CITIZENSHIP

Acquisition of Croatian citizenship by descent (on the basis of parents)

Croatian citizenship is acquired by origin:

• Child:

1. 1. whose parents are both Croatian citizens at the time of his birth;
   2. one of whose parents is a Croatian citizen at the time of his birth, provided that the child was born in the Republic of Croatia;
   3. of foreign citizenship or without citizenship adopted by Croatian citizens according to the provisions of a special law;
      
      

• A person born abroad whose one parent is a Croatian citizen at the time of his birth

1. 1. if he registers at a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Croatia abroad or at the registry office in the Republic of Croatia in order to be registered as a Croatian citizen by the age of 21.
      
      

Acquisition of Croatian citizenship by birth on the territory of the Republic of Croatia

By being born on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, a child who was born or found on the territory of the Republic of Croatia acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Croatia if:

1. both parents are unknown to him; or
2. unknown citizenship; or
3. stateless.

With this method of acquiring Croatian citizenship, it is important to note that the child's Croatian citizenship will cease if it is determined that both of his parents are foreign citizens by the time he reaches the age of fourteen.

Acquisition of Croatian citizenship by naturalization

Croatian citizenship can be acquired by naturalization:

• On the basis of residence, a foreigner who has submitted an application for Croatian citizenship and meets the requirements that:

1. 1. has reached 18 years of age;
   2. has a release from foreign citizenship / proof that he will receive a release if he is admitted to Croatian citizenship (it is assumed if it is a person who has become stateless or will lose it by naturalization according to the laws of the country of which he is a citizen, BiH and Croatia have an Agreement on dual citizenship). If the foreign country does not allow release or sets conditions for it that cannot be met, then the applicant's statement that he renounces his foreign citizenship if he acquires Croatian is sufficient;
   3. lives in the Republic of Croatia and has a registered residence for a continuous period of 8 years until the application is submitted and the status of a foreigner with permanent residence in the REPUBLIC OF CROATIA;
   4. knows the Croatian language and the Latin alphabet, Croatian culture and social order (does not apply to people over 60);
   5. respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has settled the due public duties and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.  

• On the basis of birth of a person who was born and lives in the territory of the Republic of Croatia with an approved permanent residence if:

1. 1. has turned 18 years of age;
   2. has a release from foreign citizenship / proof that he will receive a release if he is admitted to Croatian citizenship;
   3. respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has settled the due public duties and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.

• On the basis of marriage, a person who is married to a Croatian citizen and:

1. 1. has an approved permanent residence and lives in the territory of the REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
   2. respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has settled the due public duties and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.

• On the basis of emigration, the expatriate and his descendants, their spouse if:

1. 1. has turned 18 years old;
   2. respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has settled the due public duties and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.

• A foreigner whose admission to Croatian citizenship would represent an interest for the Republic of Croatia and his spouse if:

1. 1. respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has settled the due public duties and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.

• On the basis of belonging to the Croatian nation: 

1. 1. if the acquirer respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has settled the due public duties and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.

• Minor child if:

1. 1. both parents acquire citizenship by birth, or only one of the parents, and the child lives in the Republic of Croatia and has an approved residence; or
   2. one of the parents acquires citizenship through naturalization on the basis of emigration or on the basis of belonging to the Croatian nation; or
   3. by natural birth, only one of the parents acquires citizenship, while the other is stateless or of unknown citizenship, and the child lives abroad.

The application for acquiring Croatian citizenship by naturalization is submitted in person to the police administration or police station according to the place of approved temporary or permanent residence. Exceptionally, if the applicant has a disability, the application may be submitted through a legal representative or authorized proxy. If the applicant does not have approved temporary or permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia, the application for acquiring Croatian citizenship by naturalization is submitted through the diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Croatia abroad.

Along with the application for acquiring Croatian citizenship by naturalization, the following documents are attached:

1. Curriculum vitae, briefly stating the reasons for submitting the application
2. Extract from the birth register issued on the prescribed form in accordance with international agreements and conventions
3. Proof of citizenship status (certificate of citizenship, certified copy of a valid travel document or identity card)
4. Certificate of no criminal record from the competent foreign authority of the applicant's nationality and the country of residence, in the original or properly certified copy with translation into the Croatian language not older than 6 months
5. Valid identity document in a certified copy with a clearly visible photograph

If the application is also submitted for minor children, the following are attached:

1. Extract from the birth register of the child
2. Proof of the child's citizenship status
3. Written consent of the other parent

For different grounds of acquiring Croatian citizenship, other documents should be provided, such as:

Members of the Croatian people provide documents proving their previous national affiliation in legal transactions - e.g., original or certified copy of employment record book, military record book, certificates, index, extract from birth, marriage, etc. Affiliation with the Croatian people is also proved by providing evidence of the protection of rights and advancement of the interests of the Croatian people and evidence of active participation in Croatian cultural, scientific, and sports associations abroad. If applicants claim affiliation with the Croatian people of their parents, they must submit evidence confirming the national declaration of their parents.

Emigrants: A certified copy of a travel or other public document based on which the person emigrated from the Republic of Croatia abroad. If it concerns emigrants' descendants, proof of kinship with the emigrant should also be provided.

The procedure for acquiring Croatian citizenship is conducted by the Ministry of the Interior at its headquarters.