Croatia or Latvia
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
| Croatia | Latvia | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 56 900 | $ 25 036 |
| Citizenship | 8 years | 5 years |
| Partner can work | yes | — |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | — | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 081 | $ 888 |
| Basket | $ 40,1 | $ 34,3 |
| Life expectancy | 78.93 | 76.43 |
| Homicides/100k | 1.01 | 2.78 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 4.5 | 2.4 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Croatia — 91, Latvia — 64. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, repatriation and job seeking. Croatia adds: working holiday. Latvia adds: startup and retirement.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
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. Latvia: fees range from 90 to 210 EUR. Routes with no fee: 5. Routes stating an income threshold: 37; the lowest is 780 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 61; the shortest is 14 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Croatia after 8 years, Latvia after 5 years. Neither recognises a second citizenship.
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.
Latvia in brief
An EU and eurozone country with a relatively low cost of living. The IT sector is concentrated in Riga. Naturalisation comes after 5 years of permanent residence with a Latvian language exam; dual citizenship is allowed only with a limited group of countries. Since 2022 checks have been tightened and a language exam introduced for some permanent residents. Natural risks are minimal, but winters are cold and overcast, and proximity to Russia and Belarus adds regional tension.
Other comparisons
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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.