Croatia · Business & founder
Temporary Stay for Company Owners and Directors
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open, but genuinely demanding. This is not a golden visa in disguise, despite being marketed as one.
This is the route the market repackages and sells as a Croatia Golden Visa. It is nothing of the sort. The real cost is a three-person Croatian payroll, not the EUR 26.5k in capital. It is a genuine business permit for people running genuine businesses, and it makes little economic sense as a pure residence play.
Qualifying routes
€26.5k
Owner or founder of a Croatian d.o.o. or obrt
Own at least 51%, invest at least EUR 26,544.56 of start-up capital, hire at least 3 Croatian citizens full-time at or above the national average gross salary, and pay the director's own gross salary at least 1.5x the national average monthly gross.
The facts
- Minimum investment
- €26.5k
- Total landed cost
- The capital is the smaller part. Three Croatian employees at or above average gross salary, plus a director's salary at 1.5x average, realistically comes to EUR 80-120k a year in payroll before the business does anything at all.
- Route type
- Business & founder
- Timeline
- 2–6 months (MUP carries out a corporate-structure audit before formal acceptance.)
- Physical presence
- Genuine management of an operating business.
- Family
- SpouseMinor childrenThrough family reunification
- Permanent residency
- 5 years of continuous legal residence. Unlike the digital nomad permit, this time does count.
- Citizenship
- 8 years of registered residence plus permanent residence status, along with a language test and renunciation of prior citizenship.
- Language test
- Croatian language and Latin script, plus familiarity with culture and social arrangements.
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- At least 51% ownership.At least EUR 26,544.56 start-up capital.Three full-time Croatian employees at or above average gross salary.Director's gross salary at least 1.5x national average.
What can go wrong
- Multiple consultancies market this as the Croatia Golden Visa and charge fees for it. Croatia has no golden visa. Expect clients to arrive having already read one of these pages.
- The three-employee payroll obligation is the real cost driver. It continues for as long as you need the permit.
- MUP applies heightened scrutiny. It audits the corporate structure before accepting the application.
- Citizenship at the end of this route requires renouncing your existing passport. For most UHNW clients, that kills it. If there is any Croatian ancestry, use Articles 11/16 instead.