Croatia
Croatian digital nomad residence permit
The Croatian digital nomad permit is for people who work remotely for a foreign company or for their own business abroad.
Onboard Living
Your job stays, the country changes
Onboard Living programmes are for people who would like to live in Europe – working remotely, on passive income, studying or settling for the long term – for a year, for two years or for good.
The situation it answers: You work, your company is elsewhere, and it will stay that way. The only question is where you live in the meantime. Remote-work permits give this a legal framework: the right to reside in a European country without taking a job or setting up a company there.
What the programmes have in common: each requires proven monthly income or funds and a local address; the remote-work programmes also require a foreign employer or your own foreign company; the non-lucrative programme requires the means to live without working. None allows you to work for companies in the host country. They differ in duration, in whether your family can be included and in whether they lead to settlement.
How to choose: for 1–1.5 years of remote work, the Croatian programme is the simplest. For a long-term move with your family and settlement in mind, the Spanish permit is the better route. If you do not work and would live in Spain on a pension, rental income or savings, non-lucrative residence is for you. For a quick, low-cost base in the heart of Europe for a year or two: the Hungarian White Card. With no foreign employer or high income, but a year to spend in Europe, a residence permit for study in Malta is your way in. If you have already lived in Hungary for years, settlement is the next step.
Programmes
Onboard Living
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- Spain
Spanish digital nomad visa
The Spanish permit for international teleworkers is issued for 3 years and can be renewed for 2 years at a time; your family can come with you and work too.
- Spain
Spanish non-lucrative visa (NLV)
Non-lucrative residence is for people who want to live in Spain but not work there: retirees, investors, people living on passive income.
- Hungary
Hungarian White Card
The White Card is the residence permit for remote workers based in Hungary: 1 year, renewable once by 1 year.
- Hungary
Long-term residence in Hungary
After 3 years of legal residence in Hungary you can apply for a national residence card; after 5 years, for an EU residence card.
- Malta
Malta student residence permit
The Malta student residence permit is the simplest way into Europe: a licensed school, a student visa, then a residence card, and student work of 20 hours a week alongside your studies.
Guide
Which one suits you?
| Your situation | Recommended programme |
|---|---|
| One to one and a half years by the sea, alone or with your family, with no plan to settle | Croatian digital nomad permit |
| A long-term move, with your family working too, and long-term residence after 5 years | Spanish digital nomad visa |
| Not working – living in Spain on a pension, rental income or savings, possibly with your family | Spanish non-lucrative visa (NLV) |
| A base in the heart of Europe for 1–2 years, arriving alone, with a quick, low-cost procedure | Hungarian White Card |
| No foreign employer, but a year in Europe, learning English and working as a student | Malta student residence permit |
| Living in Hungary with a permit for 3–5 years and wanting to make it permanent | Long-term residence in Hungary |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I work for a local company?
The main rule of the remote-work programmes: the employer or company must be outside the host country. One exception: in Spain, a self-employed person may earn up to 20% of their income from Spanish companies.
Which programmes lead to settlement?
The two Spanish permits and most Hungarian programmes do; the Croatian digital nomad permit, the Hungarian White Card and study in Malta do not – though study in Malta can continue with a work permit, and from then on the time counts.
Do I have to pay tax in the new country?
It varies: in Croatia, remote-work income is tax-free; in Spain, a preferential tax rule may apply; in Hungary, tax residence decides. Discuss it with a tax adviser; we provide the legal framework.
How much income do I need?
In 2026: Croatia EUR 3,622.50 per month; Spain EUR 2,849 gross for the digital nomad programme and EUR 2,400 for the non-lucrative programme (+EUR 600 per family member); Hungary EUR 3,000 net. The Malta study programme requires means of subsistence, not income: 75% of the minimum wage for each month of study. The programme pages set out exactly how to prove it.