How I Got Approved for Croatia’s Digital Nomad Visa

Dreaming of staying in the EU for more than 90 days? Croatia’s Digital Nomad Visa is one of the easiest ways to make it happen! And it gets even better—Croatia is now a member of the Schengen states, meaning you can travel freely across the EU with this visa.

In this post, I’ll share my step-by-step process to getting approved for Croatia’s Digital Nomad Visa. From requirements to fees, timelines, and even a surprising twist at the end—you won’t want to miss this!

If you’re more of a visual learner, check out my YouTube video where I dive into all the details about Croatia’s Digital Nomad Visa.

Why Croatia?

When my Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) application for Spain was denied in 2021, I didn’t waste time. I already had a plan B and plan C in case my NLV application was denied. My plan B was Croatia’s digital nomad visa. And my plan C was either Portugal’s D7 visa or Malta’s nomad residence permit. Ultimately, Croatia stood out to me because it’s unique, beautiful, and had requirements similar to Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa—but without needing a medical certificate.

Here’s how it all started: The day after getting my rejection letter, I uploaded all the necessary documents to Croatia’s online system. It’s straightforward, but make sure all documents are issued within the last 6 months, or your application might face delays.

Requirements & Fees

Here’s what you’ll need for Croatia’s Digital Nomad Visa:

• Application form (Form 1a)
• A valid passport.
• proof of health insurance for the period of time that you plan to be in Croatia (travel or private health insurance must cover the territory of the Republic of Croatia)
• Proof of employment or freelance work for a non-Croatian company.
• Proof of sufficient funds (money to support yourself) during your stay in the Republic of Croatia. You can submit:
  • a bank statement showing you have the total amount required for the year (€34,440.00) OR
  • a bank statement showing proof of regular income to the required monthly amount (a minimum of €2,870.00) OR
  • payslips for the last six months showing the required monthly amount (a minimum of €2,870.00)
• proof that you have not been convicted of criminal offences
• your residential address in the Republic of Croatia (rental contract)

And good news: Since I reused my documents from the Spain non-lucrative visa application, I only had to pay the €90 application fee.

Keep in mind, requirements may have changed since 2021, so always check the official website for the latest updates.

Timeline & Approval

Here’s how it went:

• August 18: Submitted my application online

Once I submitted my application online, I knew it could take a month minimum before I get any feedback. So while waiting, I decided to apply for a Schengen visa. Back in 2021, Croatia was still not a part of Schengen member states and being a Filipino, it’s already a given that we need a visa to enter Croatia. Even if you get approved for the digital nomad visa, you still need a separate visa to enter Croatia. The DNV alone does not allow you to enter Croatia. But if you have an active Schengen visa, you can use it to enter Croatia. Knowing all these, I opted to apply for a Schengen visa so I can do weekend travels to neighboring EU countries. Also, in case my DNV application was denied again, I planned on doing a short-term travel to Europe because I’ve been grounded for 2 years and I can’t take it anymore. I was desperate to travel again. If you know, you know.

Anyway, I booked an appointment with VFS global—Germany. I didn’t want to risk applying to the Spanish consulate because they might reject my tourist visa application again. Yes, I was traumatized.

• September 2: Schengen visa appointment
• September 3: Got a call from VFS verifying information I’ve submitted
• September 7: I received my passport with Schengen visa that was valid for 2 months. It literally took less than a week to apply and get a Schengen visa. I can’t believe how smooth the process was. And the timing couldn’t have been better!
• September 15: Got an email asking me to call the police department in Split for more details. They needed to know how I’d enter Croatia as a non-EU citizen. Luckily, I had already applied and got approved for a Schengen visa. Maybe in hindsight I already knew that my visa application will be approved. It was just a feeling I can’t deny.
• September 30: My DNV was approved, effective October 1st until 30th September 2022
• October 14 – appointment at MUP office in Split, Croatia to regularize my stay and to obtain a biometric residence card
• November 19 – got the physical residence card

When checking flights, I thought of booking a flight from Manila to Split, Croatia. But I changed my mind and decided to spend 10 days in Barcelona just to see what I’m missing out because of the visa rejection. Yes, FOMO took over. But WAIT, this is an important part of my journey to Spanish citizenship.

On October 2nd, I flew to Barcelona and stayed there for 10 days. October 12th, I arrived in Split and stayed in an Airbnb before moving into an apartment I found through a Facebook group for Digital Nomads in Croatia. This FB group has been super helpful when I was going through the visa application process.

My landlady was incredibly helpful, even accompanying me to the police department to navigate the language barrier during my biometric residence card application. And by November 19, I had my physical card in hand!

So, that’s my journey to getting approved for Croatia’s Digital Nomad Visa. It was an exciting, smooth process—and I hope my experience inspires you to start your own adventure.

Sadly, I only stayed in Croatia for 5 months—why? Because love took me to Barcelona! And in September 2022, I got my 5-year residency in Spain. And 2.5 years later, I did my oath taking for my Spanish citizenship!

Got questions? Drop a comment or send me an email.