Receiving Croatian citizenship is only one part of the process. After approval, you’ll still need to complete several administrative steps before you can obtain documents such as your Croatian passport, identity card, and birth certificate. Some of these steps look different depending on whether you live in Croatia or abroad, and a few documents can only be requested once earlier ones are in hand.
This guide walks through what happens after approval, in the order most new citizens actually experience it, so you know what to expect and when.
Start with the Decision on citizenship
Once your application is approved, you receive a document called the Decision on the Admission to Croatian Citizenship (Rješenje o primitku u hrvatsko državljanstvo). If you applied in Croatia, the decision is served through the competent police department or police station. If you applied abroad, it is served through the Croatian embassy or consulate where you submitted your application.. This document formally confirms that you have acquired Croatian citizenship. Nearly every administrative step that follows requires it. A fee applies according to the procedure and place of application. Information on how to make the payment is available on the MUP website. If the decision comes back negative, an appeal is possible.
If you applied while living in Croatia
Applicants who received their decision from MUP while residing in Croatia have two extra steps that do not apply to those who applied from abroad.
First, MUP will direct you to the Foreigners’ Department (Odjel za strance) on the same day you receive your decision, so you can cancel your foreign residency status and hand back your residence card (boravišna iskaznica). The department confirms in writing that your residency has been cancelled because of your new citizenship, and the old card is physically marked as invalid, usually by cutting a corner or cutting it in half.
Second, if you intend to continue living in Croatia, you need to take that confirmation and your decision to the competent administrative police station nearest your address and register your permanent residence (prebivalište) as a citizen rather than as a foreign resident. This involves filling out Form 1 (Obrazac 1). You may also need your landlord’s full name, address, and OIB (Personal Identification Number) if that data isn’t already on file, so it’s worth having it ready beforehand. An important thing you will also need is your landlord’s consent, which can be provided either in the form of a certified written statement or in person at the police station.
Take the Solemn Oath
If you acquire Croatian citizenship through naturalization (prirođenje), you are required to take the Solemn Oath (svečana prisega) after the decision is issued. There is a document called Regulation on the Procedure and Manner of Taking the Solemn Oath that explains the whole process further and more in detail. MUP sets the date and format, and you will be notified when your group is scheduled. The oath itself is a fixed text, recited in Croatian:
“I solemnly swear that, as a Croatian citizen, I will abide by the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Croatia and respect its legal order, culture, and customs.”
Prisežem svojom čašću da ću se kao hrvatski državljanin/državljanka pridržavati Ustava i zakona te poštivati pravni poredak, kulturu i običaje u Republici Hrvatskoj.
Registration in the Book of Citizens
Once the decision is issued, you are automatically entered into the Book of Citizens (Knjiga državljana), which records everyone who has acquired Croatian citizenship. Once the competent registrar’s office (matični ured) receives your record, you can move on to requesting proof of citizenship.
Requesting the Domovnica
The Certificate of Croatian Citizenship (Domovnica) is the official certificate proving Croatian citizenship. It is required for many later procedures, including registering in the Matica rođenih and applying for Croatian identity documents. You can request it once your entry in the Knjiga državljana is complete. If you were born abroad and do not have permanent residence in Croatia, you can obtain your Domovnica through registry offices in Zagreb. Croatian citizens living abroad can also request the document through the competent Croatian embassy or consulate.
Registering in the Book of Births
If you were born outside Croatia, you may need to have your birth registered in the Book of Births (Matica rođenih), the official register that contains records of people born in Croatia as well as Croatian citizens born abroad. This can be done at a registrar’s office in Croatia or at a consulate abroad. If you are in Croatia, this is often handled at the same registrar’s office and on the same visit as picking up your Domovnica.
A practical note: bring your own birth certificate excerpt along with your parents’ birth certificate excerpts, or their marriage certificate, so the registrar (matičar) can enter both your information and your parents’ into the Croatian registry correctly. For those applying from outside Croatia, this step can be handled by an authorised specialist on your behalf.
Registering a foreign marriage or divorce
If you married outside Croatia, your marriage must be registered with a Croatian registrar’s office (matični ured), regardless of whether you live in Croatia or abroad. If the marriage later ends through divorce or another form of termination, this change is recorded by the same registrar’s office where the marriage is registered, based on a final court decision. The relevant court decision is required whether the divorce was initiated by one spouse or was by mutual agreement. A spouse’s death must also be reported to the registrar, regardless of where the surviving citizen resides.
Getting your Croatian birth certificate
With your birth registered in the birth registry (Matica rođenih), you can request a Croatian birth certificate (rodni list), which lists your information along with your parents’ details. A related but more detailed document, the excerpt from the Matica rođenih, also reflects any subsequent name changes or changes in marital status.
Getting an ID card
The Croatian identity card (osobna iskaznica) confirms your identity and Croatian citizenship. Since Croatia belongs to the European Union, this card alone is sufficient for travel across EU and EEA member states, without needing a passport. It is mandatory for citizens aged 18 or older who reside in Croatia, though citizens living elsewhere may also obtain one.
This card can only be issued by MUP within Croatia, since embassies and consulates do not have the authority to produce it. If you live abroad and get your ID card while visiting Croatia, your foreign address will be printed on it. For residents of Croatia, this application generally comes after you’ve received the Domovnica and rodni list, roughly 15 days after the citizenship decision.
Holding this ID card also allows you access to e-Građani, the government’s online portal, using an accepted electronic credential. One option is an activated eOI with its electronic certificates; other accepted credentials include certain mobile banking credentials. Once logged in, you can access a range of government services, including registering a marriage, applying for a passport, registering to vote, requesting a criminal background check, and handling other administrative tasks remotely.
Getting a Croatian passport
A Croatian passport (putovnica) serves as proof of identity for travel outside the country and, like the Domovnica, also confirms citizenship. It can be obtained at MUP or at a Croatian consulate or embassy abroad, though the application must be submittedmade in person. A passport is usually issued within 30 days of applying. An urgent procedure is also available, with the passport issued within three working days, or within 48 hours if the application is submitted at the Zagreb Police Department (Policijska uprava zagrebačka). An administrative fee applies to passport applications, with the amount depending on the procedure. In either case, applicants must provide a passport photograph measuring 35 × 45 mm.
The order in which you apply for your documents depends on where you received your citizenship. Those granted citizenship abroad should apply for a passport first, since embassies and consulates cannot issue Croatian ID cards. Those who received citizenship while living in Croatia must apply for an ID card first, but can apply for the passport afterward or at the same time.
Where these documents are issued
Most applications within Croatia are handled at a police or MUP station. A list of MUP administrative locations across the country is publicly available. Certain documents, including birth and marriage registrations, are handled instead at the matični ured, organized by county.
If you live outside Croatia, the nearest Croatian consulate or embassy is generally the right starting point. Most of these procedures require an in-person application, though parents can act on behalf of minor children, and an authorized proxy or lawyer can act on behalf of someone with a disability.
Considering a move to Croatia
With citizenship granted, relocating to Croatia becomes considerably more straightforward than it would be for a foreign national. If a move is part of your plan, it is worth reviewing a dedicated repatriation checklist before making the transition.
