Subsidised meals

The right to subsidised meals can only be exercised by full-time students, by using a student card (X-card)

In accordance with the Ordinance on the Conditions and Manner of Exercising the Right to Subsidised Meals of Students, the right to subsidised meals can only be exercised by a full-time student in undergraduate university studies, graduate university studies, integrated undergraduate and graduate studies, short professional studies, undergraduate professional and specialist graduate professional studies of a college in the Republic of Croatia if they are a citizen of an EU member state.

Duration of the right to subsidised meals 

The beneficiaries can take advantage of the subsidised meals from 1 October of the current year to 15 October of the following calendar year, except in the period from 16 July to 31 August.

Purpose of support

The support is used to cover a part of daily meals cost for the beneficiary, in the restaurants which conclude the agreement on the provision of meals to students with the Ministry of Education and Science or an institution authorised by the Ministry (student centre, college).

Levels of the right to support
The beneficiaries realise their right in different amounts, depending on the level of support assigned to them, expressed as a number of full meals per day.


The levels of support are expressed as numbers 1, 2 and 2.5 and present the right to a support of one, two or two and a half menus per day. The support is allocated at the moment of enrolment in an academic year or a semester in the Information System of Student Rights.

The level 1 of support is given to all beneficiaries, including those who realised the right to the accommodation in a pupil dormitory that offers meals service.

The level 2 of support is granted to the following groups of students:

• beneficiaries who reside in the place of study, but have permanent residence in another county (determined by inspecting the identity card and declaration of residence to the police department or competent office of the Ministry of the Interior according to the place of residence);
• beneficiaries of support who have permanent or temporary residence in an area with poor public transport connections to the place of study. This level of support is granted on the basis of a decision made by the Ministry of Education and Science upon the proposal by the student council and their university;
• foreign citizens who are benefiting from the support on the basis of their participation in international exchange programmes (Erasmus, CEEPUS and international bilateral legal acts) as scholarship beneficiaries of the Ministry of Education and Science;
• foreign citizens from the EU member states who are studying in the Republic of Croatia.

The level 2.5 of support is granted to the following groups of beneficiaries:

• beneficiaries who, based on the student centre call, realised the right to accommodation in a student or pupil dormitory that does not provide meal service (based on the confirmation by a student centre or pupil dormitory);
• severely underprivileged beneficiaries, based on the special decision of the Ministry of Education and Science, upon presentation of a decision by a competent social welfare centre about the right to maintenance assistance;
• a professional athlete and who can prove that they reside in the place of study which is different from their reported permanent place of residence (based on the decision on the categorisation of athletes (categories I-III) of the Croatian Olympic Committee, identity card and declaration of residence to the police department or office of the Ministry of the Interior competent according to the place of residence).

Amount of support

The support covers:
71.24% of the calculated price of a single menu and individual elements of menus
50% of the calculated price of single meals and other food products that are not parts of menus.

Using the support

The beneficiary proves and exercises their right by presenting their student card, which is issued in accordance with the Ordinance on Student Cards.

The beneficiary who attends several higher education institutions can realise their right to a support only on the basis of enrolment in one institution.

The beneficiary can exercise the right to a subsidy using only one student card.

Student card (X-card)

The student card is a public document proving the status of the student, and is issued upon enrolment in a higher education institution.

The right to a student card can be exercised by all students enrolled in higher education institutions in the Republic of Croatia.