Eligibility quiz
Were you adopted by a Croatian citizen?
Benefits
Benefits for your childBenefits for your child
Croatian passport
A Croatian passport proves your identity and citizenship and is issued for travel abroad.
If your passport is lost or unavailable abroad, a consulate can issue a temporary document for your return to Croatia, normally for the time needed and no longer than 30 days.
Live in Croatia for life
Croatian citizenship gives you the right to live in Croatia indefinitely, with no waiting period.
You do not need to apply for permanent residence, and moving abroad does not by itself end your citizenship.
Study in Croatia
Croatian citizens can study in Croatia, although course requirements still apply.
Work in Croatia
Croatian citizens can work for an employer or run a business in Croatia without a work permit.
The usual rules for a particular profession still apply.
Get help abroad
Croatian missions and consulates offer passports and other help abroad.
Where Croatia has no accessible representation, you can also seek consular protection from another EU country.
Vote in elections
Croatian citizens can vote from age 18 in parliamentary, presidential, local, regional and European Parliament elections.
Use public healthcare
People with permanent residence and certain workers or residents must have Croatian health insurance.
It covers primary, specialist and hospital care, medicines, sick-pay-related payments and certain travel and accommodation costs.
Citizenship alone does not provide coverage.
How to apply
Applying at a local officeApplying at a local office
Find your registry office
Find the Croatian registry office responsible for your child’s registration. The office is usually chosen using your child’s residence or a parent’s residence or last residence.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Croatian registry office matični ured handles child citizenship registration for your city?”
Get the application form
Ask the registry office for the form to register your child in Croatia’s birth register and register of citizens.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get the child birth and citizenship registration form from the Croatian registry office matični ured in your city?”
Fill in the form
As the child’s parent or legal representative, fill in and sign the form for your child.
Find form instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in Croatia’s child birth and citizenship registration form for an adopted child?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the documents the registry office asks for.
See required documentsHand in the application
Submit your child’s signed form and the requested originals and copies to the registry office. Ask how to submit it and whether to book, and pay any fee in the way the office tells you.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “How do I submit a child birth and citizenship registration application to the Croatian registry office matični ured in your city?”
Wait for the registration
Wait for your child’s registration to be completed, and answer any questions or requests for more documents from the registry office.
See registration informationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How long does child birth and citizenship registration for an adopted child take at a Croatian registry office matični ured?”
Get the citizenship certificate
Once your child is registered, get their Croatian citizenship certificate, called a domovnica, from any registry office in Croatia. You can then apply for your child’s Croatian passport.
Find certificate instructionsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I get a Croatian citizenship certificate domovnica from a registry office matični ured?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificate
Get your birth certificate from the office that issued it. Ask for an international or multilingual extract if one is available.
Adoption record
Get the final adoption decision, adoption certificate or another official adoption record. It must show that you were adopted and identify your Croatian adoptive parent or parents.
Parent's citizenship records
Provide proof of citizenship for your Croatian adoptive parent or parents. This can be a Croatian citizenship certificate, called a domovnica, or a Croatian passport or identity card.
Considerations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
Registration when living abroad
If you move abroad permanently, you must deregister your Croatian residence and return your Croatian identity card.
For a temporary absence, you must report it instead, renewing the report after five years and then every three years if you remain abroad.
Military service for men
In 2026, Croatian men born in 2008 or earlier who are not yet registered must register for military service, including those abroad, who must contact a Croatian mission or consulate.
Men are called for training in the calendar year they turn 19.
Those with religious or moral objections can do three months of civil service instead.
Citizenship can be lost
Citizenship can end if you apply to give it up, generally if you have another citizenship or a guarantee of one and meet the conditions.
It ends when the release decision is delivered or when you declare that you are giving it up, depending on the procedure.
It can also be taken away in limited cases.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Croatian Citizenship questions and answers
English Facebook group for people interested in Croatian citizenship
Join on FacebookCiudadanía Croata en Argentina ��
Spanish Facebook group for people interested in Croatian citizenship
Join on FacebookExpats in Zagreb [Official]
English Facebook group for people living in Croatia interested in Croatian local life
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
Adavia doesn't provide advice, but we're building a directory of professionals who do. If you'd like, we can notify you when help is available.
Updated