The Act on EEA Nationals and Members of Their Families (”Official Gazette”, No.: 66/19, 53/20, 144/20 and 114/22) prescribes the conditions of entry, movement, temporary residence and work of nationals of the EEA Member States and members of their families.

The provisions of this Act apply to citizens of the EEA Member States (that is, citizens of the EU Member States, Norway, Island and Lichtenstein), as well as to citizens of the Swiss Confederation.

 

Registration of residence 

EEA Nationals can stay in Croatia within:

• Short-term,
• Temporary or
• Permanent residence.

 

During their stay in Croatia, they are obliged to carry personal documents and show them to official persons upon request. If they don’t have their documents, the foreseen fine amounts to 20 Euro.

In case of temporary or permanent residence, it is also necessary to have residence registration documents (certificate of the registration of temporary residence or residence card), otherwise, nationals of EEA Member States and their family members may pay fines in the amount of 20 Euro.

The provisions of the Act relating to family members of nationals of EEA Member States shall also apply to family members of Croatian nationals who are nationals of EEA Member States.

 

Short-term residence

A national of EEA Member State has the right to reside in the Republic of Croatia up to three months from the date of entry into the country if he or she holds a valid travel document (passport) or identity card. In this case, there is no obligation to register the residence.

 

Temporary residence

Nationals of EEA Member States have the right to reside in the Republic of Croatia longer than three months from the date of entry into Croatia if they:

• are employed, self-employed or posted workers
• have sufficient means of supporting themselves and their family members, so that they cannot become a burden to the Croatian social welfare system, and if they have health insurance
• they study at higher education or vocational education institutions, have the adequate health insurance and prove that they have sufficient means of supporting themselves and their family members so that they cannot become a burden to the Croatian social welfare system during their stay
• they are family members who join to nationals of the EEA Member States who meet the above conditions.

If they intend to reside in Croatia for more than three months, they are obliged to register their temporary residence at the competent police administration/police station according to the place of residence, at the latest within eight days of the expiration of three months of stay.

A fine of 20 Euro will be imposed on a national of a Member State of the EEA who does not register his or her temporary residence/stay within the prescribed time limit.

You can download the form on websites of the Ministry of the Interior (MUP).

Registration of temporary stay of EEA citizens

Depending on the purpose of stay, a copy of valid identity card or travel document (passport) must be attached to the application form, which is verified by the official after the original has been inspected.

Additional attachments depending on the purpose of stay:

• Registration of temporary stay for the purpose of work – A certificate of employment or proof that he or she is a self-employed person or a posted worker is also submitted
• Registration of temporary stay for the purpose of study or vocational training – Proof that they attend vocational training or are enrolled in a higher education institution in the Republic of Croatia, come within the student exchange or youth mobility or comes to professional practice through an authorised organisation and on the basis of international or interuniversity agreements, as well as statements on means of supporting themselves or their families and proof of health insurance must be attached 
• Registration of temporary stay for other purposes– Proof of sufficient means of supporting yourself and your family members and proof of health insurance should also be attached
• Registration of temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification – A document proving that he or she is a family member referred to in Article 4 of the Law on Citizens of EEA Member States and members of their families is to be attached or appropriate documents proving that he or she is dependent on a citizen of EEA Member States due to material and social situation

Upon receipt of the application for the registration of temporary stay, the police administration or police station shall issue a certificate of the registration of temporary residence to a national of EEA Member State and a family member who is a national of EEA Member State, and their residence cards will be issued at their request.

 

Temporary residence for family members

EEA Member State nationals’ family members who are nationals of Member States of the EEA and who intend to stay for more than three months, are obliged to register their temporary residence at the police administration or police station according to the place of their stay, at the latest within eight days of the expiration of three months of stay. If they fail to do so, the prescribed fine amounts 20 Euro.

The following should be attached to the  Registration of temporary stay of EEA citizens form:

• Copy of a valid identity card or travel document (passport), which is verified by the official after the original has been inspected
• A document proving that he or she is a family member:
• For proof of marriage – a marriage certificate, not older than six months
• For proof of extramarital partnership – birth certificate not older than six months or a certificate of free marital status, if the marital status is not visible from the certificate, or certificate from the register of extramarital partnerships, if evidenced in the country in which the extramarital partnership existed, statements of extramarital partners on their joint life, proof of joint residence before the application, testimony of witnesses regarding the existence and duration of the extramarital partnership and other evidence of the existence and duration of extramarital partnership. If a child is born in an extramarital partnership, birth certificate of the child should be attached
• For proving a parent-child relationship – birth certificate or adoption decision issued by the competent authority
• Appropriate documents proving the need for family reunification for nationals of EEA Member States for whom it is determined that in view of their material and social positions in the country they arrived from, they are dependent on the national of the EEA Member State in terms of providing for their basic needs, or they are members of their household, or for whom, due to serious health-related reasons, a special personal care of the national of the EEA Member State is required, if such national is a member of a family referred to in Article 162, paragraph 2, item 7 of the Foreigners Act (medical documentation, proof of support or guardianship, etc.).

EEA Member State nationals’ family members who are not nationals of Member States of the EEA and who intend to stay for more than three months are obliged to file a request for a temporary residence card at the police administration or police station according to the place of their stay, at the latest within eight days of the expiration of three months of stay.

A fine of 20 Euro will be imposed on a member of the family of an EEA Member State national who fails to apply for a “temporary residence card for a family member of a Union citizen” within the prescribed time limit.

Application for the issuance of residence card for a non-EEA family member of an EEA citizen can be downloaded on the websites of the Ministry of the Interior.

Application for the issuance of residence card for a non-EEA family member of an EEA citizen

The following should be attached to the application:

• Copy of a valid travel document (passport), which is verified by the official after the original has been inspected and
• Proof that the person is a close family member of a national of EEA Member State, namely:
• For proof of marriage – a marriage certificate not older than six months
• For proof of extramarital partnership – birth certificate not older than six months or a certificate of free marital status, if the marital status is not visible from the certificate, or certificate from the register of extramarital partnerships, if evidenced in the country in which the extramarital partnership existed, statements of extramarital partners on their joint life, proof of joint residence before the application, testimony of witnesses and other evidence of the existence and duration of extramarital partnership. If a child is born in an extramarital partnership, birth certificate of the child should be attached
• For proving a parent-child relationship – birth certificate or adoption decision issued by the competent authority
• Appropriate document issued by the competent authority from the country of origin officially certifying that the person is a supported member of the household of an EEA citizen or evidence of the need for health care provided by a citizen of the EEA Member State, if this refers to a family member referred to in Article 4, paragraph 2 of the Act on EEA Nationals and Members of Their Families.

The provisions of this Act relating to family members of nationals of the EEA Member States shall also apply to life partners or informal life partners.

 

Permanent residence

Nationals of EEA Member States have the right to permanent residence after five years of continuous legal residence in the Republic of Croatia.

Exceptionally, the EEA national has the right to permanent residence before the expiry of five consecutive years of legal residence. The exceptions are laid down in Article 28 of the Act on EEA Nationals and members of their Families.

A non-EEA family member of an EEA Member State national, who permanently resides for at least five years with a citizen of the EEA in the Republic of Croatia, submits an Application for permanent stay/residence at the police administration or police station according to the place of his or her residence. The application is submitted before the expiry of the validity period of the residence card.

You can download the said application form on the websites of the Ministry of the Interior.

Registration of permanent stay of an EEA citizen and his/her family members.

Residence cards with the validity period of ten years will be issued to EEA Member State nationals and members of their non-EEA family members on a permanent stay.