Is Croatia a new hub for would-be expats?

Croatia is yet another up-and-coming destination for would-be expats looking to embrace the unfamiliar.

Initially an increasingly popular holiday destination, the charms of this lesser-known European state are now persuading would-be expats to make it home for at least a while, either by finding a job, starting a small business or planning for a comfortable retirement. From the capital, Dubrovnik, through coastal towns to rural villages, there’s a varied choice of locations for expatriates looking for new, enjoyable lifestyles.

A recent survey by Croatia’s Central Bureau of Statistics has revealed the growing interest in Croatia as an expat destination actually accelerated between 2013 and the end of last year. As well as monitoring population movements inside the country, the survey also totalled the numbers who’d arrived from overseas to take up residence. During the four years surveyed, some 62,000 expats arrived in the country, with Dubrovnic seeing the largest number of new arrivals, most of whom chose to work in the historic city’s tourism industry.

The trend was also visible in several of Croatia’s Adriatic coastal towns and small cities, nine of which featured in a table measuring population growth. Kastelan, Solin, Vodice, Umag, Krk, Porec, Novaljia and Supetar all saw population increases, with picturesque Samobor west of Zagreb also welcoming newcomers from overseas along with Zagreb itself and the stunning Istrian peninsula. Economically, an increase in popularity leading to an increase in the number of residents is good news. Only Split, the recipient of the second-highest number of immigrants, had problems with assimilation mostly caused by a shortage of accommodation, as many permanent residents leave during the tourist season and let out their properties to visitors at a great rate!