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Health insurance

Citizens of contracting states 

If you have compulsory health insurance in one of the states with which Croatia has concluded an agreement on social insurance that regulates the use of health care (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia and Turkey), health care during your stay in Croatia will be exercised in the same way as insured persons in Croatia, but within the scope of the contract and at the expense of your competent health insurance holder.If you are a citizen of one of the above-mentioned countries, but you have the status of compulsory health insurance in the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO), you will be provided with health care in accordance with Croatian legislation. Citizens of non-contracting states If you come from a country with which Croatia has not signed an interstate contract (not a member of the European Union), in order to be able to exercise the rights from compulsory health insurance in Croatia you should obtain regulated proper status of the insured person of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund.

 

Citizens of non-contracting states

If you are from a country with which Croatia does not have an interstate agreement (nor is it a member of the European Union, a part of the European Economic Area, Switzerland or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), in order to exercise the rights from compulsory health insurance in Croatia, you need to have a regulated status of a person insured with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO).

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. Which foreign citizens must apply for health insurance in Croatia, but are not citizens of the EU / EEA Member States / Switzerland / the UK?

The following persons are obliged to apply for compulsory health insurance:

  • Foreigners with approved permanent residence or long-term stay in the Republic of Croatia;
  • Foreigners with temporary residence in Croatia, unless otherwise specified by an international agreement or special law, and
  • Foreigners with approved temporary residence, on the basis of employment or economic or professional activities performed on the territory of the Republic of Croatia, if the conditions under special regulations governing the residence and work of foreigners in Croatia are met, and unless otherwise specified by an international treaty.

2. How does a foreigner with approved permanent residence or long-term stay in the Republic of Croatia apply?

Foreigners with approved permanent residence obtain their compulsory insurance based on one of insurance grounds established by the Compulsory Health Insurance Act.

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3. How can a foreigner with approved temporary residence in Croatia apply?

Foreigners with temporary residence in Croatia, regardless of the purpose of their temporary residence permit, whose right to compulsory health insurance or health care is not insured on another basis, are obliged to obtain insurance by becoming payers of health insurance contributions.

The exception are foreigners who have been granted temporary residence in Croatia for the purpose of completing secondary or higher education, and who have proof of insurance against the risk of using health care, and are obliged to cover the costs of the health care services provided to them.

Foreigners who arrive to Croatia on the basis of youth mobility programmes, framework agreements on student exchange, and other similar programs, if health insurance is covered by these programs, are also exempt from applying.

Third-country nationals on temporary residence in Croatia, who reside in Croatia for the purpose of a digital nomad stay, are also exempt from applying; however, they must cover the cost of any health care service provided to them in Croatia.

4. Are persons referred to temporary work in Croatia from non-contracting states obliged to apply for health insurance in Croatia?

Yes. Since such persons come from states with which Croatia has not concluded an interstate contract, and since they work in Croatia, their employer is obliged to apply for their compulsory health insurance in the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. After the application has been made, they are entitled to all rights from compulsory health insurance based on employment in Croatia.

5. Where to apply for health insurance and what is the deadline for such application?

The application can be submitted in any regional office or branch office of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund within 8 days of the occurrence of the circumstances which are the basis for the application.

Application forms are:

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