Who qualifies
- Can registerOne parent who was Croatian when you were born, and you’re under 21Your parents register you before 18, or you apply yourself before 21. If both your parents were Croatian when you were born, the age limit doesn’t apply: a consulate can confirm your citizenship.
- Can applyAny ancestor who emigrated from Croatia before October 8, 1991Emigrants, their descendants and their descendants’ spouses. No generation limit and no language test since 2020.
- PossiblyEthnically Croatian family from outside CroatiaThere’s a separate route for members of the Croatian people, with proof of Croatian ethnicity or ties.
Who counts as an emigrant
An emigrant is someone who left present-day Croatia before October 8, 1991 intending to live abroad permanently. The further back your ancestor, the more certificates you’ll need, because you must show each link in the chain. While you’re in Croatia, Croatia treats you as a Croatian citizen only.
How to apply
- Trace your line to the emigrantBirth and marriage certificates for every generation.
- Get a criminal record checkFrom every country whose citizenship you hold, dated within six months.
- Apply through a Croatian embassy or consulateThe Ministry of the Interior decides. The Croatian Consulate General in Mississauga, Canada, says to allow around 18 to 24 months.
- Take the oath, then apply for a passportNaturalized citizens take a solemn oath.
Documents
- Your valid passport
- Your full birth certificate, showing your parents
- Your marriage certificate, if applicable
- Birth certificates for every generation back to the emigrant
- Criminal record checks from each country whose citizenship you hold, dated within six months
- Apostilles and certified Croatian translations of foreign documents
For UK, Irish and US certificates, see where to order certificates.
Common questions
Can I keep my other passport?
Yes. Emigrants and their descendants don’t have to give up their other citizenship. In Croatia, though, you’re treated only as Croatian.
Do I need to speak Croatian?
No. Since 2020 there’s no language and culture test for emigrants’ descendants.
Can someone over 21 who was never registered still become Croatian?
Not by registration through one Croatian parent, which ends at 21. If both parents were Croatian when they were born, they may be Croatian already, and a consulate can confirm it. And if the Croatian parent emigrated before October 8, 1991, the emigrants’ route is open.
How long does it take?
The Croatian Consulate General in Mississauga, Canada, says around 18 to 24 months for a complete application, sometimes longer.
What a Croatian passport gives you
The right to live, work, study and retire across all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.
Living there
A Croatian passport lets you live and work in any EU country, and in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Not eligible? The long way round
If descent doesn’t work for you, you can still become a citizen by living in Croatia and applying to naturalize. It takes longer, but it’s open to anyone who meets the conditions.
A shortcut for people with Croatian roots
Descendants of Croatian emigrants don’t need to live in Croatia at all. See the guide above.
- Time living there first
- 8 years’ continuous residence, with permanent residence.
- Language and tests
- Croatian language and Latin script, and knowledge of Croatian culture and society.
- Keep your current passport?
- Usually no: you must be released from your other citizenship, unless you’re an emigrant’s descendant.
- Main ways to get residence
- Work permits, the digital nomad permit, family and study.
Already have, or able to get, a passport from an EU country through another family line? Then you can live and work in Croatia without a visa. See what an EU passport lets you do.
General information, not immigration advice. Residence rules change often, so check the official source before you plan a move. Sources: Wikipedia: Croatian nationality law (secondary source).
Sources
- Gov.hr: simplified acquisition of Croatian citizenship
- Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs: Croatian citizenship overview, Consulate General in Mississauga, January 2024 (PDF: fees, waits, registration by 21)
- Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs: acquiring Croatian citizenship, an overview for the US, November 2024 (PDF: people whose parents were both Croatian)