How the 90/180 rule applies here
If you are visa-exempt, you can spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The limit applies to the Schengen Area as a whole, not to Croatia: days spent in Slovenia or Italy count towards the same 90-day limit.
- The 180 days are a moving window, not a calendar period. For any given date, count back 180 days, including that date, add up the days you spent in the area, and the total must never exceed 90.
- The day you arrive and the day you leave both count as full days, even if you are only there for a few hours.
- Croatia joined the Schengen Area on 1 January 2023. Days there now come out of the same 90 as the rest of Schengen; before that, Croatia had its own separate count, and advice written then no longer applies.
- Only the passage of time restores your allowance. The European Commission states it plainly: an uninterrupted absence of 90 days gives you a fresh 90 days.
Staying longer than 90 days
For stays beyond 90 days you need temporary stay approved by the Croatian Ministry of the Interior. Visa-exempt nationals can apply online or at a police station while in Croatia; others apply at a Croatian embassy or consulate. The two routes people ask about most depend on who you work for:
Temporary stay for digital nomads
For non-EU nationals who work through communication technology for a company, or their own company, that is not registered in Croatia. It is granted for up to 18 months; if you were given less, you can extend it by up to 6 months. You cannot work for or provide services to employers in Croatia. Close family members can join you.
Money: at least 2.5 times the previous year’s average monthly net salary in Croatia, currently €3,622.50 a month, or savings of €43,470 for a 12-month stay or €65,205 for 18 months.
Stay and work permit
For working for a Croatian employer. Unlike the digital nomad route, your right to stay is tied to that job, and the permit is issued for work in Croatia. It is the route to use if your plan involves Croatian clients or an employment contract in Croatia.
Money: set by your employment contract rather than a fixed income threshold. The specific requirements depend on the job, so check them with the Ministry of the Interior.
The mistake worth avoiding
Planning on staying straight through after the digital nomad permit ends. The maximum is 18 months, and you can only apply again six months after your previous stay expires. During that gap you are back on the ordinary 90/180 rule, so plan where you will spend those months.
Common questions
Does the drive to Dubrovnik take me out of Schengen?
It can. The old coast road crosses a short stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum, which is outside the Schengen Area. The Pelješac Bridge now lets you reach Dubrovnik without leaving Croatia. Either way, a brief crossing only pauses the count for that time; it does not reset it.
Does a trip to Montenegro or Bosnia reset my days?
No. Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are outside the Schengen Area, so time there stops you adding days, but it does not reset the count. The rule always looks back 180 days, so a short trip only helps once enough older days have dropped out of the window.
Does Croatian temporary stay change how the rule applies to me?
Once it is approved, your stay in Croatia is governed by that permit rather than by the 90/180 rule. Stays in other Schengen countries are still limited, so check the terms before planning long trips elsewhere.
Check it at the source
Immigration rules change, and the financial thresholds change most often of all. These are the official pages this guide is based on.
Count your Schengen days
Open the Schengen 90/180 calculatorThis guide is a planning aid, not legal advice. The final decision on entry and length of stay rests with the border officer or the consulate. Confirm the rules with the official sources above before you travel.