How to find an English-speaking doctor in Croatia
UPDATED: 18.8.2023.
When sick in your home country, you know exactly what to do and where to go. That all changes once you move to a foreign place, especially if you don’t know the language.
Finding an English-speaking doctor in Croatia who you can communicate with you when you don’t speak Croatian can be the biggest headache of them all. All you want is care, and yet there are several hurdles to go through before you even see a doctor.
In this post, we cover:
The facts are these…
How to find an English-speaking doctor in Croatia
How to get a doctor’s referral in Croatia
Most people find an English-speaking doctor by referral from a friend, colleague, or other English-speaking local.
Thanks to the ever-growing expat community in Croatia, it’s getting a little easier to find an English-speaking physician. If you are not yet plugged into the local expat community, the easiest way to get a recommendation is to post on one of the many Croatian expat Facebook groups.
[Read: Expat Facebook groups in Croatia]
In addition, the US Embassy in Zagreb has created a nifty list of English-speaking doctors in Croatia broken down by city, which is available here.
Once you get a recommendation, keep in mind that not all doctors are created equal. Only public doctors are covered under HZZO and Croatian mandatory health insurance called obvezno.
View how third-country citizens sign up for state health insurance in Croatia here and EU/EEA citizens here.
For all private doctors, you’ll need to pay out of pocket. For private doctors, out-of-pocket fees can range from less than 100 euros to a few thousand depending on the specialty and the service.
In addition to the obvezno health insurance, you can also get:
- Dopunsko supplemental health insurance – view a guide here
- Dodatno, the highest level of health insurance – view a guide here
- Putno travel insurance – view a guide here
How to look for a doctor and medical practices in Croatia
Let’s say you need a cardiologist. You can google “cardiologists in Rijeka”, but you likely won’t get any results since you are searching in English.
To search for a doctor more effectively, we have created two lists to help you out. Once you know the Croatian name of the doctor or practice, you can better find the physician you need.
#1 Doctors and doctor offices
The first list that we have created is a list of the types of doctors and doctor offices translated into English and Croatian.
You can search and filter this list here.
#2 Medical practices and specialties
The second list covers medical practices and specialties. It is also translated into both English and Croatian and is easily searchable and filterable.
You can search and filter this list here.
What if you are a tourist in Croatia?
If you are only in Croatia temporarily, then your best bet is to visit a poliklinika. A poliklinika is a larger practice that usually has doctors from multiple specialties on staff.
Poliklinikas are usually not covered by state health insurance and are considered private. You’ll have a much better chance of getting an appointment and speaking with someone in English.
Agram specijalna bolnica is one of the biggest in Croatia, but you can just google “poliklinika” for the city you are in to find a list. Since poliklinika practices are private, there is a much higher chance of the staff speaking English.
View our other healthcare articles
- Croatia’s state health care obvezno insurance, what it costs, and what is included
- Healthcare and health insurance in Croatia
- How EU/EEA citizens (and Croats) can sign up for Croatian state health insurance
- How third-country citizens can sign up for state health insurance in Croatia
- How to get travel insurance in Croatia (putno), which you can use to apply for residence
- HZZO list of local health insurance offices
- List of doctors and doctor offices in English and Croatian
- List of medical practices and specialties in English and Croatian
- What is dodatno health insurance
- What is dopunsko health insurance
- Why you must have health insurance
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.
