Getting residency as a self-employed person

Hello Rockford . The rules in Croatia are rather strange and can be difficult. I will be moving there as a self-employed person, BUT I will be marrying a local lady so, there will be no problem for  me at all. However , Croatia is currently on the final stage of trying to get membership of the EEC. Something that should happen next year. They are keen to appear co-operative , particularly towards Europeans ( I am English myself, so NO problems. However I would suggest you make initial contact with your local Croatian Embassy to check the details . Usually, providing that you can be seen to be able to support yourself, register your business locally, as I will be doing , and pay all the local taxes, they are very willing to co-operate. However a word of warning. The language is TERRIBLY difficult to learn !
If I can help further , please feel free to ask me any more questions. I am only just over two hours flight from there and it is a lovely country with wonderful people and I am popping out there for a few days next week . I absolutely love it there . Malcolm

Hi Sla,
Is it Rockford, IL!
I'm a Croatian who lives in Denver, CO, but have lived in Split for 2 years up until March of this year.

In order to get a Visa, you'd need to register a LLC called d.o.o. in Croatia. For you, perhaps you can bill a portion of your revenue through Croatian d.o.o. You'll pay yourself a minimum salary ($350) per month and pay taxes on it and health insurance. I think you'll need a business plan to get a Visa and will have to hire 2 more local Croatians within a year so that you can re-qualify for the Visa. (Perhaps you can make a couple of friends that can you can simply pay benefits for - Accountant and a web developer would work).

Without this, it will be very difficult for you to stay longer than 3 months. Upon 3 months, you'd have to leave the country to that you don't violate the immigration law.

Ugh, really that difficult?

I'm definitely going to take Malcolms advice and talk to the embassy.

A book I have, published in 2008 states:

Business Visa:
-Form a Croatian company with 20,000 kunas in start-up capital that is fully available for use once the company is registered.
-Obtain a business visa with proof of company registration.
-Grants one year of residency, permission to earn money in Croatia through the company, fullnational health insurance benefits for $60 per month and tax rebates.
-Renewable annually with the option to obtain residency after five years.

Hiring locals is a necessity though?  How much would the minimum I would have to pay out in benefits and/or salary really be? 

My business isn't very businessy, I play poker on the internet, so I don't really need anything done by others to facilitate that. 

What if my wife were to take a job teaching English or something?   

Seems so hard to get residency unless you're retired or have a job offer.  I just want to make my money, and spend it in the local economy and pay taxes.  Can't do that here in the US anymore.

Hi again Rockford. Surely Hrvatski can not be ANYWHERE NEAR as diffciult to get into ( legally ) as America is ! LOL  .  To obtain permission to become a resident in North Carolina took me over 5 years , though sadly , due to the sudden death of my late wife, I found that I could not longer go through with that plan , When I returned there last October, the place had not changed ( apart from a much more difficult economy, but it was somehow empty without her presence in the passenger seat of the hire car on the Interstates ............
Seriously though Croatia is a wonderful place with marvelous people. That si from someone whom has travelled much of the owrld , so I should zanti ( know ),. However I will say that the relative friendliness of people does vary from place to place and until you make friends ( not hard to do if you have the correct attitude ) , things WILL be difficult ......... 
Not needing to hire folk there may create slight problems. I will be marrying a citizen and also will be  creating  employment for their nationals in two of my small businesses , property and also Autom import and sales . At the moment can not advise fully on wages , conditions etc, but believe there , ALMOST anything can be done if you know how . in EXACTLY 48 hours I will be flying there again and that is EXACTLY the sort of thing that I will be looking into whilst there . However I will, naturally be very well tied up ( in the nicest possible way ! LOL ) with my new lady . BUT ,any further assistance that I can give , I will be only too happy to do so  in slightly under dva tjedani ( 2 WEEKS  SERIOUSLY YOU MUST LEARN HRVATSKI JEZIK , CROATIAN LANGUAGE , ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL ) . Any specific questions that you may have RIGHT NOW, molim ( please ) let me know IMMEDIATELY by return and I will try to find answers before I return back here into cold, grey, miserable damp, sad  England again .
Good luck, you will surely need it . Malcolm

I'm certain the US is one of the tougher places to get into (legally), but its also quite tough to get out of!  People around here say "If you don't love America then get the hell out", but its not as easy as that.

Sorry to hear about your late wife, looks like you've found happiness again, that is very good.

We have spent lots of time in Europe, including dreary old England, which I wouldn't mind ending up in either (especially since there is no tax on gambling winnings!).  My wife prefers the warmer climates however.

I guess I could start some sort of business there, my wife makes and sells jewelry in her part time, perhaps she could hire locals to sell jewelry to the cruise ships and other tourists?

Is the other information I posted accurate?  20,000 kunas ($3,800 US) to invest in the business?  Or has that figure gone up? 

Are there any other requirements for the business?  Do I have to have a physical location?  Could I hire people to work from their home?  If you could find out any more information on wages/benefits that would be terrific! 

How similar are the Bosnian and Croatian languages?  I've noticed some of the words are the same.  My wife has friends from Bosnia who might be able to help us.  Otherwise there is always Rosetta Stone until we land.

Thanks for all your assistance.  If I think of any other specific questions I will let you know.

Hi again Rockford and thanks for sentiment .
Pretty early in the morning for you isn't it.I have a clock in my office showing it is only 4.00 am EDT in USA !
I too prefer the warmth to the cold further north like England.
Yes, I would be pretty sure you could get away with having self employed folk selling jewelry to cruise ships .Just be careful you do not step on anyones toes .....
. It;'s all about understand and knowing how to use the systems there and WHO, EXACTLY to talk to
Sorry I do not know the minimum investment , since my businesses are considerably bigger, but would suggest keep in touch with Embassy for latest information, BUT, when I was talking about my importation business with a high ranking man in their equivalent to Customs ans Excise, he made it VERY CLEAR that ANYTHING could be done , the inference being that palms could EASILY be greased. UNDERSTAND ! Bribery is a way of life, but to join EEC they are slowly trying to stamp it out. They would certainly come down on a non Croatian , or also a very High status Croatian if caught, to make an example of them !
I do not believe you would need a physical location for a SMALL business, but like zoning in US , planing permission, which in certain ways  , and also is , I believe, or again, CAN be ,different in different counties is, or can be ( see above ! ) VERY strict
Now as to languages. Serbian and Croatian are very similar though even there there are three MAJOR different dialects in Croatia alone that I presently know of . One almost totally separate is for Istria only . These tend to have longer term historical reasons for being so, due to the different areas, also , who ruled them and  the sort of people and types of businesses being run there many years ago . BUT all folk can understand each other. I believe the status is similar with Bosnian, certainly close to the borders where my lady presently lives  , though I don't certainly know that for sure .
BUT , I  think understanding is also there sufficiently for good communications.
Good luck and feel free to post again if you think I can help.
Malcolm,

Hello Rockford

Hrvatska je the most beautifull country in the world and every thing is possible, specially when people tells you it is not, so don't listen to those, for americans and mexicans there are not impossibles and everything is possible.
Number one you need 5000 Euros in your pocket to get there and open a corporation as a majority partner never 100%, your partner does not have to be croatian can be anybody as long as the partner holds the difference up to 49%.
First step once you are in Zagreb or Split or anywhere there, the smaller the town the better, get yourself a friend who speaks Hrvatski look for a Notary Public, go with him and ask him to start the paperwork to open a D. O. O. the equivalent to an american corporation, the notary and opening fees are 3500 kunas or 500 euros, you are going to be required to deposit a minimum of cash as capital in a bank that the ministry of finances will indicate the minimum are 21000 kunas or 3000 euros, the money will be frozen for about 2 weeks to one month until the ministry of finance or some other ministry issues the document that makes you owner of a croatian corporation, with that document you will be able to unfreeze the money, and dispose of it as you wish, remember that later on you will have to justify the capital either with money or cash or any active or fixed assets up to that amount, anyway that is a matter of your accountant. Then once you have that document you will have to go to the ministry of health to buy health insurance for one year, that is kind of expensive really because the payment as to be in cash and in advance for one year, and can be somewhere around 1 or 2 thousand euros depending of how many dependents, the corporation will be paying for that anyway out of the capital or as an expense over the future income of the corporation that will be your accountant matter also. Ok now you have your corp and have health insurance for ne year, you will need your apostilled criminal record from USA translated into hrvatski, birthday certificate apostilled and translated, marriage certificate if you have a wife or a certificate of non marriage if you are single, (this is in  the event you want to marry a croatian)  apostillied and translated, don't worry about translation until you are there, there are a lot of translation agencies (sudski tumači) with all those thing you will have to go to the Police Station nearest to the place where you will establish yourself to ask for your work permit, under the croatian legislation any foreign owner of a croatian DOO established to make business in hrvatska is entitled to obtain a work permit, i believe its for six months to one year the first time, the second time will be one year or more, and once you have hit the 5 year mark of continuos legal stay in croatia you will become a citizen, but that is a long way ahead, its a little tiresome because to get all those papers you have to deal with your own country  bureaucracy then the croatians and may be if you are lucky some bribes will be required, do not be puritanic american do not judge and go along, the end justify the means otherwise don't ever get out of america. Once everything is done and you have the permit stamp in your passport you would have spent between 1500 to 2500 euros, which is cheap and will be used as deductibles in the first tax return of the corporation, because the majority will be corporate opening expenses. Remember you will have to register at police headquarters within the first 3 working days after you arrive in croatia, do it as a tourist. Do not do the american thing, never arrive directly by plane, arrive anywhere in the european union except Italy as a port of entry and make your final destination Venezia in Italy and then travel by train to Zagreb, its fun and safer when you carry a lot of stuff , any way the border guards are very friendly and don't care for anything, since you are american there will be no problems, the ones that make a lot of fuss are the slovenians when you get out or enter the EU, but that is the way they are, DO NOT ENTER BY PLANE, don't let your passport go thru the scanner as much as you can first of all to buy time prior to registration, after that just for safety, you never know when you may have to leave or run, remember business are business so don't ask and follow advice. Never mention to any immigration authority your intention of staying in croatia for a long time until you have everything ready to go and ask for your work permit.  there are other wasy like a business permit but that requires to present like a business plan with budgets and projections and a lot of lies, marry a croatian even if its just for papers remember if you are an american you have a green card written in your face and that is the door to america for any foreigner. This is the result of one year and a half of research in country, so I know what I am talking about. It is the same thing in many countries even in america but the prices vary in EU the cheapest is Italy 5800€, in Canada is 15000 usd if you are single, 25000 usd if you are married, england impossible, montenegro & serbia are also cheap bosnia is cheap but everything has to be done before you get there, therefore Hrvatska je više lako. I am sharing my own project for next year I have to come back to mexico to get the money to do that., there is a lot of business to be done in croatia and the croatians are not entreprenurial animals like americans or mexicans, so good luck any questions elillinois is in all 3 major mails
Doviđenja

Thanks for that response elillinois!  There is a lot to digest there. 

Regarding the issue that other posters are discussing, with this method am I still required to hire two locals in your opinion? 

I am married, does it seem smart to you to travel by mysef the way you describe, get everything setup, and then send for my wife and things once everything is settled?

It may be reasonable to do that because will be kind of adventurous life, if you do not have contacts to see and live your option will be hostels because are cheaper and that is not good for kids, however americans are daring and adventurous rather not. lets keep in touch any help the same username at the major mails the hot the G and the Y with mx at the end or facebook as Tamales Mexicanos En Europa

ZDRAVO SVATKO ( Hello everybody ! )
I returned in the early hours of this morning from my latest trip to Istria in Croatia, or , to give it it's proper name HRVATSKA .
I have managed to achieve so much while there including opening several bank accounts, and also getting my Croatian girlfriend to agree to become my fiancee  !!!!!!
With the correct attitude in Hrvatska, ANYTHING almost literally anything is possible , even if so often the initial answer seems to be no ........
Malcolm.

I own property and have two bank accounts in Croatia, one in US$, one in euros. I do not participate in business when I'm there - yet - and my understanding has always been that I only need to be resident for six months and go to my local "općinski sud" to obtain a resident permit. I announce myself when I arrive and nobody seems to notice when I've overstayed the 90-day tourist visa, which I always do. I have not been able to spend six months there yet - I'm hoping next year I will be able to.