What is a državni biljeg (tax stamp) and why do you need it in Croatia

UPDATED: 7.2.2023.

A tax stamp called državni biljeg is a special paper mark that the Croatian state uses to charge administrative and court fees as a kind of indirect tax. Ministarstvo financija (Ministry of Finance) prints and releases tax stamps, and the Hrvatska Narodna Banka (Croatian National Bank) distributes them.

Tax stamps are printed on flat paper with an invisible validation. They look similar to postage stamps in appearance and size. At the center of every tax stamp is the Croatian coat of arms framed with a stylized rosetta. Below the coat of arms is the value of a tax stamp.

In this post, we cover:

• When to use a tax stamp
• Where to buy a tax stamp
• Tax stamp denominations

The facts are these…

What are tax stamps and why do you need them in Croatia

When do you need a tax stamp in Croatia?

Tax stamps are required for payment of government administrative fees. Fees are usually charged for written, administrative actions when a document will be issued by:

• State administration bodies
• Bodies of local and regional units and their administrative bodies
• Legal entities with public authority
• Diplomatic missions
• Consular offices
• Other government representative bodies abroad

State administration fees of up to 13,27 euros can be paid in tax stamps. The administrative fees vary from document to document.

[Read: How to prepare your foreign documents for use in Croatia]

Here are some examples of when you may need to buy and enclose tax stamps.

Tax stamps are needed when you want to get:

• Decision on admission to Croatian citizenship – view guide here
• Decision on release from Croatian citizenship – view guide here
• Osobna iskaznica (identity card) – view guide here
• Vehicle registration – view guide here
• Residence permits – view guide here
• Yacht registration
• Boat registration
• Croatian background check – view guide here
• Registration of changes or termination of association’s activity – view guide here
• Other documents from the Republic of Croatia

Tax stamps are not needed for certain documents, including:

• Excerpts from registry books
  • Book of births called Matica rođenih – view guide here
  • Book of marriages called Matica vjenčanih
  • Book of deceased called Matica umrlih
• Transcripts of student certificates
• Excerpts from the land registers
• Real estate acquisition procedures – view guide here

Where can you buy a tax stamp in Croatia?

You may purchase tax stamps from:

• State administration bodies
• Local and regional self-government units and their bodies
• Courts
• Banks – view guide here
• FINA
• Hrvatska pošta – view guide here
• Javni bilježnik – view guide here
• Tisak stands – view guide here
• Narodne novine shops – view guide here
• Certain bookshops – view guide here
• Other individuals and legal entities who have a registered retail sale company called trgovina na malo with the state’s authorization

Croatian tax stamp denominations

Old kuna tax stamps that were printed in 4 amounts:

• 5 kuna – printed in yellow
• 10 kuna – printed in gray
• 20 kuna – printed in red
• 50 kuna – printed in orange

New tax stamps printed in euros have the following denominations:

• 0,66 euros – printed in blue
• 1,33 euros – printed in brown
• 2,65 euros -printed in orange
• 6,64 euros – printed in red

Old tax stamps in kuna denominations can be used until they are used up. This means you can still use your kuna tax stamps if you already have them at home. A fixed conversion rate must be applied in accordance with the rules for conversion and rounding related to the introduction of the euro as the Croatian official currency.

Learn more about Croatia’s transition from kuna to euro in our guides:

• Guide for residents of Croatia
• Guide for business owners in Croatia

View other documentation posts

• Apostille versus full legalization of government documents
• Background checks for third-country nationals (non-EU/EEA citizens)
• How to get an OIB – Croatian Identification Number
• How to get something notarized
• How to prepare your foreign documents for use in Croatia
• What is a Tisak and how it may just save your life
• Which documents you should bring with you to Croatia (if you plan to live here)

Sources:
Pravilnik o izdavanju, raspačavanju, povlačenju iz upotrebe i zamjeni državnih biljega 
U Hrvatskoj su konačno ukinuti biljezi by N1
Rulebook on tax stamps changes by Narodne Novine