Spouses of Croatians and Croatian descendants may apply for Croatian citizenship on two different bases. If you live long enough in Croatia, you may be granted citizenship based on residence. The other basis is descent β specifically, that your spouse has Croatian roots.
Whatever your scenario, the process is demanding and requires time for the Croatian Ministry of the Interior to make a final decision. We explained the process in this guide in a simple way. Spouses of Croatian citizens or descendants can apply for Croatian citizenship under two conditions:. You can view it here. This law also defines the termination of Croatian citizenship. You can learn how to relinquish Croatian citizenship here.
If you are a spouse of a Croatian citizen and you want to apply for citizenship based on your residence in Croatia, you must apply under Article 10 of the Law on citizenship. Learn how to get married in Croatia here. A foreigner who is married to a Croatian citizen and who has been granted permanent residence and lives in the territory of the Republic of Croatia can acquire Croatian citizenship by naturalization even if they do not meet the requirements from Article 8, paragraph 1, items of this law.
So, if you already live in Croatia, you may apply under Article 10 if you meet all the requirements we list below. If you want to apply for residence, find out how in the following guides:. Spouses of Croatian citizens who left prior to or spouses of direct descendants of Croatian citizens who permanently emigrated from Croatia may apply for Croatian citizenship.
A descendant can be a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent and beyond as long as it is in a straight line and you can prove the connection. If you want to apply for Croatian citizenship as a spouse of Croatian descent, you must apply under Article 11 of the Law on Citizenship. Stranac koji je u braku s osobom iz stavka 1. Iseljenik iz stavka 1. Iznimno, iseljenik iz stavka 1. An emigrant and their descendants may acquire Croatian citizenship by naturalization, even though they do not meet the preconditions referred to in Article 8, paragraph 1, items 2 to 4 of this Act.
