The short version
- Croatia has the lower entry bar: €3,622.50 per month versus €3,860 for Antigua and Barbuda.
- Antigua and Barbuda grants a longer initial stay (24 months vs 18).
- Tax treatment differs: Antigua and Barbuda — no personal income tax; Croatia — foreign income exempt. Tax outcomes depend heavily on personal circumstances.
| Criteria | Antigua and Barbuda NDR | Croatia DN |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum income / month | €3,860 | €3,622.50 (better) |
| Income basis | Mixed (salary, freelance or savings) | Mixed (salary, freelance or savings) |
| Initial duration | 2 years (better) | 18 months |
| Renewable | No | Yes (better) |
| Maximum total stay | 2 years | 18 months |
| Path to permanent residence | No | No |
| Path to citizenship | No | No |
| Family inclusion | Yes | Yes |
| Working for local clients | Not allowed | Not allowed |
| Tax treatment | No personal income tax | Foreign income exempt (Digital nomad exemption, Income Tax Act Art. 9(1)(26)) |
| Health insurance | Required (explicit) | Required (explicit) |
| Insurance duration required | Full visa period | Full visa period |
| Application fee | ≈ €1,390 | ≈ €46.45 (better) |
| Where to apply | Online | Online, Embassy / consulate, In country |
| Processing time | 1–2 weeks | — |
Green values mark the objectively better number in that row.
Full guide
Antigua and Barbuda NDR →
Requirements, application steps, insurance and sources.
Full guide
Croatia DN →
Requirements, application steps, insurance and sources.
Don't forget insurance
Both programs have their own health-insurance rules — we match plans against each one's published requirement, with the evidence shown.
Sources
- Government Nomad Digital Residence - Official Government Portal (homepage) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Nomad Digital Residence FAQs - Antigua and Barbuda Department of Immigration (fees, duration, tax, insurance, renewability) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Discontinuation of the NDR Programme - Government of Antigua and Barbuda official notice (effective 15 Nov 2025) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Embassy Nomad Digital Residence Visa Programme - Antigua and Barbuda Embassy in Madrid (income USD 50,000/yr, fees, insurance certificate, documents) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Embassy Nomad Digital Residence Visa Programme - Antigua and Barbuda High Commission UK (income, fees, 2-year duration, medical-insurance prerequisite) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Antigua and Barbuda Digital Nomad Visa Guide (corroborates 5-7 business-day processing; not-tax-resident treatment) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Antigua and Barbuda Is Abolishing Its Personal Income Tax - Caribbean Journal (PIT abolished April 2016) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government Medical Benefits Scheme - Government of Antigua and Barbuda (public health financing; resident eligibility) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Media Antigua and Barbuda Digital Nomad Visa Guide - Nomad Capitalist (corroborates fees incl. USD 650/additional dependent, income, 2-year duration) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-15
- Government MUP - Temporary stay of digital nomads (English) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government MUP - Privremeni boravak u svrhu boravka digitalnih nomada (Croatian) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government MUP - Temporary stay of digital nomads (health insurance document requirement) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Official gazette Zakon o izmjenama i dopuni Zakona o obveznom zdravstvenom osiguranju i zdravstvenoj zastiti stranaca u RH, NN 26/2021 (digital nomads exempt from compulsory HZZO registration) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Official gazette Zakon o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o porezu na dohodak, NN 138/2020 (Art. 9(1)(26) digital nomad exemption, in force 1 Jan 2021) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government Croatian Tax Administration - Determination of residency status (183-day habitual abode / permanent residence) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Official gazette Zakon o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o strancima, NN 40/2025 (Art. 61(1) 18-month duration with one extension; Art. 57(4) 6-month cooling-off) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Official gazette Zakon o strancima, NN 133/2020 (Art. 3(1)(43) digital nomad definition) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government EMN Croatia (government) - New Foreigners Act in force 1 January 2021, introduces digital nomad stay (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government MUP - Privremeni boravak digitalnih nomada (fee schedule) (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10
- Government Digital Nomads Croatia - official MUP online application portal (opens in a new tab) accessed 2026-06-10