March the 8th, 2023 - In this article, I'll take you through what you need to do to obtain permanent Croatian residence as a European Union/European Economic Area citizen. A bit of good news is that EU law makes this your right to have after five years of lawful, uninterrupted temporary residence. Let's dive in.

I've already written extensively about what you need to do to secure temporary Croatian residence as an EU/EEA citizen in this article, so make sure to click on that and read through it if it applies to you, because you won't get permanent Croatian residence without completing those five years (and one day) first.

Once you've racked up your five years of temporary residence, you can get permanent Croatian residence. As an EEA citizen, unlike a third country national, this is your right, even if the clerk you’re met with makes you feel like it isn't. You might get lucky and be dealt with by a friendly face, but if you aren't, remember it's them and not you. Just provide what they ask for and you'll be fine.

Typically, you'll need to prove your five years of continuous, legal residence, this is done simply by presenting your temporary residence card. All of the information MUP needs will be on it, or stored in it. 

You may be asked to provide proof of enough funds to sustain yourself, proof of address, proof of health insurance (again, you might not even be asked for this), and proof of your identity.

The key requirement is that you have held residency for a continuous period of five years in Croatia, absences of six months or less every year are permitted. As opposed to third country nationals, permanent residence for an EEA citizen is an automatic right under EU law. You're simply asking MUP for a confirmation of those rights. You therefore do not need a valid temporary residence permit when registering your permanent residence, unlike third country nationals. EEA nationals apply after five years and one day.

EEA citizens do not need to take an exam in Croatian language and the Latin script, this was confirmed by MUP here in Zagreb via email correspondence. Despite this, some EEA nationals report being told they need to do so, and some portals and websites with outdated or confusing information claiming they need to. If you need to be certain, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with the question, stating that you are an EEA citizen and are unsure. You can present that email if you end up being wrongly asked to take a test.

As stated just above, some officials claim that you must submit this application before the validity of your five-year permit runs out, however, this is not the case for EEA citizens as your right to permanent residence is automatic under EU law, meaning that you actually seek confirmation of your rights after five years and one day. Make sure to ask about your situation. The same rules apply to family members of Croatian nationals who are not nationals of an EEA country.

You'll be given the correct form to fill in once you go in person to apply at the police station.

As opposed to the case with third-country nationals, MUP is required to provide a decision on the permanent residence application of an EEA national in the shortest time period possible, so you'll likely hear of your approval quite quickly. Once again, if you don't hear anything or have questions, make sure to call your case worker (ask for a contact number when you make your application!) or send them an email.

Once your permanent Croatian residence is approved, you'll go to pick up a new biometric permit with a typical validity of ten years. As stated previously, permanent residence provides almost all of the rights a Croatian citizen enjoys and when granted, you are no longer subject to any conditions as long as you do not leave Croatia for longer than you're allowed to, and you can read about that here.

You can access the state's social security system, you can work and carry out services freely, in any manner citizens do without needing any type of special permit or permission for foreigners, and you can leave the country as often as you'd like to. You simply renew it as you would a passport every decade. You will not be subject to any more conditions or questions.

If you commit a crime that lands you with six months or more in jail, or you're deemed and proven to be a threat to national security, then your permanent Croatian residence can be revoked and you can, in some very rare cases, face deportation.

For more on moving to and living in Croatia, make sure to keep up with our dedicated lifestyle section. An article dedicated to certain practical and/or administrative procedures for life in Croatia is published every Wednesday.

March the 6th, 2023 - An important change has been announced for people needing certain services at MUP Petrinjska, and it involves foreign citizens needing administrative tasks completed. Certain things will be now done at a different location as of today.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, as of today (Monday, the 6th of March, 2023), MUP Petrinjska is changing the way it does things. The police administration will carry out most of the work it does for foreign citizens within the Zagreb Police Department (PU Zagrebacka) at a new location: Remetinecki gaj 13 in Novi Zagreb, while biometric ID cards for foreign nationals with lawful residence in Croatia can only be requested and collected at the old MUP Petrinjska address near the very heart of the city centre: Petrinjska 30.

People can submit their requests for the creation and pickup of biometric ID cards for foreign citizens only at Petrinjska 30, on the first floor (hall) on weekdays from 07:00 to 15:00.

From Monday, March the 6th, 2023, other administrative tasks related to the regulation of the status of foreigners (such as the service for citizenship and status issues of foreigners) will be carried out at the aforementioned new location in Novi Zagreb, Remetinecki gaj 13, on weekdays from 08:00 to 14:00, Zagreb police announced.

So, in short:

Foreign nationals who only need to request or come and pick up their Croatian ID cards can continue to do so at the old MUP Petrinjska address (Petrinjska 30) between 07:00 and 15:00 every week day on the first floor.

Foreign nationals who have questions relating to their status in Croatia, are applying for Croatian citizenship, require information or have more complex issues to deal with must go to the aforementioned new address in Novi Zagreb (Remetinicki gaj 13) between 08:00 and 14:00 every week day.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

March the 1st, 2023 - Once you've been approved for Croatian residence, the main bulk of your administrative woes will be over. No more standing in lines, stamps, and being frowned at by ill-informed clerks at MUP. No more limbo. But there are still rules to follow when it comes to how long you can be absent from the country for.

Citizens of the European Union/European Economic Area with temporary Croatian residence

If you're an EEA/EU citizen and you've been approved for temporary Croatian residence (this is typically approved for a period of five years, but it can be less), you're free to be absent from Croatian territory for no more than six calendar months per year. 

This means that as long as you're present in Croatia for six months every year, your temporary Croatian residence remains valid.

If you've sought specific permission from the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) to be gone for longer without endangering the validity of your residence permit, then you can be. It's worth noting that if you're gone longer than six months, or longer than one year (without permission in the case of the latter), your temporary residence permit and those tied to you, such as for your family members, can end up being terminated.

At the end of your five years of temporary Croatian residence, you're entitled to permanent residence in Croatia by way of EU law. In your case (unlike in the case of third country nationals), you are entitled to permanent residence after five years and one day of holding temporary Croatian residence (uinterrupted). You still need to get the green light from MUP and obtain your new permanent residence card, but once you have it, the rules change slightly, and I'll outline them below.

Citizens of the European Union/European Economic Area with permanent Croatian residence

If you're an EEA/EU citizen and you've been approved for permanent Croatian residence (this means you are free to live in Croatia without needing to adhere to any particular rules for as long as you want), you're free to be absent from Croatian territory for no more than two consecutive years at a time. 

This means that as long as you don't spend two entire years on the trot outside of Croatia, your permanent Croatian residence remains valid.

British nationals who are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and have temporary residence

Citizens of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who exercised their rights to freedom of movement within the EU back when they were EU citizens (pre-Brexit) are protected by something called the Withdrawal Agreement. This gives them acquired rights and separates them both from British tourists and British citizens who applied for Croatian residence after Brexit was concluded (more precisely after the UK's transition period out of the EU ended on the 31st of December, 2020).

British nationals who are protected under the Withdrawal Agreement have residence cards which prove that, setting them apart from their post-Brexit counterparts and affording them more generous rules. 

If you're a pre-Brexit Brit (and you can prove it with the aforementioned residence card) with temporary residence, you're treated as if you were an EU/EEA citizen, meaning that you're free to be absent from Croatia for up to six months per calendar year without a problem.

British nationals who are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and have permanent residence

Citizens of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who exercised their rights to freedom of movement within the EU back when they were EU citizens (pre-Brexit) are protected by something called the Withdrawal Agreement. This gives them acquired rights and separates them both from British tourists and British citizens who applied for Croatian residence after Brexit was concluded (more precisely after the UK's transition period out of the EU ended on the 31st of December, 2020).

British nationals who are protected under the Withdrawal Agreement have residence cards which prove that, setting them apart from their post-Brexit counterparts and affording them more generous rules. 

If you're a pre-Brexit Brit (and you can prove it with the aforementioned residence card) with permanent residence, you're free to be absent from Croatia for up to five consecutive years without endangering the validity of your permit.

Third country nationals with temporary Croatian residence

Third country nationals are citizens of countries which aren't member states of the EEA or the EU, or they're British citizens not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. 

While holding temporary Croatian residence, third country nationals shouldn't be outside of Croatia for more than thirty days in one go, or for more than ninety days in total, if their temporary Croatian residence permit has been approved a period of one year.

If their temporary Croatian residence has been approved for two years, then they risk their permits being cancelled if they spend more than sixty days in one go, or 180 days in total outside of Croatia.

If you have justified reasons for being outside for longer periods, then you can let MUP know and see if you can get permission.

Third country nationals with permanent Croatian residence

Much like pre-Brexit Brits, third country nationals who hold permanent Croatian residence are free to be absent from Croatia for a decent chunk of time. If you've resided outside of Croatian territory for longer than six years, your permit can be terminated. It can also be terminated if you've resided outside of the EEA for longer than one year consecutively.

For more on moving to and living in Croatia, make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle section. An article exploring everything to do with How to Croatia is published each Wednesday.

February the 22nd, 2023 - I've covered what you need to do to get temporary residence as both a third country national (a person who doesn't hold the citizenship of a European Economic Area country), and as an EEA citizen. In this article, I'll delve deeper into what you need to do to get temporary Croatian residence approved if you're a third country national who already has permanent residence in an EEA country.

Is a third country national who already has permanent residence in another EEA country treated differently when applying?

Short answer - yes. Long(er) answer - the case of a third country national who has already been approved and holds the status of a permanent resident in another EEA country (not Croatia) is treated slightly differently to that of a third country national who doesn't have permanent residence in another EEA country.

Croatian law is a fascinating thing. There is a rule created for just about every possible conceivable circumstance, no matter how specific. There are also ten clerks who can’t interpret it, but that’s some humour best left for another time. This one is fairly simple.

If you're a third country national who has been granted permanent residence in another EEA country, you can apply for short-term stay under the following rules, and by providing the same documents as listed below, meaning that you can stay in Croatia until the expiry of the visa or the residence card issued to you by the EEA country which has approved your permanent residence in that country, and for a maximum period of three months from the date of your initial entry into Croatia.

Here's what you'll need when applying for temporary Croatian residence:

Your birth certificate.

A copy of your birth certificate.

A valid passport.

The permanent residence card issued to you by another EEA country

A scanned copy (it's wise to make several copies), of the photographic ID of the page with your details in your passport and the permanent residence card issued to you by another EEA country

A colour 35x45mm photograph (passport style, not passport size - MUP will either take your photo there and then or direct you to a nearby place to have it done to the correct measure).

Proof of health insurance

Proof of funds to sustain yourself for the foreseen length of stay in Croatia (this can be proven with a printed statement from the bank showing and attesting to the amount in the account).

Proof of the justification of the reason behind your request for temporary residency.

Proof of having housing (this can be proven in several ways, either with a notarized rental contract, proof of home ownership, or having your landlord or whoever you're staying with come with you in person).

In some cases, a police clearance certificate from the applicant's home country is required, however, this is not always asked for, so make sure to ask if you need this beforehand!

The documents submitted with the correct form you must fill in from MUP must be either originals, or certified copies. These foreign documents are usually required to be translated (with a certified translation) into the Croatian language. The documents must not be older than six months.

Just as with the normal procedure, if you intend to stay longer than three months (before the expiration of the visa or residence permit from another EEA country) you can apply for a temporary residence permit at your local police station in Croatia, or in the Croatian consulate of the EEA country which approved your permanent residence there.

Caveats

If you're successful, you'll be given a biometric residence permit proving your Croatian temporary residence.

As a third country national who has been granted temporary Croatian residence, members of your family can also be granted temporary Croatian residence for the purpose of family reunification, if that family member also holds a valid residence permit in another EEA country, or if they've been resident in a shared household with you, as a third country national, in the EEA country in which you hold permanent residence.

Family members in this case are spouses and partners, underage biological children and underage adopted children.

Unlike in the case for EEA citizens, for third-country nationals (and yes, that includes those who hold permanent residence in another EEA country), it can take a while before you hear of the outcome of the Ministry of the Interior's decision when it comes to the application you've submitted, and you might need to follow up to see how things stand. Don't worry if you don't hear much, but do make sure to follow up. Ask questions if you're unsure, no matter the attitude of the person answering, and seek a second opinion should you feel the need to do so. 

You can email MUP in Zagreb at any time, responses might not be quick, but you'll get one eventually in any case: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Keep up with our How to Croatia, Moving to Croatia and Living in Croatia articles by following our dedicated lifestyle section.

February the 15th, 2023 - In this edition of Moving to Croatia, I'm going to take you through the ways of obtaining lawful residence in Croatia as a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) national. Good news if this is you - you've got it a lot easier than third country nationals.

What is an EU national?

An EU national is a person who holds the national citizenship of one of the 27 European Union member states.

What is an EEA national?

An EEA national is someone who holds the national citizenship of an EEA member state, which doesn't have to also be an EU member state. Norway, for example, is an EEA country, but it isn't a member state of the EU.

Jargon buster

As stated, the EEA includes the 27 European Union member states and Norway, Iceland, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Just like third-country nationals, as an EEA citizen, you can be in Croatia on a short-term stay, or obtain temporary and then permanent residence in Croatia. When granted a permit, you're obliged to carry that permit with you at all times or face a possible 100 kuna fine.

Short-term stay: 

As a citizen of the EEA/EU, you have the right of entry into the Republic of Croatia without a visa, you also enjoy the right to reside in the Republic of Croatia for up to three months from the date your initial entry into the country if you hold a valid travel document or government issued identity card.

Temporary residence:

Contrary to popular belief, the type which fuelled Brexit, you do not have the right to simply stay in another EEA country without providing several things to the powers that be. Freedom of movement is exactly that, movement, it is not the right of residence unless you are able to fulfil certain requirements that the host country seeks from you. If you're moving to Croatia, you must register for temporary residence no later than eight days before your initial 90 days of visa free stay come to an end in Croatia. You can do so by submitting your application for temporary residence with your local police station which is responsible for the area of your residency in Croatia. Failure to do this will result in a fine, typically of 100/200 kuna, this can vary. You can also now make the application online by finding your local police administration's email address. Click here for a list.

What you'll need to provide as part of your application as an EEA/EU citizen:

Your birth certificate

A copy of your birth certificate (this isn't a legal requirement anymore, but many smaller administrative police stations still ask for it, so it's better to have it than to not have it)

A valid passport 

A scanned copy (its wise to make several copies), of the photographic ID of the page with your details in your passport

A colour 35x45mm photograph (passport style, not passport size - MUP will either take your photo there or direct you to a nearby place where it can be done to the correct measure)

Proof of health insurance (this can be obtained by going to a HZZO office or by showing you have an EU health card. In some circumstances, EEA nationals are not asked to provide proof of health insurance. Please note that due to the EU's double taxation laws, you cannot be publicly insured in two EU countries at the same time, and should you be required to show proof of health insurance, you'll need to provide proof of release from your old EU provider in your country of origin. Once again, EEA nationals are being asked to provide proof of health insurance less and less frequently). An EHIC should be sufficient.

Proof of funds to sustain yourself for the foreseen length of stay in Croatia (this can be proven with a printed statement from the bank showing and attesting to the amount in the account. Please note that while you once had to open a Croatian bank account in order to do this, you no longer do. You can show the funds in your local bank account. You'll need an OIB (personal identification/tax number) to open a Croatian bank account, however, and this can be easily obtained at the local tax office (porezna uprava).

Proof of the justification of the reason behind your request for temporary residency

Proof of having somewhere to stay (this can be proven in several ways, from proof of having purchased property, to a notarised rental contract, to the friend, partner or family member you're living with coming with you to the police station)

As an EEA/EU citizen, you'll be approved for temporary residence in Croatia if:

You're coming to work or carry out your activities as a self-employed person

You have sufficient means of subsistence for yourself and your family members (if applicable) so as not to become a burden on the social welfare system during your stay in the Republic of Croatia

You have health insurance (again, this may not even be asked of you)

If you're attending higher education or vocational education and you have adequate health insurance, and by means of a bank statement, you can prove that you have sufficient means to support yourself and any of your dependents should that be applicable in your case

If you're the non-EEA family member who is joining an EEA citizen who meets the above conditions, you can get temporary residence granted to you, too

You can get the form you'll need to fill in from MUP when you go there or by emailing them making your request. When you provide this and all of the documents listed above, you'll need to show your original passport or travel document which you entered Croatian territory with. The scanned copy of it will be verified by the official dealing with your case upon seeing that it matches the original.

Once approved, you'll be given a slip of paper (registration certificate) attesting to that fact. Don't lose it as you'll need to present it when coming to pick up your card. It can take a few weeks, but you'll be contacted to come to the police station and pick up your card, which will have a validity of five years if you make sure to ask for that time period.

Caveats

As an EEA/EU citizen, you're afforded many more travel opportunities than third country nationals when it comes to moving to Croatia and subsequently living here. You aren't tied into the 30-day rule and there is a much more relaxed approach. EU law, by which Croatia is bound, states that EU/EEA citizens can leave Croatia for up to six months in any one calendar year without endangering the validity of their residence.

You're also free to work without the need for a work (work and stay) permit.

After you're granted permanent residence after five years of lawful temporary residence (which we'll explore in another article) the perks get even better.

For more on moving to Croatia, living in Croatia and conquering everything from snake bites to health insurance, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

January the 28th, 2023 - An enormous number (221,000 in total) of Croatian ID cards expired back during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and given the fact that the Interior Ministry (MUP) told people not to bother worrying about it until after the end of the pandemic was declared, people just carried out with their lives. Now there's quite a monumental administrative task at hand.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, closed schools, restaurants, cafes, hair salons, bars, bans on gatherings, passes and COVID certificates. All of the above was our bizarre and unprecedented reality not so long ago. Almost three years ago, more precisely on March the 11th, 2020, the novel coronavirus entered the country and an epidemic was declared in Croatia. Is it over now? Yes and no.

"If the end of the pandemic ends up being declared, it means that the virus is still very much here, that it has entered into its endemic phase and that it will remain among us forever. Whether a decision will be made soon is very difficult to say. The information I received from Geneva is that this is the one million dollar question," said the director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak.

This is being discussed by the World Health Organisation's emergency committee for COVID-19. There were sixty known and confirmed new cases of infection across the Republic of Croatia in the last 24 hours, and 411 patients are being treated in hospital for more severe clinical pictures.

"The situation is currently stable, we have 10 to 15 hospitalised patients. The situation now is completely incomparable to the one we had at the beginning. We knew little about this new virus or the issues it would present, we didn't have a vaccine, we didn't have the knowledge about what medicines we could use, but now the clinical picture of COVID-19 is milder,'' said the head of the Dr. Fran Mihaljevic Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Ivan Puljiz.

71 percent of the Croatian adult population has now been fully vaccinated and had boosters, and there are more vaccines available.

"The government made a decision that large quantities of vaccines will now be exported to more distant countries. We unfortunately destroyed some 300,000 doses because their deadlines expired, and we were unable to donate them," explained Capak, adding that many people have come to terms with the new virus living among us like many others do and are no longer worried about it.

For now, the end of the pandemic doesn't mean the end of wearing masks in healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and care homes where clinically vulnerable individuals reside.

"In our case, meaning in the case of Croatia, we'll discuss whether this can become a mere recommendation. For now, while the weather is cold and we can get bigger numbers, we won't change anything,'' said Capak.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, expired documents such as Croatian ID cards and the like are still valid. More than 221,000 people now have expired Croatian ID cards, almost twice as many have expired passports. 78,500 people also have expired driver's licenses, writes Danas.hr/Today.hr. Thirty days after the end of the epidemic is officially declared, requests for new documents such as Croatian ID cards must be submitted to MUP.

"Regardless of the end of the epidemic being declared or not, people can start to plan and prepare to get their new documents themselves. We all have phones, search engines... choose your police department, select the services you need and reserve your date to come and get it all done,'' said Marija Goatti, a spokeswoman for the Zagreb Police Department.

While waiting for the announcement of the end of the pandemic, 12 cases of a new strain of the novel coronavirus - Kraken - have now been confirmed in Croatia. Epidemiologists don't expect any major problems to occur owing to it.

For more, check out our news section.

January 11, 2023 - Pursuant to Article 112 of the Law on the Police, the 21-year-old Croatian police officer in question was dismissed from service by decision, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him for a serious breach of official duty.

As Poslovni reports, before he returned to Croatia, the Croatian police were aware of the case of a 21-year-old Croatian police officer from the Vukovar-Srijem area who was removed from service on November 7, 2022, because he accepted the call of the Serbian Army without informing his superior.

The Police Administration (PU) of Vukovar-Srijem reminds that a 21-year-old Vukovar-Srijem police officer, who was assigned to the Tovarnik border police station and has dual citizenship, made contact with representatives of the Serbian Army on the territory of the Republic of Serbia by accepting an invitation to enroll in military records of the Republic of Serbia, without notifying his superior.

"The fact that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had this information even before the aforementioned police officer returned to the Republic of Croatia confirms the prompt reaction of the security system in the Republic of Croatia," they state from the PU of Vukovar-Srijem.

Pursuant to Article 112 of the Law on the Police, the 21-year-old was dismissed from service by decision, and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him for a serious breach of official duty.

The Vukovar-Srijem police also explain that the condition for admission to the police is Croatian citizenship, while nationality is not a legal requirement for admission to the police, nor is it a category that is a decisive factor in the recruitment process.

Any other action would be contrary to the provision of Article 9 of the Act on the Suppression of Discrimination, which expressly states that discrimination in all its forms is prohibited, the police state with the conclusion that a person with dual citizenship can be an employee of the Ministry of the Interior, that is, they can pass a security check that is necessary for performing police work, of course, if all other legal requirements are met.

According to the information available to the ministry, this is the only case in which a Croatian police officer responded to a call from the army of another country to be registered in the military records of that country.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

December 23, 2022 - The Zagreb police presented their traditional Peace and Good action on Thursday, the 22^nd of December. This year, they again warned that the consequences of using pyrotechnics can be serious and lasting, especially for children. For that purpose, they also published a video on their YouTube channel starring the Croatian football team coach Zlatko Dalic.

Like in most places, pyrotechnics are quite popular in Croatia during the festive period. Their use, however, often leads to injuries. "Most often, these are injuries to the fingers, hand, arm, and eye, and unfortunately, in some cases, they result in permanent disability," said Zlatko Sekačić from the Zagreb Regional Anti-Explosion Unit, as reported by Index.

The warning was accompanied by a video published on the MUP YouTube channel, in which they warned about the dangers of pyrotechnics. The star of the video is Zlatko Dalic, the coach of the Croatian national football team.

The head of the Prevention Department of the Zagreb Police Department, Velimir Tišma, emphasised that pyrotechnic devices can cause fires, and their use can be exceptionally dangerous in closed spaces and places where a large number of people gather.

"Don't give children something that could hurt them."

"Firecrackers are not toys, so we advise parents to be responsible and not to give children something that could hurt them, not to underestimate children's interest in pyrotechnics, and to refrain from using pyrotechnics," Tišma said.

The Zagreb police point out that from December 15 to January 1, in accordance with the Act on Explosive Substances and the Production and Trade in Weapons, the purchase of some pyrotechnic devices is permitted, while their use is allowed from December 27 to January 1, 2023.

The police also note that permitted pyrotechnic devices are only to be purchased from sellers authorised by the Ministry of Interior.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

November the 30th, 2022 - The Trustech fair in Paris has seen Croatian ID cards showcased by the Dutch company Keesing Technologies, which highlighted them as among the most aesthetically pleasing.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at the Trustech fair, which is deemed to be the most important technology fair for identity and payment solutions, the Dutch company Keesing Technologies decorated the exhibition space with images of the protective elements of Croatian ID cards, which can also be seen on the cover of the "Overview of travel documents" magazine.

Trustech, the most important technology fair for solutions in the field of identity and payment solutions, is being held in Paris from November the 29th to December the 1st and expects more than 5,000 visitors and 150 exhibitors, Irena Papes, the advisor of the AKD Public Relations Directorate, announced on Wednesday.

According to the impression and statements from Keesing Technologies, Croatian ID cards are "some of the most beautiful identification documents created in the last few years". The Croatian company AKD which produces them, is more than happy with that opinion.

The Dutch company Keesing Technologies has otherwise existed since 1911, and within its DocumentChecker solution, it owns a database of identification documents and banknotes for 200 countries around the world, and through AuthentiScan, they enable verification of the authenticity of said identification documents.

In addition, the protection elements of Croatian ID cards - the partially metalised Kinegram made with ZERO.ZERO technology - adorn the cover of the aforementioned "Overview of travel documents 2016-2021" magazine.

"I'm proud that the design of Croatian ID cards, as well as the entire IT solution, is an entirely Croatian product made at AKD. We'd like to thank our colleagues from the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) for their excellent cooperation with us,'' said Jure Sertic, the CEO of AKD, a company that produces personal documents and protected printed matter, develops advanced IT solutions in the field of identity and security, advanced traceability systems, and provides services to the banking and fintech sector.

AKD is recognised as a leader by international partners as well, stated the advisor of the Administration, Irena Papes.

The Agency for Commercial Activities (AKD) is a company of special interest to the Republic of Croatia and is 100 percent owned by the state.

For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.

November the 20th, 2022 - COVID-19 rules saw some changes to those who needed new Croatian documents such as ID cards and driving licenses, and MUP has further explained the rules which will remain in place for now.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, let's say you asked for some new Croatian documents such as a new ID card from MUP but you didn't have time to pick it up or you simply forgot about it - don't worry. Your new or updated Croatian documents still at the police station, due to the situation caused by COVID-19, all Croatian documents whose pick up deadline fell on March the 11th, 2020, or will fall during the duration of the coronavirus pandemic (so until the end of the pandemic is declared), can be picked up from MUP with no issue for a maximum of 30 days from the day the end of the coronavirus pandemic is announced.

According to the provisions of the Law on Identity Cards, it is prescribed that a person is obliged to come and pick up their new identity card within the following 90 days from the expiry of the deadline for its issuance, which is 30 days in the regular procedure, 10 days in the accelerated procedure and three working days in the urgent procedure. If the person doesn't pick up their new identity card within the specified period, the competent police department or station will terminate it - MUP replied to Vecernji list. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, different rules currently apply.

When it comes to Croatian documents such as driver's licenses, it is stipulated that a driving license that the driver fails to collect within the next 90 days from the date of expiry of the deadline prescribed (30 days in the regular procedure, three working days in the accelerated procedure and 24 hours in the urgent procedure) becomes invalid, and the competent police department or station will also terminate it.

''Due to the situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the amendments to the Law on Identity Cards and the Law on Road Traffic Safety have seen the deadline for people to come and collect their identity cards and driving licenses extended,'' they stated from the Ministry of the Interior (MUP), noting the aforementioned information above regarding March the 11th, 2020.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.