Croatia · Work

Croatia Researcher permit

Income needed: €826+ a month ≈ $920

Temporary stay for scientific research (Art. 74 Aliens Act)

First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026Change log

Key facts

Researcher permit is a work route for Croatia. Applicants need income of €826+ a month ≈ $920. You can stay 1 yr, renewable. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.

Money needed: €826+ a month ≈ $920
Government fees: €46.45 ≈ $52 · €31.85 ≈ $36
First stay: 1 yr

Cost, time and long term

To apply: 2 government fees listed below; income to show €826+/mo ≈ $920. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Government fees€46.45 ≈ $52 · €31.85 ≈ $36

EUR 46.45 (≈ $52)Administrative fee for temporary stay when the application is filed at a police administration or station (EUR 55.74 (≈ $62) at a mission).
EUR 31.85 (≈ $36)Production of the biometric residence permit (EUR 59.73 (≈ $67) for the accelerated procedure); EUR 9.29 (≈ $10) more is paid for its issuance.

Shown, not spent€826+/mo ≈ $920

EUR 825.93 a month (≈ $920)Monthly means of at least 57% of the previous year's average monthly net pay (Regulation Art. 2(1), as amended by NN 3/2026); EUR 825.93 (≈ $920) on the 2025 average of EUR 1,449 (≈ $1,620).

RenewalRenewable

Temporary stay for up to one year, or up to two years for researchers in EU or multilateral mobility programmes.

Ministry of the Interior of Croatia

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

Needs a job offer from an employer in Croatia
Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports

What you'll need

Who can apply2

The researcher has a hosting agreement with a research organisation.
The hosting organisation is accredited to host researchers for five years, where the second route in Art. 74(1) is used.

What you must show1

Monthly means of at least 57% of the average monthly net pay, EUR 825.93 (≈ $920) on the 2025 average.

Documents1

A valid travel document, health insurance and, on a first application, proof of no criminal conviction (not for EEA mobility cases).

Steps1

Visa-required researchers with a hosting agreement may apply at the police; others apply at a Croatian mission.

After you arrive2

The permit is valid up to one year, or up to two years for researchers in EU or multilateral mobility programmes.
The researcher may work without a stay and work permit.

What happens at day 183

How Croatia decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Stay on this route: Up to 1 year at first, renewable
Tax residence: At least 183 days in one or two calendar yearsOwning an apartment or having one at disposal for at least 183 days in one or two calendar years establishes permanent residence for tax; actual stay is not required.
Foreign-source income: Worldwide income of tax residents; Croatian-source income of non-residents.

All tax rules for Croatia Tax records checked 12 Oct 2026

Official site

Full official text

Temporary stay for researchers with a hosting agreement with a research organisation; researchers may work without a separate permit and may teach at the host institution. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What you must show and pay

Income of at least EUR 825.93 a month (≈ $920) · Monthly means of at least 57% of the previous year's average monthly net pay (Regulation Art. 2(1), as amended by NN 3/2026); EUR 825.93 (≈ $920) on the 2025 average of EUR 1,449 (≈ $1,620). ^{4 5}
A fee of EUR 46.45 (≈ $52) · Administrative fee for temporary stay when the application is filed at a police administration or station (EUR 55.74 (≈ $62) at a mission). ¹
A fee of EUR 31.85 (≈ $36) · Production of the biometric residence permit (EUR 59.73 (≈ $67) for the accelerated procedure); EUR 9.29 (≈ $10) more is paid for its issuance. ¹

Requirements

The researcher has a hosting agreement with a research organisation. ²
The hosting organisation is accredited to host researchers for five years, where the second route in Art. 74(1) is used. ²
Monthly means of at least 57% of the average monthly net pay, EUR 825.93 (≈ $920) on the 2025 average. ^{4 5}
A valid travel document, health insurance and, on a first application, proof of no criminal conviction (not for EEA mobility cases). ^{1 2}
Visa-required researchers with a hosting agreement may apply at the police; others apply at a Croatian mission. ¹
The permit is valid up to one year, or up to two years for researchers in EU or multilateral mobility programmes. ²
The researcher may work without a stay and work permit. ^{2 3}

Stay

Temporary stay for up to one year, or up to two years for researchers in EU or multilateral mobility programmes (Art. 74(2)).
First stay: up to 12 months, decided case by case.
Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.

Nationality

Third-country nationals (non EU/EEA/Swiss). Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.

Work

Research at the host organisation without a stay and work permit; teaching at the host institution is allowed within the limits it sets.

Family

Family members can apply for temporary stay for family reunification, decided together with the researcher's application (Art. 74(10)-(11)).

Checked 2026-10-11

Official sources

Temporary stay of third-country nationals · Ministry of the Interior of Croatia · checked 2026-10-11
Aliens Act, consolidated text with euro amounts (NN 133/20, 114/22, 151/22, 40/25, 55/26), Article 113 · Zakon.hr (consolidated Narodne novine texts) · checked 2026-10-11
Work of third-country nationals · Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia · checked 2026-10-10
Regulation amending the means-of-subsistence regulation (NN 3/2026, 9 January 2026) · Narodne novine (Official Gazette of Croatia) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-01-09
Average monthly net and gross earnings in 2025: net EUR 1,449, gross EUR 2,016 · Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) · checked 2026-10-11 · published 2026-01-01

Researcher permit and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
Researcher permit	Needs income of €826+ a month ≈ $920	1 yr, renewable	Yes
Blue Card	–	4 yr, renewable	Limited
Work permit	–	3 yr, renewable	Limited
Blue Card Portugal	Needs income from €1,726 a month ≈ $1,930	2 yr, renewable	Limited
Employee visa Spain	–	1 yr, renewable	Limited

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Researcher permit?

Income of at least EUR 825.93 a month (≈ $920). Monthly means of at least 57% of the previous year's average monthly net pay (Regulation Art. A fee of EUR 46.45 (≈ $52). Administrative fee for temporary stay when the application is filed at a police administration or station (EUR 55.74 (≈ $62) at a mission). A fee of EUR 31.85 (≈ $36). Production of the biometric residence permit (EUR 59.73 (≈ $67) for the accelerated procedure); EUR 9.29 (≈ $10) more is paid for its issuance.

How long can I stay on the Researcher permit?

Temporary stay for up to one year, or up to two years for researchers in EU or multilateral mobility programmes (Art.

Can I work on the Researcher permit?

Yes. Research at the host organisation without a stay and work permit; teaching at the host institution is allowed within the limits it sets.

Can I bring my family on the Researcher permit?

Family members can apply for temporary stay for family reunification, decided together with the researcher's application (Art.

Who can apply for the Researcher permit?

How are Researcher permit holders taxed in Croatia?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Researcher permit. The standard rules apply: Income tax is set by local authorities at 15-23% up to EUR 60,000 (≈ $67,000) a year and 25-33% above (20% and 30% where no local decision exists); 23% and 33% are the Zagreb maximum, and municipalities, towns and large cities have lower caps.

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

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How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-11 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

Temporary stay of third-country nationals · Ministry of the Interior of Croatia · checked 2026-10-11
Aliens Act, consolidated text with euro amounts (NN 133/20, 114/22, 151/22, 40/25, 55/26), Article 113 · Zakon.hr (consolidated Narodne novine texts) · checked 2026-10-11
Work of third-country nationals · Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia · checked 2026-10-10
Regulation amending the means-of-subsistence regulation (NN 3/2026, 9 January 2026) · Narodne novine (Official Gazette of Croatia) · checked 2026-10-11
Average monthly net and gross earnings in 2025: net EUR 1,449, gross EUR 2,016 · Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-11. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.