• Passport (with 2 years left to expire)

• A document that proves that you are part of the Croatian people (birth certificate, passport, etc., of your ancestor who came from a territory that is today in Croatia or from a Croatian minority in another country or if you already have citizenship you will only need your Croatian document (passport, Domovnica or Rješenje (resolution of citizenship)).

• if you don't have citizenship, you will also need birth certificates connecting you with your Croatian ancestor.

• Proof of address. (ID or any official document with your name and address in it)

• High school or University diploma.

• Background certificate with apostille (no more than 6 months issued if applying for the winter semester take into consideration that those 6 months expire in late oct/nov at most so you can use it for the temporary residence, if you are applying to the summer semester you must bring a recent one).

• Motivation letter (In addition to a short bio it is important to highlight your connection to Croatia, involvement in the local Croatian community, Croatian studies, etc. min. 250 words max. 500).

Other documents (if applies):

• Marriage certificate (in case the person applying for the scholarship in the Spouse Category).

• Croatian language course diploma (old scholarship holders).

• Proof of address of immediate family member living in Croatia, not longer than 3 years.

• Letter of recommendation from the Croatian Diplomatic Mision or president of a local Croatian institution, confirming one´s active participation in the community. (*obligatory if you are applying to the Friends Category)

You can choose between 7 cities to take the Croatian course. All courses are part of programs taught by the university of each city.

Each program is autonomous and offers different levels:

• Zagreb from A1 to B2

• Split from A1 to C1

• Rijeka from A1 to B2

• Osijek from A1 to C1

• Zadar from A1 to A2 

• Pula from A1 (only winter)to A2 (only summer) (available only winter or both semesters)

• Dubrovnik from A1 (only winter)to A2 (only summer) (available only winter or both semesters)

If you have already done some of these courses before, check if the level that corresponds to you is available in the city you want to choose.

In the Public Call you will be asked to choose your first and second option in case the available places are already taken in your first option.

Remember that each document has its score that can be decisive at the moment of not only being selected but also that you get your first option and in some cases,  a place in a student dorm (limited places, and you need to be younger than 30 y.o.)

If you want to know more about the cities and the programs, click on the photo.

If you have already started the process at your local consulate over 6 months, once you are enrolled in the scholarship or residing in Croatia, you can request expedited processing through the Sector for Status Affairs, part of the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, by simply filling out a form.

If you wish to begin the process in Croatia, you should follow these steps:

NOTE: In Croatia, it is required by law to complete a process called "SHORT TERM STAY" within 48 hours of entering the country. This is compulsory if you are applying for temporary residence. Failure to do so may result in a fine.

There are two scenarios you may encounter:

1. For hotels, hostels, Airbnb, etc., they must complete this process. However, it is advisable to confirm with them whether it has been done and if you can obtain a police or E-visitor confirmation. (This is applicable only upon initial arrival in Croatia. For temporary residence applications, private accommodation is required.)

2. If staying in a private accommodation, you need to fill out Form 16a and ask the landlord to complete this declaration, and a copy of your passport. (depending on the city you can do it directly at the Police Station or by mail)

 Apply for temporary residence by submitting the following documents:

   1. Completed Form 1a

   2. Photocopy of passport

   3.Certificate of belonging to the Croatian people extended by the Office ( by presenting documents proving Croatian ancestry (birth certificates from Croatian ancestor to applicant + a document proving that the Croatian ancestor lived abroad (e.g., marriage certificate, death certificate, passport, first registration). You can obtain this from the Office at Palmotićeva 24, Zagreb, or by emailing them at ured-dobrodoslice@hrvatiizvanrh.hr

   4.Criminal record certificate (apostille) (no more than 6 months old)  and translated into Croatian

   5. Notarized rental contract

   6. E-visitor or police certificate of short term stay (those in the student dorm get a certificate from the dorm)

   *Processing may take 1 to 3 months. (you have to be living in Croatia for this step)

Once temporary residence is granted and you have received your identity biometric card, you can apply for Croatian citizenship and will need the following documentation in this order:

•  Form Obrazac 1 or Form Obrazac 2 if you have underaged children (they have to be physically here and have the other parent give consent to apply, if the other parent is not in Croatia, you will need a recent notarized consent translated into Croatian, and a copy of their passport)   

• Simple family tree diagram from the Croatian ancestor to you, following the Croatian lineage.

• Birth certificates of your bloodline up to your Croatian ancestor. (with apostille)

• Proof of Croatian ancestry (birth certificate of Croatian immigrant)

• Death or marriage certificate of the person who came from Croatia. (with apostille)

• Marriage certificate for married individuals (for those who are applying). (recent, with apostille)

• Criminal record certificate, original, issued not older than 6 months. (with apostille)

• 2 copies of a valid passport and Residence biometric card.

• CV and motivation letter (short biography, your Croatian connection, why you are applying for Croatian citizenship)

• Certificate of no debt with the Republic of Croatia (you can obtain it at your local Porezna Uprava)

• Evidence of active participation in Croatian cultural, scientific, and sports associations abroad (if applicable).

*Documents must be translated into Croatian by an official translator (sudski tumač, check valid translators in official website). *Only official documents, other documents such as curriculum vitae and motivation letter can be simple translations.

**IMPORTANT: If you are going to start the procedure in your home country, inquire with your diplomatic mission about the requirements, as there may be some differences, such as documents expiring after 6 months.**

For more details, click on the image to visit the Ministry of Interior of Croatia's website.

If you want to obtain a  university degree in Croatia, you can do it through the quota for descendants available in various universities throughout the country and in countless degrees.

The requirements vary according to the degree,  you must have a B1 or B2 level of Croatian (which can be achieved in 4 semesters or up to 2 if you come with a base or if you commit hard enough) and in other cases:

-Equivalent to  3.5 (in Croatia the maximum grade is 5) as a high school average.

-Certified high school diploma.

-Have taken the Croatian national exam for admission to universities (in some very specific careers).

If you want to see a list of studies, quotas and requirements click on the photo and if you want to know more about the program click here.

If you do not have Croatian citizenship:

Bring all the apostilled documentation with you (birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, etc,)

Ask your relatives about your Croatian ancestor, such as date and place of birth, parents' names and scan any document that may have belonged to them, this will be necessary when finding a document that proves that they were born in the territory of what is now Croatia or from some territory with Croatian minorities in other countries.

Croatian language:

If you have not had any contact with the Croatian language there are tools that can help you such as a mobile application and free online A1-A2 courses.

Others:

Keep in mind that the seasons of the year are opposite to those in the southern hemisphere and the academic year begins in October and ends in June.

If you are thinking of coming with your family to live in Croatia, contact the Welcome office to see how they can help you in this process (search for schools, and advice on the immigration status of a non-Croatian spouse, among others).

NOTE: There have been important changes in Croatia in the past few years, such as entering the Schengen Zone and the Euro Zone, among others. If you receive any advice or see a YouTube tutorial on how to do 'such and such' in Croatia, take into consideration when the person giving the advice did the thing they are recommending or when the tutorial was published. The stories people tell are anecdotal because every case is different; it not only depends on when it happened but also where. Each city is different, and each office has different realities, which can vary based on factors like size, season (summer or winter) for example. Always refer to the source when in doubt (government websites or go directly to their office).