Croatia

One of the first proper EU digital nomad permits and still among the most generous in 2026. Eighteen months on a single stay (longer than most EU peers), an explicit Croatian tax exemption on foreign-earned income while you hold the permit, and a €2,870/month income bar that sits below Spain DNV, Cyprus, and Malta. Croatia joined Schengen and the Eurozone in January 2023, so the EU access and EUR convenience are now baked in. The structural catch is the six-month leave-and-reapply requirement after eighteen months — Croatia is built for nomad sprints, not for permanent EU settlement.

Croatia's long-haul freelance and entrepreneur path. Set up a Croatian business (obrt sole proprietorship or d.o.o. limited company) and operate as registered self-employed. Initial up to 1 year, renewable annually, counts toward Croatian permanent residency at year 5 and EU citizenship at year 8 with B1 Croatian. The substantive long-term EU path that the Croatia Digital Nomad Visa doesn't provide. For US, UK, EU, Indian, APAC freelancers committed to building permanent EU base — not just sun-and-sea Adriatic flexibility.