Conduct Scientific Research in Croatia
Croatia provides a dedicated Temporary Residence pathway for qualifying third-country nationals who intend to conduct scientific research in the country.
The central requirement is an appropriate hosting agreement with a qualifying research organisation.
This pathway is separate from ordinary employment immigration and provides researchers with specific rights concerning residence, research, teaching, family reunification, and post-research transition.
CETO Global Immigration Consulting & Partners assists international researchers, universities and research organisations in assessing eligibility and coordinating the Croatian researcher immigration process together with qualified Croatian legal and immigration professionals.
Temporary Residence for Research allows a qualifying third-country national to live in Croatia while carrying out an approved scientific research project.
The researcher must generally have a hosting agreement with a Croatian research organisation.
The pathway can potentially be relevant for:
The central immigration document is the hosting agreement. This agreement establishes the relationship between the researcher and the Croatian research organisation.
Croatian law also recognises research organisations holding accreditation to host researchers.
Where the hosting agreement is concluded with an organisation holding the relevant 5-year accreditation, specific documentary advantages can apply.
Where the applicable statutory conditions are satisfied and the researcher is hosted by an accredited research organisation, the applicant may not need to provide separate proof of health insurance during the residence-approval procedure.
This does not mean health coverage is irrelevant. The exact circumstances and hosting organisation must be verified before filing.
The researcher must generally satisfy the applicable Croatian Temporary Residence conditions, including:
Depending on the case, documentation can include:
For a first Croatian Researcher Residence application, the applicant generally must provide evidence that they have not been finally convicted of relevant criminal offences in their country of origin or a country where they resided for more than one year immediately before coming to Croatia.
For researchers coming to Croatia through qualifying mobility from another EEA Member State, criminal-record documentation can be treated differently under the applicable mobility rules.
The Researcher Residence application can generally be submitted at a Croatian diplomatic mission or consular office.
This is a specific research-related exception and should not be assumed to apply to every Croatian residence category.
Researchers arriving on the basis of a Hosting Agreement benefit from an important exception. Even where the applicant would ordinarily require a visa to enter Croatia, a qualifying researcher can potentially submit the Temporary Residence application directly at the competent police administration or police station while legally present in Croatia.
Temporary Residence for Research is generally granted for up to 1 year, or for the duration of the Hosting Agreement where that period is shorter.
The two-year period applies to qualifying mobility-programme cases, not automatically to every researcher.
Where the researcher participates in a Union Programme or a Multilateral Programme that includes mobility measures, Temporary Residence can be issued for up to 2 years.
A researcher holding Temporary Residence based on a Hosting Agreement can conduct the authorised research activity without a separate stay and work permit.
Researcher Residence should not automatically be treated as unrestricted permission for any unrelated Croatian employment.
The researcher can also teach at the research institution hosting them without obtaining an additional Stay and Work Permit.
The host institution can determine the maximum permitted number of teaching hours and days.
Where the applicant requires a visa to enter Croatia after Temporary Residence has been approved, a Long-Stay Visa – Type D may be required before entry.
Applicable Croatian procedures after arrival can include address registration, biometric registration, and residence card issuance.
The researcher generally needs to register their Croatian address within 3 days after entering the country.
Where entry took place on a Visa D, the applicant generally needs to provide biometric data within 30 days after issuance of the visa.
Important: Government fees can change and should be rechecked before filing.
The currently published administrative fee for granting Research Temporary Residence is €46.45.
The biometric residence card fees are €31.85 for the normal procedure or €59.73 for the accelerated procedure, plus €9.29 for issuance of the card.
Qualifying family members can potentially obtain Croatian Temporary Residence for Family Reunification.
Where the family application and researcher's application are submitted at the same time, they can be decided together.
The family member must still hold the appropriate valid family residence status.
A major advantage is that a family member who receives Temporary Residence for Family Reunification with a researcher can work in Croatia without obtaining a separate Stay and Work Permit or Work Registration Certificate.
Croatia participates in the European Researcher Mobility framework, allowing researchers to move between EEA Member States.
A researcher with a Hosting Agreement and residence permit from another EEA Member State can potentially conduct research in Croatia for up to 180 days within any 360-day period without obtaining a new permit.
The researcher must notify the competent Croatian police administration or station when registering the short-term stay.
For research exceeding 180 days, the researcher must obtain Temporary Residence for Research based on long-term mobility.
This is generally granted for up to 1 year, or until the expiry of the residence permit from the other EEA Member State.
Qualifying family members who already hold residence in another EEA Member State can accompany the researcher under the applicable short-term or long-term mobility provisions.
After completing the research activity, a qualifying researcher can potentially remain in Croatia for 1 year to seek employment or establish a business.
This post-research residence can potentially be renewed once for an additional 1 year.
This provides up to 2 years to transition from research into employment or entrepreneurship, subject to legal requirements.
Scientist conducts research project at a Croatian institution.
The research activity is finished.
Applicant stays in Croatia for up to 1 year (renewable) to seek work.
Researcher receives a job offer from a Croatian employer.
Transition to a Stay & Work Permit or EU Blue Card.
No. A researcher holding Temporary Residence based on a Hosting Agreement can conduct research and teach at the host institution without a separate stay and work permit.
Yes. Researchers arriving based on a Hosting Agreement can potentially apply directly at a Croatian police administration even if they would otherwise require a visa for entry.
Usually up to 1 year, or up to 2 years for those in qualifying Union or multilateral mobility programmes.
Yes. Family members joining a researcher under family reunification can work in Croatia without needing a separate work permit.
Qualifying researchers can remain for up to 1 year (renewable for another year) to look for a job or start a business.
It is the central immigration document that establishes the scientific relationship between the researcher and the Croatian research organisation.
Our team coordinates the immigration process for international researchers and institutions.
The Researcher Residence pathway offers significant advantages, including simplified application procedures, teaching rights, and a generous post-research transition period.
CETO Global Immigration Consulting & Partners provides comprehensive support, ensuring that hosting agreements and residence applications meet all Croatian statutory requirements.
