How do absences from Croatia affect EU long-term residence eligibility?

Continuity is strictly defined for long-term residence. Across the five qualifying years, you cannot accumulate more than ten months of absence in total, and no single trip away may exceed six months.

Going over either limit breaks the required continuity and means you do not meet the eligibility test. If you travel frequently or spend long periods abroad, keep careful records of your trips so you can demonstrate that you stayed within the permitted limits when you apply.