Registering the birth of a child

The e-Newborn service enables parents to register their child’s birth and name the child in the public registers, with the Ministry of the Interior and the Croatian Health Insurance Fund with the help of the signature certificate on their e-identity cards

Registering the birth of a child

The registration of the birth of a child in the birth register is done based on an oral or written notice to the registrar competent for the territory in which the child’s place of birth is located. If a child is born in a healthcare institution, this healthcare institution will notify the registrar in writing.

If a child is not born in a healthcare institution, the following persons can register the child’s birth:
  • The child’s father
  • The person in whose apartment the child was born
  • The mother, if able to do so
  • The midwife or doctor who helped deliver the child
  • A person who has learned of the child being born. 

When registering the birth of a child born outside a healthcare institution, you are required to present the medical records from the delivery or proof of maternity.

Healthcare institutions or a person who has learned that the child was born have to register the birth within 15 days from the child’s date of birth.

Parents have 30 days from the child’s date of birth to name the child.

Until you obtain all documents for the child, its maternity hospital discharge letter serves as its identification document.

Registering the birth of a child

The registration of the birth of a child is done in the registry office of the child’s place of birth, based on:
  • A parent oral notice at the registry office, or
  • A parent’s written notice delivered via the e-Newborn service.

When a parent is providing an oral notice at the registry office, they can:
  • Have the child entered in the birth register
  • Have the child entered in the register of citizenship
  • Have the child’s permanent residence registered at the parents’ address
  • Regulate the child’s mandatory health insurance
  • Apply for a one-time allowance for the birth of a child
  • Apply for a change in the parents’ personal allowance in their tax cards.

Parents can obtain a certificate of the child’s permanent residence immediately upon the completion of registration at the registry office, while the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (CHIF) will deliver an insured person’s mandatory health insurance card for the child to the registered address of permanent residence within 15 days.
If parents register their child’s birth via e-Newborns, the following will be delivered to their inbox:
  • An electronic record from the birth register for the child (immediately upon the completion of registration)
  • An electronic record from the register of citizenship for the child (immediately upon the completion of registration)
  • A certificate of the child’s permanent residence (immediately upon approval of the registration)
  • A certificate of registration for mandatory health insurance (within 5 days) and a link to the application form for mandatory health insurance (T2 application form)
  • A certificate of award of a one-time allowance for the birth of a child and
  • If the parent is registered in the e-Tax Administration system, a notice of delivery of the PK form within 3 days,
Please see a short, step-by-step manual on how to use e-Newborns online in our Documents section.

Naming a child

A child has to be named within 30 days from its date of birth. A child is named by mutual agreement of its parents and they have to visit the registry office in person for this.

When naming their child, parents may choose any name. What is important is that the desired name is a word which is considered a name.

A child’s surname depends on the parents’ common surname. In case their surnames are different, the parents can decide that the child will have just one or both of their surnames.

The information on the required documents can be obtained from the competent registry office, and the list of county registry offices and their contact Information can be found on the website of the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration.

Registry offices.

If only one parent is present, a written statement of agreement with the child’s name is required. If one of the parents is not alive, was declared dead, their place of residence is unknown, they have lost custody, have completely lost legal capacity or the decision on them partially losing legal capacity prevents them from taking any action in relation to personal statuses, the child is named by the other parent. If the parents have not reached agreement on the child’s name, the child is named by the competent social welfare centre within 30 days from the date of one of the parents’ application.
 
If a person has a name consisting of more than one word entered in the birth register, they can make statement on which words in their name they will use in legal transactions.

After a child is entered into the birth register, the registrar will provide its data to the Personal Identification Number (OIB) system ex officio so that the child is assigned an OIB. Once a child is assigned an OIB, it will be issued a certificate of OIB assignment.
 

Citizen’s Registration Number (MBG) and permanent residence 

After the entry of a child in the birth register and the register of citizenship, the competent registry office will forward the information on the entry in the birth register and the register of citizenship to the competent police administration/station of the Ministry of the Interior so that the child is assigned a Citizen’s Registration Number and its permanent residence is registered at the address of its parents’ permanent residence. If the parents have registered their permanent residence at different addresses, the child’s permanent residence will be registered at the address of one of its parents with consent of the other parent.
 
Once the registration of permanent residence is completed, a certificate of permanent residence will be generated and forwarded to the competent registry office to be printed out and handed over to the parents. If the child is registered via e-Citizens, the certificate of permanent residence will be delivered to the parents’ inbox.

Mandatory health insurance

Until the age of 18, children with permanent residence or approved permanent stay in the Republic of Croatia are provided with mandatory health insurance and the status of an insured person (independent insurance holder).

The parents or person entrusted with taking care of the child and raising it is obliged to register the child for mandatory health insurance.
 
A child can also be registered for mandatory health insurance as a family member at the request of the insured person—insurance holder. In this case, the T2 form is certified by the employer of the insured person who is the child’s parent; that is, of the other insured person who is supporting the child and through whom the child will obtain insurance.

Required documentation:
  • The child’s birth certificate
  • T2 application form (registration—deregistration—change for an insured person, for an insured person—family member)
  • Proof of the child’s permanent residence or approved permanent stay (a certificate issued by the Ministry of the Interior or ID card).

The T2 application form can be found on the website of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (CHIF)

Registration for mandatory health insurance for family members.

You can register a child for mandatory health insurance in your local CHIF office.

You will be provided with potential additional information regarding registering your child for mandatory health insurance by the employees of the CHIF regional or branch office. You can find the addresses and telephone numbers for counties on the website of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund.

Regional and branch offices.

Registering a child in the parents’ existing PK form (tax card for tax on income from employment)

Via e-Newborns, parents can request that their personal income is increased by registering their newborn in their existing PK form. Use of this personal allowance can be divided between the parents supporting the child so that the sum of the percentages divided between the two parents equals 100%. If the parents share the personal allowance, they both have to apply for the entry of changes in the PK form. 
For changes, corrections, checks of application statuses or additional information about the PK form, please contact the competent Tax Administration branch office.