Is a third country national who already has permanent residence in another EEA country treated differently when applying?
Short answer – yes. Long(er) answer – the case of a third country national who has already been approved and holds the status of a permanent resident in another EEA country (not Croatia) is treated slightly differently to that of a third country national who doesn’t have permanent residence in another EEA country.
Croatian law is a fascinating thing. There is a rule created for just about every possible conceivable circumstance, no matter how specific. There are also ten clerks who can’t interpret it, but that’s some humour best left for another time. This one is fairly simple.
If you’re a third country national who has been granted permanent residence in another EEA country, you can apply for short-term stay under the following rules, and by providing the same documents as listed below, meaning that you can stay in Croatia until the expiry of the visa or the residence card issued to you by the EEA country which has approved your permanent residence in that country, and for a maximum period of three months from the date of your initial entry into Croatia.
Here’s what you’ll need when applying for temporary Croatian residence:
Your birth certificate.
A copy of your birth certificate.
A valid passport.
The permanent residence card issued to you by another EEA country
A scanned copy (it’s wise to make several copies), of the photographic ID of the page with your details in your passport and the permanent residence card issued to you by another EEA country
A colour 35x45mm photograph (passport style, not passport size – MUP will either take your photo there and then or direct you to a nearby place to have it done to the correct measure).
Proof of health insurance
Proof of funds to sustain yourself for the foreseen length of stay in Croatia (this can be proven with a printed statement from the bank showing and attesting to the amount in the account).
Proof of the justification of the reason behind your request for temporary residency.
Proof of having housing (this can be proven in several ways, either with a notarized rental contract, proof of home ownership, or having your landlord or whoever you’re staying with come with you in person).
In some cases, a police clearance certificate from the applicant’s home country is required, however, this is not always asked for, so make sure to ask if you need this beforehand!
The documents submitted with the correct form you must fill in from MUP must be either originals, or certified copies. These foreign documents are usually required to be translated (with a certified translation) into the Croatian language. The documents must not be older than six months.
Just as with the normal procedure, if you intend to stay longer than three months (before the expiration of the visa or residence permit from another EEA country) you can apply for a temporary residence permit at your local police station in Croatia, or in the Croatian consulate of the EEA country which approved your permanent residence there.
Caveats
If you’re successful, you’ll be given a biometric residence permit proving your Croatian temporary residence.
As a third country national who has been granted temporary Croatian residence, members of your family can also be granted temporary Croatian residence for the purpose of family reunification, if that family member also holds a valid residence permit in another EEA country, or if they’ve been resident in a shared household with you, as a third country national, in the EEA country in which you hold permanent residence.
Family members in this case are spouses and partners, underage biological children and underage adopted children.
Unlike in the case for EEA citizens, for third-country nationals (and yes, that includes those who hold permanent residence in another EEA country), it can take a while before you hear of the outcome of the Ministry of the Interior’s decision when it comes to the application you’ve submitted, and you might need to follow up to see how things stand. Don’t worry if you don’t hear much, but do make sure to follow up. Ask questions if you’re unsure, no matter the attitude of the person answering, and seek a second opinion should you feel the need to do so.
You can email MUP in Zagreb at any time, responses might not be quick, but you’ll get one eventually in any case: [email protected].
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