Registration of temporary residence for EEA nationals
Rules for the registration of temporary and permanent residence for nationals of the European Economic Area (EU countries and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and the Swiss Confederation
Nationals of the European Union and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, forming the European Economic Area (EEA), and Swiss Confederation nationals, can stay in Croatia for a short-term, temporarily or permanently.The provisions of the Act on EEA Member States Nationals and Their Family Members which apply to family members of EEA nationals also apply to family members of Croatian citizens who are EEA nationals.
EEA nationals and their family members may work up to three months in the Republic of Croatia without a work and residence permit or a work registration certificate, and if they intend to work/provide their services in the Republic of Croatia longer than three months, they will have to register their temporary residence for the purpose of work. They will be issued a work registration certificate by the competent police administration/station without delay.
If they wish to do so, EEA nationals and their family members wo are EEA nationals can also obtain a residence card.
Short-term stay
EEA nationals are entitled to stay in the Republic of Croatia for up to three months from the day of their entry into the country if they possess a valid travel document or an identity card. In this case, they are not obliged to register short-term stay in a police administration/station.Temporary residence
EEA nationals are entitled to stay in the Republic of Croatia for more than three months from the day of their entry into Croatia if they are coming:- For the purpose of work, as an employed or self-employed person or a posted worker
- For other purposes, but have sufficient means of supporting themselves and their family members, so that they cannot become a burden to the Croatian social welfare system and they also have health insurance
- for the purpose of study or vocational training because he attends vocational training or is enrolled in a higher education institution in the Republic of Croatia, comes within the framework of student exchange or youth mobility, or comes to professional practice through an authorized organization and on the basis of international or inter-university agreements and has adequate health insurance, and demonstrates with a statement that he has sufficient resources to support himself and his family members, so that they do not become a burden on the social welfare system during their stay in the Republic of Croatia
- For the purpose of family reunification, because they are a family member joining an EEA national who meets the above requirements
- for the purpose of a life partnership because the life or non-formal life partner of a national of a Member State of the EEA fulfils the above conditions
You can download the form on the website of the Ministry of the Interior:
Registration of temporary residence for EEA nationals.
A copy of a valid identity card or travel document (passport) has to be enclosed with the application form, which is certified by an official after inspecting the original.
Additional attachments depending on the purpose of stay:
- Registration of temporary residence for the purpose of work—a certificate of employment, proof of self-employment or proof of being a posted worker should also be attached.
- Registration of temporary residence for the purpose of study or vocational training or either comes in the framework of student exchanges or youth mobility or undergoes professional practice through an approved organisation or under international or inter-university agreements —proof of enrolment in a higher education or vocational education institution should also be attached, as well as a statement on sufficient means of supporting yourself and your family members and proof of health insurance.
- 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.
Temporary residence for family members
EEA nationals’ family members and who intend to stay for more than three months in the country are obliged to register their temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification at the police administration or police station in their place of temporary residence, at the latest within eight days from the date of expiration of three months of stay.The following should be enclosed with the “Registration of temporary residence for EEA nationals” form:
- A copy of a valid identity card or travel document (passport), which is certified by an official after inspecting the original
- A document proving that the person is a family member:
- To prove a marriage—an extract from the marriage register, not older than six months
- To prove a common-law marriage—an extract from the birth register not older than six months or a certificate of free marital status, if the marital status is not visible from the extract, or an extract from the register of common-law marriages, if this is kept in the country in which the common-law marriage existed. Circumstances proving the existence of a common-law marriage are: statements of common-law spouses on their life together, joint residence for the last three years before the application, statements of witnesses regarding the existence and duration of the common-law marriage and other proof of the existence and duration of the common-law marriage. If a child is born in a common-law marriage, excerpts from the birth register for the child and the common-law spouses, not older than six months, should be attached, or certificates of free marital status if the marital status is not visible from excerpts from the birth register
- To prove a parent-child relationship—an excerpt from the birth register or the adoption decision issued by the competent authority
- Appropriate documents proving the need for family reunification for EEA nationals for whom it is determined that, in view of their financial and social positions in the country they come from, they are dependent on the EEA national in terms of providing for their basic needs, or they are members of their household, or who, due to serious health-related reasons, requires special personal care of the EEA national, if such national is a family member referred to in Article 4(2) of the Act on EEA Member States Nationals and Their Family Members (medical documentation, proof of maintenance or guardianship, etc.).
EEA nationals’ family members who are not EEA nationals and who intend to stay in the country for more than three months are obliged to apply for a residence card, which will prove their right to temporary stay, at the police administration or police station in their place of temporary residence, at the latest within eight days of the expiration of three months of stay.
A fine of 20 EUR will be imposed on an EEA national’s family member who fails to apply for a “residence card for a family member of a Union citizen” within the prescribed time limit.
The form of the Application for the issuance of a residence card for a non-EEA family member of an EEA national can be downloaded on the website of the Ministry of the Interior
Application for the issuance of a residence card for a non-EEA family member of an EEA national.
The following should be enclosed with the application form:
- A copy of a valid passport, which is certified by an official after inspecting the original and
- Proof that the person is an immediate family member of an EEA national. More specifically:
- To prove a marriage—an extract from the marriage register- not older than 6 month
- To prove a common-law marriage—an extract from the birth register not older than six months or a certificate of free marital status, if the marital status is not visible from the extract, or an extract from the register of common-law marriages, if this is kept in the country in which the common-law marriage existed. Circumstances proving the existence of a common-law marriage are: statements of common-law spouses on their life together, joint residence for the last three years before the application, statements of witnesses regarding the existence and duration of the common-law marriage and other proof of the existence and duration of the common-law marriage. If a child is born in a common-law marriage, excerpts from the birth register for the child and the common-law spouses, not older than six months, should be attached, or certificates of free marital status if the marital status is not visible from excerpts from the birth register
- To prove a parent-child relationship—an excerpt from the birth register or the adoption decision issued by the competent authority
- An 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 national or evidence of the need for health care provided by an EEA national, if this refers to a family member referred to in Article 4(2) of the Act on EEA Member States Nationals and Their Family Members (medical documentation).
The provisions of this Act which apply to family members of EEA nationals also apply to family members of Croatian citizens who are EEA nationals.
Family members of Croatians citizens who are EEA nationals themselves can apply for temporary residence for the purpose of family reunification in the manner described.
In addition to the above documentation, a family member of a Croatian national or EEA national who is a national of an EEA Member State or is not a national of an EEA Member State shall also provide proof that he is a Croatian national or EEA national:Is employed or self-employed or
- Is enrolled in a higher education or vocational education institution and has health insurance, together with a statement of that person having sufficient means of supporting themselves or
- Has health insurance and sufficient means of supporting themselves
Family members of Croatian citizens who are not EEA nationals but are granted temporary residence are issued a residence permit, which is valid for one year.
A fine of 20 EUR will be imposed on EEA nationals and EEA nationals’ family members who do not have a foreign travel document or ID card, residence card or other public document containing a photograph on their person or who refuse to provide this to an official for inspection.
Temporary stay for the purpose of a life partnership
A life or informal partner of a national of an EEA Member State who is a national of an EEA Member State and intends to stay for more than three months shall, no later than eight days after the expiry of the three months of stay, declare temporary residence to the police administration or police station by place of residence for the purpose of a life partnership.The application form for temporary stay for EEA nationals shall be accompanied by:
- a copy of the valid identity card or travel document, which shall be certified by the official upon examination of the original
- document proving that he is a life partner or an informal partner:
- to prove a life partnership — extract from the life partnership register not older than six months
- to prove an informal life partnership - an extract from a birth register not older than six months, i.e. a conviction that it is not part of a life partnership.
The application form for a residence card for a family member of a national of an EEA Member State who is not a national of an EEA Member State shall be accompanied by:
- a copy of the valid travel document to be certified by the official upon examination of the original
- to prove a life partnership — extract from the life partnership register not older than six months
- to prove an informal life partnership - an extract from a birth register not older than six months, i.e. a conviction that it is not part of a life partnership.
In addition to the aforementioned documentation, the life or informal partner of a national of an EEA Member State or of a Croatian national who is a national of an EEA Member State or who is not a national of an EEA Member State shall also provide proof that the Croatian national or a national of an EEA Member State:
- is employed or self-employed; or
- enrolled in a higher education institution or vocational training, has health insurance and submits a statement that he has means of subsistence or has means of subsistence and health insurance.
The life or informal partner who is not a EEA national on temporary residence shall be issued a residence card with a period of validity of up to five years.
A fine of EUR 20 shall be imposed on an EEA national and on a he life or informal partner of an EEA national who does not have or refuses to present to an official a foreign travel document or identity card, residence card or other public document containing a photograph.
Permanent residence
EEA national and family member of EEA national who does not have EEA nationality, who has been legally resident continuously for at least five years with EEA national in the Republic of Croatia, are entitled to permanent residence after five years of continuous legal residence in the Republic of Croatia, and can submit a permanent residence application at the police administration or station according to the place of residence.In exceptional cases, a national of an EEA Member State shall be entitled to permanent residence even five years before the continued legal residence. Exceptions are provided for in Article 28. Of the Law on nationals of the Member States of the European Economic area and their family members.
The prescribed application form for permanent residence can be downloaded from the Ministry of Interior website
Registration of permanent residence for a national of an EEA Member State and a member of his family.
A biometric residence card with a validity period of ten years shall be issued to an EEA national and to a family member who is not a EEA national on permanent residence.