Aquistion of Croatian citizenship and bases for its acquisition have become increasingly attractive topic in the last few years. This can be attributed to the growing interest of people of Croatian descent in connecting with the land of their origins. Also general intereset in Croatia is increased due to its stunning Adriatic coastline, rich history, and vibrant culture. In this article, we will delve into the bases for acquisition of Croatian citizenship according to the Croatian Citizenship Act.

Croatian citizenship can be acquired by: origin, birth in the Croatian territory, naturalisation and international agreements.

Acquisition of Croatian citizenship by origin

Croatian citizenship is acquired by origin by:

• a child
  • whose both parents are Croatian citizens at the time of his birth;
  • whose one of the parents is a Croatian citizen at the time of his birth, provided that the child was born in the Republic of Croatia;
  • who has a foreign citizenship or is stateless, adopted by Croatian citizens in accordance with the provisions of a special law.
• a person born abroad whose one parent was a Croatian citizen at the time of his / her birth
  • if he / she registers at the diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Croatia abroad or at the Registry office in the Republic of Croatia by the age of 21 in order to be registered as a Croatian citizen.
  • a person over the age of 21 if he or she would otherwise be stateless.

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

By birth in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, a child born or found in the territory of the Republic of Croatia acquires the citizenship of the Republic of Croatia if:

• both of his parents are unknown; or
• are of unknown citizenship; or
• are stateless.

Acquisition of Croatian citizenship by naturalisation

On the basis of naturalisation, Croatian citizenship can be acquired:

• on the basis of residence
  • person who has reached the age of 18;
  • has a release from foreign citizenship / proof that he/she will receive a release if he is admitted to Croatian citizenship (presumed if he / she is a stateless person or will lose other citizenship under the laws of the state of which he is a citizen with the acquisition of the Croatian citizenship). If a foreign country does not allow release or if it allows the release under the conditions that cannot be met, then the statement of the applicant to renounce foreign citizenship if he/she acquires Croatian citizenship is sufficient.;
  • lives in Croatia and has a registered residence for a continuous period of 8 years and the status of a foreigner with permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia;
  • knows Croatian language and Latin alphabet, Croatian culture and social organization. This does not apply to persons over 60 years of age;
  • respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia, has paid the due public benefits, there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.
• on the basis of birth on Croatian territory
  • has permanent residence in Croatia;
  • has reached the age of 18;
  • has a release from foreign citizenship / proof that he/she will receive a release if he is admitted to Croatian citizenship;
  • respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia, has paid the due public benefits, there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.
• on the basis of marriage by a person who is married to a Croatian citizen and:
  • has an approved permanent residence and lives in the territory of the Republic of Croatia;
  • respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has paid the due public benefits and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.
• on the basis of emigration by both the emigrant and his descendants, as well as their spouses if:
  • he / she has reached the age of 18;
  • respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia and has paid the due public benefits and there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.

An emigrant is a person who emigrated from the territory of the Republic of Croatia before October 8, 1991 with the intention of permanently living abroad. Emigration basis does not apply if the person emigrated under an international agreement or member states of the former SFRY. This basis also doesn not apply to persons who emigrated from Croatian territory but did not have former Croatian republican citizenship / homelandness.

• by admission to Croatian citizenship based on the interest to the Republic of Croatia
  • applicant who respects the legal order of the Republic of Croatia, has paid the due public benefits, there are no security obstacles for his admission to Croatian citizenship.
  • the spouse can also apply after living in Croatia for 1 year with registered residence.
• by a minor child if:
  • both parents acquire citizenship by naturalisation, or only one of them acquires citizenship by naturalisation but the child lives in the Republic of Croatia and has an approved permanent residence; or
  • one parent acquires citizenship based on the naturalization on the basis of emigration or on the basis of belonging to Croatian nation; or
  • only one of the parents acquires Croatian citizenship by naturalisation, and the other is stateless or of unknown citizenship, and the child lives abroad.
• on the basis of re-admission to Croatian citizenship
  • Croatian citizen who sought and obtained release from Croatian citizenship in order to acquire another citizenship. Such release must have been sought for the purpose of performing vocation or business activity, according to the preconditions determined by the state whose citizenship was acquired.
• on the basis of belonging to the Croatian nation.

In addition to acquiring Croatian citizenship in accordance with the abovementioned conditions and assumptions, it is possible to initiate the procedure of determining Croatian citizenship in certain cases.

Determining Croatian citizenship

A Croatian citizen is considered to be:

• a person who acquired this qualification according to the regulations valid until the Croatian Citizenship Act entered into force.
• a member of Croatian nation without Croatian citizenship on the day the Croatian Citizenship Act entered into force but with a registered residence in Croatia on that day. The applicant has to provide a written statement that he/she considers him/herself a Croatian citizen;
• a person registered in the register of citizenship from March 1, 1978 to 8 October 1991. This person has to possess a public document proving his/her Croatian citizenship.

If you need more detailed legal advice on the possibilities of acquiring Croatian citizenship, please do not hesitate to contact me with confidence.