Recent events have a lot of US citizens thinking about setting up home elsewhere. The variety of Europe is a lure, and while countries like the UK and Ireland might take precedence language-wise, you’d be a fool to not consider smaller nations.
First things first: Do you happen to have Croatian ancestry? If the answer is yes, you should explore obtaining Croatian citizenship. I’ll delve into that later.
Croatia is an easy place to move to as a citizen of an European Economic Area (EEA) country. It isn’t quite as easy if you hold the citizenship of a “third country” (a non-EEA country), which is what US citizenship is. Fear not, it’s a bit more difficult but far from impossible.
Here’s what you need to know:
• Americans who have dual citizenship with an EEA country
The USA is a melting pot. Owing to that, you may hold dual citizenship with an EEA country. If you do, then can you apply for temporary residence under EU law, as your EU citizenship determines your right to live and work in Croatia.
It matters not that you also hold US citizenship, you’ll be treated as an EU citizen by the Croatian authorities.
The great news is that even if only you hold EEA citizenship but your spouse and/or children don’t, they can apply for residence under “family reunification”. They will be afforded special rights tied to your EU citizenship. This includes the ability to work without a permit. After five years, they’ll be entitled to permanent residence.
• US citizens who hold an EU Blue Card
If you’re a highly skilled worker and have been granted an EU Blue Card, you can apply for Croatian residence after you receive a binding offer of employment. In some cases, the entity wanting to employ you in Croatia will go through this process for you. Croatia recently extended its own Blue Card validity from two to four years in its continued attempt to attract and keep skilled internationals.
If this applies in your case, look no further than here.
• Looking to study? There’s a permit for that
In Croatia there’s usually a permit for that, even in specific cases. Studying in Croatia as a US citizen is easy if you’re enrolled at a university here, or if you’re studying the Croatian language at an approved institution. You’ll need to prove you’ve been accepted, and as a third country national, you’ll be responsible for the costs of your tuition. You also can’t attend Croatian university classes or lectures until you have your temporary residence application approved. In this case, there are a few hoops you’ll need to jump through, but they’re worth it. You can learn more here.
• If you’re married or getting married to a Croatian or EEA citizen, you can come and stay
Croatia puts enormous emphasis on family, and spouses of Croatian citizens or those of EEA citizens can stay under the family reunification rule. So, if your spouse is Dutch and you’re a US citizen, you can move to Croatia with your Dutch partner. If your spouse is a Croat, you can join them in Croatia with no issue. There are always bureaucratic hoops to jump through, but they have lessened. After 4 years of being married to a Croatian citizen, you can apply for permanent residence. Immediately after approval, you can begin the process of obtaining Croatian citizenship.
Already got permanent residence in another EEA country? You can live in Croatia
If you’re a US citizen who has already been granted permanent stay in another EEA nation, you can more than likely move to Croatia. You’ll need to apply for temporary residence as a “person who holds long-term residence in another EEA Member State”, and you’ll need to do it no later than eight days before your 90 days of free (tourist) stay draw to a close. The great thing is that as a US citizen who already has permanent residence elsewhere in the EEA, you can apply for it based on the mysterious “other purposes” rule, which basically means you don’t need to have an actual reason to want to move to Croatia.
• US citizens with Croatian ancestry
If you’ve got a direct blood relative who was born in Croatia and you can prove it, you need to look into applying for citizenship. The rules have become more relaxed, and for the diaspora who can prove lineage, there’s no language requirement. It can be a bit of a minefield, although it has become more streamlined. Here’s how you can learn if you’re entitled to Croatian citizenship based on descent, and how to take the next steps. If you want to live in Croatia while waiting for your citizenship to be approved, there’s another option I’ll get to next.
• Living in Croatia as a member of the Croatian people
This is a special rule for US (and other) citizens to obtain lawful residence if they’re planning to apply for citizenship based on descent. If you’ve found that direct blood relative and you can prove lineage, you don’t need to sit twiddling your thumbs and waiting for Croatia to give you thumbs up. If you are granted a certificate from the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, you will likely be granted residence as a member of the Croatian people while you go through the citizenship process. If you’re successful in getting this permit, you can work and study without a permit.
• Starting a Croatian company
If you’re a US citizen with a legitimate desire to open a Croatian company, you can apply for residence based on this. Be warned, setting up a business in Croatia is not for the faint of heart or for anyone not used to red tape, bureaucrats and a system reminiscent of an old regime.
It’s gotten better, but I’d be lying if I said it was easy.
Americans used to efficiency will find this a culture shock. I’d steer clear of this, but if you want to take the plunge and you’re happy to spend considerable sums of money, go for it.
• Volunteering in Croatia
If you conclude a volunteering contract with a Croatian non-profit, then you can apply for residence. You cannot be paid, and there are various points worth knowing about first. You can go over the details here.
• The Croatian Digital Nomad visa
If you’re a US citizen carrying out remote work for a non-Croatian company, you can live in Croatia via the digital nomad visa for one year in addition to your 90 days of tourist stay. This permit can’t be extended, but can be applied for again. Find out more here.
Caveats for US citizens wanting to live in Croatia
The Law on Foreigners has undergone an overhaul as the need for foreign labour – skilled and otherwise – increases. That said, there are limitations to know about making Croatia a permanent home for US citizens. If you’re not an EEA citizen as well as a US citizen, if you have no grounds to apply for Croatian citizenship (either by descent or through marriage to a Croat), permanent residence is currently more difficult to obtain.
It’s possible, however, and worth exploring.
There are more and more US citizens making Croatia their temporary or permanent European home for all sorts of reasons. I’ve yet to meet one who hasn’t been satisfied with their decision.
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Read more about Croatia here in Dispatches’ archives.
Lauren Simmonds
Lauren Simmonds is the editor of Total Croatia News, the largest English language portal in Croatia. She lives in Zagreb, Croatia, and is a translator, content writer, interpreter and the co-author of "Croatia - A Survival Kit for Foreigners," which was published in 2022.
