Croatia raises minimum funds required for foreigners seeking to stay

Split

The Croatian government today has adopted amendments to the regulation that determines the minimum financial means required for third-country nationals to be granted temporary residence in Croatia.

The proposal was presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Dr Davor Božinović, and relates to changes and supplements to the Regulation on the Method of Calculation and the Amount of Funds for the Maintenance of Third-Country Nationals in Croatia.

The regulation defines how much money foreign nationals from outside the European Union must secure in order to obtain approval for stay in Croatia.

The amendments were introduced to ensure alignment with a correction to the European Union Directive on the status of third-country nationals with long-term residence, as well as to reflect changes in Croatia’s minimum wage.

Explaining the changes, Minister Božinović said that higher amounts are being introduced depending on the purpose of stay.

For temporary residence for employment purposes, the required level of maintenance funds will increase from the current 50 per cent to 57 per cent of the average monthly net salary paid in the previous year.

This adjustment brings the amount into line with Croatia’s minimum net wage.

For temporary residence granted for other purposes, such as family reunification or other non-work-related stays, the required funds will rise from 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the estimated average monthly net salary from the previous year.

The Croatian Government has formally adopted the amended regulation, meaning the new financial thresholds will apply when assessing residence applications from third-country nationals.