How to apply for Croatian temporary residence based on prepayment of rent: Guide for 2023
UPDATED: 14.7.2023.
Croatia offers a variety of options for third-country (non-EU/EEA) citizens to live in Croatia for at least one year. No matter your situation or income, there will most likely be a good match among the options.
One of those temporary residence options is based on prepayment of rent. This residence permit is exactly how it sounds – you prepay rent in Croatia and, in exchange, can get a residence permit to live in Croatia.
In this post, we cover:
- Essentials to know about this permit
- What the Croatian law says
- How to apply for residence
- Additional tips when applying
- Get help with your residence application
The facts are these…
How to apply for Croatian temporary residence based on prepayment of rent
What do I need to know about the Croatian residence based on rent prepayment?
Well, there are several catches about this type of residence:
- It is only for 1 year
- You cannot work for a Croatian company
- You must prepay rent for the period you wish to be here, 1 year maximum
- You must leave for 90 days at the end of the permit period
- You cannot apply for this permit again until 6 months and 1 day have passed from the time your previous permit expired
- Family reunification does not apply, and EACH spouse must have their own application
- It DOES NOT lead to permanent residence or citizenship
What does the Croatian law say about prepayment of rent?
In the Croatian Zakon o strancima (Law on foreigners), this permit is considered temporary residence based on “other purposes”. It is listed under Article 57. The Law on foreigners is available here.
We’ve pulled out the appropriate text from the law below.
(1) Privremeni boravak odobrava se državljaninu treće zemlje koji namjerava boraviti ili boravi u Republici Hrvatskoj u svrhu:
10. u druge svrhe
(4) Zahtjev za reguliranje privremenog boravka u druge svrhe ili svrhu boravka digitalnih nomada državljanin treće zemlje može podnijeti nakon isteka roka od šest mjeseci od isteka važenja privremenog boravka koji je bio odobren u druge svrhe ili svrhu boravka digitalnih nomada.
Which translates to…
(1) Temporary residence is granted to a third-country citizen who intends to reside or resides in the Republic of Croatia for the purpose of:
10. for other purposes
(4) An application for regulation of temporary residence for other purposes or purposes of residence of digital nomads may be submitted by a third-country national after the expiry of six months from the expiration of temporary residence granted for other purposes or purposes of residence of digital nomads.
You might notice that it doesn’t reference prepayment of rent as a requirement and overall, this part of the law is a bit vague. That is because there are several valid reasons why someone could get residence based on these “druge svrhe” (other purposes).
Other purposes are only defined in practice, not in Croatian law. Prepayment is one of those purposes that is defined in practice.
How to apply for Croatian temporary residency based on rent prepayment
Below is a step-by-step guide with all the details on applying for a temporary residence in Croatia on the basis of prepaying rent in Croatia.
Step #1 Visit the police station
To apply for this residence permit, you must visit the police (Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova aka “MUP”) in the jurisdiction where you plan to live within Croatia. At the police station, there will be a service desk specifically for foreigners called šalter za strance.
Here is a full list of the administrative police stations in Croatia that handle immigration.
Once you make first contact with the MUP, tell them that you want to apply for temporary residence based on other purposes – specifically prepayment of rent. They will provide you with the latest list of requirements.
Croatian laws often change, so requirements may also change from time to time. In addition, required documentation may also depend on your personal scenario.
Step #2 Prepare your application
Once you have confirmed the latest requirements, you can start putting together your application. The rule of thumb in Croatia is never to provide anything that is not asked of you. That is why it is important to get the latest list from the police station where you plan to apply.
We’ve provided a list of the requirements below, but as noted above, police stations in Croatia love to exercise their right to discretion.
The standard requirements include:
- Completed application form Obrazac 1a, which the police will provide – view it here
- Valid passport
- Criminal background check – view a guide here
- Valid private/travel health insurance policy called putno
- Proof you have prepaid rent in Croatia
- Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself – view a guide here
- Marriage certificate if you are married
- Child’s birth certificate if you have a minor child
- 30×35 mm passport photo
- Administrative fee
All foreign documents must be legalized/apostilled and officially translated.
[Read: How to prepare your foreign documents for use in Croatia]
Let’s go through each requirement, one by one.
Valid passport
Your passport needs to be valid, which means its validity period must be 3 months longer than the validity period of intended stay. The police will make a copy of this for your application. Take your passport with you EVERY time you go to the police.
If your passport is in a language that is not English, then you need a copy that is notarized and translated into Croatian.
Background checks
People applying for temporary residence in Croatia for the very first time must provide a criminal background check as part of their application. In addition, they may need to enclose a certificate on the length of stay in some cases.
Depending on your native country, this is likely easier to obtain while you’re still in your home country rather than once you get to Croatia. If you’re American, they want a federal background check, NOT one from your state.
You can learn all the details in our guide to background checks and fingerprints for third-country citizens available here.
Valid health insurance
To live in Croatia on this permit, you must have state-sponsored national health insurance from HZZO.
[Read: How to sign up for state health insurance in Croatia]
However, Croatia will not allow you to sign up for a policy with HZZO until AFTER you’ve been approved for a residence permit. To be approved for the permit, you must first show that you have some other kind of private health insurance.
In Croatia, travel insurance is called putno zdravstveno osiguranje, which will also meet this requirement. That being said, your private health insurance does not need to be with a Croatian health insurance company.
[Read: How to get travel insurance in Croatia (putno), which you can use to apply for residence]
Valid rental contract
You have found a place to live. Superb.
[Read: How to find an apartment or house to rent in Croatia]
Before signing a contract, make it clear to your landlord that you are required to register with the police. Some landlords do not want to rent to foreigners for this reason because they don’t want to pay taxes.
The lease contract must be in Croatian and notarized by a javni bilježnik (notary public). If you cannot get your landlord to have it notarized, you will need to provide proof from the tax office that the contract has been registered with them in combination with providing a non-notarized lease contract – so it’s much easier just to get the contract notarized.
[Read: How to get something notarized in Croatia]
In addition to this fulfilling the requirement for prepaid rent, it will also be used to register your address. This address will be on your national identification card. View our guide to how to register or change your address with the Croatian police here.
You can prepay your rent through mobile banking or at a post office. The police will want to see the proof of payment slip and possibly a bank statement from the landlord showing the funds were received. Here is a guide on how to pay bills in Croatia.
Proof of sufficient funds
Since you won’t legally be able to work on this permit, you need to prove you can financially support yourself during the permit term. MUP will tell you how much you must have to qualify. The amount can vary as it is based on average salaries for the previous year.
[Read: How to show proof of financial means when applying for residence in Croatia]
Passport photos
Every country requires a different size photo, so best to get them in Croatia. Usually, there is at least one shop that does passport photos right next to the police station. You don’t need to provide these until your permit has been approved.
Administration costs
All possible administrative costs for this procedure are available here. You won’t pay fees at the police station. The police will give you a bill that you take to a nearby bank (normally one they specify) to pay. Then you bring the proof of payment back to the police. Alternatively, you can pay fees via online banking.
Here are instructions on how to pay bills in Croatia and here how to procure tax stamps, if they are required.
Step #3 Submit your application
Visit the same police station you visited earlier to get the requirements and go to the same desk. They will give you the application to complete there. Fill it out and hand it over with all of your requirements.
The attendant/rep/worker/officer (who knows what to call them) will review all of your documents to confirm you’ve met the requirements. If you have, they will accept your application. If not, they will ask you for something else. Be prepared to be asked for something else, especially if it’s seemingly meaningless or redundant.
If your application was accepted, make sure you provide a Croatian phone number. This is how the police will communicate with you about your application.
[Read: Accessible Croatia’s mobile phone providers]
And now you wait…
The time to process your application varies on too many factors to list. Expect it to take at least two months, during which you should not leave Croatia. Be patient. You are legal to be in Croatia during this time.
Step #4 Pay the administrative fees
Once approved, you’ll be notified either by a blue envelope to your address, a phone call to you, or a phone call to your lawyer if you’re using one.
You’ll return to the police station with your passport photos. At this time, they will take your fingerprints and signature. You’ll also have to pay the administrative fees mentioned earlier, which cannot be paid at the police station. You must go off-site to a bank or post office, then return with proof of payment.
[Read: How to pay bills (invoices) in Croatia]
In exchange for you giving them all these things, they will give you a white card. This is temporary proof of your residence. DO NOT LOSE IT.
Step #5 Pick up your residence card
Three weeks from the day you received your little white card, you’ll be able to pick up your brand-new residence permit. You will need to hand over that card, which is why I said in all caps DO NOT LOSE IT.
Step #6 Celebrate!
Hooray! You’re legal!
Additional tips on applying for a Croatian residence permit
- Be nice. If you get an attitude with MUP, they have the discretion to make it as difficult for you as possible.
- Do not go to the police between 11:00 and 13:00. Chances of you coming when they are at lunch or on a smoke break or grumpy because they’ve yet to have a smoke break or lunch are high. For the best results, go in the morning around 8:00 or 9:00.
Good luck!
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