December the 21st, 2022 - When it comes to purchasing Croatian property, there are (rather unsurprisingly) numerous things to note. Some of them are very, very important. From lawyers to the Ministry of Justice and zoning (read on, it will make sense eventually) - here's what you need to know.

First of all, foreigners are able to buy property in Croatia, with more and more of them snapping up real estate on the glorious Adriatic coast and using them as summer homes or indeed renting them out as a way to make back what is usually a heft investment. While this more than understandably bothers certain locals who have genuine fears about being outnumbered or priced out of where they come from, there is a healthy mix of foreign and domestic owned property up and down the coast and on the islands.

It isn’t a surprise that Croatia attracts so many foreigners (and their wallets), and while I’ve mentioned the natural pull of the sparkling coast, many foreign nationals also purchase apartments in Zagreb, quaint houses in the rolling hills of Gorski kotar, and even old cottages in far-flung villages. You don’t need to plan to move here at all in order to making purchasing Croatian property a reality and owning a little piece of this country, but you do need to keep the rules and some restrictions in mind before taking the plunge. 

Croatian nationals

If you’re a member of the Croatian diaspora, either living here or living abroad with zero intentions of packing your life into a few suitcases and moving here, and you have Croatian citizenship, you are of course treated exactly like anyone else who has the same document and has been born, raised, and is living in Croatia. There are no restrictions on what you can purchase or where, and you don’t need to seek any special permissions from anyone when it comes to purchasing Croatian property.

EEA/EU citizens

As an EEA citizen, you’re treated in the same way as a Croatian national would be. You’re free when it comes to purchasing Croatian property whether you live here or not. There is one catch, however, as EEA citizens cannot purchase anything listed as agricultural land, this is set out in the Law on Agricultural Land. 

What does that mean?

No foreign nationals can purchase agricultural land at this moment in time. This will expire in the future, with the date being pinned down at this moment in time as June 2023. This is currently the case (and has been ever since Croatia joined the EU) as part of a seven-year transitional period in which Croatia chose to maintain its restrictions on the sale of anything classed as agricultural land to foreign nationals. 

Until then, foreigners can purchase land listed as agricultural land if they open a Croatian company, list themselves as the owners, and purchase it through their Croatian company.

Third country nationals and British citizens

When it comes to purchasing Croatian property as a third country national, you’ve got more of a task on your hands. You’ll need to inform the Ministry of Justice and seek their consent before any property sale can go through. Be prepared to wait, it can take months. 

Once you do own a property, you can’t rent it out unless you open a Croatian company and do it through the company. This is costly and is absolutely not worth the hassle, time and potential problems you’ll likely run into.

The same rules apply to you in regard to the Law on Agricultural Land in that you cannot purchase it. You can’t purchase forested land, or any property considered to be a cultural monument. 

British nationals

'Can Brits purchase Croatian property?' is a question that I see often, and the answers provided are somewhat vague. Given that the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member state, British citizens are no longer EU citizens, meaning that certain rights which were once afforded to them merely by being the holders of British passports no longer apply.

Up until February the 1st, 2020, ironically just before the coronavirus pandemic reached Europe and caused havoc like we've never seen before, Brits could purchase property in Croatia as they were EU citizens. The same continued to be true between that aforementioned date and the 31st of December, 2020, during a transition period when all EU law continued to apply to the UK as it slowly made its way out of the bloc of which it had been a leading, powerful and wealthy member for over 40 years. 

During the UK's transition period out of the EU, British (and as such EU) nationals were free to purchase Croatian property without having to get any particular permissions and without having to engage in anything out of the ordinary. This applied to all property with the exception of what was classed as 'property and real estate in protected areas' and agricultural land. Then came January the 1st, 2021, and everything changed for Britain. That was the real D-Day, when the UK ceased to be a member of any kind of the EU, the transition period ended at midnight (Central European Time) on the 31st of December, 2020.

The answer to the question: Can Brits purchase Croatian property? was expected to change, but it didn't alter all that much. In short, yes they can, but that desired property absolutely needs to be classed as a residential property, and for that it must be in a certain 'zone'. This is all based on reciprocity agreements held between the Republic of Croatia and various other countries, and this functions in the British sense much like it did before Croatia joined the EU back in July 2013.

A tip for looking this sort of agreement up in Croatian would be to Google: Uzajamnost za stjecanje prava vlasništva na nekretninama u Republici Hrvatskoj.

It sounds a little bit complicated, but in reality it isn't. If a Croatian citizen can buy property in a certain country, then the citizens of whatever country that might be can typically do the same in Croatia, with certain conditions attached in each specific case. You also do not need to register as a resident of Croatia in order to buy a property here, as I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter.

So, what needs to be done?

Consent for the acquisition of ownership rights over Croatian property by foreign citizens who aren't nationals of the EU/EEA requires what everyone in Croatia just adores - an administrative procedure. A Brit intending to buy a property here must first make a request to the Ministry of Justice.

In the case of a British citizen who isn't protected by the Withdrawal Agreement wanting to purchase a property here, this procedure is conducted at their request to purchase real estate. That real estate needs to be 'zoned' as residential.

The procedure is laid down in the provisions of the Act on Ownership and Other Real Rights and the Act on General Administrative Procedure. A mouthful, I know. Any submitted application must be written and then be submitted to the Registry and Archives Department. This can be done by post to the following address:

Croatian: Ministarstvo pravosuđa i uprave Republike Hrvatske, 

Uprava za građansko, trgovačko i upravno pravo

Ulica grada Vukovara 49, 10000, Zagreb, Grad Zagreb, Republika Hrvatska

English: The Ministry of Justice and Public Administration of the Republic of Croatia,

The Directorate for Civil, Commercial and Administrative Law

City of Vukovar Street 49, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

The following documents must be enclosed along with your (written) application form:

An acceptable legal basis for the acquisition of ownership (this can be a property purchase agreement, the deeds proving the property has been gifted to you, etc). These documents can be in their original form, or they can be certified copies.

Proof of ownership from the seller of the property, such as a copy from the land register confirming their ownership.

A certificate of the administrative body responsible for urban and physical planning, according to the location of the property, on the legal status of the property.

Proof of the prospective owner's nationality (such as a certified copy of their passport showcasing their citizenship) or proof of legal entity status (evidence with a copy from the court register) if the prospective owner is a foreign legal entity.

When the applicant is represented by an attorney-in-fact, the original power of attorney or a certified copy thereof must be submitted.

In certain cases, additional documentation will be sought from would-be buyers of Croatian property. It all depends on the individual request. 

So, in short, the answer to Can Brits purchase Croatian property? is a resounding yes, given that all of the requirements for reciprocity have long been met. This was of course helped not only by the UK's recent EU membership, but also by the fact that Croatia is the EU's youngest member state and that many bilateral agreements between the UK and Croatia before Croatian EU accession were long-standing and clear.

Check the property records

This is a very important step that needs to be taken when purchasing Croatian property. There are many properties in Croatia which are the subjects of ownership disputes and these can go on for donkey’s years, as they say in the UK. Doing your due diligence can help you avoid any unpleasant surprises as you go through the purchase process. You really, really don’t want to deal with any Croatian institution for longer than is absolutely necessary and the biggest wet blanket in the world would come in the form of inheriting a list of problems as long as your arm while trying to enjoy your new little slice of Croatia.

How do I check the public records for a property?

There are two ways to do this. One is by checking the Land Registry, or through Cadastre.

The information that you can access through these platforms are the purpose of the property you’ve got your eye (and maybe your wallet) on, the name(s) of the owners and certain pieces of information about them, such as their OIBs (although this isn’t always shown), where they live (or at least their registered addresses), the size of the property and any accompanying land, and if there are any ownership disputes or other problems going on.

Make sure your desired property is zoned as residential!

When purchasing Croatian property, you need to make sure your desired property is zoned as residential, and unfortunately this information isn’t freely available with a few clicks online. To find out how any particular property is zoned, you need to send a request to the Administrative Department for Construction and Physical Planning (Upravni odjel za graditeljstvo i prostorno uređenje).

If you are not a Croatian citizen, you’ll need to pay a small fee for this and you need to request a certificate stating the property’s zone as residential.

Things to note

Engage a lawyer when purchasing Croatian property. I cannot stress this enough. Don’t try to navigate these (sometimes, alright, often) murky waters without professional legal assistance.

Have your wits about you. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. If your gut is telling you something doesn’t seem quite right, it probably isn’t. Ask, ask, and ask again. Then ask your lawyer three more times.

When it comes to purchasing contracts, it will usually be your lawyer (as the buyer) who prepares everything. Everything, including the terms of the purchase, will be very clearly outlined in order to protect you and your hard earned cash. You’ll need to visit a notary (javni bilježnik) to have copies of the contract notarised.

Your lawyer will explain all of the fees to you as you go through the process, as there are several that act as guarantees for both parties, as well as how to obtain the certificate of ownership at the end of the process.

For more on How to Croatia, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

December the 14th, 2022 - In this edition of How to Croatia, let's explore the numerous ways you can get from point A to point B (and to the points dominated by a few other letters, as well), be that by using the roads, maritime transport, or the air.

For such a small country, Croatia has numerous transport options which are generally very good. An array of bus companies, both domestic and foreign, operate on Croatia’s roads, and while Croatian trains are another kettle of fish entirely, bus, maritime and even domestic air connections and the ease of which public transport generally works is praiseworthy for such a small nation which doesn’t exactly have huge sums of cash to blow on it.

Bus services

Jumping on a bus in most places across Croatia is often the most efficient way of getting from A to B, and to a few other letters should you so wish. Croatia’s overall bus network is extremely comprehensive, and even the smallest villages are usually still connected. This is very impressive when you think of far richer countries such as the UK which has horrifically poor bus connections the further north you move, with some rural villages being almost entirely cut off.

Generally faster than the train (for reasons we’ll delve into later on), buses are the main travel choice for tourists and locals alike. Journey times are mostly reasonably quick on direct routes, but do be aware that bus journeys from let’s say… Dubrovnik to Zagreb, do take a while. Nobody can do much about that distance.

Online information on bus options is constantly improving and has done quite remarkably over the last few years, as is the option of buying tickets online. Expect to stop at least once on longer journeys, which will be welcome news for smokers, those who really need to stretch their legs and those in need of a toilet.

From Flixbus to Čazmatrans, a fantastic way to learn all you could possibly want to know about bus services in Croatia, from local lines which get you from A to B to large companies taking you to one end of the country and back again or indeed outside of its borders, is to pay a visit to the website Get By Bus (getbybus.com), and then enter ‘Croatia’.

Trams

Zagreb’s trams are without a doubt the most famous Croatian trams, but there is another city which boasts this handy and very environmentally friendly method of getting around too - Osijek. Trams were once present in both Istria and Dalmatia, with a very beloved (and very charming) one once operating down in Dubrovnik, but unfortunately they are a thing of the past.

As touched on above, the City of Zagreb has a very well developed central electric tram network called Zagreb Electric Tram, or ZET for short. These trams are generally blue, but also come in other colours, and sometimes with imagery promoting everything from Zagreb University to Gavrilović meat products. They make their way through the streets in all directions like a steel snake slithering through a concrete jungle during the day and late into the night. You can get from just about anywhere to anywhere else in Zagreb using the tram network, and timetables can be found at tram stops dotted all over the city or by visiting ZET’s website (zet.hr), and selecting English (EN) as your preferred language.

It’s worth noting that ZET also runs Zagreb city bus services, and those buses are of course also blue.

Further east in the City of Osijek, the only tram network still in existence outside of the capital is a favourite method of public transport. Having begun way back in the 1880s as a horse-car tram line, this way of getting around is still going strong. All information and timetables can be obtained by visiting gpp-osijek.com and searching ‘vozni red tramvaja’ (tram timetable).

Renting a car

There are many rental car companies dotted all over Croatia, and during the tourist season it’s always a bit of a game when driving along the motorway to count the amount of them you see. In Croatia, all driving licences are accepted, but if your licence is printed using a non-Latin script for instance in Cyrillic, Arabic or Chinese, you will need to get an International Driver's Permit (IDP). An IDP can only be obtained before you leave your own country, usually with the country's automotive association or a similar institution. You’ll also need to be 21 or older.

Crossing borders in a rented Croatian car

There’s usually no problem at all with taking a rental car across an international border, but the best thing to do is to specifically check with your rental company. You should also check the insurance situation if you intend to leave the European Economic Area (EEA) and visit neighbouring Montenegro or Serbia, neither of which are EEA member states. A green card will usually be required if you intend to do this and most rental companies in Croatia will have this included in the price because of how common it is for people to drive in and out of these countries, but definitely check before you book. There was a requirement to have the green card for Bosnia and Herzegovina as well, but it isn’t required any more. This is good news for many drivers as crossing into Bosnia and Herzegovina from Croatia and back again is very common.

Is it possible to organise one-way car rental in Croatia?

Yes, and it’s a very popular thing to do. This can be an extremely cost effective way of travelling if you’re in a small group, and journeys such as Split to Dubrovnik or even Dubrovnik to Zagreb are good examples of popular one-way rental routes. It may also be possible to do one-way rentals across borders in some situations but you must absolutely check with your car rental company before you book, and let them know your plans.

Things to note

Due to the sheer amount of companies offering car rental services across the country, do shop around. It’s wise to organise a plan with a rental car away from the airport, as what you might deem to be more convenient will almost always be more expensive. You will get a better deal elsewhere in almost every single circumstance.

If you are planning on crossing borders, make your plans explicitly clear and ask for confirmation that this won’t be a problem. Each company has its own set of rules and what they are willing or not willing to facilitate. Don’t leave it up to chance.

On a less serious note, if you do rent a car and want to see parts of the country (especially down by the coast) that you wouldn’t usually get to, skip the motorway and take the old road. It takes longer, but you’ll get to see some absolutely jaw dropping mountain and coastal scenery and visit some places along your route you’d otherwise bypass entirely by jumping onto the motorway. You won’t regret doing this, I promise.

Maritime travel

Being a country with a history so inextricably tied to the sea, Croatia naturally has some excellent connections with ferries and catamarans, not to mention water taxis, from the mainland to the islands. 

Incredible sunsets, gorgeous mountain views with the breeze blowing through your hair, nothing quite beats ferry travel on the Adriatic. Alternatively, the quicker catamarans cutting through pristine Croatian waters taking you to your next destination can be exhilarating. While jumping on a boat may seem like a carefree thing, unless you’re seasick of course, there are a few things worth bearing in mind, and a few pieces of advice worth taking on board (no pun intended), before you head off on your Adriatic adventure. Just a few minutes invested in learning how things work might save you hours in ferry queues in the scorching summer when, trust me, hanging around boiling alive isn’t much fun.

Let's start with the main player, the Big Daddy, if you will - Jadrolinija

Jadrolinija (Adriatic line) is by far the most well known and largest company engaged with the transport of people and cars between the mainland and the islands. This Croatian shipping company is headquartered in Rijeka, is state-owned and was founded in 1947 in that same Kvarner city.

Whether you want to get from Dubrovnik to the nearby islands, from Makarska to Brač or from Split or Zadar to Ancona or Bari in Italy, this company is where you need to be looking. You can find all of their timetables on their website (jadrolinija.hr). You can book online and purchase tickets on the Jadrolinija mobile application (app). Jadrolinija’s ferries are surprisingly punctual but summer and the crowds can cause delays. If things are problematic, the company usually puts more ferries into operation on particularly busy lines.

The Jadrolinija ferry schedule changes with the seasons, meaning that there is a summer and a winter schedule. The winter schedule usually starts in later October and runs until late May. During this time, there is a severe reduction in ferry services to the islands, even the busiest and most popular ones. If you’re planning on doing some out of season travel, you should plan extra time to travel between the islands. Things pick up again in May with the summer schedule, with even more crossings during the peak summer season weeks.

Ferry or catamaran? That is the question!

There are several key differences between jumping on a ferry or a catamaran in Croatia when planning your Adriatic sea journey. If you’re travelling with a car, then the catamaran is not an option at all, for example. Another example is that smoking is not permitted inside a ferry, but you can smoke outside on the deck. Catamaran journeys are almost always without an option to go outside.

While catamarans (the company you need to look for in this regard is Krilo/krilo.hr) are undoubtedly quicker, they are also typically more susceptible to cancellation due to bad weather conditions. If you’re planning on taking pets or bicycles on board, both are no problem at all if you’re going to take the ferry. But both are problematic if not totally impossible on some catamarans.

Things to note

While it is relatively simple to get from Croatia to Italy, getting to other Adriatic or Ionian countries is quite poor. There has been talk for years, for example, of establishing a route between Croatia and the popular Albanian port of Durres, but nothing has been set in stone so far. There is also no connection to either Montenegro or Greece, with Corfu in particular being an interesting and wildly popular destination not currently served in any way at all.

Facilities on board vary a lot, depending on both the season you’re travelling and the route you’re travelling.

Most ferries and catamarans will have at least some form of refreshment, usually in the form of overpriced drinks, pringles and sandwiches which consist of cheese or ham, or ham or cheese, or ham and cheese, or cheese and ham… You get the idea. You can typically only pay in cash and the ATMs on board usually rip you off or simply don’t work at all. I know I’m probably not selling this mode of transport to you, but it’s worth mentioning as you will save yourself a decent amount of money if you buy your food and drink before you board. You can take it on board with you without a problem.

WiFi does exist on some ferries, especially on larger vessels running on popular lines, but it can be erratic and unreliable, especially when the journey passes through weaker signal areas out on the open sea.

There are toilets on board all ferries and catamarans operating in Croatian waters. Although I definitely wouldn’t say they are the cleanest or most modern in the world, they do get the job done, or perhaps it’s better to say that they allow you to.

It is very important to note that if you buy a ticket as a foot passenger, you’ll be guaranteed a space on the vessel, but with cars, it’s all about where you are in the queue. During the peak season, that means you might be waiting a while.

Buying tickets online and offline

Like much of the rest of the country, Jadrolinija was also living in the dark ages and resisting entering the digital age until quite recently. It finally brought in the option to buy tickets online several years ago. All ferry companies now offer online sales through their websites, and as I mentioned a while ago, Jadrolinija now even has an app!

One useful tip, especially on popular routes such as Split to Hvar which can sell out quickly, is that if the boat is going on to another destination, a percentage of the tickets should be allocated for the final destination. So if Hvar is sold out, ask for a ticket to the next place and jump off on Hvar. It may cost you a little more, but your time, if not your money, will be saved.

Pets, bikes and cigarettes

You can take pets and bikes on ferries but there are restrictions on both on catamarans. Bikes are not allowed on catamarans while pets can go aboard under specific conditions. For regular ferries, such as those operated by Jadrolinija, you don't have to pay anything for having your pet with you. Any damage your pets do when on board the ferry is your responsibility, and they must not pose any sort of danger to other passengers. Animals aren't allowed inside, with the exception of guide dogs. Dogs must always be on a leash, while cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice (the list goes on) must remain in their pet transporters.

Some catamarans will transport your pets but only if they have conditions which include cages or pet transporters in which they can be held for the duration of the journey. You’ll also usually have to buy your pet a ticket, the price of which is the same as for regular (human) passengers.

Smoking inside is forbidden on both ferries and catamarans, and as there is no outside access on the catamaran at all, this means that there is no smoking at all, either. That said, you may smoke freely out on the deck on the ferry.

Air travel

For such a small country, it is remarkably well connected by air. Domestic flights operated by Croatia Airlines are a regular sight in the skies heading from Dubrovnik to Zagreb and back again, and this 50 minute (ish) flight is very popular, as is the even shorter flight between the capital and Split.

There is also Trade Air, which is a small Croatian passenger and cargo charter airline which was founded back in 1994 and based at Zagreb International Airport. Its primary activities are operating passenger charter flights and cargo operations.

Of course, Croatia is extremely well connected to a wide variety of European cities as well, and while this is especially true during the summer months, it’s true to a great extent for the majority of the year, particularly if you’re travelling from Zagreb International Airport.

Domestic flights

During Croatia Airlines’ summer flight schedule at this moment in time, and likely for the foreseeable future, you can fly to…

Zagreb from Pula, Split, Zadar, Dubrovnik and even from the island of Brač which has its own airport.

Split from Zagreb and Osijek

Dubrovnik from Zagreb and Osijek

Pula from Zagreb and Zadar

Zadar from Pula and Zagreb

Brač from Zagreb

Osijek from Split and Dubrovnik

The flight schedule is of course subject to change, but for the current schedule at any time of year, which includes domestic flights, head to the Croatia Airlines website and select ‘current flight schedule’ which also offers more detailed information and will let you know of any changes as and when they happen.

International flights

Croatia Airlines is very far from the only one connecting Croatia with the rest of Europe. With Ryanair now more or less totally dominating, cheap flights from Croatia to an incredible array of European destinations are now very easily accessible. During the summer months, a huge number of carriers from across the continent fly to and from Croatian airports up and down the nation, and there is never a problem getting into the country. During the winter months, while things do generally thin out, especially for Dalmatia and Istria, getting to Zagreb is just as easy as it is during summer, with the likes of Croatia Airlines and Ryanair flying from Zagreb International Airport to many major European cities and the likes of London Heathrow and London Stansted on a daily basis.

This is an extremely easy thing to Google (or jump onto Skyscanner) for, so I won’t go into the tiny details which can of course change, but put it this way, British Airways, Air France, Ryanair, Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, KLM, Jet2, easyJet and more all offer direct flights into Croatia, and that’s just some of them.

Taxis

There are a number of taxi companies operating in Croatia and the market is very liberalised (which was a thorn in the side for some at first). There are many apps you can download, and of course there’s the much loved Uber. Bolt is a favourite taxi service in Zagreb in particular, as is Cammeo. Both of these services have apps which are easily downloaded, and you can link your bank card so that when you book, you pay and you don’t need to worry about looking for change in your pocket when you’re dropped off. You can also follow the car you’ve ordered as it makes its way to you, you’ll be told the time it will need to get there, and you’ll be told the name of the driver (with a photo), the car’s licence plate number, and the type of car coming. Like with Uber, most taxi companies big enough to have apps will also give you the opportunity to choose the size of vehicle you need, as well as approximate prices.

Things to note

As with just about anywhere, there are private taxi companies operating in Croatia which seek to do little else but rip you off. This is especially the case if you’re travelling from a Croatian airport to your destination and you’ve hopped in a taxi waiting like a vulture just outside arrivals. Try to avoid this unless you have absolutely no other choice. This is advice that probably applies anywhere and is a trend most prominent in tourist hotspots such as Dubrovnik and Split.

Some companies which are larger and have apps have fixed rates to take you TO the airport.

Trains

Croatia does of course have a rail network, but it has faced endless issues. Train drivers and other staff simply not turning up to work, falling asleep and so on has happened (and will likely happen again). They take a very long time to reach their destinations, the system has suffered a great lack of investment over the years and while Croatia does have high hopes to alter this, especially given the fact that the European Union is pushing for more and more electric, environmentally friendly methods of transport (meaning trains), it will take a long time before Croatia catches up with certain other European nations. I’ll be honest and tell you to avoid travelling by train in Croatia, there are so many other options (and great roads!) which will be more satisfying to you. If you’re set on travelling this way despite these warnings, your best bet is to check out www.interrail.eu and choose Croatia by Rail.

For more on Living in Croatia and Moving to Croatia, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

December 13, 2022 - Where is the best place to live in Europe? For this boy from Manchester, the answer is Croatia. Here are 8 reasons why.

How to describe the mystery of Croatia, beautiful but maddening, chilled but flawed? In our latest book, Croatia a Survival Kit for Foreigners, which I co-wrote with TCN Editor Lauren Simmonds, I describe Croatia as a mixture of Absurdistan, with the best lifestyle in Europe, with a sprinkling of Balkan insanity on top. I can't get enough of it.

Don't get me wrong, living full-time in Croatia is hard work, and as different from that two-week beach holiday as chalk is to cheese. There are many things which drive me nuts here, most notably the corruption and bureaucracy, but with a little mindset shift and a focus on the positive aspects of life, even they can be turned into part of the experience. Living in a perfect country would be very dull, and there is never a dull day in Croatia, that's for sure. 

So what is so special about Croatia that I claim it to be the best place to live in Europe? After 20 years, I honestly don't think I could live anywhere else. It is a very safe country, the safest I have lived in for sure, and you really can't beat the relaxed lifestyle, even if you have to work a little harder to make ends meet. 

Here are eight reasons why I think Croatia is the best place to live in Europe, the latest episode on my new YouTube channel, Paul Bradbury, Croatia and Balkans Expert. Do you agree? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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What is it like to live in Croatia? An expat for 20 years, you can follow my series, 20 Ways Croatia Changed Me in 20 Years, starting at the beginning - Business and Dalmatia.

Follow Paul Bradbury on LinkedIn.

Croatia, a Survival Kit for Foreigners is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

December the 10th, 2022 - So you've decided to take the plunge and explore living in Croatia. Just as a snail needs a shell, you'll need a house. Here's how to find a Croatian apartment or house, with a few tips and tricks thrown in.

If you’ve already applied (and hopefully been granted) residence in Croatia, then you’ve already got a place to live, as you need to have a Croatian address to apply, and you can skip this article.

Looking for somewhere to live anywhere can be a task and a half, let alone in a foreign land where you more than likely don’t speak the language, or nowhere near enough of it to navigate this alone. There are multiple ways in which you can do this in Croatia, both formally and informally. If you’re here because you’re being employed, this may not be an issue if you’re being provided with accommodation, or if your employer is helping you out with your quest. There are many Facebook groups which offer apartments and even houses for rent and sale without the need for a middle man or intermediary to get involved in the process. There is also Njuškalo, a platform where you can sell just about anything.

Unlike many other European countries, an unfurnished apartment is an exception, not a rule in many places in Croatia, particularly in the City of Zagreb. That said, the glossy wide-angle photos that have caught your eye on social media or a website might not be quite up to date, so always go and see the apartment in person before committing to anything. This is a general rule anywhere in the world, of course.

Check if your potential living quarters has all the appliances that you’ll need (such as a washing machine, stove, fridge. If it hasn’t, make sure to ask if the landlord is willing to purchase them. You can also hire a real estate agency to help you out with your search, but in that case, you will probably end up paying a lot more money. If you’re a foreigner, and you probably are if you’re reading this, then hiring a lawyer could be a useful extra investment if the cash is there. They’ll be able to fully explain all the details of the contract to you and make sure you understand everything, especially if the contract isn’t in English and if the owner doesn’t speak English.

Sites for finding apartments, such as the aforementioned Njuškalo, let you search via maps for apartments, so, based on what you’re looking for, you can filter and narrow down your search and find a location that suits you best more quickly.

Location, location, location…

Just like almost everywhere else on the face of Earth, the closer you are to the very centre of a town or city, the higher the prices typically are, but I must say that when it comes to Zagreb in particular, the price difference might not be quite as vast as you expect. This is because the buildings are typically older, while apartments located a bit further out are usually newer, so the combination of a convenient location with lower apartment quality, and not so convenient location with a top quality apartment equals more or less the same amount of money.

Money talks, and the season is short

You should also be very aware of the fact that Croatia is a nation of seasonality. You’ve probably heard of seasonal affective disorder, well, Croatia sort of has it, in its own way. The effect that the tourist season has on the rental market can be quite jarring. Short-term summer holiday rentals are what keeps many local families afloat, especially on the coast, and it isn’t uncommon for long-term rental properties to exclude the tourism-dominated summer months from their offers entirely. There are even horrendous cases of people being told they have to leave and go elsewhere for the summer, because tourists pay more and like everywhere else, especially in a country where tourism is the strongest economic branch - money talks. Having said that, the possibility of year-round income, even if it is lower, and not to mention stability, is also attractive to some landlords, as the tourist season remains short despite efforts to lengthen it. With such question marks hanging over your head, engaging a lawyer to make sure your contract and your agreement is watertight and you aren’t going to get any unpleasant surprises as soon as the temperature heats up is a worthwhile move, if for nothing else than peace of mind.

Facebook groups

The site that just used to be about posting on people’s walls and poking each other until one of you gave up (or grew up) has evolved into something enormous over the years. Facebook groups can be extremely helpful when it comes to finding apartments in Croatia. Groups that offer apartments will have names such as the following:

Stanovi za najam (Apartments/flats for rent)

Iznajmljivanje stanova (the same as the above)

Najam stanova [enter location] bez agencije (Apartments for rent without the engagement of an agency)

Newspapers and portals

Popular newspapers such as Večernji list, Jutarnji list and 24sata (to name a few) have advertisements in them.

Njuškalo.hr

I’ve mentioned this platform previously, but it’s worth a paragraph or two of its own. This platform is the most popular buying and selling platform in the country. A little bit like Craigslist or even ebay (at a stretch, but you get the idea), this is the country’s largest online advertisement website by far. Acting as a marketplace, it has more than 1.4 million customers who are in the market for, well, just about anything!

You’ll need to select the category on Njuškalo called Nekretnine (property), and browse using the filters to find something that suits you, from the area to the square footage.

Other useful websites

Aside from the wildly popular Njuškalo, there are several other sites which can help you to find your new living space in Croatia which also have English language options, they are:

Crozilla.com

GoHome

Najam.hr

Real Estate Croatia

Burza

Nekretnine 365

Oglasnik.hr

Podstanar.hr

Index oglasi

Oglas.hr

Things to note

Word of mouth, just like with everything else in Croatia, is extremely helpful when it comes to finding an apartment.

Make sure you get a written contract and you go through it with a fine tooth comb, or have a trusted friend or better yet, a lawyer (or a trusted friend who also just happens to be a lawyer) sit down and go through it with you.

If something doesn’t feel right or you’re unsure, ask, ask, and ask again.

For more on moving to and living in Croatia, keep up with our dedicated lifestyle section.

December the 7th, 2022 - Being a Catholic country, there are a lot of Croatian national holidays. Religion isn’t the only reason they occur, of course, with some being related to a significant day in national history or being anniversaries of important dates during the Homeland War which saw Croatia break away from the former Yugoslavia, win a brutal war, and become an independent, sovereign state.

There are fourteen Croatian national holidays in total, and it’s worth trying to make a mental note of at least a handful or so of them because many businesses put their keys in the lock and most shops put up the closed signs without much notice. You’re kind of expected to just know. 

Some national holidays marked in Croatia are more or less the same as across the rest of Europe, but others may appear random and more obscure to foreigners who might be surprised at everything suddenly being closed without much warning.

New Year’s Day (Nova Godina) - January the 1st.

Epiphany (Sveta tri kralja/Bogojavljenje) - January the 6th.

Easter (Uskrs) - The date changes annually depending on when Easter actually falls.

International Workers’ Day (Međunarodni praznik rada) - May the 1st.

Corpus Christi (Tijelovo) - The date changes annually because it occurs sixty days after Easter, the date of which also alters from year to year.

Statehood Day (Dan Državnosti) - May the 30th.

Anti-Fascist Struggle Day (Dan antifašističke borbe) - June the 22nd.

Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day (Dan pobjede i domovinske zahvalnosti) - August the 5th.

The Assumption of Mary (Velika Gospa) - August the 15th.

All Saints Day (Dan svih svetih) - November the 1st.

Remembrance Day for the victims of the Croatian War of Independence and the Vukovar and Škabrnja massacres (Dan sjećanja na žrtve Domovinskog rata i Dan sjećanja na žrtvu Vukovara i Škabrnje) - November the 18th.

Christmas (Božić) - December the 25th.

Saint Stephen’s Day (Sveti Stjepan) - December the 26th.

For more on traditions and customs, living in Croatia, moving to Croatia and other things you need to know, make sure to keep up with our lifestyle section.

November the 30th, 2022 - Imagining yourself lounging around on a Dalmatian beach with a cold beer in hand is all well and good, but unless you've won the lottery or have a foreign wage or pension coming in every month, how do you fund it? Here's how to get a job (legally), in this edition of our How to Croatia series.

I know, it might be funny to read ‘working in Croatia’ considering the reality that the Croatian economy isn’t exactly booming and an enormous number of people are out of work for various reasons. There is a demographic crisis which is still ongoing, a brain drain, and there are employers seeking employees but can’t pay them what they’d like to. It’s a complicated situation that requires a book of its own, but one of many Croatian paradoxes is that you just can’t get the staff, despite the fact that the staff are quite literally everywhere.

I’m aware that many expats in Croatia earn their money abroad, or are drawing a foreign pension. In that case, you can safely skip this part, but for those who want the experience of working for a Croatian company, read on!

Now, it’s important to note that being able to work in Croatia and under what conditions also depends, much like residence, on your nationality. 

So, who can work in Croatia? Do I need a work permit?

If you’re an EEA citizen, or you’re from Switzerland, you are free to take up work or self-employment in Croatia much like a Croat can. You don’t need any type of work permit or special permission to do that. If a Croatian company wants to hire you, they can.

If you’re a third country national, then things are a bit more difficult. Not impossible, might I add, but more difficult. If you’re a third country national and you haven’t yet been granted permanent residence, then you’ll need to seek a work permit if you’re offered employment.

If you’re a British national covered by the Withdrawal Agreement (a pre-Brexit Brit), then you can work without a work permit. Post-Brexit Brits, however, fall under the third country national category.

If you have permanent residence in Croatia, you can work in Croatia regardless of your nationality, be it an EEA citizenship or a third country one, being a permanent resident in Croatia more or less equals you with a citizen, especially in this regard.

Seems simple enough… How do I get a work permit?

In order to get a work permit, you'll need to either apply from within Croatia if you're already here, or at a diplomatic mission in your own country. Should you need to extend the work permit you've been granted when here in Croatia, you may do so in person at your local administrative police station (shock, horror, it’s the police again!)

Please note that the law states you must begin the work permit extension procedure 60 days before your current work permit is due to expire. There are exceptions of course, and discretion is commonly used by MUP, but it's best to stick to this rule to avoid needless complications and possible extra paperwork, not to mention a fine.

What does a third country national need to present when applying for a work permit for Croatia?

You'll need to present an official (government issued) ID, such as a biometric ID card or a passport, and a copy of the information page.

An employment contract (it's wise to make a couple of copies), or other appropriate proof of having concluded (signed) a work contract

If you're not technically being employed by a third party, and you intend to carry out your work in Croatia as a self employed person, you'll need to provide proof of you having registered your company/trade (tvrtka or obrt), etc, in Croatia. (Extracts from the relevant registers should not be more than six months of age).

A completed application for the work permit (this can be picked up at the administrative police station when you apply, or at the competent diplomatic mission outside of Croatia).

Your OIB (personal identification number used for tax purposes that was touched on earlier).

If you've registered your address in Croatia, you'll need to provide proof of you having done so (either via a registration certificate, proof of you having submitted that particular document, or your Croatian ID card if you already have it).

A photo of you (this is done in the same way as with the residence permit, so MUP will tell you more).

Proof of having paid the applicable fees for the application.

You may be asked for proof of your education and qualifications, proof of sufficient funds, and other documents depending on your individual situation.

You'll notice that unlike when you as a third country national applied for residence in Croatia, you may not need to provide proof of having Croatian state health insurance when applying for a work/stay and work permit if you are being hired by a Croatian employer/company, as this will be paid by them anyway.

In some cases, however, third country nationals continue to be asked for this, and it is prescribed by law even though this often isn't asked about, so do be prepared for the question.

Is Croatia part of the EU Blue Card scheme?

Croatia is indeed part of the EU Blue Card scheme, which often proves useful for third country nationals in Croatia. If you're highly skilled and are offered an EU Blue Card, this can entitle you to two years of being able to work in Croatia. Other work/stay and work permits typically only allow for twelve months at a time and in some cases can prove problematic to extend.

For certain jobs, you don't need a work permit, but a work registration certificate, and your employer can get this for you from the police. If you're unsure of whether or not this applies to you, ask MUP and your employer.

I’m a third country national going through this process, does my Croatian employer need to be involved at all in this process?

Yes.

The work/stay and work permit procedure can either be done by you, or by your employer who has their company seat in Croatia. You'll both be required to provide supporting documents as and when asked for them. You may also be asked to provide official translations for any documents you provide which are not already in Croatian.

There used to be a quota system in place, but it has been abolished… Why?

Croatia used to use a quota for the employment of third country nationals in various sectors in need of workers. This has been abolished, so I won’t go too deeply into it. 

Under the no-more-quotas-rule, an employer from Croatia seeking to hire a foreign (non-EU) worker will have to contact their Croatian Employment Service’s (CES) regional office to verify whether or not there are any unemployed persons in their records who meet their requirements.

If there are any, the CES will mediate the employment of that (usually Croatian or EEA) individual, otherwise, it will issue an opinion on the basis of which MUP will issue work permits for foreigners. Once again, this refers to third country nationals, not EEA citizens, who can work freely just like Croatian citizens, without the need for any type of permit. If you’re an EEA citizen, just ignore this entirely.

It’s worth bearing in mind that these tests aren’t carried out in the case of seasonal agricultural workers, and there’s no need for the test in certain other professions either. I’m aware this comes across as somewhat vague, but these tests are also overlooked for occupations that are lacking on the local and regional labour market and cannot be 'stoked' by migration into the country, the implementation of strategic and investment projects, and ‘other circumstances relevant to economic growth and sustainable development’.

In other words, it’s all about context and the situation at hand. Much like just about everything else in Croatia.

Now that bit is (hopefully) cleared up, how do I actually find a job?

I’ll be honest, it’s no easy feat. Croatia is a nation of paradoxes in many regards, and this is just one of them. There’s an ongoing demographic crisis, employers can’t get the staff, everyone is out of work, there is plenty of work and there’s also no work. I know, it’s difficult to wrap your head around.

Employment in Croatia is, on the whole, very seasonal. The unemployment rate traditionally drops like a tonne of bricks the closer we edge to the summer tourist season, and we all get to read about it each and every year in the newspapers like it’s some economy-rescuing phenomenon. Talk about groundhog day. I digress, finding a job in the catering, hospitality and tourism sector isn’t that difficult as the warmer weather approaches, especially as the demographic crisis is biting even harder.

Traditionally, citizens of Croatia’s neighbouring countries such as Serbia and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina come to work as bar staff, waiters and chefs in coastal Croatian destinations to fill labour market gaps. Many people from Bosnia and Herzegovina also hold Croatian citizenship and of course speak Croatian, so it’s easy for them to hop over the border and get a job. Given that Dubrovnik for example is so close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, people from a town called Trebinje which belongs to Republika Srpska often travel the few miles into the extreme south of Dalmatia and gain employment as seasonal workers during summer, repeating the same thing each year, much to the disdain of Dubrovnik’s locals.

More recently, Croatia has been importing labour from much more distant countries, including India, Nepal and the Philippines. There are even agencies which facilitate precisely this. Since the war broke out in Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February 2022, many Ukrainians have also taken up residence and work in Croatia. Ukraine is hardly a distant country, but it is a third country (a non-EEA member state) and this is worth mentioning because the number of Ukrainians working in Croatia has increased significantly since Croatia facilitated this for refugees.

Many Croats have gone off to Ireland, Germany and all over the place to seek work and better prospects. This was made extremely easy when Croatia joined the EU in July 2013, allowing Croats to work in most countries across the bloc without the need for a work permit, with only a few continuing to maintain labour restrictions which would expire after a period of however many years. The United Kingdom and Austria were just two of several of the countries which imposed this. Those restrictions were eventually dropped.

Background over, let’s get back to the practicalities.

How do I find a job in Croatia?

There are a multitude of ways. In a country so set in the ways of connections and someone’s friend’s uncle knowing someone else’s cousin who used to work for so and so (apparently it’s called networking now), word of mouth is king. 

Talk to who you know, and ask them to talk to who they know

Word of mouth is, as I stated above, king in Croatia. Many people find jobs through someone who knows someone else, so put yourself out there. If you’re fluent in a language like English or German, you can absolutely use this to your advantage.

The Croatian Employment Service (CES)

In Croatian, this is Hrvatski zavod za zapošljavanje, or HZZ for short. It is a state institution which implements employment programmes. It is by no means a legal requirement as a jobseeker to apply to be kept up to date with new jobs on offer linked to your desired field of work, education and profession in this way, but it might help you. What you need to commit to if you do choose to do this is to visit their office once a month, then once every two months after some time passes. You’ll need to find the office closest to your place of residence if you choose to take this route. 

You can unsubscribe from their service and from receiving information on available jobs from them at any time, whether you’ve found work or not.

Facebook groups

There’s a Facebook group for just about anything, and finding jobs and staff is no exception. Numerous Facebook groups exist solely for this purpose. Many of these groups are regionally based, or city/town based. A quick Facebook search will allow you to narrow down the sort of thing you’re looking for, be that freelancing, work in the blossoming Croatian IT sector, seasonal work, or even work as a skipper, videographer or photographer.

Most of these groups will contain the words ‘trebam’ (I need), ‘tražim’ (I’m looking for), ‘nudim’ (I’m offering) and posao (work/a job). Add your location if that is important to you and you’re not a remote worker, and off you go. Just watch out for scams and spam posts. They’re usually obvious and properly administered Facebook groups will quickly take such posts down, but sometimes they aren’t as obvious as one might hope. This is a very legitimate way to seek and find work, with thousands of people doing it, but it always pays to keep your wits about you.

Websites and platforms

Just like in most other places, Croatia has its own array of websites and platforms dedicated to job searches. Posao (posao.hr) is a very popular one, as is Moj Posao (moj-posao.hr), Jooble (hr.jooble.org), Oglasnik (oglasnik.hr), Freelance (freelance.hr) and even Njuškalo (njuskalo.hr) all have a huge amount of jobs on offer spanning a very wide array of different fields and professions. There are some which offer information and even live chats in English, such as danasradim.hr, which is a Croatian language website with a live English language chat option, and PickJobs, which is available in multiple languages. 

I’m not endorsing any of the above websites, nor do I have any affiliation to them, but this is just an example of (only a mere handful) the amount of websites in Croatia dedicated to employment, be you the employer or the would-be employee. LinkedIN is also extremely helpful and will show you jobs best suited to you, as will websites like the aforementioned Moj Posao which have a newsletter you can subscribe to.

Target Croatian companies specifically

If you’re qualified and interested in a highly specific field, such as engineering for example, the likes of Rimac Automobili and Infobip might well be on your radar. There are many rapidly growing, wildly successful companies in Croatia (contrary to what you might hear and read), and they’re more or less constantly expanding and trying their hands at new things. These are the types of companies that you need to contact directly. They might be a safer option if you’re a non-EEA national without permanent residence, meaning you need a work permit in order to legally work in Croatia, as highly qualified employees who aren’t EU Blue Card holders are still deeply desired by companies like the aforementioned who are willing to go the extra mile to get you sorted legally.

Language schools

There are multiple language schools spread across Croatia who are often on the hunt for native English speakers (and indeed the native speakers of a number of other languages). A quick Google search will reveal their details. It’s absolutely worth contacting them.

Things to note

There are more and more large multinational companies popping up in Croatia, particularly in larger cities Zagreb and Split, who require staff who speak other languages. Some don’t even make speaking or understanding Croatian a requirement.

When the quota system (which I talked about a little bit in the Working in Croatia chapter) was in force, things were a bit different for companies seeking to employ third country nationals. They didn’t have to contact the Croatian Government and were free to facilitate the employment of a third country national (and have their work permit approved) as long as their skills matched what the quota needed. That is no longer the case. Now quotas are a thing of the past (and have been since January the 1st, 2021), employers must still contact the powers that be and make sure there are no Croats or permanent residents registered on the labour market who would fit the bill for the job before being able to hire you.

Many job posts being posted on Facebook groups in particular will state that they want people who have ‘EU papers’ (meaning either an EU passport, or someone who isn’t an EU citizen but who does have permanent residence in Croatia).

The economy isn’t ideal at the minute (it feels like we’ve been saying that for an eternity, doesn’t it?), and finding a job is not easy, so don’t be put off if you don’t hear back from some of the places you apply to. Unfortunately, ignoring applications as opposed to sending out a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ in response has become the norm just about everywhere.

As I talked about before, because Croatia’s demographic crisis is becoming more and more problematic, many Croatian employers are importing foreign (non-EEA) labour, either from neighbouring countries or from much further afield. If you are a non-EEA national and you manage to land a job, just be prepared for MUP to take a while to approve your work permit. They have been struggling with an increasing backlog and there are unfortunate (and infuriating) cases in which Croatian employers in the tourism, catering and hospitality sectors are waiting for weeks for their employees’ work permits to be processed, leaving them short of staff in the height of the summer season purely due to complicated red tape. 

Because of this, if you’re a non-EEA citizen and you want to work in Croatia’s tourism, catering or hospitality sector, you must begin your job hunt months before summer arrives to make sure (as best you can), that your paperwork is all done and dusted and you can begin work and legally receive a wage before the tourist season hits.

You’re much more likely to find work in less formal ways than through the CES. I’m not saying that it doesn’t help, but most people simply don’t fall into jobs through that service, particularly if they’re foreign, and every other way I’ve listed is more popular and usually yields more fruit.

For more on our How to Croatia series which is published each week, check out our lifestyle section.

November the 23rd, 2022 - In this edition of How to Croatia, I'll take you through the ins and outs Croatian emergency services, be there a fire, sudden chest pain, a broken down car or an emergency out at sea.

Forget your 999s and your 911s. 112 is the number you’ll need to memorise when it comes to the Croatian emergency services. While we always hope no tragedy of any kind will befall us, the chance is always there. 112 is a free phone number which can be called 24/7 from a fixed phone (landline) or mobile phone to reach the fire department, to call for an ambulance, to contact the police or for rescue purposes.

While dialling 112 will get you through to the emergency services who will then put you through to the service you need. Calls to this number can be answered in English, German, Italian, Hungarian, Slovak & Czech, and Croatian of course. 

The average time to answer a 112 call is a mere five seconds. An SMS (text messaging) service is also available for those with disabilities which may affect their hearing, verbal communication or understanding.

You can also dial the following numbers depending on the Croatian emergency services you require. These are also all free and can be called at any time, from any type of device:

192 - Police

193 - Fire department

194 - Emergency medical help 

195 - Maritime search & rescue 

1987 - Help on the road (HAK)

195 - Help at sea

Things to note

Among the various services offered by HAK, a particularly useful one for tourists is the English-language update on all current road conditions. The service also includes updates on border queues and ferry delays.

During the intensely hot summer months, wildfire breakouts are unfortunately becoming more and more common, especially on the coast and in the tinder dry scrub of the Dalmatian hinterland. It is of paramount importance that rubbish is taken away and disposed of properly. All it takes is a shard of glass glittering in the scorching Croatian sun or a carelessly tossed cigarette butt to set off a blaze that can become rapidly out of all control in such a dry, baked environment. It goes without saying that devastating wildfires can and do occur naturally in such temperatures, but anything we can do to prevent them starting should be in the forefront of our minds.

The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (in Croatian, Hrvatska Gorska Služba Spašavanja, or HGSS) is also typically kept extremely busy during the height of the tourist season thanks to people attempting to hike up the Biokovo mountain in Primark flip flops, do a bit of free island hopping on a gigantic inflatable flamingo or doughnut, or even try swimming from Split to Brač. Can’t be that far, can it? Oh yes, it can.

HGSS ran a funny campaign a few years ago in a humorous attempt to prevent people from succumbing to their ill-informed, ill-equipped and even more ill-experienced adventurous side, but despite their best efforts, people end up in all sorts of sticky situations with each and every passing year, particularly in summer. Why anyone would ever want to try to climb a rugged, imposing Dalmatian mountain which has probably claimed more than a few lives over the centuries in 3 euro flip flops and armed with half a bottle of flat Coke for hydration in the horrific August heat I don’t know, but maybe I’m the weird one.

For more on the practicalities of moving to and living in Croatia, make sure to keep up with our How to Croatia articles in our lifestyle section.

November the 9th, 2022 - In our latest edition to our How to Croatia series, we look into how to get a personal identification number (OIB) and open a Croatian bank account as a resident.

It appears that wherever we may roam on this tiny blue dot taking trips around the sun, we end up ‘roaming’ into a taxman. Croatian taxes are the bane of society for a multitude of reasons, but I won’t get into that now. Once you’ve got your residence permit, you’ll need what’s known as an OIB to be able to work, open a bank account, and do just about anything. You can obtain an OIB without residence, too, or before you embark on the residence process.

What is an OIB?

An OIB, or personal identification number (or tax number) is a little bit like a national insurance number (you’ll know what I mean if you’re British), but you’ll end up using it so much in Croatia that you’ll likely end up remembering it. Does anyone else never look at their UK NI? Christ only knows what mine is. The funny thing is that I’ve used my OIB so often that I know it back to front. Bit sad, really. Anyway, back to the point! An OIB is very easy to get, you can simply visit your local tax office (porezna uprava) and ask for one. You’ll just need your passport or other form of government-issued ID.

You can also make the request for an OIB online by visiting porezna-uprava.hr and selecting ‘Dodjeljivanje OIBa’ (Assigning an OIB), then selecting English language as your language of choice (EN).

Getting an OIB assigned to you is so easy that if you’ve gone through the residence process first, you might think you’ve done something incredibly wrong. You haven’t. This is one of those situations in Croatia that seems too simple to be true. Cherish them, they happen at random and are kind of few and far between.

Once you have an OIB, you can open a Croatian bank account as a resident.

Opening a Croatian bank account

There are numerous banks available in Croatia, with the Croatian National Bank (Hrvatska narodna banka or HNB/CNB for short) serving as the independent regulator of commercial banks operating in the country. 

The CNB was established as part of the Croatian Constitution which was passed by Parliament on the 21st of December, 1990. It issues banknotes, holds the national monetary reserves, aims to maintain stability and ensures the financial liquidity and soundness of the country’s financial system. The CNB joined the European System of Central Banks and started performing its role under the Statute of the ESCB and the ECB, following Croatia’s entry into the European Union back in July 2013.

Some of the most popular banks in Croatia are Privredna banka Zagreb (PBZ), Zagrebačka banka, Erste & Steiermärkische bank, Raiffeisenbank Austria Zagreb (RBA), and Hrvatska poštanska banka (HPB). There are of course others, such as Addiko bank and OTP, but there’s no need to list them all. Many banks are foreign owned, and those such as Erste are very popular with expats thanks to their ease of use, very good mobile app, and good customer service. There are English language options on banking apps and on their websites.

To facilitate your transactions (paying rent, paying the bills) to receive your Croatian salary and have a local bank card, and to do literally anything financially, you’ll need a Croatian bank account.

What do I need to open an account?

To open a bank account in Croatia, you’ll need an OIB. Generally speaking, you’ll need a valid passport, your residence permit (either your ID card or your registration certificate, if your card isn’t yet finished) and the bank’s application form that you can find online or get directly at the bank to open a bank account as a foreign national. Most of the staff working in banks speak a decent level of English, so you shouldn’t have any communication difficulties. The process is fairly quick.

Types of Croatian bank accounts, apps and online banking

The most typical account types are giro, current and savings account. Some banks offer automatic overdrafts once you open an account, while in others you have to apply for an overdraft once the account has been set up.

As stated, most banks offer online and mobile banking services, which comes in handy when paying the bills, for example, because you can simply scan the QR code that can be found on every payment slip and the payment information is filled in automatically, so you simply have to authorise the payment, click send and the job’s done.

Bank loans for foreigners

Applying for a bank loan is a modern reality in a society which lives increasingly on credit. Inflation and spiralling prices are likely to force more and more people to live this way. Croatia is no exception in putting things on the plastic, even though so many people still love to carry cash, and of course, some cafe bars, pubs and even restaurants like to pretend their POS machines are broken until the tourist season arrives. You can probably guess why... Despite that, many Croatian households of all classes have loans from the bank for a variety of different reasons.

I’ll be blunt, the procedure for getting a bank loan in Croatia is not simple. There are many hoops to jump through, requirements to satisfy, papers to obtain and time to kill, at least in the bank’s eyes. Unless you are armed with an extra dose or ten of patience (or you’ve been sedated), you have a particular masochistic passion for providing people with documents, copies of said documents and filling out forms with half-chewed pens stuck to tables by strings, frustration will be your main companion and your eyes will probably see more of the back of your skill than much else, you know, what with all the rolling they’ll be doing.

Many doe-eyed, would-be foreign buyers of Croatian property seek to borrow funds from the bank to help with their purchases. Despite lots of promises and stringing along, there is still no mortgage product on offer in Croatia for foreign buyers, so please, please, bear this in mind.

Opening times

Opening times for banks will be clearly displayed on their doors, their websites and their apps. Be aware that Croatia is the land of religious holidays, bank holidays, and random days where things just aren’t open. Those days can of course affect the operating hours of banks. Luckily, many things can now be resolved online and through mobile banking, thanks to virtual assistance and even instant chats.

ATMs

Just like across the vast majority of the rest of this modern, fast-paced world, ATMs can be found all over in Croatia, they have even been ‘evicted’ from the hearts of ancient towns like Dubrovnik. You’ll have no problem finding one, and the vast majority (if not all of them) have different language options you can select before withdrawing cash or checking your balance. Do keep in mind that different banks have different limits on how much cash you can withdraw in any given 24 hour period, so make sure to check what yours is.

For more on How to Croatia, from adopting pets to getting health insurance, make sure to keep up with our lifestyle section.

August 6, 2022 - Living costs keep climbing in Europe, including housing and rent, and Croatia is no exception. With the government policies favouring tourist rentals, there is a shortage of any, especially affordable housing in the cities. While the government sleeps on the issue, private investors are quick to recognise a niche. Erste Group prepares to run an affordable housing project.

As Poslovni writes, the absence of a housing policy in Croatia has led to the absurd situation that the residential real estate market in Zagreb and larger cities is oriented toward tourist rentals, pushing up square footage prices, and making real estate unavailable to the local population with average income.

The profession keeps warning in vain about the problem and social repercussions, but it seems that private capital has recognised a niche in what should have been dealt with by policies.

The Austrian Erste Group has launched a strategic affordable housing project that will build 15,000 apartments in the region, including Croatia, and rent them out at affordable prices. The local project is still in its infancy, and the detailed outlines of the model should be clearer by the end of the year.

“The idea of ​​realising affordable housing is very current in the environment of growing inflation and rising real estate prices in many European countries, including Croatia. In principle, there are positive examples in other countries, such as Austria, and such a model can be a good generator of cooperation between local administrations and banks, which contributes to ensuring a kind of social stability”, says the local Erste.

In Croatia, the bank has started preparations in this segment. "At this moment it is still too early for details, and it is to be expected that the bank will be able to share information with the public within a reasonable time, most likely towards the end of the current year", they told Poslovni. Unofficially, Poslovni has learned that the project could first come to life in Rijeka and then in the capital, but there is still a need to devise models and work out cooperation with local authorities.

In doing so, the regulatory framework that paved the way for implementation in other countries will be crucial. In Austria, with a long-standing tradition of affordable housing, about one billion euros was invested in about 6,000 apartments for rent. In the Czech Republic, the bank founded a separate company for the construction of affordable apartments, while in Slovakia, where the co-investor is the government, about 200 apartments in 2022. Similar projects in Hungary and Romania are in the preparation phase.

There are several open questions to which answers will be sought in the coming months, starting with an adequate model. For example, if it will be a public-private partnership or some alternative such as reserving building rights.

The legal framework should regulate the rental market and the mutual relations (and protection) of tenants and landlords because an unregulated market regularly tells horror stories about landlords and tenants from hell, where it turns out that the key factor in renting is luck. However, it will come down to taxes to ensure that the affordable rental price remains some 10 or 20 percent lower than the market price.

According to the income tax law, it is possible to penalise selling or renting to natural persons at prices lower than market prices (on which additional taxes and contributions are calculated), so the treatment of affordable rent should be regulated because it aims to be lower than the market price by definition.

Housing is a need

The interlocutors point out that there is no possibility of VAT deduction during construction (or acquisition) if the purpose is to lease for housing, which consequently inflates the value of the investment and rent.

With the current rental prices, which the profession points out as some of the lowest in the EU, developers are not interested in building apartments for rent due to long payback periods (20-30 years), which is why it will be difficult for the initiative of affordable housing to move from a standstill without the cooperation of the state and local units (from taxes to all other benefits).

Even though he has not yet seen the details of the model, Dubravko Ranilović from the real estate agency Kastel-Zagreb points out that Croatia has a specific problem that, for example, apartments are not available for young families who are not creditworthy. “In principle, we support all initiatives. We need social programs so that housing can be available to citizens because it is a need”, he says.

The market is flooded with apartments for rent, but tourist apartments. The number of tourism listings outnumbers long-term rentals by four times, with forecasts that the gap will still widen. Ranilović sees a partial reason for this in the preferential tax treatment, which has “created a tax oasis in the taxation of tourist rentals”, so apartments have expanded into residential areas, taking away part of the space in favor of short-term rentals, and the situation is further aggravated by subsidies.

Tax policy, which steadily pushes the country towards apartment building, is part of the puzzle of the lack of a meaningful housing policy.

The government is not abandoning the housing loan subsidy program despite criticism that it freezes prices (or even pushes them up) being available only to a small group of citizens, while all others (those with weaker creditworthiness, the elderly, or simply those who do not meet the prescribed tender conditions) have to pay a higher price.

The neglected middle layer

“The corporate segment recognised that with the current dynamics of the real estate market and the rampant prices, the middle class of society with incomes for which the price of new square meters and existing square meters of apartments are not affordable has been neglected.

This is a large segment of society, the demand is high and will remain so in the future, especially in Zagreb and university cities, and this is where Erste sees the creation of a new niche”, says Vedrana Likan of Colliers.

He detects the problem in the lack of regulation, pointing out that the domestic legal framework does not know the terms of affordable housing or, for example, housing accessible to the elderly population, and if this were regulated, the market would already recognise the opportunity.

“Affordable housing does not necessarily have to include new construction, a lot would be done if someone dealt with the existing housing stock”, believes Likan. Colliers' analysis, for example, shows that there are 7,074 apartments with an area of 410,600 square meters owned by the city of Zagreb and city companies alone, which could be used precisely for affordable and social housing.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

June 24, 2022 - 7-year-itch or continued bliss? A reflection on 7 years in Split by TCN's Daniela Rogulj. 

June 24th marks my Croatia anniversary. It is officially the longest place I have lived outside the small town of Fallbrook, California - the so-called 'avocado capital of the world' and an agricultural oasis an hour north of San Diego, where I was born and raised. San Francisco took the cake before Split, where I spent six years attending university and launching myself as a fresh-faced 21-year-old into the fast-paced startup world. I had no idea then that I would end up in Croatia, let alone Europe, at 24. California was my home. The state that made me. But Croatia has transformed me into who I am today. 

I know I've said this many times, and anyone who knows me or has followed my journey here knows that I moved to Split accidentally. After spending six months in London, I was desperate to finalize my Croatian citizenship to either stay in London or move anywhere else in Europe (like Berlin). During that time, my parents moved to Split to retire, and one month later, I visited them to sort out citizenship paperwork and enjoy the same Croatian summer I had since I was a little girl. 

I arrived on June 24, 2015. It was the summer that changed my perception of Split. It was no longer the port city I had remembered. It had transformed from the transport hub we would visit as a family on the way to Hvar or a short stint for a Hajduk match. Split had come to life in a different light in 2015. There was a new renaissance. Bustling restaurants and bars. Expats. And locals that I still call friends. 

After the season's changed and my citizenship was approved, I was convinced to stay in Split a little longer. It wasn't easy to find work here at first, and it took almost a year after I arrived to find the gig that changed my course in Croatia. My professional work experience was in marketing and communications, first as a sales & marketing intern at a San Francisco startup before taking on a role as the community manager of a new photo/video app rivaling Instagram, then ultimately co-founding an app in e-commerce. What in the world could I do with that in Split? Was tech even a thing here? Did a startup environment even exist? 

I graduated from university with a degree in political science, which I completed to become a political journalist. Otherwise, I've always been right-brained, favoring creativity, imagination, and arts. I knew I was a good writer. I knew what I was capable of in terms of marketing. But I also knew my work in hospitality was limited to managing a cupcake shop while studying at university. I didn't want to work a seasonal hospitality job because it was the norm. I was motivated and hungry to start something but knew I needed to start somewhere first. 

My first 'job' in Split was working alongside a booking agent known for his roster of big bands like TBF and up-and-coming artists like Sara Renar. With my dad's background in the music industry as a travel agent for entertainment, this felt like a good fit. It was a good insight into how things worked in Croatia and how coffee meetings were king, but it was only the beginning. 

A few months later, my mom sent me a Facebook post about how Total Split of the Total Croatia News brand was looking for a new writer. Well, this seemed perfect, but I hadn't written blogs in a few years, nor did I know Split inside out yet. I applied, anyhow. I didn't hear anything for a few weeks and assumed that was the end. In the meantime, I had to take a last-minute trip back to the States, which would keep me in California for three weeks. I received an email from TCN the second I landed at LAX. The TCN team was still eager to continue with my application process, and I met with Paul Bradbury the day after I arrived back in Split. I started working with TCN the day after that and celebrated my 6th anniversary with the company last month, which is also officially the longest time I've spent employed at a single place. 

My role with TCN has evolved over the years, from writing for Total Split and Total Inland Dalmatia to covering travel news and lifestyle events. Though it really took form when I took over as Sports Editor in 2017, especially after a former colleague told me I would never see a press pass for Croatia national team games. As an avid football player for most of my life, a coach's daughter, and a FIFA referee's granddaughter, I wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of my love for Croatian football. Since then, I've been an accredited journalist at nearly all Croatia national team matches, Hajduk matches, and traveled around Europe for Europa League, UEFA Nations League, and EURO 2020. I recorded 20+ international radio interviews during the 2018 World Cup and even became the Croatian correspondent for the largest sports radio station in the world. Today I am not only the Sports Editor of Total Croatia News but the COO. Did this all stem from a local telling me, "I will never get X in Croatia"? It was certainly part of it. Do I think I would have achieved the same success in the US? I'm not sure. But this also shows that if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it, and it feels even better when you do it in Croatia. 

Always running into people that needed my native English flair for various tourism projects, I also launched a copywriting business in 2017, which has grown to more clients than I can handle by myself. It is a niche, but it is needed, and the increasing demand for storytelling in Croatian tourism has undoubtedly helped. I'm busier than ever, and my work doesn't stop when the seasons change. I am eternally grateful to everyone that has given me an opportunity here, told me I couldn't, or motivated me to do more. I work from home, have flexible hours (which, let's be honest, is 7 am to 11 pm every day), and can afford an apartment I love, on my own, without any help from the money I made in America (that was all spent in 2015). I am proud of what I have achieved here but am even more appreciative of what Croatia has taught me about myself. 

So, after 7 years in Croatia, what have I learned? 

Paul Bradbury is famous for saying, "don't expect to change Dalmatia but expect it to change you." And it has. 

To start - has it aged me? Tremendously, because I've never worked harder in my life. But I am thankful that my continued work ethic helped launch a career here that I love, that is my own, and that gave me a world of opportunities I never imagined, making the increasingly appearing frown lines a bit easier to look at every morning. 

I've learned to stop drawing comparisons between Croatia and the US because you can't. Croatia has what the US doesn't - both good and bad. While I likely work just as much as I would have in the States, er, maybe more, I'm happier. I am not following the rat race of the working world in America. I wake up to the Adriatic Sea every morning. And I feel at peace. The anxieties that come with living in America alone aren't worth the higher salaries. And I make sure to tell every Uber driver that questions why I would swap California for Split about how good we have it here and how the grass isn't always greener on the other side (political circus and bureaucracy aside). 

I remember being so worried about making new friends in Split when I arrived, but the truth is, it was easier than I thought - and much more genuine than some of the relationships I had in California. I quickly found my pack here, and while it has evolved over the years, the foundation has remained the same. It's not hard to surround yourself with equally driven people. Most of my friends are business owners, many foreigners, and incredible locals doing amazing things. I've learned that the community in Split is beyond special, but you must be careful who you choose to be a part of yours. With that said, I still maintain the importance of staying in your bubble and only letting those you trust in. You never know when someone's pride may get in the way. And you know how proud some Croatians can be. 

I've only recently learned that setting boundaries are essential. Once you put yourself out there as a yes woman, people expect that of you, and you hold those standards for yourself. Maybe part of me needed to do that for the last seven years to finally be in the place of comfort I am now and gain that respect, but people can also easily take advantage of your eagerness, and while they're getting what they want - you're the one suffering. Transparency and communication are key in all work here because miscommunication or misunderstandings often happen. It's important to work with people you wholly trust and build those relationships as they will ultimately bring more. 

And back to "don't expect to change Dalmatia but expect it to change you." Dalmatia - is a beast. The best of the best and the worst of the worst at times. Overall, you learn to adapt, become softer and tougher simultaneously, and learn how to navigate what works and what doesn't. You can push for something for years without seeing the light of day, or something can fall into your lap. You never really know what will take off and won't, which can be disheartening. But that doesn't mean you should give up if you believe in something. 

Also, it's okay to celebrate your success. I know that's sometimes 'taboo' in Croatia, but we should all pat ourselves on the back for what we have achieved here, as even the smallest victories can make the biggest impact. 

In the last year alone, my experiences in Split have shaken my core. I've had my heart broken, my world rattled, and I thought about leaving Croatia for good. But I always came back to the same thing - could I really leave this place? The place that has given me everything? I couldn't. And I wouldn't change the passion and pride of Split people (or the frustrations) for anything in the world. 

Seven years in Split and at least another seven more - here's to the place that changed me for the better. 

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.