Looking to find your place in the Croatian sun or thinking of making a career move and want to work in the country you’ll probably going to need some form of visa. Croatia became a full member of the European Union in 2013 but however there are still a few rules you’ll need to be aware of.

To cut through the red tape and paperwork (yes, there is plenty of that) we have collected all the information in one place to make your bureaucratic journey as smooth as possible (but expect a fee bumps along the way).

Firstly, the Republic of Croatia categorises foreigners into different groups, and they are - 

Foreigners who wish to stay or work in Croatia into several categories. The documents submitted with the application depend on the category. Those categories are:

SHORT-TERM STAY REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

Short-term stay is a stay of a foreign national of up to 90 days in any period of 180 days on the basis of a visa or without a visa.

NATIONALS OF EEA MEMBER STATES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS

Foreigners, nationals of EEA members or the Swiss Confederation and their family members, as well as family members of Croatian nationals

THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS WITH PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN AN EEA MEMBER STATE AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS

Foreigners, nationals of third countries with permanent residence in an EEA member state and their family members

HIGHLY-QUALIFIED THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS 

Nationals of third countries are foreigners who are not nationals of European Economic Area (EEA) members. Regulating their stay or work depends on whether they have permanent residence in an EEA member, whether they are family members of a national of an EEA member state, the Swiss Confederation, Croatian national, or do not fall under any of the abovementioned categories.

SHORT-TERM STAY REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

Short-term stay is a stay of a foreign national of up to 90 days in any period of 180 days on the basis of a visa or without a visa. All foreign nationals who are not exempted from this obligation under the provisions of the Foreigners Act must register for a short-term stay.

The following are exempted from the obligation to register for a short-term stay:

Nationals of EEA Member States who are entitled to stay in Croatia for up to 3 months from the date of entry, if they possess a valid travel document or personal ID.

Foreign nationals who are not nationals of an EEA Member State and are family members of nationals of Croatia or another EEA Member State. They are entitled to stay in Croatia for up to 3 months from the date of entry, provided they have a valid travel document. Persons who can be considered family members are designated in the provisions of the Foreigners Act. They include e.g. a spouse or unwed partner, adoptive children, step children.

Nationals of a Third State who is required to register for a short-term stay shall on his/her own register within 2 days from the date of entry i.e. from the change of accommodation.

If not done by the foreign national in person, the short-term stay of a foreign national shall be registered by the accommodation provider (commercial accommodation providers - hotels, hostels, camping sites etc., and non-commercial accommodation providers – relatives, friends etc.) within 1 day od from the arrival of the foreign national.

A short-term stay shall be reported with the Police Department or police station in charge by the place of accommodation of the foreign national, and it may also be effected online.

A foreign national who owns an apartment/vacation home may also register for a short-term stay with the Tourist Board and also include his/her friends/relatives.

If the foreign national is going to be accommodated on board a vessel, he/she shall register for a short-term stay with either the Police Department in charge of control of the border crossing in the port where there is border control, if the foreign national arrives on a vessel that is his/her accommodation, or the Police Department or police station by the place of embarkation of the foreign national.

NATIONALS OF EEA MEMBER STATES AND THEIR FAMILY

Nationals of EEA member states or the Swiss Confederation and their family members, or family members of Croatian nationals intending to stay in Croatia longer than three months have to register temporary residence no later than eight days before the end of the three-month stay at the competent police administration or police station depending on the address.

Certificate of registered temporary residence is issued in the form of a biometric residence permit valid for up to five years.

Work of nationals of EU member states and their family members

Nationals of EU member states and their family members can work and provide services in Croatia with no residence or work permit and no work registration certificate.

However, according to Article 236 of the Foreigners Act, the Government of the Republic of Croatia may after accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union, by its Ordinance, lay down implementation rules referring to work of nationals of the European Union Member States and members of their families and which are being implemented at the time of signing a Treaty of Accession, with regard to nationals of those Member States that are to implement national measures or measures resulting from Bilateral Agreements, for the period of implementation of such measures.

List of EU member countries that have limited access to their labour market for Croatian nationals can be found on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Pension System (http://www.mrms.hr).

Based on reciprocity, for nationals of those EU member states and members of their families restrictions apply in accessing Croatia’s labour market, therefore said foreigners can regulate their legal work status in the following manner:

if they want to work up to 90 days a year based on the work registration certificate

if they want to work longer than 90 days a year and are establishing labour relations in Croatia, they have to apply for residence and work permit.

Said regulations will remain in effect until EU member states begin applying the same national work regulations in regard to Croatian nationals and their family members.

THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS WITH PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN AN EEA MEMBER STATE AND THEIR FAMILY

Foreigners from this category can submit their temporary residence application at the diplomatic mission/consular post of Croatia in the EEA member state they have permanent residence in or at the police administration/station in Croatia.

Temporary residence to a third-country national with permanent residence in another EEA member state will be approved if they have:

a valid passport

means of supporting themselves and their family members

health insurance

if they meet the rest of the criteria for granting temporary residence given the nature of said stay

HIGHLY-QUALIFIED THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS

Issuing residence and work permit – the EU Blue Card

Highly-qualified third-country nationals have to submit their application for work and residence permit at the diplomatic mission/consular post of Croatia or at the police administration/station in their intended place of residence.

Residence and work permit (the EU Blue Card) simultaneously grants temporary residence and work in Croatia.

Residence and work permit can be granted to third-country nationals who meet the criteria stated in Article 54 of the Foreigners Act (a valid passport, health insurance, proof they have means of support) and enclose:

work contract or some other corresponding contract for performing highly-qualified labour, lasting for at least a year

proof of high school education or completed undergraduate and graduate studies or integrated undergraduate and graduate studies or specialist graduate studies.

The residence and work permit (the EU Blue Card) is issued in the form of biometric residence permit.

THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS

Temporary residence may be granted on the following grounds:

family reunification

secondary school education and university studies

scientific research

humanitarian grounds

work

work of posted workers or for other purposes.

Foreigners who do not need a visa for entering Croatia can submit their temporary residence application to the police administration/police station according to the intended place of residence, employer’s location or place of work.

Foreigners who do need a visa for entering Croatia submit their temporary residence or work and residence application to a diplomatic mission/consular post of Croatia. Exceptionally, they can submit the application to the police administration/police station according to the intended place of residence if:

they are coming for the purposes of regular undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate studies

they are coming for the purposes of scientific research based on visiting contract

they are covered by Article 76, paragraph 1, items 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the Aliens Act. These are aliens working as part of youth mobility programmes run by the Republic of Croatia in cooperation with other states, scientific research and aliens employed for scientific, scientific-teaching or other research work places in scientific legal persons, university professors, native speakers of foreign languages, foreign-language instructors and other lecturers invited by Croatian universities or registered foreign language schools, aliens working pursuant to an international treaty, other than the treaty referred to in Article 79, paragraph 1, item 2 of the same Act.

The following must be enclosed with the application:

a colour 35x45 mm photo

a copy of a valid passport

evidence of health insurance

evidence of sufficient means of subsistence

evidence of the reason for temporary stay (e.g. marriage certificate, university enrolment confirmation or other proof based on purpose of intended stay).

Documents enclosed with the application must be either original or a certified copy, while foreign documents have to be translated into Croatian language and certified in line with special regulations.

Documents must not be older than six months.

Within 30 days of receiving the notification that their temporary stay has been granted, foreigners have to report their residence to the police administration/station. Failing to do so within said time period, the temporary stay permission/work and residence permit become invalid.

All information and details are correct according to the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs - We do our best to keep this article up to date. However, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is always current or complete.

The first sign that summer is on the way in Dubrovnik is the opening of the ferry line to the island of Lokrum. And today at 10 am the first ferry chugged out of the historic old City harbour and completed the fifteen-minute journey to the green wooded island.

The green oasis lies just 600 metres from the ancient city walls and is a popular destination for nature lovers and those looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of the city in the summer months.

The first ferry of the season operated today and the line will remain open until November. An adult return ticket to Lokrum, including entrance into the nature reserve, is 150 Kuna this year, with a children’s ticket (ages 5 to 15) costing 25 Kunas.

A round-up of the top stories in Dubrovnik and Croatia over the past seven days from The Dubrovnik Times.

26.03

Croatia stands behind Teresa May and expels Russian diplomat

Croatia has stood behind the UK and will expel a Russian diplomat. It what is the largest expulsion of diplomats ever, with Trump announcing 60 will be expelled, Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković, has announced that he will expel one diplomat.

27.03

Plitvice Lakes ticket prices go up

For almost three months, there was uncertainty about ticket prices in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, but now it’s clear that they will increase – Poslovni.hr reports.

28.03

Tourists to Dubrovnik love the natural beauty but are frustrated with the traffic infrastructure

Forget an active holiday, what guests to Dubrovnik really want is just to roll out their towels on the beach and soak up the Mediterranean sun. According to a new survey just released by the Croatian Institute for Tourism a massive 69 percent of tourists in the Dubrovnik – Neretva County come to the region for a “passive, relaxing holiday.”

29.03

Fish market in the Old City to be revitalized

The City of Dubrovnik is going to revive the fish market in the Old City, known as Peskarija. Preparations are underway and the fish market should be completed before the beginning of June.

30.03

Two Dubrovnik beaches on the travel bucket list by Mirror

There are numerous beautiful beaches in Croatia, but only seven of them are mentioned in the interesting article by the Mirror, titled Best beaches in Croatia you'll want to add to your bucket list right now. Good news to all Dubrovnik lovers – two of them are in our beautiful city.

31.03

Croatian model headlines new Ralph Lauren collection

The Croatian model, Faretta Radić, is the new face for one of the most famous desingers in the world. The 20 year-old Trogir born model has just completed shooting for the 2018 Spring/Summer collection for Ralph Lauren.

Croatian marinas earned around 855 million Kuna from nautical activities in 2017, however this year that figure could be drastically lower as sailors are revolting against a decision to increase sojourn taxes.

The changes to the taxes came in today, the 1st of April, and see taxes rise by nine times, from 1,500 Kuna a year to 9,600 Kuna annually. This new increase of sojourn tax is particularly unfavourable for sailors who pay to keep their yachts in Croatia on an annual basis. "It's a cost of 1,200 Euro plus VAT, all of which is poorly organized and I think we will return to Slovenia to keep the ship there," commented a German yacht owner.

The new sojourn tax for yachts and private boats is organised according to the length of each individual vessel as well as the length of stay of each vessel.

The highest prices tax rises are for vessels staying on an annual basis. For example, for mega yachts over 20 metres in length the new annual tax is 14,500 Kuna instead of the previous 1,700 Kuna, for yachts between 15 and 20 metres the new annual price is 9,600 Kuna as opposed to the former 1,500 Kuna and for 12 to 15 metres vessels the new price is 7,700 Kuna as opposed to the old price of 1,300 Kuna.

New tourist tax prices for Croatia in 2018 

Easter Sunday in the heart of the Old City of Dubrovnik was a lively and colourful day with traditions running through the celebrations. A special Easter program was organised by the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and tourists enjoyed joining in the festive fun.

Despite the relatively poor weather around 10,000 tourists are in the city at the moment and many had an Easter they won’t forget painting Easter eggs and dancing along with folklore.

A tradition egg painting workshop was held in the centre of the city and tourists enjoyed the chance to try their hands at this ancient art. There was a performance of folklore by the group “Sveti Juraj” as well as the vocal group Klapa Ragusa.

Check out the photos from Easter Sunday in the city by Tonci Plazibat

Dubrovnik Airport is looking forward to another record breaking year with double digit growth expected yet again. In 2017 the southernmost airport in Croatia handled over 2.3 million passengers and this year a 10 percent increase looks on the cards.

With new airlines and new flight connections coming to Dubrovnik this year the airport will once again be a hub of activity. Speaking to Ex-Yu Aviation News the coordinator of airport operations, Josip Paljetak, commented that “This year we expect the biggest increase in arrivals from the United Kingdom. In addition, several new routes will be launched. Among them is Edelweiss Air from Zurich, Flydubai from Dubai, as well as Adria Airways from Ljubljana. There will also be a number of charter flights from the Middle East.”

And with the new developments currently near completion the airport will be ready to handle almost 4 million passengers in the future. Air France, Croatia Airlines, LOT, easyJet, Volotea and Thomas Cook airlines will all launch new flights to Dubrovnik this year.

Easter Sunday and the first day of April is traditionally the opening of the tourist season in Dubrovnik. However, if the weather is an indication of the coming season then it will be wet and wild. Temperatures are unusually cold for this time of the year with highs to reach 12 degrees today.

But the good news is that the weather should improve next week, with more sunshine and rising temperatures. Hotels in the region are reporting a busy start to the tourist season with many over 80 percent full already.

The Banje beach, which is a hotspot for locals and tourists in the summer, still had its winter face today as the southerly winds brought crashing waves.

Check out our gallery from this morning in Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik is slowly but surely being rebuilt in Belfast. As The Dubrovnik Times reported two weeks ago the most expensive TV set ever constructed is being built in Belfast, Northern Ireland for the final season of the HBO hit Game of Thrones.

The filming of the eighth and final season of the most popular TV series ever is currently underway and even though the key members of the cast were busy in Dubrovnik back at the beginning of February it appears that they aren’t finished with King’s Landing.

Dubrovnik recreated in Belfast - Photo by GoTlikeLocation

The UNESCO World Heritage Site is being painstakingly reconstructed in Belfast, stone by stone, in a set that is believed to cost around $1.4 million.

The latest Dubrovnik feature to be added to the Northern Ireland set is the iconic St. Blaise Church with its recognisable blue domed roof. It would also appear from these latest photos that a major battle scene will happen in the final season in King’s Landing as part of the walls seems to be missing. Even though Dubrovnik will feature only fleeting in the eighth season its “body double” will be a key location.

The ancient walls of Dubrovnik rebuilt for Game of Thrones - Photo by GoTlikeLocation