How to Get Croatia CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 8 years
- Language
- Test or certificate
- Dual citizenship
- Citizens abroad only
- Civic test
- Required, no test specified
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- Income or economic resources must be shown
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Partly accepted: for citizens who naturalise abroad onlyNew citizens must give up their previous citizenship, with major exceptions.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Europe
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
Residence in Croatia is the basis of this route, together with the other conditions below. Citizenship must be granted under the law of Croatia once an application meets the legal conditions.
- Residence
- 8 years
Person has been resident in Croatia for 8 years immediately before the application.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship, with major exceptions
Renunciation or automatic loss of another citizenship, unless the person is stateless (a statement is sufficient if the other country does not allow renouncing citizenship, or places conditions which cannot be fulfiled) or is the spouse of a citizen (see the rules for marriage).
- Language
- Required, with a test or certificate
Person is proficient in language of Croatia.
- Civic knowledge
- Required, no test specified
Person is familiar with Croatian culture (except if person is older than 60) and respects for the legal order, customs and culture of the country.
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
No security obstacles.
- Income or economic resources
- Income or economic resources must be shown
Payment of public contributions.
Marriage or civil partnership
Marriage to a citizen of Croatia is the basis of this route, together with the conditions below. Citizenship must be granted under the law of Croatia once an application meets the legal conditions.
Person is the spouse of a citizen and is resident in Croatia with a permanent residence permit. Other conditions: respect for the legal order, customs and culture of the country.
Descent (citizen parent)
For a person with a parent who is a citizen of Croatia, the rules below set out how this route works.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Croatia to a citizen.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to two citizens.
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to at least one Croatian citizen and birth is registered in Croatian consulate or registrar (in Croatia) before the age of 21, or person is older than 21 and within two years from the entry into force of the law (i.e. 1 January 2022) person submits application for registration as Croatian citizen (conditional on Interior ministry security checks). Or person is born abroad to a parent who is a citizen and another parent who is stateless or of unknown citizenship.
Birth in the country
This route concerns people born in Croatia, and only in the situations described below. Citizenship must be granted under the law of Croatia once an application meets the legal conditions.
Person is an adult who is born in Croatia and has been resident there for 5 years immediately before the application. Other conditions: respect for the legal order, customs and culture of Croatia.
Child of a new citizen
This route covers children of a person who becomes a citizen of Croatia, subject to the conditions below. Even if the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities may still decide to refuse.
Person is a minor both whose parents are acquiring citizenship by naturalisation. If only one parent is acquiring citizenship by naturalisation, the child should either reside in Croatia or the other parent should be stateless or of unknown citizenship. Other condition: joint application with the parent who is acquiring citizenship. A parent can apply for their child (without the consent of the other) in cases of death of the other parent, formal disability, full guardianship or unknown residence of the other parent.
Adoption
For people adopted by citizens of Croatia, the rules below set out what applies. Citizenship arises directly under the law of Croatia, without any authority making a decision.
Person is a minor who is adopted by a citizen (acquisition retroactive to birth).
Other family members of citizens
This route covers certain family members not covered by the marriage or descent routes in Croatia. Even if the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities may still decide to refuse.
Person is the spouse of someone who acquires citizenship as an emigrant (the rules for very long residence) or is of special interest for Croatia. Other conditions: joint application with the spouse, respect for the legal order, customs and culture of the country. A spouse of a person who naturalises (of special interest for Croatia) can acquire citizenship after one year of legal residence in Croatia.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
This route covers people who previously held citizenship of Croatia, subject to the conditions below. Citizenship must be granted under the law of Croatia once an application meets the legal conditions.
Person is a former citizen who has lost citizenship while resident in another country due to the fact that acquisition of citizenship of that country is an employment condition. Other conditions: respect for the legal order, customs and culture of Croatia. If the person lost citizenship as a minor, he/she must reside in Croatia for one year uninterruptedly immediately before making the declaration.
Ethnic or cultural affinity
This route covers people with an ethnic or cultural link to Croatia, subject to the conditions below.
Person is of Croatian ethnicity and resides abroad. Other condition: respect for the legal order, customs and culture of the country.
Person is an emigrant from Croatia, or a descendant of a former emigrant. Other condition: respect for the legal order, customs and culture of the country. 2020 law stipulates, additionally, that applicant whose parents are proven to be ethnic Croats, does not need to provide a proof of Croat ethnicity (CRO 16). Also, the law more closely defines the category of emigrant as a person who left Croatia before 8th October 1991 with the intention to reside abroad. Additionally, (CRO11) emigrants are defined as members of Croatian nation who originate from the territory of 'former states' that Croatia was part of. The knowledge of Croatian language is not required for naturalisation of ethnic Croat emigrants.
Stateless persons
Statelessness, or the risk of it, is the basis of this route in Croatia. Citizenship arises directly under the law of Croatia, without any authority making a decision.
Foundlings
Person is found in Croatia of unknown parentage.
Otherwise stateless (born in country)
Person is born in Croatia to parents of unknown citizenship or stateless parents.
Special achievements
For people whose achievements or contributions are recognised by Croatia, the rules below set out what applies. Even if the legal conditions are satisfied, authorities may still decide to refuse.
Person is someone whose acquisition of citizenship would be in the special interest of Croatia. Other conditions: respect for the legal order, customs and culture of the country.
Not available in Croatia: Citizens of specific countries, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Public or military service, Investment. Coded by GLOBALCIT for 1 January 2024 and updated with in-force changes.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship in Croatia is accepted for citizens who naturalise abroad, but not generally for new citizens.
- New citizens
- New citizens must give up their previous citizenship, with major exceptions
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
See how Croatia compares with every country in the residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Albania | 7 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Greece | 7 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Italy | 10 years | Test or certificate | Accepted |
 Malta | 7 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Montenegro | 10 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 North Macedonia | 7 years | Required, no test | Citizens abroad only |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 8.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Croatia Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/croatia/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/croatia/">How to Get Croatia Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become a Croatian citizen?
8 years of residence is the period for ordinary naturalisation in Croatia. Other legal conditions also apply.
Does Croatia allow dual citizenship?
Only in one direction: citizens who naturalise abroad, but not generally people who naturalise in Croatia.
Do I need a language test for Croatian citizenship?
Yes, Croatian citizenship requires a language test or certificate.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Croatian citizenship?
Croatia requires civic knowledge for naturalisation but does not specify a formal test.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Croatian citizenship?
Giving up your current citizenship is required, with major exceptions.
Can I get Croatia citizenship by marriage?
Yes, Croatia provides a marriage route. Procedure: entitlement.
Can I get Croatia citizenship by descent?
Yes, the law of Croatia provides citizenship by descent from a citizen parent. Procedure: automatic, discretionary.
Can I get Croatia citizenship by investment?
The data shows no investment route for Croatia.
Related pages
Also see: Croatia passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.