Why I Chose Croatia For My First ‘Digital Nomad’ Destination in 2021 (and Have No Regrets)
In 2020, I decided to pursue a completely remote career…from somewhere. Three weeks ago, I arrived in Croatia. Big decisions.
After working in digital marketing for a few years as well as teaching English in Japan, I realized that deep down, working in an office and being stuck in one place no longer suited me. I discovered a term about 18 months ago that shifted everything that followed —“digital nomad.”
These two little words completely changed my direction in life. I got to work finding an online teaching job and freelance marketing clients.
But where would I start my journey as a digital nomad?
Aside from the major obstacle of COVID-19, I had most of the world to pick from (pending heaps of travel restrictions, of course). During normal times, this would have been a difficult decision. Of course, the pandemic didn’t make things any easier for me.
For many months now, my friends, family members, colleagues, fellow nomads, and especially Croatians have all loved asking me some version of this question:
“How (or why) did you decide to move to Croatia?”
Hmm...do you want the short answer or the long one? Honestly, a lot of thinking and planning went behind this. But here we are. These are the main reasons I chose Croatia as my first digital nomad destination.
- I wanted a big change
- Croatia launched an attractive digital nomad “visa” (permit, actually…)
- I was allowed to travel to Croatia with my U.S. passport
4. There’s an active and growing digital nomad community
5. Croatia has the ideal geographic location
6. Strong internet connection
7. My (distant) Balkan ancestry
I’ll break each of these points down for you.
Reason 1: I wanted a big change
Back when the pandemic began, I was living in Japan and working as an English teacher at five different elementary schools.
I loved living abroad but was less enthusiastic about being told exactly where, when, and how I’d be working.
Late into 2019, I began watching countless hours of YouTube videos by Chris the Freelancer, Traveling with Kristin, and Daneger and Stacey, among others. All of these channels documented life as ‘digital nomads.’
I was completely transfixed by these videos and remember thinking, “Woah. That’s exactly what I want to do with my life.”
Then COVID-19 emerged, and my life as I knew it just stopped — and then derailed. I’d wanted to stay in Japan for at least two years. But barely passed my 1-year mark in Japan, I realized that I just couldn’t wait out the pandemic there.
I was bummed about my time in Japan being cut short. Had circumstances been a little different, I’m sure I would have stayed there longer. It didn’t feel right to feel bad about it though. So many people had things much worse.
Perhaps looking for signs by that point, I saw this as a window of opportunity to drastically change my life if I wanted to. I’d never say that COVID-19 was a good thing, but admittedly, the timing was kind of incredible since I’d just been getting itchy feet.
However, there was a great, comfortable job for me in Japan and it seemed almost silly to leave that behind. Especially while so many people were being laid off due to the pandemic.
But inspired by those YouTube channels and knowing I craved a major change, I told my company that I couldn’t continue in the fall. Sending in that resignation email gave me the jitters — but I knew I had to do it.
Four months later in August of 2020, I finished my contract, packed up all of my stuff, and moved back to the United States. I decided that I really wanted to return home and be with family for a while before traveling internationally again. I knew that it would be a nice, long visit due to the COVID situation.
I returned to the states without much of a plan and then started brainstorming where to go next. Southeast Asian countries — like Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia — are often recommended for aspiring digital nomads. For great reasons, of course; the cost of living is low, there’s plenty of beach access, and the region is full of beautiful land, islands, cultures, and cuisines to explore. One of these countries could have easily been my starting point, but that was before the pandemic.
When I looked into traveling to Thailand specifically, I learned that visitors were (and still are) required to stay in Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) facilities for 14 days upon arrival. I appreciated and understood Thailand’s extreme caution, but I didn’t want to drop $1,500 or $2,000 on staying at an ASQ facility. It sounded like the most expensive and stir-crazy way to kick off my nomadic life.
I was looking for other options when Reason #2 caught my attention.
Reason 2: Croatia launched an attractive digital nomad “visa”
Okay, technically speaking it’s not actually a visa, but a temporary residence permit that’s designated for digital nomads. These are not the same thing in Croatia.
Anyway, I learned about this option last fall when I stumbled on this YouTube video by Kristin Wilson. She hosts the “Badass Digital Nomads Podcast,” which I started listening to religiously during the early days of quarantine and social distancing.
So how did this “visa” (well, permit…) come about?
The ball got rolling last summer when the Dutch entrepreneur, Jan de Jong, wrote an open letter on LinkedIn to the Croatian Prime Minister. In this letter, he suggested creating a digital nomad visa, similar to Estonia’s, that would bring highly paid remote workers to Croatia for up to one year. He mentioned how digital nomads would spend their salaries in Croatia and fill many empty apartments and hotel rooms. He urged the government to consider the economic benefits that digital nomads could bring to the country.
Jan’s letter received lots of buzz and support from his LinkedIn followers and also caught the government’s attention. Soon after the letter was posted, the Ministry of the Interior invited Jan to a meeting. He was also able to discuss the matter with the Croatian Prime Minister himself, Andrej Plenković.
The government was already in the process of making revisions to Croatia’s law on foreigners last year, so the timing was just right.
Beginning January 1, 2021, remote workers have had the option to apply for temporary residence permits in Croatia as digital nomads. You don’t even need to be in Croatia to apply. The online application was launched in March. You can see and fill out the application here.
Croatia’s temporary residence permits are available for up to one year. Following the first year, I understand that you can’t renew your permit automatically. Instead, you can reapply 90 days after your initial permit has expired. Unfortunately with this kind of permit, continuous residence is not possible, and therefore applying for permanent residence is also off the table. But still, an entire year in Croatia? A temporary base in Europe? Sign me up!
Now, I haven’t applied for this permit just yet. For this first trip, I’m just on a 90-day tourist visa. Right now, I’m in Croatia on a bit of a scouting mission. I’m slowly traveling my way through the country — from Dubrovnik to Zagreb, Split, and wherever else — to see if there’s somewhere in Croatia that I’d really like to stay long(er) term.
I’m not in any rush though. The really cool thing about packing up my whole life into a carry-on suitcase is that I have the freedom to live and work from anywhere (that allows U.S. citizens and has speedy Wi-Fi). The freedom feels amazing. To be honest, I’m not quite ready to do all of the application paperwork just yet. It’s a big commitment. I’m most definitely considering it for the future, though.
All of the people that I’ve met here (including Croatians as well as expats and other nomads) have been super welcoming and friendly. There’s so much to love. The scenery is fantastic, the food and wine are delectable, and I’m really digging the warm weather and Mediterranean lifestyle.
Could Croatia be my eventual base? I think it’s likely…
Living here for an entire year would be the dream! If you agree, I highly recommend checking out these detailed guidelines for applying for the digital nomad permit over on the Expat in Croatia blog. The guidelines cover important application requirements, such as criminal background checks, fingerprints, health insurance, savings or monthly income minimums, etc. I’m not a lawyer nor am I a Croatian immigration official, so don’t ask me!
Reason 3: I was allowed to travel to Croatia with my U.S. passport
At the start of the pandemic, there were very few countries accepting travelers with U.S. passports. However last summer (as I was preparing to move from Japan back to Seattle), I heard that Croatia was allowing U.S. citizens to enter the country for tourism. That put Croatia on my radar.
Croatia was one of the only countries on the European continent that was allowing U.S. citizens. Even as I’m writing this, most of the EU is still closed to people who don’t hold an EU passport.
When I finally flew to Croatia in May of 2021, I needed to present my negative PCR test (or rapid antigen test), receipt of paid accommodation, and evidence of purpose for travel. I was already vaccinated, but that didn’t count since I got the second dose only seven days prior to my flight (and 14 were required).
I must emphasize here that these were just the requirements when I flew to Croatia on May 16th, 2021. I can only speak from my personal experience. I’d advise everyone to do their research before traveling to Croatia. Be sure to check the entry requirements for your own country of origin, travel dates, and individual situation.
Although a lot of documentation was required, Croatia was still much easier to get into compared to other countries that I might have considered.
As I’ve mentioned up above, I wasn’t too keen on paying to stay in an ASQ facility anywhere. Coming to Croatia gave me a good amount of freedom, as long as I tested negative for COVID-19. I’ve made it here (Wahoo!) so obviously, the travel logistics worked out.
Reason 4: There’s an active and growing digital nomad community here:
If you’ve Googled “digital nomad hotspots” or “best places to be a digital nomad,” your search will probably yield hundreds of images of millennials working on their laptops in slick coffee shops or trendy beach bars, perhaps in Mexico or Thailand.
(Side note: Not all digital nomads are millennials! In my honest opinion, I’m even more impressed by the older digital nomads out there. More experience comes with more knowledge, perspectives, and amazing stories! If you’re living this lifestyle and you were born before the 90s, 80’s, 70’s, and so on, I truly salute and admire you! It is never too late to get out there.)
While coworking spaces can’t be found everywhere in Croatia yet, there are some great ones in cities like Zagreb and Split. Check out Saltwater Nomads (in Split) for example. They are one of the first groups I contacted while researching digital nomad options in Croatia. They have been enormously helpful as I’ve planned my travels and gotten settled over here.
Croatian cities are doing their best to show the world that they are ready to welcome the new wave of digital nomads. Back in October 2020, Dubrovnik hosted Croatia’s first Digital Nomad Conference and has since followed up with the world’s first “Digital Nomads-In-Residence” competition. The City of Dubrovnik hosted 10 competition winners for a 4-week stay in the city, complete with workshops, excursions, and a final conference.
Additionally, Digital Nomad Week is coming up in the capital city of Zagreb later this month, from June 21–27. Zagreb will also be hosting one digital nomad “ambassador” per month between July and December.
I recently had the amazing opportunity to attend the Digital Nomads-In-Residence final conference in Dubrovnik. I’m also headed to Zagreb’s Digital Nomad Week later this month. I feel so lucky to have come to Croatia at this particular moment.
With so many digital nomads in the area at this time, Croatia really feels like the place to be. The nomads I’ve met so far have been so eager to meet new people, travel together, and also discuss the ways that Croatia can become even more nomad-friendly.
I’ve also found a bunch of helpful Facebook groups, such as Digital Nomads Croatia, Digital Nomads Split Croatia, Expats in Zagreb [Official], and the Adriatic Sea Change, just to name a few. I see at least 10 posts per day from these pages with nomads asking their questions, getting recommendations, and arranging meetups.
So far, the nomads and expats I’ve talked to have all agreed that Croatia has a lot to offer remote workers. We are hopeful that with enough local support as well as affordable long-term accommodations and co-working spaces, Croatia could become one of the world’s top spots for digital nomads.
These events and the promise of so many networking opportunities heavily influenced my decision to come to Croatia. Now that I’m actually here and have made lots of new connections, my decision already feels super validated. I’m excited to continue building my acquaintances, friendships, and community here.
Reason 5: Croatia has the ideal geographic location
One of my jobs is teaching English to children in China. The students take supplementary English classes after school. Peak teaching hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Beijing Standard Time. Croatia is conveniently located 6 hours behind Beijing, putting my classes right in the middle of the day, from noon to 3 p.m.
These are much better working hours than I had in Seattle while I was preparing for my move. During that period, I was usually teaching between 2 and 6 a.m. Just, ouch…
Trust me, as a late-night person, entertaining 5-year-olds at those hours required me to tap into a superhero’s energy and sense of duty. My mom was often telling me, “You must REALLY want this [nomading thing] to be doing this.”
I also do some freelance copywriting and marketing. My clients up to this point have all been based in the U.S. Working from here in Europe, I’m able to get everything done while everyone’s still sleeping in the states. I don’t know why, but somehow that makes me feel more productive! For working with both my students and clients, Croatia is in the perfect time zone for me.
I’m also excited about Croatia’s geographic position in general. When travel becomes a regular thing again, I’m super close to so many other countries. If I jump on a plane, train, bus, or boat for just an hour or two, I can be in a completely different country with its own language, history, and culture. I’ve always wanted to live in Europe for this reason. Croatia itself borders Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, so I’m very well positioned to visit a bunch of new countries.
There are also so many places to see right here in Croatia. I am dreaming about destinations both inside and outside of this country. I’m excited to move around more once travel restrictions loosen up a little bit and I can make it work.
Reason 6: Strong internet connection
The most important thing I need for both of my jobs is a strong, reliable internet connection. It’s essential for checking emails, attending Zoom calls, and submitting my work. Also, the Chinese company that I work for requires the minimum upload and download speeds of 20 Mbps to run their online teaching software.
While in Dubrovnik this month, I’ve been really lucky to stay at this place called Akademis, located between the Old Town and Lapad. As a facility housing students, there’s a great internet connection here. I suppose Akademis was initially intended for college students, but this month they’ve reserved a whole block of rooms just for digital nomads.
At the time I’m typing out this blog, I have a PING of 45 ms, a download speed of 70 Mbps and an upload speed of 82 Mbps. That’s more than sufficient for the kind of work I do.
Akademis just opened in spring of this year, so it’s very well-equipped and has a modern design. I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in (or seen) student housing this nice. I truly feel like I’m in a hotel! They have a nice café and restaurant here too, with 35 kuna cocktails (that’s only about $6 USD, folks!). Meals here are also very affordable.
Not all nomads would prefer this setup, of course. Many opt for Airbnb’s and other private rentals. I’ve surveyed a few of my nomad friends about their internet connectivity at their apartments. Collectively, they haven’t run into any issues.
One of my friends reported a download speed of 50 Mbps and an upload speed of 10 Mbps. I think for most nomads, that would do the job! And if this isn’t reliable enough, you can also pick up an extra router or a hotspot from one of the local internet service providers, like Hrvatski Telekom.
Hrvatski Telekom currently offers an “Unlimited Internet” special just for digital nomads. There’s no contractual obligation with this offer, which makes it very convenient for remote workers who are often moving around. The pricing for this plan is 85 kunas (~$14) for the first seven days. Users can reactivate it with Flat Surf for a 20 kuna discount. From that point forward, the price is 60 kunas per week (~$9.75). Compared with U.S. prices, this is an unbelievable deal.
At one point I was considering Mexico or Costa Rica for my first stop, and while these are stunning destinations with large nomadic communities, they are also notorious for power outages and spotty service. Regular internet problems aren’t something I’ve wanted to deal with just yet. Fiber optic infrastructure is increasing in that region though so I look forward to visiting later on.
Reason 7: My (distant) Balkan ancestry
Usually, when I get to this part in my explanation for why I’m here, people start nodding and it finally clicks. Though until I have my hands on some more family records and documentation, it’s less of a justification for me.
It turns out that my paternal great-grandfather “Bozo” or “Božer” (short for Robert) was from these parts! My Dad, Robert, (who everyone just calls Bob) was named after him.
I’ve never met my great-grandfather nor my grandparents on my dad’s side. They’d all passed away before I was born. My dad says that his family told him his grandfather was from Dubrovnik. Bozo’s surname was Jonlic or perhaps Jonlić or Jonlič (before being Americanized to Yonlick when he immigrated to the U.S.).
As cool as it would be to find family ties here, the Croatians I’ve met have never heard of the name Jonlic before. Ah well. To be honest, I’m more intrigued than disappointed.
It might be a rare name or perhaps I have a misspelling. Could Bozo have really been from here? I’ll have to find out for sure. That will involve tracking down a few birth and death certificates in order to confirm my lineage and Bozo’s place of birth. As big of a job as that’s going to be, I’m excited to start piecing the story together.
Croatia actually has a huge diaspora across the globe. It’s estimated that about four million Croatian descendants and their families now live outside of Croatia — that’s nearly the same number of people in Croatia. Woah-oh.
Why so many emigrants? Well, that’s a loaded topic and I won’t get into all of it here. But to put it broadly, in this past century, Croatia and the other Balkan countries have dealt with decades of conflict, harsh living standards in and out of communism, and brutal civil war. Throughout these difficult times, huge waves of citizens left the country to start a new life.
Croatia declared its independence in 1991 but was in wartime until the middle of that decade. While this is all very recent and heavy history, Croatia has made impressive strides to recovery. A lot of progress has been made since the 90s while Croatia has been rebuilding and modernizing its economy and infrastructure. Before the pandemic, it had also become an extremely popular tourist destination, attracting 19.6 million visitors in 2019. On global indexes, Croatia consistently ranks as a safe country with very low crime rates.
For understandable cultural and economic reasons, the Croatian government is desperate to bring members of the diaspora back to the old country. The Central State Office for Croats Abroad even offers language scholarships to Croatian descendants.
Apparently, a lot of people can apply for citizenship by proving their Croatian lineage. Individuals with Croatian parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents can potentially apply (if they can show a direct line and provide all of the paperwork to back it up). There are restrictions in place of course (that relative can’t have moved to another country within former Yugoslavia before they left the region), but that aside, there’s still a huge number of potential Croatian citizens floating out there. Perhaps even myself!
Whatever happens next with my family records search (and perhaps even eventual citizenship application), digging for my family history is sure to be an interesting process! I’m excited to uncover the past.
So, here’s my short and sweet answer:
Why did I pick Croatia as my first digital nomad destination? I’ll answer with a different question — why wouldn’t I?
My first few weeks here in Croatia have been so reassuring and life-changing. Honestly the longer I’ve been here, the better I’ve felt about my decision. That said, I’ve lived abroad (in Japan) before and know very well that I may not always be this satisfied with life in Croatia. But for right now, I’m savoring this sweet and rare moment that my life’s path is making any sense to me.
To wrap this one up, here’s the deal: Croatia is selling itself hard. I’ll even go further to say that Croatia has been calling my name ever since day 1 of my journey becoming a digital nomad. I’m beyond excited to see where life goes from here.
Thanks so much for reading this blog! I hope it will be the first of many of mine in Croatia. You can follow more of my journey in Croatia, Japan, and other countries at @yvonneandbeyond on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
That’s all for now. Hvala and vidimo se!
