Temporary Stay for Other Purposes (Property Ownership)

Croatia's Temporary Stay for Other Purposes (Privremeni boravak u druge svrhe) is a residence permit for third-country nationals who own residential property in Croatia and wish to reside there without engaging in local employment. Established under Article 70 of the Aliens Act and administered by the Ministry of the Interior through local police administrations, it is designed for property owners, retirees, and financially independent individuals. The permit does not authorize any form of work in Croatia. A notable 2025 amendment allows retired holders over 60 to extend continuously without the standard 6-month gap between permits.

• Own residential property in Croatia; the property must be zoned as residential and the applicant must actually reside in it
• Nationals of countries with a reciprocity agreement with Croatia for property acquisition (most EU/EEA countries, the US, and many others qualify)
• Minimum monthly financial means of approximately EUR 791/month (60% of average net salary for 2026); increases for family members
• Valid private health insurance at application; enrollment in Croatian state health insurance (HZZO) required within 8 days of permit approval
• Clean criminal record
• No employment in Croatia permitted under this category

• Completed application form (Obrazac 1a)
• Valid passport (minimum 3 months validity beyond the intended stay)
• Land registry ownership certificate (vlasnicki list) for the residential property
• Proof of financial means (bank statements, pension statements, tax rulings, or equivalent evidence of passive income)
• Private travel health insurance (putno zdravstveno osiguranje)
• Criminal record certificate with apostille from the country of origin or most recent country of residence (exceeding 1 year)
• Passport-size colour photograph (30×35 mm)
• Proof of paid application fee

Permits are issued for up to 1 year. Standard permit holders face a 6-month waiting period after expiry before they can reapply — the permit cannot be extended consecutively. Retired persons over 60 who own property, along with their spouse or partner, may apply for an extension without the 6-month gap (introduced by the March 2025 amendments to the Aliens Act). An extension application must be submitted no later than 60 days before the current permit expires.

Importantly, time spent on this residence category does not count toward the 5-year continuous residence requirement for permanent or long-term residence.

Spouses and partners (common-law, life partners, and informal life partners) of retired property owners over 60 may extend their residence under the same exception. Minor children and other family members are not covered by the extension exception and must apply independently, typically under family reunification or another applicable category.

Holders who spend more than 183 days per year in Croatia may be considered tax residents under Croatian law. Croatian tax residents are subject to worldwide taxation. Double taxation treaties may apply depending on the holder's country of nationality.

The appropriate application channel depends on nationality:

• Visa-exempt nationals may apply in person at the police administration (policijska uprava) nearest to the property address in Croatia.
• Visa-required nationals must apply at a Croatian diplomatic mission or consulate abroad before entering Croatia.

Upon approval, the applicant receives temporary proof of residence. Within 8 days, the holder must:

1. Apply for the biometric residence card (boravisna iskaznica) at the local police station — the card is typically ready in approximately 3 weeks.
2. Enroll in Croatian state health insurance (HZZO) and pay monthly premiums plus a one-time back-payment of premiums for the previous year if not previously covered by EU/EEA health insurance.
3. Register their temporary address within 3 days of arrival (if applying from abroad).

Application fees: EUR 46.45 for the residence approval, EUR 31.85 for the standard biometric residence card (EUR 59.73 for expedited processing), plus EUR 9.29 for the biometric card issuance fee. Processing generally takes several weeks to months.