Grounds and methods for obtaining Croatian citizenship. Procedure for obtaining Croatian citizenship. Advantages of a Croatian citizen passport. Necessary documents, preparation for the test, timing and cost of obtaining citizenship.
Croatia is a developed Mediterranean state that has high security and economic stability. Croatian citizenship also provides status in the European Union , since the country has been a member of the EU since 2013. Holders of a Croatian passport have the opportunity to legally live and work on the territory of any state of the European Union, study on preferential terms at prestigious European universities, undergo free treatment under insurance in modern clinics, and also cross the borders of 174 states without issuing visas. As of 2023, the Republic of Croatia became part of the Schengen area , and its citizens gained the right to visit the countries of the association without going through border controls.
The grounds for acquiring Croatian citizenship are specified in the Law on Croatian Citizenship . Foreigners have the opportunity to obtain a national passport of the republic by origin, birth, and also through naturalization (through employment, study, starting a business, international protection, family reunification).
Methods for obtaining Croatian citizenship
According to the Law on Croatian Citizenship, persons can obtain a national passport of the country in several ways:
- By origin.
Children whose parents hold a Croatian passport at the time of birth automatically become citizens of the country. A child whose father or mother is the holder of a national identity card receives internal documents of the state, provided that he was born on the territory of the republic. Citizenship by descent can also be obtained by persons who were adopted by local residents. - By right of birth.
Can be obtained by people who were born on the territory of the republic and have a permanent residence permit in the country. Citizenship by birth can be obtained by persons who have proven their Croatian roots and emigrants who left the territory of the state before October 8, 1991 for the purpose of living in another country. - Naturalization.
Croatian citizenship is issued to persons who have lived in the republic for at least 8 years with a residence permit (for 5 years), and then permanent residence for 3 years. Grounds for obtaining a residence permit: family reunification (including marriage with a Croatian citizen), study, work, research, obtaining international protection. The state fee for issuing Croatian citizenship is 139.36 EUR.
The Croatian government does not issue citizenship for investment to foreigners. But, purchasing real estate on the territory of the state can have a positive impact on the decision to issue a national identity card of the republic.
General procedure for obtaining Croatian citizenship
To obtain a Croatian citizen passport in 2023, a foreigner must go through the following procedure:
- Collect a package of documents.
The applicant must prepare a personal dossier in accordance with legal requirements. All documents issued outside of Croatia must be translated into the state language and certified by a notary. - Submit documents and application to the authorized migration authority.
The applicant personally applies for Croatian citizenship at the local police station in the state or at the diplomatic mission in the country of residence. When submitting documents through a Croatian consulate or embassy, the administrative fee is paid by the applicant immediately. If a foreigner applies for citizenship in the republic, payment is made after a decision is made by the authorized body. - Wait for the decision and take the oath.
The processing time for documents is about 2–3 months. If the answer is positive, foreigners can obtain a citizenship document from the application office. Additionally, the applicant must take a solemn oath. - Get a birth certificate.
The applicant can pick up a birth certificate after entering its data into the unified electronic database of citizens of the Republic of Croatia at any registry office of the state. - Apply for a passport.
A foreigner needs to collect a package of documents, in accordance with the law, and submit them to the police station at the place of residence to obtain a national identity card and an EU passport.
Peculiarities of obtaining Croatian citizen status
To obtain Croatian citizenship, a foreigner must collect a full package of documents, have grounds for legal residence in the country, and also pass exams on knowledge of history, culture and the state language.
Collection and submission of documents
A foreigner’s dossier for obtaining Croatian citizenship consists of the following documents:
- standard application completed in the official language of Croatia;
- motivation letter;
- a notarized copy of the passport;
- extract from the civil register;
- a certificate of no criminal record in the country of residence no older than six months and its certified copy with a translation into Croatian;
- citizenship certificate and its photocopy certified by a notary;
- extract from the register of a life partnership;
- marriage certificate (if applicable);
- written consent of the applicant to verify the authenticity of documents.
Additionally, the applicant must provide evidence of the grounds for obtaining Croatian citizenship (contract with the employer, company registration documents, marriage certificate, etc.).
The file of a minor applying for Croatian citizenship consists of:
- application completed in the state language;
- a valid identification document of the child;
- extracts from the civil register;
- written consent of one of the parents;
- certificate of citizenship of the child.
Language and history test
To obtain Croatian citizenship, a citizen of Russia and any other country under 60 years of age must prove his knowledge:
- State language and Latin alphabet.
A foreigner can confirm knowledge by providing a certificate of passing an exam at a university or school that provided training in the Croatian language, a diploma of higher, secondary or primary education in the republic, a document on completion of a course or a certificate from a foreign educational institution. The required level of knowledge is not lower than B1. - Culture and public order.
To confirm knowledge, the applicant fills out a 15-question questionnaire at the police station in the presence of an authorized officer. Consulting with third parties during testing is strictly prohibited. The applicant must answer at least 10 questions correctly.
Dual citizenship in Croatia
Dual citizenship, unlike the second, implies that a special agreement has been signed between countries on the mutual recognition of the rights and obligations of the holder of two passports. The Republic of Croatia, as of 2023, has no valid additional treaties with other countries.
According to the Croatian Citizenship Law, local residents are considered citizens exclusively of their country. A foreigner who plans to obtain a republican passport must renounce his native identity card in advance. In some cases, immigrants can provide a certificate of exemption from foreign citizenship after receiving a positive decision from the Croatian government. Ethnic Croats and spouses of local residents do not need to give up their native passport.
Refusal to obtain and loss of Croatian citizenship
A foreigner may be refused Croatian citizenship if he:
- did not comply with all legal requirements;
- provided false facts about himself and fictitious documents;
- has a criminal record in the republic or any other country;
- provided an incomplete dossier.
When contacting migration lawyers, the risk of being refused Croatian citizenship is reduced to zero. Specialists carefully collect and check the applicant’s dossier, legalize documents, help correctly draw up an application and sign up to submit an application to the authorized migration agency.
A person may voluntarily renounce a state’s national identity card if the following conditions are met:
- adults;
- no need for military service;
- providing evidence of obtaining foreign citizenship;
- absence of arrears in the payment of taxes, fees and other obligations to individuals or legal entities of the republic;
- settlement of property obligations in relation to immediate relatives living in Croatia.
Persons who have a criminal record, have been sentenced to prison, or are under criminal investigation cannot voluntarily renounce the citizenship of the republic. If a negative response is received in issuing a national passport, migration lawyers find out the reasons and promptly eliminate them, in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Croatia.
Croatian citizen’s passport
Travel documents that Croatian citizens can obtain:
- Passport.
The document is issued to all citizens and contains a built-in electronic chip with personal data about the owner, including fingerprints. The validity of a Croatian passport for adults is 10 years. For children under 21 years of age, the document is issued for 5 years. Persons who have reported the loss of a document more than twice during the last 5 years can receive a new identity card for a period of 1 year. The passport of a Croatian citizen is made in the form of a black book. The document can be used for an unlimited number of trips abroad. - Diplomatic passport.
The document can only be obtained by civil servants and officials: president, vice president, prime minister, head of the office of the head of government. Close relatives (spouse, children) of the holder of a diplomatic passport also have the right to issue it. The following civil servants can issue a document that is intended only for traveling abroad: the chairman of the constitutional or supreme court, the chief of staff of the armed forces, the auditor general, the prosecutor general, directors of ministries and other persons directly related to the government of the country. The diplomatic passport is in the form of a black book and is valid for 5 years. - Service passport.
The document is issued to civil servants and employees of ministries who are responsible for foreign affairs, employees of personal insurance of officials, officials of Croatian embassies and consulates, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs responsible for the transfer of convicted persons, as well as persons who are sent to work in international organizations, military or police operations for peacekeeping. The service ID card is valid for 5 years. The document is made in the form of a black book. - Travel document.
Issued to persons who live abroad, but do not have a Croatian passport and want to return to the territory of the republic. The validity period of the document depends on the time required for the person to return to Croatia, but cannot exceed 30 days.
Procedure for obtaining a Croatian passport:
- Dossier preparation.
The applicant must collect a dossier, which consists of: a standard color photo measuring 3.5 x 4.5 cm, a birth certificate or other proof of Croatian citizenship, an extract from the civil registry, an old travel document (if available) and a standard application . - Submitting documents and paying state fees.
The applicant submits a dossier to any Croatian police department or diplomatic mission of the republic abroad. The state fee for issuing a document for a period of 5 years is 82 EUR, for 10 years – 110 EUR. - Waiting for issuance and receipt of the document.
The applicant must wait for notification from the police station that the passport is ready (from 30 days to 7 weeks) and contact the organization again to receive the document.
Costs for obtaining citizenship
Approximate costs for obtaining Croatian citizenship for Russians through naturalization are shown in the table below:
| Expense item | Cost, approximately € |
|---|---|
| Long-term visa type D | 93 |
| Administrative fee for issuing a residence permit | 46 |
| Biometric document confirming residence permit | from 31 to 60 |
| Administrative fee for issuing permanent residence permit | 83 |
| Biometric document confirming permanent residence | 32 |
| State fee for issuing citizenship | 139.36 |
| Passport | from 82 to 110 |