If you have decided to live in Croatia, then it is important when
buying a property to always be sure of your rights and title by going through a
real estate agent. Because of foreigners’ increasing interest in Croatian
property, most agents here are now effectively offering a one-stop-shop service
with established notary, attorney, and builder contacts. Of course, it is
important to establish an agent’s reputation before you commit yourself.
Education -Education in Croatia is free, and is compulsory between
the ages of 7 and 15. Many children start their education at the age of 3, at
pre-school, which lasts until they’re 6. Elementary school lasts for eight
years, followed by four years of secondary school. At this level, schools are
divided into high school, technical, specialized, and mixed curriculum schools.
After completing high school, the brightest students go on to one of the
country’s four universities in Zagreb, Rijeka, Split, or Osijek. Universities
also offer free education, with particular emphasis on the sciences, medicine,
and engineering. International schools are few, though there is the American
International School of Zagreb, an independent, co-educational day school
offering an educational program from kindergarten through grade 12. The curriculum
is that of U.S. public schools, with instruction in English.
Learning the Language - If you have chosen to live in Croatia,
then you will most likely want to learn to speak a little of the local
language. You can find a number of language schools through the official
tourism website: www.croatia.hr. Five useful words: nekretnina: real estate;
prodaja: sale; dozvola: permission; najam: rent; hvala: thank you.
Residency Permits for Living in Croatia - If you do decide you’d
like to live in Croatia, you’ll need to apply for a temporary residency permit.
You’ll need several official documents and a stated reason for wanting to live
in Croatia. This can be related to an investment, a business, family,
employment, study, or real estate rental or purchase. Having a yacht moored in
a Croatian marina also qualifies as a reason for being granted a residency
permit. To obtain a temporary residence permit, you need to apply in person at
the local Ministry of the Interior (Ministartsvo Unutarnjih Poslova) office. A
temporary residence permit is valid for one year and can be renewed. You will
not be able to get permanent residency status in Croatia until you’ve held a
temporary residence permit for five years. Again, foreign nationals have to
apply for permanent residence with the MUP. Apart from five years of temporary
residence, the only other ways you can gain permanent residency are through
marriage to a Croatian citizen for at least three years, humanitarian reasons,
or at the discretion of the Croatian government.
Visas and Travel Requirements - On Jan. 1, 2004, Croatia
introduced new residency and entry laws for foreigners. With EU entry in mind,
these are similar to the laws of existing EU member states. For a trip lasting
up to 90 days within a six-month time frame, North Americans do not need a visa
to travel to Croatia for tourist or business purposes. If you want to stay on
in Croatia for more than 90 days, then you must have a visa. In the U.S., visas
are issued by the following: Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington,
D.C.; Consulate General in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. If you need a
visa, you can present an application in person or by mail.
Residency Permits - If you do decide you’d like to stay longer
than 90 days in Croatia, you’ll also need to apply for a temporary residency
permit. You’ll need various documentation and a stated reason for wanting to
live in Croatia. This can be related to an investment, a business, family,
employment, study, or real estate rental or purchase. Having a yacht moored in
a Croatian marina also qualifies as a reason for being granted a residency
permit. To obtain a temporary residence permit, you need to apply in person at
the local Ministry of the Interior (Ministartsvo Unutarnjih Poslova, or MUP) office.
This is generally the police station. You’ll need to present a copy of your
U.S. passport, two photos, a birth certificate with an apostille, evidence of
health insurance, housing, adequate funding, and a criminal history report. A
temporary residence permit is valid for one year and can be easily renewed. You
will not be able to get permanent residency status in Croatia until you’ve held
a temporary residence permit for five years. Again, foreign nationals have to
apply for permanent residence with the MUP. Apart from five years of temporary
residence, the only other ways you can gain permanent residency are through
marriage to a Croatian citizen for at least three years, humanitarian reasons,
or at the discretion of the Croatian government. The criteria for entry,
residence and work of foreigners are regulated by the Foreigners Act (Official
Gazette no. 130/11 and 74/2013) and accompanying laws. A third-country
national, in this case an Argentinian, who is married to a Croatian national
and plans to stay in Croatia longer than three months is obliged to submit no
later than eight days before the three-month period is over an application for
a residence card of a family member of EU citizen, which proves the right of
temporary residence. The Act states that the family member shall be issued a
residence card if he/she:
1. has a valid passport,
2. encloses documents proving that they are a family member,
3. does not pose a threat to public order or national security,
4. is not banned from entering and staying in Croatia.
Biometric residence card is valid for up to five years.
According to the Foreigners Act (Official Gazette no. 130/11 and
74/2013), a foreign national can work in Croatia based on work and residence
permit or work registration certificate, unless the Act states otherwise. As a
rule, a foreigner cannot begin working before they are issued work and
residence permit or work registration certificate. Article 48 of the Foreigners
Act says that an application for temporary residence of a foreigner who does
not require a visa for entry into the Republic of Croatia may be submitted to
the police administration or police station based on the place of the intended
residence, the registered office of the employer or the place of work.
According to Article 49, application for residence and work permit may be also
submitted by the employer. The applicant has to enclose proof that they meet
the criteria for temporary residence and work. Third-country nationals with
permanent residence in an EEA member state shall be granted residence in
Croatia if they:
• have a valid passport,
• have means of sustenance,
• have health insurance,
• meet the remaining criteria for temporary residence in view of
the nature of the intended stay.
Third-country nationals with permanent residence in an EEA member
state can submit their temporary residence application at the diplomatic
mission/consular office of Croatia in the EEA member state they have permanent
residence in or at the competent police administration/station in Croatia.
European Union Restrictive measures (sanctions) in force (Regulations based on
Article 215 TFEU and Decisions adopted in the framework of the Common Foreign
and Security Policy) This list has been updated on 7.7.2016 (previous update:
20.4.2016) Related links: Sanctions Overview Financial sanctions: Electronic
consolidated list EUROPEAN COMMISSION Service for Foreign Policy Instruments
This list is subject to the legal notice at
http://ec.europa.eu/geninfo/legal_notices_en.htm EU restrictive measures in force
(updated 7.7.2016) 2/114 Introduction Article 215 of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides a legal basis for the
interruption or reduction, in part or completely, of the Union’s economic and
financial relations with one or more third countries, where such restrictive
measures are necessary to achieve the objectives of the Common Foreign and
Security Policy (CFSP). This list presents the European Union's restrictive
measures in force on the date mentioned on the cover page. It comprises: • the
legislative measures based on Article 215 TFEU and those based on the relevant
provisions of the Treaty establishing the European Community (in the years
prior to 1 December 2009: Articles 60 and 301) and • the relevant CFSP Decisions
and (prior to 1 December 2009) Common Positions, including those which merely
provide for measures for which no specific Regulation was made, such as
restrictions on admission. In Union law Regulations are directly applicable in
all EU Member States. They have general application and are binding in their
entirety. EU Regulations take precedence over conflicting measures of a Member
State. With a few exceptions, this list does not include: • measures decided in
the framework of European Political Cooperation (prior to November 1993), •
restrictions not enacted by a CFSP Decision, a CFSP Common Position or an EU
Regulation based on the Articles of the Treaties referred to above, • EU
decisions on suspension or termination of bilateral agreements concluded by the
EU and • EU decisions on suspension or termination of cooperation between the
EU and a third country. This list does not include the legislative or other
measures that an EU Member State might take in response to CFSP Decisions and
UN Security Council Resolutions. The CFSP Decisions and EU Regulations in this
list are presented in English. They are published in the Official Journal of
the EU in all official languages of the EU except Irish and all published
versions are authentic. For CFSP Decisions and EU Regulations published after
the date mentioned on the cover page, please consult the Official Journal of
the EU. In many European countries where ius sanguinis is the general guideline
for citizenship, ancestors from that country will significantly help you
obtaining citizenship. Alternatively, you might be coming from a former colony
or comparable cases (e.g., have Irish grandparents, which could get you EU
citizenship). But you did not mention anything about those options, so I will
suppose that this is not the case here. In general, you need to establish
residency in your target country first and this might prove the main hurdle on
your way to a EU citizenship. Marriage or finding a sufficiently high-paid job
are your best shots. Substantial financial investments (read: investing in big
projects, opening businesses) are not necessary, they could however give you an
easy way to obtain residency in most countries. The rules have been somewhat
harmonized in the EU but they are still varying a lot and change fast so you
will have to look them up. As stated, the ease of establishing residency could
very well be the decisive factor at any given point in time (e.g. depending on
the different countries' current job markets etc.).
Passport and Croatian citizenship - Many agree that in almost all
the countries of Europe today, in the current geopolitical situation, it is
very advantageous to have dual citizenship, especially if it is allowed by law.
Most people think that it is Croatia belongs to one of the best countries in
which to quickly and without any difficulties can become a citizen and get a
permanent place of residence. Is it so? Try to understand. In this country,
citizenship can be obtained in such cases:
• when a child is born in the territory of Croatia,
• originally
• and naturalization.
If a person who is a national of the Republic of Croatia, is also
a citizen of any other country, the authorities of Croatia, it will be
considered solely as a citizen of Croatia. Croatian citizenship by descent -
The origin of citizenship of this country can be purchased in the following
cases:
• when both parents at the time of birth of the child, had the
nationality of that country;
• when at least one parent of a child at birth is a citizen of
Croatia, if he was born on the territory of Croatia;
• when at least one parent at the time of birth of the child is a
citizen of Croatia, and the other parent may have the citizenship of another
country or is stateless, and the child was born in another country;
• when at least one parent at the time of birth of the child, even
if the child was born in another country but registered in Croatia or in the
Croatian embassy of another country its nationality, is a citizen of Croatia.
If the child - a citizen of any other country or is stateless,
then it may become a citizen of Croatia, if it is adopted or adopted a citizens
of this country in accordance with the Croatian legal framework.
Croatian citizenship by birth - Croatian citizenship can acquire a
person born in its territory, provided that at the time when the application
was made, it was registered, and the last 5 years of permanent residence in the
country. Citizenship by naturalization – immigrants
Emigrant (is the person to travel outside of Croatia for permanent
residence abroad), as well as his descendants may become citizens of Croatia by
naturalization. However, it must comply with such a condition - the future
citizen of Croatia must agree with the customs and legal framework of the
Republic of Croatia, and in addition it should adopt the culture of this
country. If a foreigner marries an immigrant who already has Croatian
citizenship, he also has the right to obtain citizenship of that country.
Croatian citizenship by naturalization - children under the age of eighteen
.Children under eighteen years of age may also be a citizen of Croatia on this
basis:
• if both parents have become citizens of Croatia under the same
conditions,
• if one parent has received Croatian citizenship by
naturalization, and the child was habitually resident in that country;
• if one parent has received Croatian citizenship by
naturalization, and the second - does not have citizenship or a person with
unknown citizenship and the child lives in another country. Croatian
citizenship by naturalization - through marriage, a person who is a citizen of
any other country, and has entered into a marriage with a Croatian citizen, is
entitled to receive Croatian citizenship, but on this condition - it must have
a permit, for which he will be able to have a permanent home on the territory
of the Republic of Croatia. Citizenship by naturalization - certain cases, in
the special case of the nationality of the country can get a foreign person in
the event that a country of such person will be of particular interest. It is
also a citizen of Croatia can become a person who is the spouse (spouse) of a
person. Ministry of Internal Affairs of Croatia is obliged to express an
opinion on the interest of the country to provide such a person citizenship.
Citizenship of the country can receive foreign entity provided that:
1. If it has reached the age of eighteen and is capable;
2. If it renounce their previous citizenship or can provide
evidence that renounce the citizenship of the country in which lived earlier,
after it receives the citizenship of the Republic of Croatia. In the case where
the foreign state does not give permission for renunciation or puts additional
requirements that cannot be met, such a person is enough to give a statement to
the relevant Croatian authorities that it abandons the previous citizenship
after they have received the citizenship of that country;
3. If it has Croatian and Latin language;
4. If in the last 5 years prior to the filing of documents in
order to obtain citizenship of the person residing in the territory of Croatia.
Obtaining citizenship through employment - For employment in this country need
to obtain a permit. It is issued for a certain period of time - two years.
Instead, permissions can obtain a permit to conduct business activity, which is
at the same time and a residence permit (temporary). But there is one problem -
the need to prove the employment office that the applicant, as well as his
skills are unique and probably will be very useful to the State. If you do not,
you'll have to fend random underworking. Investments as a way of obtaining
citizenship - Buying Property - a good option for obtaining residence permits
in the country. Fortunately the prices are acceptable. If you sell an apartment
in Russia, then in Croatia, you can safely buy a good apartment.
Own business as a way to obtain citizenship - If you want to
immigrate to this country, and in the future to obtain citizenship, then you
can move to the country on the basis of the opening of the firm. For foreign
entrepreneurs, the authorities are very good. To start a business you need to
submit applications to the Consulate of Croatia. To obtain a permit for
commercial activities, you need to bring the business plan and the documents
that confirm the solvency of (proving that you have an open account it can be a
letter from the bank).
Expert Commentary: Given the nature of the taxation system and
possible difficulties in obtaining Croatian citizenship and passports,
considered the country can hardly be considered a good place to organize a
successful business and a place for obtaining citizenship and passports. Most
foreign nationals who visit Croatia for tourism, think to move to Croatia for
permanent residence, and to organize a business here, not in the cellar. In
addition, this opinion is heated real estate sellers who to sell to the
client-tourist housing and earnings on it 3% commission, told that Croatia is
very easy to get a temporary residence, and then change it to a permanent place
of residence. I was lucky only to those who were able to get permanent housing
before the end of 2007, because from the beginning of 2008 on immigration
legislation in Croatia was very much changed - the strictest immigration
conditions were imposed foreign tourists for the purpose of permanent
residence.
The Enchantment of a Retirement in Croatia - Retiring in Croatia
is unlike retiring anywhere else in the world… A flotilla of dazzling white
yachts glides into a sheltered cove. The put-put-put of their motors is no
competition for the evening choir of cicadas. The whiteness of the yachts is
startling, a vivid contrast to the sea’s hypnotic palette of blues and
turquoises…the deep orange roof tiles of a thousand-year-old town…the green
pine woods beyond. Although many Americans know little about it, this small
maritime country at the heart of Europe offers you the chance to discover the
closest thing to the Mediterranean of years gone by. Unspoiled, relaxed,
beautiful, and safe, Croatia is one of Europe’s loveliest treasures. Everything
a discriminating visitor–or home buyer–is looking for can be found right here:
crystal-clear seas, timeless fishing villages, and unspoiled beaches, Roman
ruins, a pristine lake district, and medieval walled cities. Every twist and
turn of the coastline serves up grandstand views of secret coves, little
harbors, and calm turquoise waters. Out in the Adriatic Sea, a galaxy of
islands–1,185 of them–shimmer like a cache of emeralds. The legendary Frenchman
Jacques Cousteau, esteemed biologist and oceanographer, once described
Croatia’s waters as the cleanest and clearest in the world. When you come here,
you simply must take a boat and go out into the Adriatic–you’ll be astounded at
how far down into the depths you can see. International Living can’t claim to
have been the first to recommend the Dalmatian Coast as a retirement
destination. That distinction goes to the Roman Emperor Diocletian (AD
245-316), the only Roman emperor ever to retire. He chose to spend his golden
years in his palace in Split, where he remained until his death in 316. The
Diocletian Palace was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979 and it
remains at the heart of Croatia’s second-largest city. Retiring to Dubrovnik,
Croatia, will allow you to enjoy your retirement in a truly unique environment
Visas for Retirees in Croatia - If you’re planning on permanently
retiring to Croatia, then you must have a visa. In the U.S., visas are issued
by the following: Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington, D.C.;
Consulate General in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. You’ll also need to
apply for a temporary residency permit. You’ll need various documents and a
stated reason for wanting to live in Croatia. This can be related to an
investment, a business, family, employment, study, or real estate rental or
purchase. Having a yacht moored in a Croatian marina also qualifies as a reason
for being granted a residency permit.
Health Care for Those Retiring in Croatia - All major population
centers have decent health care facilities. Zagreb is the best served with a
large general hospital, Sveti Duh. Private Health Insurance for Retirees - Your
U.S. health insurance usually does not travel with you beyond U.S. borders. You
will probably need to buy private health insurance in Croatia. Numerous U.S.
and British companies provide health insurance for retirees living in Croatia.
Paradise isn't a place, it's a feeling!
CROATIA offers you much more!
The facts that were
included were just few out of many!!!
Interested so Far?
CROATIA offers you
much more!
Contact: Bishop Law
Firm for Croatian visa/residence advice
We will Assist you
on getting your visa, work permit, residence and citizenship. Apply for a EU
passport under a year.
