Croatia introduces one-year temporary stay for digital nomads

The Republic of Croatia has opened its doors to digital nomads in an attempt to boost tourism and economic growth

As of 1 January, Croatia has joined the few European countries to offer special temporary stay visas for digital nomads. In other words, digital nomads can now live in and work remotely from the Republic of Croatia. This visa or residence permit is granted for a maximum of one year and it cannot be extended. In addition to this, it is important to note that the digital nomad’s close family members can be given the right to join them in Croatia.

Who qualifies as a digital nomad?

According to a statement by the Ministry of the Interior, a digital nomad is a third-country national who works through communication technology for a company (or their own company) that is not registered in the Republic of Croatia. Moreover, this person must not perform work or provide services to employers in the country, as the statement further explains.

The idea was initially suggested by Jan de Jong

In April 2020, Dutch entrepreneur and investor Jan de Jong suggested this idea during a virtual conference that aimed to explore new ways of increasing tourism. To make Croatia a year-round destination, De Jong suggested the introduction of digital nomad visas. In fact, he shared his idea on LinkedIn by writing an open letter to Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

“Imagine, giving those digital nomads the right to come and work from Croatia up till max. 12 months - regardless of their nationality under a digital nomad visa,” he wrote in the letter.

De Jong went further as he explained the potential economic benefits of these visas: “Many apartments that are empty outside the season could find new tenants. The salaries those digital nomads earn, they will spend in Croatia - resulting in an enormous boost of our economy through consumer spending".

Following this, the new law granting digital nomads the right to stay and work from the Republic of Croatia was passed in December 2020.

For more information on how to apply, visit the Ministry of the Interior's website.