How to apply for Croatian citizenship based on descent

1. Confirm your claim

Before you start with the process of acquiring Croatian citizenship, it’s important to confirm your claim. If you’re not 100% sure of your claim, you could waste much of your precious time and money. This process is long and demanding, so it is better to check all the facts before you apply.

The best way to confirm your claim is to obtain the birth certificate of yourself or your ancestor in Croatia. Without that birth certificate, it’ll be challenging to apply for citizenship based on Article 11.

Our specialized consultants and lawyers are here to guide you through the process. Contact us using the form on our website or e-mail info.croata.consulting@gmail.com, and we will help you determine what you need to get started.

2. Prepare the application

The most complicated part of the process is preparing your application. It includes collecting documentation from Croatia and your home country, which can take a while.

You must provide:

• Completed application form – one of these, depending on your case:

  • Obrazac 1 – for adults who are applying, download it here

  • Obrazac 2 – for adults applying with children, download it here

  • Obrazac 3 – for children under 18 who are applying but parents are not, download it here

• Biography including your reasons for applying and connection to Croatia, written in Croatian

• Your birth certificate

• Birth certificate of your Croatian ancestor or for yourself, if you are the emigrant – a new copy

• Birth certificates of your relatives that connect you to this ancestor, if any

• Notarized proof of citizenship such as:

  • Copy of a passport

  • Copy of an ID card

  • Copy of domovnica equivalent

• Background check issued by your home country (or where you lived the last 12 months) proving you have not been criminally prosecuted not older than 6 months

• Copy of identity document with a visible photo – officially translated if not in English

• Marriage certificate, if you are married

• Family tree

• Proof that your ancestor permanently emigrated abroad, such as:

  • Ship manifest

  • Entry at the port of call

  • Death certificate

• Anything else that shows your relative’s life in Croatia before they left

• Proof of address, whether you are applying in Croatia or abroad

  • ID card

  • Driver’s license

For children under the age of 18, you must also provide:

• Birth certificate

• Proof of citizenship

• Written consent of the other parent

  
  

ALL documents issued by foreign governments outside Croatia MUST be originals. They must be apostilled/legalized and officially translated into Croatian unless bilateral and multilateral international agreements define other rules.

Wrapping your brain around the steps, documents, and timeline of putting your application together can be overwhelming.

Reach out to our team of experts who can guide you through the process specifically tailored to your situation.