Nationals of third countries may be allowed these kinds of residence/stay in the Republic of Croatia:
- Short-term stay (according to Article 6 of the Schengen Borders Code).
- Stay (now a limitation of stay of up to one year).
- Permanent residency (without the limit on the term of living).
- Residence (permanent, without limit as to length of stay).
- Short-term stay
Article 6 of the Schengen Borders Code specifies the short-term stay of third-country nationals. A short stay third-country national to the Schengen region is allowed to stay up to 90 days in every 180 days by considering the 180 days leading up to each day of stay. What this implies is that upon entry into the Republic of Croatia, it also takes into consideration the duration that the third-country national spent in the Schengen area during the 180 days immediately preceding the entry. Before entering the Republic of Croatia, the application for a temporary residence permit is lodged at the competent diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Croatia. The forms offered there are to be downloaded in a form recommended by the Ministry of the Interior on their website:
Applying for temporary/permanent residence
A third-country national who is and must not obtain the visa in order to enter the Republic of Croatia can apply for the temporary residence permit in the competent police administration or in the police station where he or she is planning his or her stay.
Exceptions are related to the possibility of citizens of third countries, who need a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia, to get a temporary residence to the police administration/police station, provided that:
- They are formal or informal partners in Croatian lives of the citizens.
- They are staying to study at establishments of higher learning, either undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate level.
- They are investigators who are making a visiting agreement.
- They are the close relatives of a researcher or a third-country national immigrating to the country to get a degree.
- They are obtaining humanitarian temporary residence permits.
- They are relatives of an EU Blue Card holder.
Third-country nationals or an employer may apply for a stay and work permit where a labour market test is not necessary. And the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service is not required in any way, either directly or via e-mail to the competent police administration, or the police station, depending on the location of the place of stay, the work of the third-country national or the seat of the employer.
The police administration or police station is going to determine the application based on the residence or place of intended sojourn of the third-country national.
The third-country nationals that stated their initial request on temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia (in case they are not required to have a visa to enter the Republic of Croatia, or are a student or correspond to the mentioned kind of foreign-national) before the termination of the agreed term on temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia. May be left in the Republic of Croatia until the order on their application is enforceable.
Long-term residence applications
Long-term residence is applied at the police administration or the police station with authority over the third-country national residence location, and the application is determined by the Ministry of the Interior. When deciding on the application, the third-country national must possess, temporarily, asylum or subsidiary protection accorded to them.
The third-country nationals who acquired temporary residence, asylum, or subsidiary protection in the Republic of Croatia in unbroken continuity of at least five years before applying may be given a long-term residence permit.
Long-term residence implies that they have not been overall or in one period of time over six months or a total of ten months within the term of these five years, not within Croatia.
Conditions for issuing a long-term residence permit
Other requirements to be given the long-term residence (other than being given residence for a continuous period of five years) are that one must have a valid foreign travel document. Also ability to support oneself and health insurance, knowledge of the Croatian language and the Latin script and the fact that third-country nationals do not represent a threat to the order or national security.
Knowledge of the Croatian language and the Latin script can be tested by institutions of higher education or their parts that include programmes of studying the Croatian language, or institutions of secondary education. National Centre for External Evaluation of Education and adult education institutions. In case it has a permit to test knowledge in the Croatian language and the Latin script.
Permanent residence for third-country nationals will be granted in case they which besides the aforementioned factors, also have a valid foreign travel document, and they do not represent a danger to the order of a nation, national security or health of a nation.
Short-term stay of the individual who has long-term residence in the elsewhere EEA member state
A third country national who has obtained long-term residence in another EEA member state may be given temporary residence to residence of any person with long term residence in any EEA state, provided that he or she is on his way:
- To work or to be self-employed.
- To learn or to learn a vocation.
- Other things, there may be a limitation under Article 57(4) of this Act.
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