Stay and work of third-country nationals who have been granted permanent stay in another EEA Member State and of their family members

Entry and stay of third-country nationals who have been granted long-term residence in another EEA Member State

Short-term stay
Third-country nationals who have been granted long-term residence in another EEA Member State may stay in the Republic of Croatia for up to 3 months from the day of their entry into the Republic of Croatia, or until the date of expiration of their visa or residence permit issued by another EEA Member State, if the validity period of the visa or residence permit is shorter than 3 months.

Temporary stay
Third-country nationals who have been granted long-term residence in another EEA Member State and who intend to stay in the Republic of Croatia for more than 3 months have to apply for temporary stay at a police administration/police station prior to the expiration of their visa or residence permit issued by another Member State.

They will be given a receipt of application.

A third-country national who has been granted temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia as a person with long-term residence in another EEA Member State may work without a stay and work permit, or a work registration certificate.

Temporary stay will be granted to a third-country national who:

1. holds a valid foreign travel document,
2. holds a residence card proving that he has long-term residence in another EEA Member State,
3. has funds to support himself and his family members,
4. has health insurance,
5. meets other conditions for temporary stay depending on its purpose,
6. has not been forbidden to enter into the Republic of Croatia and stay in the Republic of Croatia, or no alert has been issued in SIS for the purpose of forbidding his entry,
7. does not pose threat to public policy, national security or public health.

If the application is approved, aliens are granted temporary stay in a form of a biometric residence permit.

Temporary stay of a family member
A family member of a third-country national who has been granted temporary stay as a person with long-term residence in another EEA Member State will be granted temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification if he:

1. holds a valid foreign travel document,
2. has been granted residence in another EEA Member State,
3. has lived in a joint household with the third-country national in another EEA Member State in which the third-country national holds long-term residence,
4. has means of subsistence,
5. has health insurance,
6. has not been forbidden to enter into the Republic of Croatia and stay in the Republic of Croatia, or no alert has been issued in SIS for the purpose of forbidding his entry,
7. does not pose threat to public policy, national security or public health.

The following persons are considered as family members of a third-country national who has been granted long-term residence in another EEA Member State:

1. a spouse,
2. a common law partner,
3. a minor child common to spouses and common law partners, life partners or informal life partners, and a minor child of each of them, their minor jointly adopted child, or a minor child adopted by either of them who is not married, as well as a minor child of a life or informal life partner or his minor adopted child who is not married,
4. parents or adoptive parents of a minor child.

Applying for temporary stay
Third-country nationals who have been granted long-term residence in another EEA Member State and their family members may apply for temporary stay at a police administration/police station or at a diplomatic mission or consular post of the Republic of Croatia in the EEA Member State in which they have been granted residence.