Croatian nationality law

Acquisition of Croatian citizenship

Croatian citizenship can be acquired in the following ways:

1. Jus sanguinis: By descent if at least one of the parents is a Croatian citizen
2. Jus soli: By birth in Croatia (one parent must have Croatian citizenship), or a child found in Croatia whose parents are unknown
3. By naturalisation
4. By international treaties

Citizenship by descent

Under Article 4 of the Law on Croatian Citizenship, a child acquires Croatian citizenship by origin:

1. if both of the child's parents are Croatian citizens at the time of the child's birth;
2. if one of the child's parents is a Croatian citizen at the time of the child's birth and the child is born in the Republic of Croatia;
3. if one of the child's parents is a Croatian citizen at the time of the child's birth, the other parent without citizenship or of unknown citizenship, and the child is born abroad.

Croatian citizenship may also be acquired by a mix of descent and registration, for a child born abroad, one of whose parents is a Croatian citizen at the moment of the child's birth,"if the child is registered for Croatian citizenship by 21 years of age at a competent authority of the Republic of Croatia abroad or in the Republic of Croatia, or if he settles in the Republic of Croatia", or if the child would not otherwise acquire any citizenship.

Citizenship by ancestry

It is also possible for emigrants and their descendants (and their spouses) to claim Croatian citizenship under Article 11. An emigrant and his or her descendants can acquire Croatian citizenship by naturalization. They do not have to:

1. have knowledge of the Croatian language
2. give up any foreign citizenships
3. have ever lived in the territory of the Republic of Croatia

However, Article 11 does not generally apply to migrants who are citizens of other countries and territories of the former Yugoslavia.

Citizenship by naturalisation

Under Article 8 of the Croatian Citizenship Act, a foreigner can acquire Croatian citizenship by naturalisation if he or she has submitted a request and fulfils the following requirements:

1. he or she is 18 years old;
2. he or she is released from foreign citizenship, or submits proof that he or she will acquire release if granted Croatian citizenship;
3. he or she has lived and has had a registered residence in the Republic of Croatia for at least 8 years without interruption until the submission of the request and has been granted foreigner status with permanent residence;
4. he or she is proficient in the Croatian language and Latin script, and is familiar with Croatian culture and social arrangement;
5. by respecting the legal order of the Republic of Croatia, by paying public contributions, and that there are no security obstacles for him or her to receive Croatian citizenship.