There are four ways to acquire Croatian citizenship as stipulated by Croatian chitizenship act: by origin, by birth, by naturalization and on the basis of international treaties. On the one side, Croatia allows its citizens the right to have dual citizenship, except for certain cases when acquiring citizenship by naturalization. On the other side, with his citezenship, foreigners may acquire Croatian citizenship under certain conditions. In the continuation of this article we will deal with the topic how to get dual citizenship in croatia.
Can Croatian citizen acquire foreign citizenship?
The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a national of two countries at the same time and Croatia allows its citizens to hold foreign citizenship in addition to their Croatian citizenship. Although there are no special provisions in the law that explicitly regulate this issue, article 2 of Croatian chitizenship act explains that that citizens of the Republic of Croatia are allowed to have dual citizenship. Article 2 says „a citizen of the Republic of Croatia who also has foreign citizenship is considered exclusively a Croatian citizen by Government bodies of the Republic of Croatia.“
Conditions for applying for Croatian citizenship
The CrOatian Parliament has amended the Croatian Citizenship Act, so amendments to the Croatian Citizenship Act came into force on January 1, 2020.
If you already have one citizenship, you can apply for citizenship in Croatia based on the following situations:
– origin
– marriage
– special interest to Croatia
– re-admission
– member of Croatian people
– international treaties
How to get dual citizenship in croatia- citizenship based on origin
Did you know that even if only one of your parents was born in Croatia, you’re eligible to obtain your Croatian citizenship?
According to the Article 5. Croatian Citizenship Act, the following groups of people may apply for or request citizenship on the grounds of origin:
– People born abroad, with at least one parent that was a citizen at the time of their birth and had their birth registered with an embassy or consulate before the age of 21,
– People born abroad that are older than 21 years old, with at least one parent that was a citizen at the time of their birth and had their birth registered with an embassy or consulate as long as they make the request before December 31, 2022.
It is important to say that a child acquires Croatian citizenship by origin:
1) if both parents are Croatian citizens at the time of the child’s birth;
2) if one of the parents is a Croatian citizen at the time of the child’s birth and the child is born in the Republic of Croatia;
3) a foreign citizen or one without citizenship who has been adopted by Croatian citizens pursuant to the provisions of a special law.
In this way, a child can be a Croatian citizen by the origin of one parent and have another citizenship by the other parent. Also, A child who has foreign citizenship can also acquire Croatian citizenship if adopted by a Croatian citizen.
How to get dual citizenship in croatia – citizenship based on a marriage to a croatian national
Spouses of Croatian citizens whom hold permanent residence in Croatia may apply for Croatian nationality based on Article 10. The primary requirements are permanent residence and that they respect the legal order and customs in the Republic of Croatia.
If a Croatian descendant living abroad wishes to apply for Croatian nationality based on lineage, their spouse may also apply for citizenship at the same time without holding residence in Croatia.
How to get dual citizenship in croatia – citizenship based on lineage
Croatian emigrants and their descendants in a straight line (e.g. children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc) and the spouses of those descendants may apply for citizenship.
There are exceptions:
– If ancestor left Croatia after October 8, 1991, then their descendants cannot apply for nationality,
– If ancestor left Croatia at any point and moved to another country within Yugoslavia or former Yugoslavia, then their descendants cannot apply for Croatian nationality.
It is important to say that an emigrant is a person who has emigrated from the area of the Republic of Croatia before 8 October 1991 with the intention of living permanently abroad.
How to get dual citizenship in croatia – special Interest to Republic of Croatia
Foreign national whose Croatian citizenship would represent a benefit to the Republic of Croatia may apply for citizenship through naturalization as long as they show, through behavior, that they respect the legal order and customs of Croatia and have lived in Croatia with legal residence for at least 1 year. Their spouse can then apply for residency based on family reunification, according to the article 12. Croatian Citizenship act.
The Ministry of the Interior and any other relevant ministry is in charge of deciding whether the person applying for citizenship based on special interest to Republic of Croatia has a valid claim to it due to their capabilities or knowledge.
How to get dual citizenship in croatia – re-admission to Croatian Citizenship
A person who at some point had Croatian nationality, but had asked to be released from it in order to become a citizen of some other country, can request to be granted Croatian citizenship again. In that situation, they must show they respect the legal order and customs in the Republic of Croatia and have valid residency in Croatia at the time of application.
How to get dual citizenship in Croatia – a Member of Croatian People
People who do not have Croatian nationality, but had at some point in their life stated in some type of legal document that they feel affiliation to Croatian people, or they can prove that they were active in the protection of rights and the promotion of the interests of the Croatian people and/or they have participated in Croatian cultural, scientific and sport associations abroad can also request Croatian citizenship, according to the article 16. Croatian Citizenship act.
Like all of the above cases, they must show they respect the legal order and customs.
Exceptionally, evidence of belonging to the Croatian people need not be enclosed by a person whose parents’ affiliation with the Croatian people is indisputably established
How to get dual citizenship in croatia – citizenship based on international treaties
The Croatian Citizenship Act allows the possibility for the question of citizenship to be regulated on the basis of international treaties. However, at the time that this article was written in 2020, no such agreement was mentioned in the law.
Conclusion
In response to a question how to get dual citizenship in croatia, is important to say that as Croatia is part of the European Union, you’ll also receive the privilege of EU citizenship, in addition to your foreign citizenship.
If you want to apply for Croatian citizenship or you need a legal advice, do not hesitate to contast us.
