Definitions of all key terms you'll encounter in the Croatian citizenship and passport process.
Apostille
International document certification
An apostille is a form of certification of public documents defined by the Hague Convention of 1961; it confirms the authenticity of a public document for use in a foreign state. In Serbia it is issued by the basic court (osnovni sud) for the area where the authority that issued the document has its seat. For public documents from Serbia used in Croatia, an apostille is as a rule not required: legalisation was abolished by the Treaty on Legal Assistance between Croatia and Serbia (NN-MU 6/98, Art. 19), as the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP) also states. You may need one for documents used in third countries, or if the consular office expressly asks for it. Before you pay for any certification, confirm with the consular office that they ask for nothing more for your document.
By descent
Citizenship via parent
Croatian citizenship by descent (jus sanguinis) is governed by Articles 4 and 5 of the Croatian Citizenship Act. It is acquired by a person whose parent was a Croatian citizen at the time of their birth; a person born abroad must be registered for entry in the citizenship records before turning 21 (Art. 5(1)). Registration is handled by registry offices; from abroad it is filed through a consular office.
By national affiliation
Members of the Croatian people (Art. 16)
A member of the Croatian people who has no registered residence in Croatia may acquire Croatian citizenship under Article 16 of the Act. Belonging to the Croatian people is established by earlier declaration of that affiliation in legal transactions, by its being stated in public documents, by protecting the rights and promoting the interests of the Croatian people, and by active participation in Croatian cultural, scientific and sports associations abroad (Art. 16(2)). The Act says "may acquire" — applications are decided by MUP.
Certified translator
Sworn court translator
A certified translator (permanent court translator, sudski tumač) is a translator entered in the Ministry of Justice register whose translation counts as a certified translation. The Croatian Ministry of the Interior (MUP) expressly requires a Croatian translation of the criminal record certificate; for other documents, confirm with the consular office before you pay for translations. Translation is charged per page and the price depends on the court translator. The official tariff in the Rulebook on Permanent Court Interpreters is 1,500 dinars per standard page (Official Gazette of RS 45/2026); ask for the price in advance.
Consular fee
Amount paid to consulate
The administrative fee for citizenship under the MUP RH tariff is 139.36 EUR and applies to applications filed in Croatia (paid after the decision). For an application filed through the consulate, a consular fee is paid on submission — confirm the amount and when it is paid with the consulate. Passport fee at consulate: 74.32 EUR for adults (21+); cash is not accepted, so confirm the payment method with the consulate.
Croatian Consulate
Croatian consular offices in Serbia
Croatia has two consular offices in Serbia: the Consular Section of the Croatian Embassy in Belgrade (Kneza Miloša 82, 1st floor, phone +381 11 3679 140, clients Mon–Thu 9:00–13:00) and the Consulate General in Subotica (Maksima Gorkog 6, phone +381 24 656 906, clients Mon–Fri 9:00–13:00). Clients are received by appointment only: for Belgrade, appointments are booked on the Croatian Consular Portal (konzularniportal.mvep.hr); for Subotica, according to the Consulate General's official page, by phone on +381 24 656 900, working days 12:00–13:00.
Croatian passport
Biometric EU travel document
The Croatian passport is a biometric travel document of Croatia as an EU member state. It is issued with a validity of 10 years, or 5 years for citizens under 21 (Travel Documents Act, Art. 12). Visa rules for third countries are set by those countries — check their official pages before you travel.
Domovnica
Croatian citizenship certificate
Domovnica is an official document of the Republic of Croatia confirming you are registered in the Croatian Register of Citizens. For a first passport it is enclosed as proof of citizenship (a registry office certificate of entry in the Register of Citizens or the decision granting citizenship is also accepted), together with a birth certificate no older than 6 months — that limit applies to the birth certificate, not to the domovnica. It is issued by a registry office in Croatia; it can also be requested through the consular office or the e-Građani system. Confirm the fee with the consulate or the registry office.
Dual citizenship
Holding both HR and SR passports
Neither Croatian nor Serbian law provides that citizenship ends because you acquire another one. Croatian law does not require release from your current citizenship for descent, marriage (Art. 10), emigrants and their descendants (Art. 11) or members of the Croatian people (Art. 16); for regular naturalisation (Art. 8) release is required. More on the "Dual citizenship" page.
EU passport
European Union travel document
An EU passport is a travel document of any EU member state. The Croatian passport became an EU passport on July 1, 2013. A Croatian citizen is also an EU citizen: they have the right to move and reside in the member states under the conditions of EU law, and as a rule do not need a work permit.
MUP RH
Croatian Ministry of Interior
MUP RH is the competent state body for deciding on Croatian citizenship applications. Decisions are made centrally in Zagreb. There is no official figure for how long the procedure takes; according to readers’ experience, the wait is long.
Naturalization
Citizenship by long-term residence
Naturalization (regular naturalisation, Art. 8 of the Croatian Citizenship Act) is the path to Croatian citizenship through residence. It requires: 8 years of continuous registered residence in Croatia and granted permanent residence, knowledge of the Croatian language and Latin script, of Croatian culture and social order, release from your current citizenship, and respect for the legal order.
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