Croatian citizenship enjoys great popularity worldwide and has been among the world's top 20 strongest passports for many years. The large Croatian diaspora, arising security concerns and political repositioning globally, and the fact that Croatia is a member of the European Union are sufficient reasons for the popularity of Croatian citizenship, so it's not surprising that many are trying to obtain this valuable piece of paper.
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But, we will give you a brief (although it's a 7-minute read, approximately) overview, pointing out the reason why a good legal approach with attorneys specializing in Croatian citizenship law can help move the needle down. Of course, the applications could be prepared on your own, and sometimes very easily, but a legal touch can make a difference in the outcome in many cases, especially time-wise.
Getting Croatian citizenship ranges from straightforward to complex cases. Many cases are doable on your own terms, where you invest some portion of your time and willpower in understanding the Croatian citizenship Act alongside the inputs from the competent General consulate of Croatia, but certain cases crave for what is more legal approach and a legally-formulated application, to claim what is usually Croatian dual citizenship.
To begin with, we always emphasize that the most important starting point is defining the ground for acquiring Croatian citizenship. This is something we will continuously highlight. Plain thing, once you submit your application, there is no going back, as significant effort will be needed to requalify your request before the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia. The officials handling your application may do so according to the principles of administrative procedure, but it’s better not to rely on this option. So, even if you were eligible for Croatian citizenship, your application could be declined if you opted for non-applicable grounds.
That's why it is important to approach an extensive analysis (either on your own or with the help of a lawyer) and decide which ground suits your case most, and according to which you have the highest chance of being introduced to Croatian citizenship.
Origin, birth within the area of the Republic of Croatia, naturalization (marriage or civil partnership with a Croatian citizen, belonging to the Croatian people, descendants of immigrant's, on grounds of the Republic of Croatia’s interest etc.), pursuant to international treaties - this is common law division of grounds for becoming a Croatian citizen by the Act on Croatian Citizenship.
However, the main and most usual grounds for Croatian citizenship acquisition that our office prefers and implements on a daily basis are:
The procedure for acquiring Croatian citizenship depends on many factors, and the same goes for the application submission for Croatian citizenship. Thus, the application can be submitted in person or, in some cases, through a legal representative - a lawyer, at the Diplomatic Consular-Mission/Embassy of the Republic of Croatia or the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, depending on your age and residency.
We can underline several key hurdles clients often face, namely:
Other common issues:
HELP UPON REQUEST:
Each individual case carries special prerequisites for acquiring Croatian citizenship, alongside the specific life circumstances which has formed you. If you share the opinion that your case is the same as the one relatives or neighbors brought to the table, you can easily be mistaken. Also, certain details in documents can determine the outcome of future administrative actions in Croatia, because acquiring citizenship doesn't resolve all administrative matters (for example, later regulation of the registration in birth registers, obtaining a passport, ID card, etc.).
Disclose your situation to us according to our questions, present a timeline of life events, and we can help you craft an application that meets legal requirements and makes the process smoother for the officials handling your case.
Legal provisions are changing, and they will not wait for you to have enough spare time to start the procedure of acquiring Croatian citizenship. Currently (2025), we have the most favorable legal provisions for acquiring Croatian citizenship, especially for descendants of emigrants.
Even if you are unburdened by time, one tip can save you a lot of trouble.
Especially since cross-border/international dimension is existent in those proceedings, some of the documents need to be located in the home countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina), as well as in the nearby countries, most often such as Germany, Austria, Italy, where your ancestors mostly resided or even lived before leaving for the overseas destinations.
Then, targeting present-day documents can be challenging as well. For instance, if you spent part of your time working in Belgium, you may need to obtain a background check (criminal record) from that country, in addition to the background check from your home country. Or, for example, if your parents got married in Italy and later immigrated to the USA.
In addition, the application and letter of interest must be written in Croatian, which is another step that often discourages people from starting this process, even though it should be the last reason to delay aspirations for Croatian citizenship.
Another thing that is important to consider is the fact that some past hidden events in your ancestors' lives may impact the outcome of your application, which many clients may not be aware of on their own. For example, many people from the Istria and Kvarner regions in the 1940s acquired Italian citizenship and renounced their then-allied Croatian citizenship before immigrating to overseas destinations, which disqualifies you from the category of descendants of immigrants.
Furthermore, during the process, Croatian authorities may contact you, often requesting additional documentation and clarification of certain circumstances across the generational/family line. Requests will come through the location where you applied (Consulate or police station). You will need to respond on time to prevent further delays in the process.
This can be avoided if you appoint a representative in Croatia, so all further correspondence goes through them. What we, as legal representatives, can do, with a power of attorney, is to reroute that communication toward us. This way, you are always in the active position with all requests, preventing delays due to incomplete or late information.
IT'S GOOD TO KNOW:
Starting in 2025, new unwritten internal rules/requirements have been implemented by the Ministry of the Interior regarding the appearance and prescribed documentation, which differ significantly from those in previous years.
To summarize, there are several activities our specialized Croatian immigration lawyers/attorneys usually receive inquiries for assistance, which refer to:
We have seen various situations in practice, and we always fit your case into court practice so that both our side and the client's side know where we stand with the outcome.
…as addition, our law firm is focused only on a few legal areas with immigration law included, so you can count on niche-specialized, dedicated legal professionals.
Croatian citizenship is definitely a good starting point for your European investment and relocation intentions, as it will certainly help you to eliminate at least some of the bureaucracy obstacles you would face as a foreigner in Croatia, and holding a second passport is always a huge benefit in the current happenings.
> Check out our extensive author's article on „how to obtain Croatian citizenship“ and what you need to pay attention to before applying on any of the grounds.
* The article is of an informative nature for the purpose of understanding a specific legal problem. It's not allowed to use the content without the permission of the LJUBIC Law Firm.
Citizenship of the Republic of Croatia is characterized by more frequent changes in provisions, unlike BiH citizenship. This has especially been the case in the last couple of years, which will continue in 2023, when the termination of a couple of provisions is expected.
In addition, there are many different grounds for acquiring Croatian citizenship, so a decision should be made on the most favorable option for your request in order to avoid a longer path to holding a Croatian passport in your hands.
In the process of acquiring Croatian citizenship, lawyers can act with a power of attorney only if you are under 21 years of age, while in other cases submission of the application in person is expressly prescribed.
Lawyers can, of course, do the entire preparation of the procedure, but your arrival at the Diplomatic-Consular Office or MUP (Ministry of the Internal Affairs) is mandatory for internal procedures, including a short interview and a discretionary assessment of you as a candidate.
We divide the documents into those that only you can deliver from your country of origin, and those that we can collect on the soil of the Republic of Croatia. Our firm's basic procedure always includes collecting documents on your behalf and pointing out deficiencies in your documentation, so that everything fits into one puzzle for a complete and quality application for Croatian citizenship.
Origin, birth within the area of the Republic of Croatia, naturalization (marriage or civil partnership with a Croatian citizen, belonging to the Croatian people, on grounds of the Republic of Croatia’s interest etc.), pursuant to international treaties - this is common law division of grounds for becoming a Croatian citizen by the Act on Croatian Citizenship.
It is very important to determine on what basis you are applying for Croatian citizenship, whether it is under Article 4, 5, 16 or some other basis. Once you define it and submit a request, there is no going back. You can conduct the research yourself, because the Croatian Citizenship Act is quite clear, and it is only a question of the severity of your case and the category of feasibility for getting a positive Decision.
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Legal practice area |
Most used legal actions according this legal practice area |
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In Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia: Checking the legal status of real estate; Verification of real estate in land registers and cadastre; Finding the desired property; Contracts; Real estate registration; Investment studies / |
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Debt collection; Establishment of business entities; Creating the Rules of procedure; Drafting contracts and constitutional documents; Due diligence; Bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings; Managing labor relations / |
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Acquisition of BiH citizenship; Renouncement of BiH citizenship; Work permits for foreigners; Visa proceedings, Resolving issues of residence and residence permit |
What our clients have to say
A huge thank you to the team at Ljubic law firm on assisting our family with applying for Croatian citizenship. From acquiring all of the overseas documentation for my parents right down to arranging the consulate appointment in Perth. Their work was completed with great efficiency and professionalism. I have no hesitation in recommending their services.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Ljubic law firm and I cannot recommend them highly enough. From the very first consultation, it was clear that their team was not only highly knowledgeable and professional but also genuinely caring and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for their clients. Ivan Ljubic demonstrated exceptional expertise and attention to detail. They were always available to answer my questions, explain complex legal concepts in a way I could understand, and provide insightful advice. I am incredibly grateful for the outstanding service provided by Ljubic law firm. Their dedication, expertise, and client-focused approach are truly commendable. If you are in need of legal assistance, I highly recommend them without hesitation. They are, without a doubt, the best in the business.
My family is Croatian, so when I heard I could gain citizenship through descent, it became an important personal journey. After researching, I had a big problem -- What's the likelihood I'd find a birth record of my great-grandfather from 1861 in Croatia? A little nervous, and with some doubt, I contacted LJubic Law Firm. Honestly, I didn't know if they could do anything. While there's no guarantee with finding such documents in Croatia, the team continually updated me on the search progress, and they found the baptismal record in a little church in the village of Kulkujanovo -- perfectly matching my great-grandfather's death record! After gathering all my documents and preparing to submit my Croatian citizenship application, I also needed to translate my documents. You need to have an officially-recognised translator in Croatia to complete this task. Just to compare, I contacted some other non-law firm translation services. One told me it would take them 3 months to translate my documents! Ridiculous. So, I contacted LJubic Law Firm again. They took on my documents to do in 4 weeks, and then delivered in just 3 weeks -- 20 different documents with apostilles from some documents over 100 years old! LJubic Law Firm is extremely professional. They have great communication and are highly trustworthy. They delivered on 2 very challenging tasks. In doing my Croatian citizenship, peace of mind was very important to me. I wanted to be confident if it can be done, it will. I can't say enough how professional, nice and skilled the team is. Due to the generations I went back, I'd say my case was pretty difficult -- yet the team nailed it.