Live in Europe, Residency in Croatia
If you have decided to live in Croatia,
then it is important when buying a property to always be sure of your rights
and title by going through a real estate agent. Because of foreigners'
increasing interest in Croatian property, most agents here are now effectively
offering a one-stop-shop service with established notary, attorney, and builder
contacts. Of course, it is important to establish an agent's reputation before
you commit yourself.
Education - In Croatia education is free,
and is compulsory between the ages of 7 and 15. Many children start their
education at the age of 3, at pre-school, which lasts until they're 6.
Elementary school lasts for eight years, followed by four years of secondary
school. At this level, schools are divided into high school, technical,
specialized, and mixed curriculum schools. After completing high school, the
brightest students go on to one of the country's four universities in Zagreb,
Rijeka, Split, or Osijek. Universities also offer free education, with particular
emphasis on the sciences, medicine, and engineering. International schools are
few, though there is the American International School of Zagreb, an
independent, co-educational day school offering an educational program from
kindergarten through grade 12. The curriculum is that of U.S. public schools,
with instruction in English.
Learning the Language -
If you have chosen to live in Croatia, then you will most likely want to learn
to speak a little of the local language. You can find a number of language
schools through the official tourism website: http://www.croatia.hr. Five
useful words: nekretnina: real estate; prodaja: sale; dozvola: permission;
najam: rent; hvala: thank you.
Residency Permits for Living
in Croatia - If you do decide you'd like to
live in Croatia, you'll need to apply for a temporary residency permit. You'll
need several official documents and a stated reason for wanting to live in
Croatia. This can be related to an investment, a business, family, employment,
study, or real estate rental or purchase. Having a yacht moored in a Croatian
marina also qualifies as a reason for being granted a residency permit. To
obtain a temporary residence permit, you need to apply in person at the local
Ministry of the Interior (Ministartsvo Unutarnjih Poslova) office. A temporary
residence permit is valid for one year and can be renewed. You will not be able
to get permanent residency status in Croatia until you've held a temporary
residence permit for five years. Again, foreign nationals have to apply for
permanent residence with the MUP. Apart from five years of temporary residence,
the only other ways you can gain permanent residency are through marriage to a
Croatian citizen for at least three years, humanitarian reasons, or at the
discretion of the Croatian government.
Visas and Travel
Requirements - On Jan. 1, 2004, Croatia
introduced new residency and entry laws for foreigners. With EU entry in mind,
these are similar to the laws of existing EU member states. For a trip lasting
up to 90 days within a six-month time frame, North Americans do not need a visa
to travel to Croatia for tourist or business purposes. If you want to stay on
in Croatia for more than 90 days, then you must have a visa. In the U.S., visas
are issued by the following: Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington,
D.C.; Consulate General in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. If you need a
visa, you can present an application in person or by mail.
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