Retire to Croatia

Interested in retiring to Croatia? You should familiarize yourself with the conditions regarding immigration to Croatia, namely visa, and residency permit as the case may be. In the following lines, you can discover some interesting information about how to retire to Croatia, with the clarification that our immigration experts are at your disposal with legal assistance and guidance for a smooth relocation process to Croatia.

Do I need a visa to retire to Croatia?

If in the case of citizens of European Union countries, a visa to retire to Croatia is not needed, things are different in the situation of those coming from non-EU/EEA states. Depending on nationality, a visa may be required in this latter case. Thus, if the stay is longer than 90 days, a temporary residence permit in Croatia will also be required. Applicants can start the process of obtaining a retirement visa in Croatia in their country of origin, at the consulate/embassy of the city of residence. In this case, the following are required:

• valid passport,
• health insurance,
• proof of pension (bank statements are needed),
• proof of residence in Croatia (a rented or purchased property)
• clear criminal record.

These are some of the documents and requirements for a Croatian retirement visa. We recommend the legal services of our immigration lawyers in Croatia when retiring to this country.

Retiring in Croatia as an American

Many people opt for retirement to Croatia from the USA. Starting from here, we will explain some of the conditions imposed for retiring in Croatia as an American:

• US citizens do not need a visa for Croatia, which is an advantage from the start at the time of retirement.
• A temporary residence permit is needed when retiring in Croatia as an American.
• American citizens who have long-term residence in an EU country, when deciding to retire to Croatia are also accepted.
• Proof of domicile is requested when applying for a temporary residence permit in Croatia. Americans can opt for both rented and purchased properties, providing proof of payment of rental/property contracts in both cases.
• As with other categories of non-EU citizens, a criminal background check will be done for Americans.

It is worth noting in this case that if you buy a property in Croatia and want to retire with your spouse, both persons must be mentioned in the new property title/ownership certificate, which will then be filed with the Croatian Land Registry. Retiring in Croatia as an American citizen is not a complex process, however, we suggest you collaborate with our specialists in the field. You can move to Croatia relatively fast without worrying about having incomplete documents when filing them with the relevant authorities.

Volunteering to retire to Croatia

Non-EU citizens can relocate to Croatia and retire by having a volunteer contract. Thus, applicants must provide proof of a volunteer contract signed with a Croatian non-profit organization for one year, as temporary residence is permitted in this case. You don’t have to worry about the residency obtained as a result of a volunteer contract to retire to Croatia, because it can be extended after one year. In this case, you can be helped by our attorneys in Croatia if you want to retire to this country through this path.

Immigration to Croatia in a few lines

We’ll review some interesting statistical data about immigration to Croatia:

• Croatia's net migration was positive in 2025, at about +19,200 people (roughly +5 per 1,000 population).
• Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is the main option for immigrants, retirees included, with more than 20% of the total foreigners relocated in 2023.
• About 18% of migrants/refugees came to Croatia in 2023 from Ukraine, while over 12% came from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Are you also interested in citizenship in Croatia besides relocation to this country? Please contact our Croatian lawyers and ask about how to immigrate to Croatia and what the conditions and criteria are. We can also help you open a business in Croatia.