Path to citizenship
- Apply365-1095 days
- Citizenshipgranted
Overview
- Country
- Croatia
- Program
- Croatian Citizenship by Descent (Emigrant)
- Local name
- Hrvatsko Državljanstvo po Porijeklu
- Type
- Citizenship by Descent
- Status
- Active
- Processing time
- 365-1095 days
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Visa-free countries
- 183 destinations
- Passport rank
- #7 (Henley Index)
Croatian citizenship for descendants of Croatian emigrants who permanently left Croatia before October 8, 1991 (Croatian independence). Applies to children of parents who emigrated from the territory of the Republic of Croatia. The ancestor must have left Croatia to move abroad (not to another country within Yugoslavia). No language or civics test required.
Fees and costs
- Application fee
- $150
- Passport fee
- $53
Eligibility and requirements
- Police clearance required
- Medical exam not required
Ancestry requirements
- Generational limit
- No limit
- Ancestor citizenship
- Not required
Family
- Dependents
- Allowed
- Spouse
- Not included
- Max child age
- 18
Passport and mobility
- Passport rank
- #7 (Henley Index)
- Visa-free access
- 183 countries
- Passport validity
- 10 years
- EU citizenship
- Yes
- Schengen access
- Yes
- US E-2 treaty
- Yes — eligible for US investor visa
How to apply
- Method
- Both
- Apply from abroad
- Yes
- Application type
- Open
- Official website
- mup.gov.hr
- Legal basis
- Croatian Citizenship Act (Zakon o hrvatskom državljanstvu), Article 11
Notes and caveats
Key disqualifying factor: if the ancestor left Croatia to move to another country within Yugoslavia (Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, etc.), the emigrant descent provision does NOT apply. The ancestor must have emigrated outside Yugoslavia entirely. If the ancestor returned to live in Croatia, the right is also negated for descendants. Processing is notoriously slow — many applications take 2+ years. No language, civics, or cultural test required. Croatia joined the EU in 2013 and Schengen in 2023.