Croatian Citizenship by Descent (Emigrant)

1. Apply548-730 days
2. Citizenshipgranted

Country

Croatia

Program

Croatian Citizenship by Descent (Emigrant)

Local name

Hrvatsko Državljanstvo po Porijeklu

Type

Citizenship by Descent

Status

Active

Processing time

548-730 days

Dual citizenship

Allowed

Visa-free countries

183 destinations

Passport rank

#7 (Henley Index)

Foreign nationals who are emigrants from the territory of present-day Croatia before October 8, 1991, their descendants, and qualifying spouses may acquire Croatian citizenship by naturalization under Article 11. The emigrant must have intended to live abroad permanently. A Croatian member of the Croatian people who emigrated from another part of a former state that included present-day Croatia may also qualify, subject to proving Croatian ethnicity. The route waives the ordinary residence, renunciation and language/culture requirements. Naturalized applicants must give the statutory citizenship oath.

Government fee

$156

Passport fee

$53

• Police clearance required
• Medical exam not required
• Oath required

Generational limit

No limit

Ancestor citizenship

Not required

Method

In person, consulate

Apply from abroad

Yes

Application type

Open

Official website

mup.gov.hr

Legal basis

Croatian Citizenship Act (Zakon o hrvatskom državljanstvu), Article 11, as amended by Official Gazette 102/19

The emigrant must have left before October 8, 1991 intending permanent residence abroad. Moving within the former state is excluded. The Act also excludes emigration under an international agreement and a person who renounced Croatian citizenship. For the ordinary territory-of-Croatia route, the emigrant must have had former Croatian republican citizenship or domicile (zavičajnost); Croats emigrating from other former-state territories must prove Croatian ethnicity. Descendants must document each link in the family chain. Spouses of emigrants and descendants qualify in their own right; underage children may be included in a parent's application. Article 11 waives the Article 8(1) requirements in points 2–4. A Croatian-language biography and motivation statement are requested, but this is a document requirement rather than a language proficiency test. The Ministry's U.S.-specific November 2024 guidance estimates 18–24 months for a complete application and says the consular fee varies and should be confirmed with the relevant post. In Croatia, the published administrative fee is EUR 139.36 on a positive decision.

• Digital Nomad Visadigital nomad visa

1. Oct 9, 2026
   • Application fee (USD) 150 none

   set official verification date and replaced non-official source with the amending Act Source