Eligibility quiz
Are both of your parents unknown?
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 registry officeApplying at a registry office
Find the registry office
Find the Croatian registry office for your child's place of birth.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which Croatian registry office handles birth registration for a child born in your city?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the registry office.
See required documentsRegister the birth
If your child's birth has not yet been registered, give notice of the birth in person at the registry office and provide the required documents. Where available, you can instead use e-Newborn to register the birth online.
Find birth registrationSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I register a child's birth at a Croatian registry office?”
Wait for registration
Wait for your child's birth entry to be approved and for the registry office to enter your child in the citizenship register. Respond if the office asks you for more information or documents.
See how registration worksSearches DuckDuckGo for “How does Croatian birth registration and citizenship registration work for a child?”
Receive your child's records
Receive your child's birth and citizenship records when they are issued. You can then use them to show your child's birth and Croatian citizenship.
Find your child's recordsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I receive my child's Croatian birth and citizenship records after birth registration?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Parents' citizenship records *
Provide a document showing that both your parents are stateless or that their nationality is unknown. Ask the registry office what evidence it can accept.
* Only if both your parents are stateless or their nationality is unknown and you use records showing their status.
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
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