{"id":17186,"date":"2017-09-08T06:39:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-08T10:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/?p=17186"},"modified":"2020-07-16T11:04:27","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T15:04:27","slug":"the-why-and-how-of-retiring-in-croatia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escapeartist.com\/blog\/the-why-and-how-of-retiring-in-croatia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Why and How of Retiring in Croatia"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Why and How of Retiring in Croatia<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you’re looking for a place to retire abroad to in Europe, Croatia could be your spot. It has got the charm and beauty of Italy, but without the high cost of living. The weather is warm and sunny on the Adriatic \u2013 making it perfect for growing grapes for wine! Other parts of the country are cooler, and old Mediterranean architecture graces all areas of this country. The beaches and the water are pristine, and it’s a great place to have a yacht or sailboat, or to go diving. The water is so clear!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cost of Living<\/b><\/h2>\n

With the influx of new attention towards Croatia, living costs are rising, but they are still lower than those of Western Europe and the United States. The Kuna is the official currency of the country, and $1 USD is equal to 6.74 Kuna. Many prices are posted in Euros around Croatia, which has an exchange rate of 1 Euro to 7.5 Kuna.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zagreb is the capital city of Croatia, and it hosts a high population of expats that have retired abroad in the country. Unfortunately, rentals can be hard to come by in these types of areas, so many expats do have to lease a room or an apartment in the more populated cities. As with anywhere else, rent is higher in the city centers than it is on the outskirts, but you can expect to pay about $354 per month for a one bedroom apartment in the city center, $263 outside of the city center, and under $600 for a three bedroom apartment. Not bad!<\/span><\/p>\n

Leisurely activities such as going to the movies or out to eat are considered reasonably priced. Think under $30 for a nice meal, and under $6 to go to the movies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Retirement Visa<\/b><\/h2>\n

You’ll need to apply for a temporary residency permit in order to live in Croatia. If you’re simply seeking to retire abroad there, you won’t need the work or business permit, but you’ll still need this one. As well as all of the required documentation, you’ll need to give a reason for wanting to live abroad in the country. Your reason can be related to family, real estate (rental or purchase), investment\u2026or even having a yacht moored in a Croatian marina.<\/span><\/p>\n

Go to Croatia as you normally would if you were simply visiting and apply for the residency permit within your 90-day deadline (give yourself a couple of weeks’ leeway for the process to complete). This must be done in person. You don’t need a visa to stay in Croatia as long as you’re only staying for 90 days (if you’re coming from North America or many European countries). Once you get there, apply in person at a police station for your residency permit. Here’s the documentation you’ll need:<\/span><\/p>\n