. I’ll give that combination a whirl, but now I’m wondering if a flour with a higher number would’ve actually been better. I usually use gluten-free mixes so the European numbering systems are new to me! Fingers crossed.
February 10, 2020 @ 3:17 pm
Hi Tricia,
Thanks!
For banana bread, I’d go with 550. I’m a baker by former trade, and I’ve also used 550 in place of all purpose. Never had an issue. 🙂
Regards,
Sara
July 19, 2020 @ 12:08 pm
Hi. I will establish a donut bakery in Bosnia and I wonder if there are “Ready Donut Mixes” in Croatia or nearby countries. I mean mixes like the ones from Dawn, JW Allen etc.
Thanks a lot
July 20, 2020 @ 10:11 am
Hi Ahmed,
I haven’t seen any around, but if I do, will let you know here.
Regards,
Sara
August 24, 2020 @ 9:13 pm
Is “meko brasno” the same as cake/pastry flour?
April 6, 2021 @ 5:00 pm
Hi Ana,
“meko brašno” or “glatko brašno” is used for bread, pasta, donuts and similar. “Oštro brašno” is for cakes and cookies.
Regards,
Marija
December 1, 2020 @ 8:27 pm
Thank you for this! I am coming to Vukovar this December and I want to bake Christmas stuff for my fiancé but am worried about finding ingredients. Good to know I might not be able to find brown sugar…sugar cookies might be okay though!
December 9, 2020 @ 10:56 am
Hi Kiki,
You’re welcome!
Light brown sugar is pretty much non-existent, but they have dark brown sugar (called “muskovado”) in the health food sections of the supermarket and also at health food stores.
Regards,
Sara
July 13, 2021 @ 7:34 am
Thanks Marija!
July 13, 2021 @ 3:48 pm
Hi Martin, anytime (: