Croatia · Citizenship by naturalisation
Ordinary Naturalisation (Article 8)
Open
Last verified July 2026
Open on paper, but effectively closed to most UHNW families, since renouncing existing citizenship is mandatory.
Included because the contrast is the point. Croatia's descent routes carry no renunciation requirement and no language test. Ordinary naturalisation demands both, plus eight years of real residence. That gap between the two routes is the single most important fact about Croatian citizenship.
Qualifying routes
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Ordinary naturalisation
8 years of continuous registered residence while holding permanent residence status.
The facts
- Total landed cost
- Administrative fees only. The real cost is eight years of your life and your existing passport.
- Route type
- By residence
- Timeline
- 8–12 years (8 years of residence plus 1-3 years of processing.)
- Physical presence
- Continuous registered residence for 8 years.
- Family
- Each applicant qualifies separately. Minor children may be included
- Permanent residency
- Permanent residence is a precondition, not an outcome.
- Citizenship
- 8 years, subject to renunciation.
- Language test
- Croatian language and Latin script proficiency, plus culture and social arrangements. Exemptions apply for preschool children, those educated in Croatia, and unemployed persons over 65.
- Dual citizenship
- Not permitted. You would have to renounce.
- Requirements
- Release from foreign citizenship, or proof it will follow.8 years continuous registered residence, plus permanent residence status.Croatian language and Latin script.No security obstacles, and public contributions paid.
What can go wrong
- Renunciation of your existing citizenship is mandatory, or you must show proof it will be granted once you receive Croatian citizenship. This is the deal-breaker.
- Exemptions from renunciation exist for descendants of Croatian emigrants, for cases involving Croatian national interest, and for former Croatians who renounced their citizenship to practise a profession abroad. Check these before assuming you need the ordinary route.
- The eight years required is genuine registered residence, not residence on paper.