Estonia or Croatia
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Estonia | Croatia | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 54 624 | $ 56 900 |
| Citizenship | 8 years | 8 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | difficult |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | $ 285 | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 104 · estimate | $ 1 081 |
| Basket | $ 36,0 | $ 40,1 |
| Life expectancy | 79.3 | 78.93 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.76 | 1.01 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 1.6 | 4.5 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Estonia — 81, Croatia — 91. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, repatriation and working holiday. Estonia adds: startup and talent. Croatia adds: job seeking.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Estonia: fees range from 45 to 350 EUR. Routes stating an income threshold: 21; the lowest is 880 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 78; the shortest is 15 days. Croatia: fees range from 13.27 to 93 EUR. Routes with no fee: 2. Routes stating an income threshold: 1; the lowest is 3,622.5 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 1; the shortest is 15 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: both after 8 years. Neither recognises a second citizenship.
Estonia in brief
A digital economy with a strong IT sector, inside the EU, Schengen and the eurozone; IT specialists, startups and EU Blue Card holders are exempt from the immigration quota. Among the lowest corruption and natural risks in Europe. The constraints: mandatory Estonian for permanent residence and citizenship, a ban on dual citizenship for naturalised citizens, 8 years to citizenship, and a cold climate. Since 2022 visa issuance has been restricted for nationals of a number of countries.
Croatia in brief
A member of the EU, Schengen and the eurozone with a growing tech sector (Zagreb, Split) and a Mediterranean coast; permanent residence after 5 years, and a digital nomad visa of up to 18 months. Held back by citizenship at 8 years requiring you to give up the previous one (dual is difficult), noticeable seismic risk (the 2020 earthquakes), corruption above the EU average and IT salaries below Western European levels.
Other comparisons
More on each: Estonia · Croatia. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.