Croatia has become her home: An American reveals what expats fear most when returning

Croatian citizenship, returning to Croatia or moving to Croatia for the first time may sound simple to many - until they encounter bureaucratic procedures and stare down the question of where to even start. That is why Croatian expats will soon be able to get concrete answers at free workshops on acquiring Croatian citizenship and moving to Croatia. The workshops will be held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Calgary and Dallas, and are organized by Sara Dyson, founder of the Expat in Croatia platform.

Sara Dyson knows from her own experience how demanding moving to Croatia can be. She moved to Croatia in 2012, and at that time, she says, she knew almost nothing about the bureaucracy she would have to deal with. Today, through her platform, she tries to offer people who are thinking about returning to Croatia or moving to Croatia for the first time the information she lacked.

The biggest obstacle is not bureaucracy, but the question of what to live on

When asked where people most often get stuck when moving and adjusting to Croatia - whether it's work, children's education, healthcare, housing, taxes or administration, Sara says that all of the above are challenges, but the biggest challenge is how to support yourself.

This, she believes, is what most deters expatriates from returning. The question is whether they will be able to work remotely or try to find a job in Croatia, but also whether they will have fewer opportunities if they don't speak Croatian.

North American expatriates are particularly concerned about lower salaries in Croatia. They often cannot imagine living on a Croatian salary because they are not used to that way of life. But Sara sees it differently: “It's not how much you earn that matters, but how much you have left at the end of the month and what your quality of life is.”

New arrivals don't necessarily have to find a job and work for someone else

Sara also encourages expatriates to look at the possibility of living in Croatia from a different angle. They don't necessarily have to look for a job with an employer - they can start their own business and become entrepreneurs. They can start something from scratch and fill a gap in the market, or buy out an already established business. She particularly emphasizes the possibility of taking over businesses whose owners are retiring: “You can buy out a business, and the owner will be rewarded for their lifetime of work.”

And when asked if people in Croatia can have a good and comfortable life, her answer is clear: “I tell them that I believe they can.”

She arrived in Croatia with almost no information

Sara Dyson moved to Croatia alone in 2012. She says that she would do many things differently today, and above all, she wishes she had found out about Croatia earlier, instead of only in 2011: “When I arrived, I didn't know anything.”

And while the situation is completely different today, but back then she had to rely on the help of Croats to navigate the system. The lady who helped her find her first apartment in Split took her to the Tax Administration to get her OIB, the American equivalent of a Social Security Number. After that, she also took her to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to apply for a residence permit. Sara says that at the time she didn't know what to expect.

“At that time, there was no information for people like me,” she added.

So, she says, she simply went step by step and did what they asked of her. She added however, that the fact that the Croats accepted her openly helped her with everything.

“The Croats accepted me nicely and helped me a lot, which made everything easier for me.”

She knew that the system would be different, but emphasized that that was part of the point of moving. And it was this need for information that led to the creation of her blog, and then the Expat in Croatia platform.

Free Citizenship and Relocation Workshops

Sara is now organizing a tour for potential returnees and immigrants through her platform. The workshops are free and will be held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Calgary, and Dallas. The workshop begins with a 90-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session with Sara and a Croatian lawyer well-versed in the matter.

The tour will discuss how and why to seek Croatian citizenship, as well as topics that are important for living in Croatia - taxation, healthcare, military service, and employment.

Although the tour is called a "citizenship tour," a large part of the conversation also relates to relocation, as more and more expats are considering living in Croatia.

As many as 84 percent of participants have considered relocating

Sara organized the first citizenship tour last year, during which she visited the greater Toronto area, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Chicago. Some 530 participants registered, and all of them were asked if they were thinking about moving to Croatia. A stunning 84% of them said they were! For Sara, that's a huge number. But interest alone doesn't mean people are ready to take the step.

The problem, she says, is the lack of information. Many did not know that they could live in Croatia before obtaining citizenship, that there were tax breaks, financial assistance for starting a business or scholarships for learning the Croatian language.

“Our goal is to give them all the necessary information in one place and answer all their questions so that they could take concrete steps.”

For all those who are interested in attending a workshop they must first pre-register. According to Sara, the application form can be found on the website expatincroatia.com.

Sara is still waiting for Croatian citizenship

Although she has been living in Croatia for years now, Sara is still waiting for Croatian citizenship. Her situation, she explains, is specific. She is not Croatian and cannot apply based on her ethnic origin. She could apply based on residence, since she has been living in Croatia for many years, but that was not an option for her because she would then have to renounce her American citizenship. Something she does not want to do, not only because this is an extremely expensive procedure but also over concerns that one day she would not be able to visit her family. Her only other option is a request based on special interest. But in this case she must prove that it is in Croatia's interest to grant her citizenship based on her contribution to Croatian society. She submitted a 147 page request in July of 2022 and followed this with another two submissions about everything she has done during her time living in Croatia. The biggest problem, she says, is that this procedure is subject to a discretionary assessment.

“Someone will decide whether I should get citizenship or not.”

Sara describes the procedure as very unusual and quite unclear, but in spite of it all is hopeful of a positive outcome.

“It would be the greatest honor in my life to become a Croatian citizen. Therefore, I hope that a positive opinion is on the horizon. Croatia is my home."

Sara came to Croatia from Texas. Her reasons for staying in Croatia are primarily linked to the Croatian community, noting that Croats showed her kindness, generosity and love for life. This was something new to her because she was used to different interpersonal relationships while growing up that were mostly transactional in nature. She also noted that life in America revolved around work, with little time for socializing. Croatia showed her that there was a different way of life that made much more sense to her.

Sara points out that while she has no roots Croatia, Croatia is her home. Something she hopes will never change.