September 29, 2021 - The first so-called Croatian digital nomad village will open next month - meet Digital Nomad Valley Zadar.

A new milestone in the emerging Croatian digital nomad story, as the first Croatian digital nomad village has been announced by the Digital Nomads Croatia Facebook community this morning. Digital Nomad Valley Zadar is located in Borik, Zadar, a short walk from the historic old town.

Co-founder Mario Mrksa will be explaining a lot more about the concept of this Croatian digital nomad village in an in-depth interview with TCN later today (a link will appear here), but for now, here is the announcement in full:

DIGITAL NOMAD VALLEY ZADAR OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I believe that everyone in this group knows that Croatia has a lot to offer to digital nomads. From natural beauty to culture, architecture, gastronomy, and quite importantly, the Mediterranean lifestyle.

However, we also recognize that the attractiveness of the country is not enough on its own, it’s the feeling of community that matters to digital nomads and remote workers. As moderators of this group, are working hard to empower the DN community in Croatia.

That is why I am very happy to announce a project which would, hopefully, attract even more digital nomads to visit this beautiful land and create strong and lasting communities around the country.

As CEO of grabAhome, in partnership with Falkensteiner H&R, I proudly present Digital Nomad Valley Zadar!

At one of the most beautiful resorts, in one of the most prominent cities in Croatia, we are organizing the first curated digital nomad community in Croatia.

Starting October 10th, by joining the program you will get:

• Premium mobile homes with solo or coliving options
• Exclusive coworking office
• Community manager
• Exclusive events (organized by us and the community)
• #discordcommunity channel
• Partner discounts
• Most importantly, a great community of like-minded people

JOIN US AT www.workremotelycroatia.com

Minimum 2-week stay. Starting at €130 per week, we believe that everyone will be able to find an accommodation option that suits them.

We are also able to offer the First 15 digital nomads a 15% discount for the first two weeks of stay!

This project is a part of a new initiative from grabAhome called Work Remotely Croatia, where we hope to build and support several communities around Croatia in order to promote and advocate sustainable tourism in Croatia. This project starts on October 10th until 31st March, with the possibility of an extension!

Special thanks to Falkensteiner H&R for offering long-term rentals just for the purpose of this project, and to Digital Nomad Association Croatia and Zadar Tourist Board for supporting this project.

A great addition to the Croatian digital nomad scene, and the pricing certainly looks attractive. Much more on the details and background to this story coming later in the TCN interview, which is now published.

For the latest news and features on digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

March 7, 2021 - Americans in Croatia are very welcome guests, and many would come for long if it was possible. It is now, if you are a remote worker. Meet Jessica Romano from San Francisco, officially the first approved digital nomad on Hvar. Congrats and welcome!

"As you probably know, Paul, Americans in Croatia can only stay for a limited time. We LOVE Jelsa, and your apartment is really great, and we would rent it through the winter if we could stay. I read on TCN about this digital nomad visa? Is it coming soon? Do you think I could get one?"

Americans in Croatia - from a temporary stay in Jelsa to a 12-month permit.

That was back in early November when Jess and Thibaud rented our Panorama Penthouse Jelsa apartment for a couple of months. Some nice and unexpected income so late in the year. And there would be more rental income out of season if they were allowed to stay longer. Currently, Americans in Croatia can only stay 90 days at one time. 

So there we were, in a situation where we both wanted to engage with Croatian bureaucracy (my favourite hobby) to get a result for Jess. She and Thibaud are amazingly thoughtful and respectful guests, even baking cookies for my punica, which makes me a little bit cooler in my punica's eyes by association.  

I helped where I could, as did several others. It seems that Jess and Thibaud have been a hit in the Jelsa community, helping several people, as well as bringing a little colour and fresh perspective to the long Dalmatian winter. 

And yesterday, some great news, as Jess informed me that she heard back from the authorities at MUP and has been approved for a 12-month stay. 

Great news and congrats. Jess kindly took the time to tell me more about, winter in Jelsa, and what the visa means for her. 

Firstly, how are you enjoying winter on Hvar? Has the reality been a little different to what you were expecting? In what way? 

I’ve been enjoying it - Hvar is beautiful year-round! I didn’t have many expectations heading into the season, especially as Covid-19 dragged on into 2021. Due to pandemic restrictions, most restaurants and cafes were closed, and people haven’t been out very much. Since this is my first winter season on the island, I don’t have a point of comparison; generally, the slow pace and absence of crowds has been great. The weather and temperature has been mostly mild, but I was surprised by 1-2 week-long rainy stints. We are familiar with jugo and bura by now. I told friends here that I’ve felt quite tired during jugo, and they said that I’m officially a local now. Alas, those cloudy periods make the sunny days even more wonderful. It can get quite warm when the sun is out - if you haven’t looked at the calendar, you might think it’s summer at times! I’ve spent a lot of time outdoors - hiking, walking, rock climbing & running - and recently bought a car to explore the island. I feel as though you could live on Hvar for years and not discover all of the unique villages, ruins, beaches and trails here. Even though most wineries are closed in the winter, some offer tastings by appointment, and I’ve stopped by local producers to pick up bottles to enjoy at home.

You recently became a TV celebrity - tell us about that experience. You did a great job promoting the digital nomad lifestyle to a domestic audience. I think a lot more people here now understand it better. 

Who thought we’d ever be on Croatian TV?! Wow, what a fun experience. We were delighted when the Puls team reached out to feature us in their digital nomad series, and were especially excited to share our positive experiences in Croatia. We shot the film over a few days - at our apartment, in Jelsa & Hvar town, and near Zavala. Filming the reportage is a lovely memory for us, as was spending time with the producers, Maja and Jura. They are a joy to work with and made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. The reportage captured moments of our everyday life. It also showed that digital nomads can benefit from living in Croatia and that likewise, Croatia can benefit from digital nomads integrating into the community. We are so grateful to the people of Hvar (and Croatia, as a country) for embracing us.

An American on Hvar. That can only happen for a finite length of time, normally, but you had good news come recently - your application for the digital nomad visa has been approved. Congrats! Tell us more. 

Puno hvala! It’s exciting to be one of the first people to receive approval for Croatia’s new digital nomad visa. It is rather incredible that Croatia created and approved the digital nomad visa in such a short period of time.

Tell us about the process and what you needed exactly? 

Since I had already obtained a temporary residence permit and some of the requirements overlap, the change was relatively simple. I applied shortly after the visa was announced in January and submitted my paperwork through the Hvar police station. Shout out to Ivana for helping us through the process! The digital nomad visa is new for everyone, the MUP and applicants alike, so it felt like we were all learning together. I provided proof of employment (on official company letterhead), proof of health insurance (foreign and travel), proof of income (pay stubs), the completed application form, a copy of my passport and a small photo for the ID. I paid a fee - if I recall correctly, it was 600kn plus 70kn in stamps. I signed a document to request the revocation of my temporary residence permit in order to apply for the new visa. The MUP provided me with a document stating that I was legally in Croatia while ‘between’ visas. The whole process took 4-6 weeks. Big thanks to all of our friends and acquaintances who advised me through the process, including you(!) and Jan de Jong.

What exactly does it mean for you and your lifestyle to now be able to stay in Croatia for 12 months?

Being able to stay in Croatia for an extended period of time means two big things for me. Firstly, I have more options on the table regarding where I want to live and work. Secondly, it actually provides some stability as we all enter a post-pandemic world. Like many people, my life shifted in 2020 - there were circumstances I couldn’t control but there were choices I could control. One of those choices was to relocate to Europe. My original intent was to stay for a few months and then travel around the continent but I wanted to stay in Croatia. After my tourist visa expired after 90 days, I applied for and was granted a temporary residence permit. The digital nomad visa provides a longer-term solution for staying in Croatia and removes the stress and uncertainty of having to re-apply for extended temporary residence. Now I don’t have to worry about leaving Croatia for a year and can focus on my life and work here. Something I didn’t fully realize before landing in Croatia is that it takes several months to settle into a new place. Getting comfortable with the environment, people, way of life - it all takes time. Having the option to stay for a year gives me the opportunity to more deeply explore the culture and what it would be like to live in Croatia long-term. I wouldn’t be surprised if other digital nomads choose to lay down roots in Croatia - either through starting businesses, buying property or becoming part of the community - because they have the chance to spend sufficient time here before making those decisions.

What message do you have for fellow international remote workers about life in Croatia off-season. What are the pros and cons?

Croatia is an excellent option for digital nomads all year-round. It’s worth noting that my perspective is based on spending the majority of my time on Hvar - which is a place that I’ve grown to love and can recommend highly! But from what I know, there are many awesome destinations within the country, and there’s somewhere for everyone. Big cities, tiny villages, and everything in between - as well as over 1000 islands (though not all of them are inhabitable). The landscape varies vastly across the country, from mountains to farmland to (a very long) coastline. I was slightly concerned about being able to find a high-speed internet connection, but it’s not been a problem. Most Croatians I’ve met are willing to speak English, so there is no language barrier in terms of being able to get around and communicate generally. Every location has its perks and quirks - as long as you are determined and have an open mind, you’ll be able to make it work. There’s heightened energy and tangible efforts around making Croatia a premier destination for digital nomads, making it a great place to be right now.

Here is the great feature on Jess and Thibaud which aired on Croatian primetime  TV on HRT Puls. 

If you want to learn more about their story, they gave a great interview on TCN back in December, when the digital nomad opportunity was still not officially in place. Read Digital Nomad Life in Croatia: Jess and Thibaud, from San Francisco to Jelsa.

That means that there are now at least two Americans in Croatia with the digital nomad visa. Meet the first-ever recipient of the visa - Meet Melissa Paul, Owner of Croatia's First Digital Nomad Visa.

Are you a digital nomad who would like to spend 4 weeks as a guest of the City of Dubrovnik? Learn more in Dubrovnik Launches World's First Digital Nomad-in-Residence Competition.

For the latest news and features about digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

How many Americans in Croatia are there? We are looking to do a series on Americans in Croatia, so if you are here and would like to be featured, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Americans in Croatia.

January 26, 2021 - Just over six months after an open letter to the Prime Minister on LinkedIn, a US citizen gets the first digital nomad visa in Croatia.

Foreigner of the Moment Jan de Jong took to LinkedIn once more this morning, exactly 199 days after writing an open letter to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on July 11 last year, asking for a digital nomad visa for Croatia. 

What happened next was remarkable for seasoned observers of Croatian bureaucracy - things actually started to happen. 

Just 44 days later, Plenkovic tweeted a photo with de Jong, announcing that his government would push for the introduction of the visa, which would make Croatia only the second country in the world to offer it, after those very progressive Estonians.

Changes to the tax code and Aliens Act followed, and the legal framework was in place for a  digital nomad visa for 12 months, as long as certain criteria were met. 

While the visa was technically available from January 1, the final details and online application procedure were still a work in progress, with final delivery expected sometime in the first quarter of 2021. 

And then this from de Jong earlier today:

A glorious moment for Croatia ?? as the first #digitalnomad has been approved for his 12- month staying permit in #Croatia.

I know that the Ministry of Interior and Ministarstvo turizma i sporta / Ministry of Tourism and Sport are working on final details to start accepting online applications from digital nomads - and I am expecting this to go live in a matter of weeks from now 

But as you can see - as of 01.01.2021. its possible to apply for the "digital nomad visa" (staying permit) at the local police stations all across the country.

Help share this positive event and may many more digital nomads find their temporary home in Croatia.

Thank you all so much for your support! 

Poz,

Jan de Jong

Follow me on #LinkedIn for new updates.

#WFH
#Croatia
#LivingTheCroatianDream

I called Jan for a little more detail. It seems that the first successful applicant was an American citizen, who simply went to his local police station and applied and was successful in his application. 

My understanding from Jan is that currently, proof of income is under the old rules, but that is expected to change in the coming week, with a proof of income of 16,000 kuna net a month the figure likely to pass. 

More details as we get them of course, and while some may prefer to wait for the fuller picture and the online process, I know of several nomads wanting to apply immediately, with at least one planning on a visit to the local police station later this week. Given how new this procedure is, and the different level of responses in police stations around the country, I would expect there to be a little hit and miss in this process. But it doesn't hurt to try.

If any digital nomad is trying this approach and wants to share their experiences, please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Nomad Visa.  

It all sounds like progress. Well done to Jan and all the others involved. For the latest updates, follow the dedicated TCN digital nomad section.