Croatian phrases and words you might encounter when immigrating to Croatia

If you’ve spent any time on our site, you may have noticed that we love to talk about Croatian bureaucracy. Likely, because we are NUTS, but also because we strive to make your transition to Croatia as easy as possible.
When you start any immigration procedure in Croatia, a lot of Croatian words will be thrown at you that you may not understand. But that’s okay! To help prepare you, we’ve created a cheat sheet of the most common words and phrases you’ll encounter when applying for residence in Croatia or dealing with any kind of immigration matter.
This guide will also help you understand some of the most common buzzwords and terms we use throughout our extensive section on immigration.
Let’s get started…
Croatian phrases and words you might encounter when immigrating to Croatia
Residency Words
English: accommodation
Croatian: smještaj
English: address
Croatian: adresa
English: ban
Croatian: zabrana
English: child
Croatian: dijete
English: children
Croatian: djeca
English: citizen
Croatian: građanin
English: costs
Croatian: troškovi
English: Croatian police
Croatian: MUP
English: diaspora
Croatian: dijaspora
English: decision
Croatian: rješenje
English: documents
Croatian: dokumenti
English: EEA (European Economic Area)
Croatian: EGP (Europski gospodarski prostor)
English: EU (European Union)
Croatian: EU (Europska unija)
English: family
Croatian: obitelj
English: foreigner
Croatian: stranac
English: form
Croatian: obrazac
English: granted
Croatian: odobreno
English: immigration
Croatian: imigracija, useljenje
English: interview
Croatian: intervju
English: law
Croatian: zakon
English: lawyer – If you need help from a lawyer, contact us
Croatian: odvjetnik
English: to live
Croatian: živjeti
English: to move
Croatian: seliti (se)
English: nationality – View our posts on residency by nationality here
Croatian: nacionalnost
English: national
Croatian: državljanin
English: parent
Croatian: roditelj
English: passport – Learn how to get a Croatian passport here
Croatian: putovnica
English: payment slip
Croatian: uplatnica
English: permanent address – Learn about permanent addresses here
Croatian: prebivalište
English: permit
Croatian: dozvola
English: proof
Croatian: dokaz
English: purpose
Croatian: svrha
English: to register
Croatian: registrirati
English: repatriation – Learn what Croatian diaspora need to know before returning to Croatia here
Croatian: repatrijacija
English: request
Croatian: zahtjev
English: residence/stay
Croatian: boravak
English: restrictions
Croatian: ograničenja
English: rulebook
Croatian: pravilnik
English: self-employment
Croatian: samozapošljavanje
English: spouse
Croatian: supružnik
English: student
Croatian: student
English: studying
Croatian: studirati
English: submit
Croatian: podnijeti
English: temporary address – Learn about temporary addresses here
Croatian: boravište
English: tourist
Croatian: turist
English: transition
Croatian: tranzicija
English: to travel
Croatian: putovati
English: valid
Croatian: valjan
English: visa – View available visas in Croatia here
Croatian: viza
English: to visit
Croatian: posjetiti
English: volunteer
Croatian: volonter
English: work
Croatian: rad
Residency Phrases
English: administration fee
Croatian: administrativna naknada
English: American citizens – Learn how American citizens can get temporary residence here
Croatian: Američki državljani
English: Australian citizens – Learn how Australian citizens can get temporary residence here
Croatian: Australski državljani
English: Canadian citizens – Learn how Canadian citizens can get temporary residence here
Croatian: Kanadski državljani
English: consular office
Croatian: konzularni ured
English: biometric residence card
Croatian: biometrijska boravišna iskaznica
English: British citizens, Brits – Learn how Brits can get temporary residence here
Croatian: Britanski državljani
English: digital nomad
Croatian: digitalni nomad
English: digital nomad residence permit – Learn how digital nomads can get a residence permit here
Croatian: dozvola boravka za digitalne nomade
English: diplomatic mission
Croatian: diplomatska misija
English: EEA/EU member state
Croatian: država članica EGP-a/EU
English: EEA/EU permanent resident
Croatian: stalni stanovnik države članice EGP-a/EU
English: EEA/EU residents – Learn how EU/EEA citizens can get residence here
Croatian: državljani države članice EGP-a/EU
English: EU Blue Card – Learn how to get an EU Blue Card here
Croatian: EU plava karta
English: family members
Croatian: članovi obitelji
English: family reunification
Croatian: spajanje obitelji
English: financial means – Learn about financial means here
Croatian: sredstva za uzdržavanje
English: health insurance – Learn about Croatia’s state health insurance here
Croatian: zdravstveno osiguranje
English: language test
Croatian: jezični test
English: legal residence/stay
Croatian: legalni boravak
English: long-term residence/stay
Croatian: dugotrajno boravište
English: mandatory requirements
Croatian: obavezni zahtjevi
English: New Zealand citizens – Learn how New Zealand citizens can get temporary residence here
Croatian: Novozelanđani, Novozelanski državljani
English: other purposes
Croatian: ostale svrhe
English: permanent address
Croatian: stalna adresa
English: permanent residence/stay – Learn how to apply for permanent residency here
Croatian: stalni boravak
English: permanent resident
Croatian: stalni stanovnik
English: police administration office – View a list of the administrative police stations in Croatia here
Croatian: ured policijske uprave
English: police station
Croatian: policijska postaja
English: renting contract – Learn about renter’s rights here
Croatian: ugovor o najmu
English: residence card
Croatian: boravišna iskaznica
English: residence application
Croatian: prijava boravka
English: residence permit – View all options for a residence permit here
Croatian: dozvola boravka
English: service desk for foreigners
Croatian: šalter za strance
English: short-term residence/stay
Croatian: kratkotrajni boravak
English: South African citizens – Learn how South African citizens can get temporary residence here
Croatian: Južnoafrički državljani
English: student residence/stay – Learn how to get student residence here
Croatian: studentski boravak
English: temporary address
Croatian: privremena adresa
English: temporary residence/stay
Croatian: privremeni boravak
English: temporary resident
Croatian: privremeni stanovnik
English: travel document
Croatian: putni dokument
English: third-country nationals (non-EEA/EU residents)
Croatian: državljani trećih zemalja
English: tourist visa
Croatian: turistička viza
English: vocational training
Croatian: stručno osposobljavanje
English: volunteer residence permit – Learn how to get a volunteer residence permit here
Croatian: volonterska dozvola boravka
English: work and stay
Croatian: boravak i rad
English: work and stay permit – Learn about work and residence permits here
Croatian: dozvola za boravak i rad
English: work contract/employment contract – Learn about employee rights here
Croatian: ugovor o radu
English: work permit
Croatian: dozvola za rad
We’ve got a ton of Croatian language resources. Browse our entire section here.
We’ve got a ton of posts about getting a residence in Croatia. Browse our entire section here.
Please note: Information provided by Expat in Croatia is only for the purposes of guidance. It does not constitute legal or financial advice in any form. Croatian laws and bureaucratic rules often change, and each personal case is individual, so different rules may apply. For legal advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian lawyer. For financial advice, contact us to consult with a licensed Croatian tax advisor or accountant.