How third-country (non-EU/EEA) citizens can apply for temporary residency in Croatia: Guide for 2023
UPDATED: 11.4.2023.
Non-EU/EEA citizens have options for living in Croatia. By Croatian law, this group is referred to as “third-country citizens”, which means people from non-EU/EEA member states, including the Principality of Liechtenstein, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Iceland, and Swiss Confederation. It also includes people without citizenship.
So, for example, citizens from the United States, Australia, Malaysia, Kenya, and Argentina are all third-country citizens in the eyes of Croatian law.
This residence guide is specifically for non-EU/EEA citizens who wish to live in Croatia. If you are an EU/EEA citizen and want to apply for temporary residence, this residence guide was created especially for you.
In this post, we cover:
- Types of temporary stays for third-country citizens
- How third-country nationals can stay in Croatia short-term (as a tourist)
- How third-country nationals can stay in Croatia long-term (temporary stay)
- How third-country nationals can apply for temporary residence in Croatia
- Termination of temporary residence of third-country nationals
- How to get help with obtaining residence in Croatia
The facts are these…
How third-country (non-EU/EEA) citizens can apply for temporary residency in Croatia
Types of temporary stays in Croatia for third-country nationals
Third-country citizens have two options for staying in Croatia:
- Kratkotrajni boravak (short-term stay) – for visits for up to 90 days
- Privremeni boravak (temporary stay) – for visits longer than 90 days
Temporary stay of third-country nationals in Croatia is defined by Zakon o strancima (Law on foreigners). It is available here.
How third-country nationals can stay in Croatia short-term (as a tourist)
Third-county nationals can visit Croatia for a short period of up to 90 days in any period of 180 days. They can use the 90-day period all at once or several times. A stay of up to 90 days in any period of 180 days is counted as a stay in any Schengen member state, and it is called kratkotrajni boravak (short-term stay).
Some nationalities can enter visa-free for 90 days, and others require an entry visa. Some nationalities that require an entry visa are only granted entry for a period of 30 days. To find out the rules for your nationality, visit this government page.
[Read: All types of available visas for entry into Croatia]
How to calculate the time of short-term stay
The time of a short-term stay can be calculated using a Schengen calculator, which is available here. Another calculator, which is a bit simpler, is available here. These calculators are only guides, so don’t take them as official information.
The time is calculated according to the dates of your entries to Schengen territory and exits from Schengen territory recorded with stamps in your passport in the last 180 days.
[Read: Croatia is joining the Schengen zone (and what this means for Croatian residents and tourists)]
Registering your stay
During a short-term stay, your stay must be registered with the Croatian police. This should be done by your accommodation within 24 hours after your arrival. They can report your stay online via e-Visitor or at the MUP administration office according to the place of your residence.
[Read: How tourists are registered with the police]
If they are unable to report your stay or you’re staying with a friend, you must register yourself at MUP within 2 days from your arrival or changing the address of your stay.
[Read: List of administrative police stations (MUP)]
How third-country nationals can stay in Croatia long-term (temporary stay)
If you want to stay in Croatia for more than 3 months, then you must apply for a temporary stay called privremeni boravak. You may apply for a temporary stay (e.g., residence) for a period of up to six months, one year, or two years, depending on your case.
Temporary residence can be granted based on different purposes. Remember that each case is different which means that the required documentation and processing time may vary.
Purposes of applying for Croatian temporary residence
Third-country nationals can apply for temporary residence on the basis of:
- Family reunification as the spouse of a Croatian (spajanje obitelji) – guide available here
- Family reunification as the family member of a Croatian or EU/EEA citizen – guide available here
- Family reunification as the family member of a third-country national – guide available here
- Digital nomads (boravak digitalnih nomada) – guide available here
- Ownership of real estate – guide available here
- Prepayment of rent – guide available here
- Secondary school education (srednjoškolsko obrazovanje)
- University studies (studiranje) – guide available here
- Language study – guide available here
- Scientific research (istraživanje)
- Humanitarian grounds (humanitarni razlog) – guide available here for Croatian diaspora
- Life partnership (životno partnerstvo) – guide available here
- Work (rad) – guide available here
- Work of posted workers (rad upućenog radnika) – guide available here
- EU Blue Card – guide available here
- Volunteering (volontiranje) – guide available here
- Opening a Croatian company – guide available here
- Stay of a person with long-term residence in another EU/EEA Member State (boravak osobe s dugotrajnim boravištem u drugoj državi članici EU/EEA) – guide available here
- Autonomous stay (autonomni boravak) – guide available here
- Other purposes (druge svrhe) – prepayment of rent, ownership of property, and language study all fall under “other purposes” and there can also be other individual cases depending on someone’s personal situation – guide available here
We have prepared detailed guides on how to get a temporary residence in Croatia for most of these purposes. To view the desired guide, click on the links in the above list.
How third-country nationals can apply for a temporary residence in Croatia
Below are instructions on how third-country nationals can apply for a temporary residence in Croatia.
#1 Choose your basis
First, you need to know on which basis you are going to apply for temporary residence in Croatia. Depending on your basis, the documentation that you must enclose when applying may vary, as well as other important rules and regulations.
All possible purposes of applying for temporary residence are mentioned in the previous section. Define what is your purpose and specify this purpose later in your application.
#2 Prepare the application
The documentation that you must enclose within your application for a temporary stay may vary depending on the purpose of your stay.
Mandatory documentation
Everyone must enclose:
- Application form Obrazac 1a – available at MUP/diplomatic mission/consular office (view it here)
- 30×35 mm passport photo
- Proof of purpose of your temporary stay – see optional documentation below
- Valid travel document/passport – the validity period must be 3 months longer than the validity period of the temporary stay (if the passport is not in English, you must enclose a copy officially translated into Croatian)
- Criminal background check and possibly a certificate of the length of stay – view more information in this guide (there are some exemptions)
- Proof of enough means of subsistence – it is not required only for close family members and life partners of Croatian nationals, close family members and life partners of third-country nationals with granted asylum or subsidiary protection, or when applying for the purpose of humanitarian reasons
- Proof of health insurance – it is not required if you are applying for the purpose of work, an Erasmus + program for education, training, youth, and sports, humanitarian reasons, or research, or if you are a close family member of a third-country national with granted asylum or subsidiary protection; for seasonal workers, a work contract serves as proof of health insurance
[Read: How to get travel insurance in Croatia (putno), which you can use to apply for residence]
Optional documentation
Depending on the purpose of your application, you may also need to enclose:
- Written consent of the other parent – only for minors
- Consent of the Ministry – when applying for the purpose of secondary school education
- Guest contract – when applying for the purpose of scientific research
- Residence card that proves a long-term stay in another EU/EEA Member State – when applying as a person with long-term residence in another EU/EEA member state
- Certificate of the Office for Croats abroad for members of Croatian people with foreign nationality or without nationality – when applying for the purpose of humanitarian reasons
- Proof of refugee status – when applying for the purpose of humanitarian reasons
- Work contract – when applying for a work and stay permit based on working for a Croatian company
- Proof of employing 3 Croatian nationals and investing 26.544,56 euro – When applying for work and stay permit based on owning a Croatian company
- Proof of acquired educational qualification – When applying for work and stay permit.
- Certificate on the recognition of a foreign professional qualification – when applying for work and stay permit for a regulated profession
- Certificate of transfer within a company
- Volunteer contract
- Proof that you perform work through communication technology – when applying as a digital nomad
- Proof of enrollment in a Croatian institution
- Proof of prepayment of rent
- Proof that justifies the other purpose – when applying for other purposes
This is not a full list of all possible documents, and the documentation needed can vary depending on the case. The police may change the requirements on an individual basis.
#3 Submit the application
If you have collected all the documentation that you must enclose with your application, it is time to visit the competent institution and apply for a temporary residence.
It would be clever to contact the institution before going there in person. They will provide you with the latest information on their working hours. You may need to set up an appointment for your visit. Some of them may allow submitting the application by email.
Some third-country nationals are required to possess a visa to enter Croatia. This depends on your nationality. Where you have to go may vary depending on your scenario.
You can check whether or not you need a visa to enter Croatia here.
Where to apply if you need a visa to enter Croatia
In this case, you can submit your application at a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular office abroad. A list of Croatian diplomatic missions and consular offices outside of Croatia is available here.
However, there are some exceptions when you can apply at the police administration office (MUP) in Croatia according to your future Croatian address.
You can apply at MUP if you are:
- Close family member of a Croatian citizen
- Life partner or informal life partner of a Croatian citizen
- Applying to study at a university, undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate level
- Researcher who comes under a guest contract
- Close family member of a researcher or third-country national who comes to study
- Applying based on humanitarian reasons
- Member of the family of holders of the EU Blue Card
[Read: How to find administrative police stations in Croatia]
Where to apply if you don’t need a visa to enter Croatia
In this case, you can submit your application at:
- Police administration office according to your future Croatian address, headquarters of your employer, or your workplace – list available here
- Croatian diplomatic mission or consular office abroad – list available here
#4 Request a residence permit
After you are granted temporary residence, you have to submit the request for a residence card called boravišna iskaznica.
If you applied abroad, you must visit MUP according to the address of your stay after you enter Croatia. You are also obliged to register your temporary Croatian address at MUP within 3 days of entering Croatia.
If you applied from within Croatia, you will visit the same station where you applied for residence.
[Read: How to find administrative police stations in Croatia]
The validity period of your residence card may vary depending on the purpose of your stay.
For example, if you are granted a temporary stay based on family reunification or a life partnership with a Croatian national, the validity period is 2 years. If you applied for the purpose of study, a validity period is one year.
To get a residence card, you need to bring:
- 30×35 mm passport photo
- Valid foreign travel document/passport
- Proof of payment of the fees
All possible administrative costs for this procedure are available here. Payment information is available here.
[Read: How to pay bills in Croatia]
Termination of temporary residence of third-country nationals
Temporary residence of a third-country national will be terminated if:
- Conditions for granting temporary residence cease to exist
- You have a ban to enter and stay in Croatia, or SIS has issued a special warning
- You don’t register your Croatian address within 30 days after you are granted a temporary residence
- You request the cancellation of a temporary residence
- You reside abroad longer than 90 days in total or longer than 30 days at once from the day of granting temporary residence for a one-year period
- You reside abroad for several times longer than 180 days in total or longer than 60 days at once from the day of granting temporary residence for a two-year period
- You reside in Croatia contrary to the purpose of the temporary residence permit
- Temporary stay is granted on the basis of family reunification with your partner, but you no longer live with them
However, there are cases when the above-mentioned reasons for termination don’t apply. The exceptions are valid for:
- Researchers and students who reside in another EU/EEA member state based on a short-term or long-term mobility
- Third-country nationals who are granted work and stay permits who are sent to work in another EU/EEA member state
- Justified reasons that imply a one-time absence from Croatia for up to 90 days with prior notification to MUP. If justified reasons arise after leaving Croatia, a third-country national must notify the Croatian diplomatic mission or a consular office within 30 days.
View other temporary residence articles
- How EEA permanent residents can get temporary residence in Croatia
- How EU citizens can get temporary residence in Croatia
- How non-EU family members of EU/EEA nationals can get temporary residence in Croatia
- How non-EU spouses of Croatians can apply for residence
- How to apply for a work permit
- How to apply for residence based on prepayment of rent
- How to apply for temporary Croatian residence based on other purposes
- How to apply for the digital nomad residence permit in Croatia
- How to get residency by opening a Croatian business
- How to get a residence permit based on property
- How to study & gain student residence in Croatia
- How to volunteer in Croatia and get residence
Sources:
Third country nationals
Temporary stay of third-country nationals
Please note: Information provided by Expat in Croatia is only for the purposes of guidance. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Croatian laws and bureaucratic rules often change, and each personal case is individual, so different rules may apply. For legal advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian lawyer. For financial advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian tax advisor or accountant.