EU nationals—voting in the Republic of Croatia

Nationals of other EU member states with registered permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia should register to be able to exercise their voting rights

Nationals of other EU member states with registered permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia should register to be able to exercise their voting rights in elections for members of the representative bodies of local and regional self-government units. 

Voting in local elections

Nationals of other EU member states with registered permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia register for voting by submitting an application for entry in the electoral register no later than 30 days before the date of the elections to the competent administrative authority in their place of permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia.
 
The following should be enclosed with the application:
  • A copy of a foreign identification document
  • A statement certified by a notary public which specifies the person’s nationality and the address of permanent or temporary residence in the territory of the unit where the elections are being held
  • A statement that the person has not been deprived of voting rights in the EU member state whose national they are. 

Nationals of other EU member states who have applied for entry in the electoral register in local elections will remain registered in the electoral register even after the elections. They will only be deleted from the electoral register if they request this. They can also be deleted from the electoral register ex officio if they lose their voting right or move out of the Republic of Croatia.

Conditions for an EU national to stand as a candidate in local elections

An EU national can stand as a candidate in local elections and be elected a member of a unit’s representative body under the same conditions that apply to nationals of the Republic of Croatia which are prescribed by the Act on Local Elections, provided that this EU national has not deprived of their legal capacity by a final court decision in the Republic of Croatia or the EU member state whose national they are or that they have not been disqualified from standing as a candidate in an individual judgment in criminal proceedings or a judgment in a civil action.

If the ballot of candidates standing to be elected to representative bodies includes a national of other EU member state, a statement certified by a notary public which specifies the candidate’s nationality and the address of permanent or temporary residence in the territory of the unit where the elections are being held; that is, a document issued by the competent authorities of the candidate’s state of nationality confirming that the candidate has not been deprived of voting rights in that state or document confirming that there is no such disqualification in that state should be enclosed with the candidate’s list or candidacy.
 
Nationals of other EU member states may not stand to be elected for executive functions at the local level; that is, for the executive authority at the local level (this would be the mayor in a municipality, the city mayor in a city, and the prefect in a county).

Elections to the European Parliament 

Nationals of other EU member states with registered permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia have to register to be able to exercise their voting rights in elections for members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Croatia.
 
To be able to vote in the Republic of Croatia, nationals of other EU member states should register for voting by submitting an application for entry in the electoral register no later than 30 days before the date of the elections to the competent administrative authority in their place of permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia.
 
The following has to be presented with an application for entry in the electoral register:
  • A statement which specifies the person’s nationality, the address of permanent residence in the Republic of Croatia, where applicable, and the place or electoral district in their home member state on whose electoral roll they were last included
  • A statement on only exercising their voting right in the Republic of Croatia
  • A statement that the person has not been deprived of voting rights in the EU member state whose national they are. 
 
Nationals of other member states who request entry in the electoral register in the elections for members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Croatia will be deleted from the electoral register ex officio once the elections have taken place.

The forms of the applications and statements can be found in the Documents section.