An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public document so that it can be used in another country. The short answer to the question in the title: for public documents from Serbia used in Croatia an apostille is as a rule not needed, because legalisation between the two countries was abolished by treaty. Below we explain what exactly the treaty says, when an apostille may still come up, and who issues it in Serbia. We state only what the official sources say.
What an apostille is
The apostille is the certificate provided for by the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP) explains that the Convention simplified the procedure, so that a public document is subject to a single certification by the competent authority of the country that issued it. The same ministry stresses that the certification confirms the authenticity of the seal and the official's signature on the document, not its content.
Do you need an apostille for Croatia?
As a rule, no. Three official sources say the same thing:
- The treaty between Croatia and Serbia. Article 19(1) of the Treaty on Legal Assistance in Civil and Criminal Matters (Narodne novine – International Treaties, No. 6/98; "NN-MU" is the treaty series of Croatia's official gazette) provides that documents issued or certified in the prescribed form by a court or other competent authority of one state party, and bearing the signature and official seal of the competent authority, need no further certification for use in the territory of the other state party.
- MVEP. On its page on the legalisation of documents, under the heading "Bilateral treaties that abolished legalisation", MVEP lists Serbia, with that same treaty (NN-MU No. 6/98).
- MUP. On its citizenship page, the Croatian Ministry of the Interior (MUP) states that foreign public documents attached to the application (for example a birth certificate, a marriage certificate and the like) must first be legalised, "unless bilateral and multilateral international treaties provide otherwise". For Serbia, such a bilateral treaty exists.
So: for public documents from Serbia used in Croatia an apostille is as a rule not needed, because legalisation was abolished by the Treaty on Legal Assistance between Croatia and Serbia (NN-MU 6/98, Art. 19), as MVEP also states. An earlier version of this article described the apostille as a routine step; that was not correct as a general rule and has been corrected.
For civil register extracts there is a second basis as well: MUP asks for a birth register extract "issued on the prescribed form in accordance with international treaties and conventions", and Article 8 of Convention No. 16 on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records (Vienna, 1976) says such extracts are accepted without legalisation or equivalent formality in the states bound by the Convention. We cover this in more detail in our article on the court interpreter for Croatian.
When an apostille may still come up
- The document is meant for a third country. Article 19 of the treaty applies between Croatia and Serbia. If you use the same document in another country, that country's rules apply.
- An office expressly asks for it. If the authority receiving your document expressly asks for an apostille or another certification on your particular document, follow that instruction and ask on what basis it is required.
So before you pay for any certification, confirm with the consular office where you will file that they require nothing further for your document:
- Consular Section of the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade — Kneza Miloša 82, 1st floor, tel. +381 11 3679 140, crocons.beograd@mvep.hr;
- Consulate General of Croatia in Subotica — Maksima Gorkog 6, tel. +381 24 656 906 and +381 24 656 900 (office of the Consul General), gkrh.subotica@mvep.hr.
Who issues the apostille in Serbia
According to the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), Serbia has designated courts of first instance and the ministry responsible for justice as its competent authorities for apostilles. In practice, the apostille is issued by the basic court (osnovni sud) for the area where the document was issued. Which court office takes requests, the amount of the court fee, how it is paid and how long it takes — check with that court; we do not state those details here because they change and differ from court to court.
Certification is not the same as translation
Article 19 of the treaty deals with the certification of documents, not with translation. When is a translation needed? MUP mentions it expressly only for the certificate of no criminal record, which is filed "in the original or a duly certified copy with a translation into Croatian, not older than 6 months". For other documents from Serbia we found no official rule — confirm with the consular office before you pay for translations. Who may translate and what the prescribed tariff is, we explain in the article on the court interpreter.
If you do obtain an apostille (for a third country, or because an office expressly asked for it) and the document is also being translated, obtain it before the translation, so that the translation covers the certification too. We did not find a regulation that expressly sets that order.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a birth register extract or a certificate of no criminal record need an apostille for Croatian citizenship? As a rule, no: Article 19 of the treaty (NN-MU 6/98) says that documents issued by the competent authority, bearing its signature and official seal, need no further certification. Before paying for any certification, confirm with the consular office that they require nothing further for your document.
- I have an extract on the international form — does it need certification or translation? Convention No. 16 says such an extract is accepted without legalisation. Whether the consular office asks for a translation with it has not been officially published — confirm before filing.
- How long is an apostille valid? We found no validity period for the certificate itself in any source we opened. MUP limits the age of the document: the certificate of no criminal record must not be older than 6 months.
What next
The list of documents filed with the application is on the Documents page, terms are explained in the glossary, and an overview of costs is on the Costs page. If you need old entries from church registers, also read the article on baptism certificates and church registers.
Sources
- Narodne novine – International Treaties 6/98 — Treaty on Legal Assistance in Civil and Criminal Matters (Article 19)
- MVEP — Legalisation of documents (list of bilateral treaties that abolished legalisation)
- MUP (Croatian Ministry of the Interior) — Citizenship (attachments and legalisation of foreign documents)
- HCCH — Serbia, competent authorities for apostilles
- CIEC — Convention No. 16 on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records
- MVEP — Croatian Embassy in Belgrade, contact and working hours
- MVEP — Consulate General in Subotica, contact and working hours
Note: this website is an unofficial information guide. Regulations, jurisdiction and fees change — check with the competent authority before filing (the basic court, the Croatian consular office, MUP).