Why You Must Have Health Insurance
Pasárgada Comunicação
State health insurance is mandatory for everyone in Croatia: students, temporary residents and citizens alike. If you plan to live in Croatia for any amount of time, signing up for insurance should be one of your first priorities. It is required as part of any residence permit application.
The Type of Insurance Matters
When it comes to the Croatian government, not all insurance policies are created equal. To meet the health insurance policy requirement for all residents, you must obtain insurance through HZZO (the Croatian Institute for Health Insurance).
Typically, you need proof that you have residency or are far enough down the path to obtaining residency that they can justify bringing you into the system. Health insurance premiums do not vary based on residency status, but may change at the prerogative of HZZO.
How to get state health insurance
EU Citizens
If you plan to live in Croatia and are a European citizen from one of the following countries:
Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
…you can access Croatian healthcare given that you bring a document from your public health insurance provider before leaving your home country. This document will vary by country. Call your home state insurance provider and tell them you are moving to Croatia and need to provide Croatia with proof that you are no longer insured by the state policy in your home country.
You’ll need to take this document to HZZO who will provide you with the necessary documentation to get healthcare. Once you sign up, you’ll be obligated to pay the monthly premium of 529,68 kuna per month UNLESS you are employed by a Croatian employer, in which case they are required to pay your premium on your behalf as part of your salary.
Non-EU Residents
If you are not Croatian or an EU citizen and plan to stay in Croatia longer than 90 days, you’ll need to get national insurance through HZZO. However, you cannot simply walk in to HZZO and apply. If you plan to stay here, you are probably working with the local police (Policija) to obtain residency.
During this process, they will give you a request letter for you to take to HZZO. This letter proves that you intend to reside in Croatia and the Policija have tentatively approved you for residency.
Once you get this document from the Policija, you’ll need to take it to HZZO. There are no forms to fill out at HZZO, merely an exchange of documents. HZZO will then give you a letter showing that you are now insured that you will take back to the Policija to be added to your visa application. It’s actually a fairly easy process.
Once you are signed up for national insurance, it takes 30 days to 3 months (sometimes longer) to get your insurance card in the mail. If you need healthcare during this time, you can obtain a letter showing proof of your coverage from HZZO.
There is a monthly cost for this insurance option, that is calculated annually based on the salary average. The latest premium as of March 2019 is 529,68 kuna per month. For new enrollees in the Croatian Health Fund that are not from the EU, an initial payment of 6356,16 kuna will be due in addition to the monthly payment. They consider it back payment for the previous year.
It may take some months before your first bill shows up at your house. In my case, it took 7 months. However, that first bill included those 7 months in entirety so be prepared for a big bill whenever it shows up.
It’s important to note that you are obliged to pay the health insurance as long as you are here. It’s not something that you can decide not to pay for 2 years, then start up again. For your health insurance to remain active, you have to make every payment that is owed since you started the policy.
How to find the HZZO office
HZZO has regional offices in all major cities, and branch offices for villages and islands. To find your local office, view HZZO’s complete office list. Click on the closest city to you to find the list of regional and branch offices.
What National Insurance Gets You
National insurance is public and state-funded. Coming from a country like the United States without state health care, a state-subsidized health care option is definitely more affordable. The reality is that it has its advantages and disadvantages like anything else.
Most prescriptions are free, but some common ones are not such as oral contraception. Doctor visits are only free if you go to general practitioners. Specialists are not always covered. Because of this, there can be long waits to get an appointment at your regular doctor. Some Croatians are willing to pay out of pocket to visit specialists to avoid the long waits.
An appointment with a private specialist can cost between 300 and 500 kuna ($50-90 USD) without insurance. If you are coming from the States, these prices are definitely a bargain but they are not if you are from, live and work in Croatia.
Before you step off the plane, boat or train into Croatia, it is invaluable to know what to expect especially when it comes to your healthcare. To learn more about HZZO, visit their web site. To learn more about the system and how to navigate it, check our extensive post here.
Latest posts by Expat in Croatia (see all)
- Best places to eat and drink in Split - April 16, 2015
- How to get a free .hr web address - November 3, 2014
- The Complete Guide to Outdoor Activities in Croatia - August 20, 2014
December 23, 2013 @ 11:01 am
I have been reading a lot of blogs about expats the last few years, but in relation to insurance and europe you nailed it! Great. Thanks!
December 23, 2013 @ 12:37 pm
Thanks for the stamp of approval!
Obtaining your Croatian visa - Chasing the Donkey
January 5, 2014 @ 11:47 pm
[…] Proof of Croatia state health insurance through HZZO (a copy of your insurance card will suffice) […]
April 17, 2014 @ 4:43 pm
Hallo, quick question,
did you get a permanent residence VISA, or one for 2 years?
cheers
April 20, 2014 @ 7:12 pm
Hi Peter,
Before Croatia entered the EU, I got a temporary residence for 1 year. After EU, I got a temporary residence for 5 years. After 5 years, I can apply for permanent residence, which means I don’t have to reapply in the future. Cheers!
September 15, 2014 @ 6:21 pm
I have the EU healthcare card. Will that do for applying for temporary residency?
September 24, 2014 @ 11:58 am
Hi Dan,
Having an EU healthcare card will definitely help in gaining temporary residency. In conjunction with your EU passport and proof of income, that should be all you need to get residency.
October 6, 2014 @ 6:12 pm
Here on a volunteer visa from Switzerland with 1 yr temp residency. Mandatory enrollment in HZZO and a week later a bill for one year was about 800 Euro. Now 5 months later we are getting bills from the tax office that we are behind and should have been paying monthly also. Tax offcials are finding it hard to explain only that the one yr payment is basically an insurance that we will pay our monthly insurance.
Verry disappointed!
November 3, 2014 @ 1:46 pm
Hi Jerry,
Thank you for sharing your experience. Are you saying that you have received tax bills in addition to the health insurance bills?
Sara
February 19, 2015 @ 2:36 am
I am a croatian citizen, but currently living in the States. Am I elegible for Croatian insurence, given that I am continuing my Master in the EU.
February 19, 2015 @ 11:15 am
Hi Bojana,
Yes, most likely. You’ll need to first go to Croatia to apply for health insurance at HZZO. Then, you can take that proof of insurance to the EU country where you are studying. Essentially, you’ll “transfer” the state insurance from Croatia for the state insurance in the EU country where you’ll be living. Let us know how it goes!
Cheers,
Sara
February 20, 2015 @ 1:01 am
I have contacted the HZZO, waiting on a reply. Keep you posted
February 18, 2016 @ 9:01 am
Hi! I'm living in Croatia and I've applied for temporary visa (5y)… But they didn't explained me yet about the HZZO… I know that I need to pay around 500kn/month, but I'm worried about those "5000kn" on initial… Is it right? How it works the HZZO in Croatia? I will pay for a "plus", called "dopunsko"… Do you know how it works??? Thank you very much! Your blog was very helpful!!!
February 18, 2016 @ 10:28 am
Hi Patricia,
Yes, you will have to pay an initial start up fee of 5000kuna plus around 500 kuna a month going forward, assuming you aren’t an EU citizen. That policy begin when Croatian entered the EU. Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy to help!
Cheers,
Sara
May 26, 2016 @ 10:48 pm
Hi Sara. May I ask. Do you have any information on where exactly I need to go to gather the required information for my proof of medical cover. I am a British citizen ( UK). Passport holder.
I have explainers to HZZO that the whole world knows that Britain had and still has the first ever Free National Health Service in the World. The lady agreed and knew All UK citizens have Free Medical health Cover . ( National Health Service ).
Any suggestions would be lovely thanks.
James
May 27, 2016 @ 8:52 am
Hi James,
You’ll need to get proof from the UK National Health Service, most likely. Since you are already here, you could try speaking with the UK Consulate in Split or the UK Embassy in Zagreb.
November 22, 2017 @ 9:50 pm
Hi James.
you can apply for EHIC, (European Health Insurance Card) issued free by the UK NHS.
December 15, 2016 @ 7:56 am
I don't know when things changed but we are long term residents of Croatia and must have health insurance. We were shocked to learn that we must pay 16% of our income (US Social Security) for health coverage now. I don't understand why it now costs us about 500% more than when we were temporary residents. Also, the CHIF website says there is no cost for doctor visits or most prescriptions, but we do pay a minimal charge for both. We haven't yet gotten a bill from the Finance Department but were told it will now cost us closed to $500 a month for both of us.
December 19, 2016 @ 2:10 pm
Hi Ginny,
Thanks for reaching out! I’ve not heard of a situation where residents are charged more for health insurance once they are made permanent residents. Did HZZO tell you this price increase was the result of becoming a permanent resident? If you are using your HZZO policy and you are seeing a public doctor (not a private doctor) then you shouldn’t have to pay anything to see the doctor. Most prescriptions are also free if prescribed by a HZZO network doctor, but are not covered if prescribed by a private doctor. Definitely interested in hearing more about your situation.
Cheers,
Sara
May 26, 2016 @ 10:46 pm
Hi Sara. May I ask. Do you have any information on where exactly I need to go to gather the required information for my proof of medical cover. I am a British citizen ( UK). Passport holder.
I have explainers to HZZO that the whole world knows that Britain had and still has the first ever Free National Health Service in the World. The lady agreed and knew All UK citizens have Free Medical health Cover . ( National Health Service ).
Any suggestions would be lovely thanks.
James
December 17, 2017 @ 4:32 am
Hi James, you can get a EHIC from NHS thats as long as you still have UK address and on the electoral roll.
If your not on the roll they will issue “S Card” (like the old E111) and when you have proof of address in Croatia you then contact them and they issue EHIC………
August 19, 2016 @ 3:05 pm
Hi– We are retired from the USA trying to get a 1 year stay. We have health insurance from Cigna, Global, will that suffice. With the 5000 kuna signup for each of us, it makes more sense to keep our Cigna insurance. It is 280 Euros per month for the two of us. Do you agree?
August 30, 2016 @ 2:49 pm
Hi Gordon,
The Croatian government requires that you get their national health insurance. A private policy does not count towards a visa. You certainly keep your Cigna policy if you want, but you will also need to get HZZO as well if you plan to apply for a visa.
Regards,
Sara
September 28, 2016 @ 7:41 pm
I found your blog searching for other thing expat related in Croatia and I read this just by curiosity. I would like to share my experience with the HZZO appliance and paper work, as I found in Croatia even if there is a procedure, it will always be subject to the opinion or ways of the person behind the desk.
When I apply for it they told me I was going to have to pay 412kn in per month plus and initial 5000kn. I ended up going like 5 times to the HZZO because they kept asking me for different papers to fill in. Every single time I went there, there was a different person to speak to and therefore a completely different story about what I needed to do. After buying all the types of forms at the library store, at my 5th time there the woman ask me for one form, I gave it to her. Then she said, no I need the other form, I gave it to her, than she said she was going to fill all info in the system and leave the both forms cause she really didn't know which one was needed. I really don't know what she did, but the 5000 kn bill never came and apparently will never come cause I asked and they told me there is no due with HZZO under my OIB… one year later we decide to leave the country, we put everything down and 5 days before living my boyfriend got really sick (he is Croatian) and I I had to reactivate everything again by my self while he was in the hospital. Again, I ended up going 3 times, Every time a different person behind the desk asking for something different, at the end I solved it, and I got my HZzo back still nobody asked for the famous 5000 kunas. Why I'm saying this, because living in Croatia so far I noticed no public entity actually works by the book. Every worker does whatever he thinks it's correct. They contradict between them and at the end whatever they do pass ok without anybody else checking if what they did is ok. So, my advice, get a lot of patience, and go to see the people with a package of frank coffe under your arm, smile and don't get pissed off (or hide it as much as you can), and then you might get everything solved by the end of the day.
(Sorry my bad english, it's not my mother tongue, I hope you can understand something of this, haha!)
Ps: it's also good to know that after you get your hzzo you need to sign in for a general doctor (this may take from 1 to 3 months in big cities, so it is important to do it as soon as you get the HZZO to avoid having to wait for it when you actually need it), that will prescribe any checks that are not an emergency (for this last ones you just go to emergency room at the hospital and wait 4hs to be seen by a doctor).
Also would be nice to mention that the 412 kunas is just for basic insurance where you still need to pay something for everything. There are private insurance companies that provide very good additional insurances that cover more and better that the government additional insurance.
There is also the option for those ones who live in big cities to apply for a private clinic insurance like the one of SUNCE clinics, that hired together with and aditional private insurance, make its posible for you to use the hospital services too in case of an emergency. I hadn't try it yet, but apparently for what I found out this option is also valid for the residency permit and with less bourocracy and waiting times at the moment of seeking medical attention.
Hope this info is useful for somebody! Best wishes!
Andrea
September 30, 2016 @ 10:23 am
Hi Andrea,
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us! You are right. Every person’s experience with the Croatian bureacracy seems to be unique. It truly does matter who you talk to and the kind of mood their in.
I’ve always felt like foreigners who live in Croatia must really want to live here, because we jump through an extraordinary number of hoops to do so. Congrats on not having to pay the 5000kuna start up fee, as many have been blindsided by that charge.
Thanks for suggestions regarding private insurance at SUNCE and other poliklinikas like them. This should be helpful to many!
Cheers,
Sara
November 23, 2017 @ 5:00 am
it would help other’s if you can list all the documents they ask for……………
December 18, 2017 @ 2:39 pm
Hi Terence,
Thank you for the feedback. Will consider this for a future update.
Regards,
Sara
October 20, 2016 @ 6:56 pm
Sara, thanks for your blog; it's very informative. However, I had questions regarding banking issues relating to U.S. IRS requirements, FBAR, etc. I'm an American permanent resident here, and my wife is Croatian. I have my U.S. retirement checks direct deposited into a U.S. bank account and use my ATM card freely here in Croatia. But I'm hesitant to have an official association with my wife's Croatian bank account: ATM card, signature authority, etc due to IRS foreign bank reporting requirements. My intent is not to avoid any proper legal requirement – I only want to limit my U.S.tax liability any proper way that I can. Can you shed some light on this or direct me to a site that can? Thanks, and keep up the good work. I haven't lived in the States in going on 20 years now, and it's been an adventure at every turn, but I love it with no regrets.
August 25, 2018 @ 1:35 am
@Roy, my husband and I are kind of in the same situation. I am Croatian, and he is American, we are still living and working in the US. However, he is retiring next year, and we want to go live in Croatia. Can you share your experience with us, please?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Robbie
December 7, 2016 @ 1:13 am
Really happy to come across this website! We're thinking of making Split a base sometime in 2017 and really didn't know that there was much of an expat community here. Really appreciate all the information found on these pages and will save as a favorite.
On our last visit we visited a lawyer about extending the usual 90 day visa. We're non-EU citizens. We were told that we'd have to sign a lease and have it notarized before having an extension granted (which seems like the wrong way around…but I guess government paperwork basically the same everywhere). We had hoped that we could work towards Croatian citizenship but I was told that the only way to get that was to invest in property or a company. We're not ready to commit to that level yet. But, according to the lawyer, there seems to be no issue getting visa extensions granted when we sign a lease (which has to be prepaid and notarized). Not citizenship but at least we can stay in the country. I'll browse through your pages and see if there's anything i've missed on that subject.
Good to know about Croatian health insurance. We've been full-time travellers for a few years now and are covered by expat insurance. Local insurance would be something we'd have to look into.
Thanks for all the information on this site.
Frank (bbqboy)
December 8, 2016 @ 11:26 am
Hi Frank,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m glad to hear the info has been helpful. 🙂
There is a huge expat community in Split, and it’s much more active than the communities in the other major Croatian cities.
The extension your lawyer is mentioning may be the 18-month maximum for non-EU nationals. I’ve heard of a few cases where people have been granted stay for that long, but then have to leave for 6 months after the 18-month term. They likely want you to sign a lease to show you have a place to legal, registered place to live.
There are a variety of ways to get on a path to citizenship, however this type of extension is not on that path. Purchase of property, starting a business or sponsorship by a citizen are the best ways to get on that path, but involve a lot of cost and bureaucracy.
On insurance, I tried to use my private global policy to satisfy the health insurance requirement when I applied for my first visa. However, the national health insurance is the only suitable policy they will accept and are very strict on that.
Good luck on your move!
Cheers,
Sara
January 17, 2017 @ 8:14 pm
Hello Sara! Thank you for having all these information online, it is really helpful. I dont know if you can help me with this: Im a Croatian citizen but I have never been in Croatia. Im not planning to go and live there anytime soon, but I do plan to move temporarely to Poland. Do you think I can get the Public Health Insurance card there eventhough I will not have a permanent residency in Croatia (no permanent address, bank account, work etc)? As a EU citizen my plan is to use that health insurance card to present in Poland for the temporary residence permit. If its possible to get it, what do I need to present and how long, approximately do you think it would take to get it? Thank you very much! and I hope you can help me with this because I can not find information regarding this case anywhere.
Gisela
July 26, 2017 @ 10:49 am
Hi Gisela,
Thanks for reaching out!
Most EU citizens can trade their health insurance policies for another EU state policy. That being said, since your current residency is not in the EU and you do not have an health insurance policy from an EU country, then the next step would be to speak to the authorities in Poland.
Regards,
Petar
February 23, 2017 @ 4:19 pm
Hello Sara,
This is a wonderful site! Thank you for all the great information!
I am a Canadian who fell in love with Croatia and decided to buy a property in Croatia last year. I opened a Croatian Company to purchase it since I am not EU and wanted to rent it out intially. My accountant in Croatia has told me there are new tax laws as of January 2017. As a director of a Croatian Company, I now have to pay health insurance which will cost me over $200 a month Canadian. Also I was told that this is not a business expense and I have to pay this out of my own personal money. Just to clarify, I do not live in Croatia, I own the company only for the purpose of holding and renting the realestate and I am not receiving any salary or income in Croatia. Do you know anything about this new tax law?I can't find anything on-line and it doesn't make any sense to me since in Canada I have full healthcare coverage. I would be grateful for any insight you can give me. Kind Regards, Kelly
July 5, 2017 @ 10:54 am
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for reaching out! That does sound odd. However, I do know that pension and health insurance must be paid for the director of a d.o.o. (which I assume is what you have). I recommend that you contact an attorney. You may email me for a referral: [email protected]
Cheers,
Sara
March 1, 2017 @ 12:08 pm
Hi, I've been employed by a Croatian company in Split for just over a year and have been told the health cover here has changed and I must now provide proof that I do NOT have health cover in the UK! I am currently trying to work out how to get evidence that I do not have foreign health cover, which isn't a category on any NHS site!
If anyone has had to do the same thing, I would be grateful for any info on how to achieve this.
Thanks, Giles
April 6, 2017 @ 11:11 am
Hello Sara. So, i heard something that the Croatian Law about visa changed and i would like to know more about that, do you know what changed?
May 7, 2017 @ 4:06 am
Hi Sara. What is the monthly rate for health insurance as a temporary resident? Will it change with permanent residency? Thank you.
July 5, 2017 @ 10:50 am
Hi Beth,
The rate is approximately 450kuna per month plus the initial 5000kuna fee. I am not sure that the cost changes with permanent residency, but I will find out and post here.
Cheers,
Sara
August 3, 2017 @ 6:40 pm
Hi Beth,
Health insurance premiums do not vary based on residency status, but may change at the prerogative of HZZO.
Regards,
Petar
June 20, 2017 @ 10:38 pm
Hello,
Is it hard to rent a 2 bedroom apartment in Croatia for under 300 USD a month.We are a family of three hoping to find a town with a good bi lingual school for my daughter as well.I would really need your advice on finding a city that has cold temps in Croatia and not so expensive.my budget is 1500 USD for a family of 3.
Thanks
June 21, 2017 @ 8:45 pm
Hi Michael,
Thank you for reaching out! To find a 2-bedroom apartment for under 300USD, you would need to be in a smaller city or on the outskirts of a large one. If you want cold temperatures, then best to look in and around Zagreb where there is a better chance of finding a bilingual school.
Cheers,
Sara
June 23, 2017 @ 8:16 am
Hi Sara,
My wife and I are thinking of opening a business in Croatia. We currently live in Indianapolis, In, USA. I moved to the States in 1999 from Croatia. I am a naturalized US citizen and my wife is born and raised in the US. I have couple questions for you that I am hoping to get better understanding: 1. Is there any advantages of me having a brother in Zagreb and several cousins to gain residency? 2. From a start up capital standpoint, I see a lot of non EU requirements, but unable to determine the actual amount needed is it a firm min of 100,000 KN or up to 100,000 KN? 3. Also, once a residency is established, is it for short term only? What can be done to get long term residency with the hopes that my business will succeed.
July 5, 2017 @ 10:35 am
Hi Martin,
Thanks for reaching out! You mention moving from Croatia to the US in 1999. Do you have Croatian citizenship? If so, then you only need to show up and register with the police to gain residency. Your spouse would need to apply for residency based on marriage (which requires a certified translation of your marriage certificate). Regarding start up capital for a business, if you are a Croatian citizen, then the amount needed is 20,000kn for a d.o.o. Since Croatia is now in the EU, the initial visa for your wife would be 5 years. You don’t need a visa if you are a citizen.
Cheers,
Sara
August 13, 2017 @ 9:01 pm
Hello Martin, I just want to extend what Sarah mentioned, and I hope the info is correct. I was reading (an re-read) for months about obtaining residency, both on this site and the policija site with all of the mind-bending information. I am a temporary resident, I received a 5 year visa last year because my husband is Croatian and lives here. Regarding your brother and cousins, you could apply for your visa based on family reunification. You are an American now, not a Croatian, so you will have to go through the whole process but your chances are good of getting a visa because you have close family here. It would be easier for you and your wife if you could stay with family whilst your application is in progress. You will need to take one of these family members with you during the application process. If you rent an apartment, you will need to take the landlord with you. The police will visit the address to make sure that you live there. The length of the residency seems to depend on what the case manager decides. It could be one year or five years, but if you intend to notify them of your intention to open a business that could have a positive impact on your application. I did the part-time Croaticum course last year, and there were students from all over the world, and the ones that I spoke to had one year visas, and another married Australian (like me, married to a Croatian) had a five year visa. Good luck!
January 19, 2019 @ 1:07 pm
Hi Jo,
Apparently they changed the law as of 2017 so non-EEA spouses of Croatian citizens only qualify for a renewable 1 year visa. The yearly renewal is a hassle but worst of all it comes with the stipulation that you can not leave the country more than one month at a time whereas before it was 6 months to 1 year in special circumstances. You have the 5-year residence permit. Have you ever been out of the country more than one month at a time without any problems?
Thanks,
Dan
August 24, 2017 @ 11:44 am
Hi Sara,
Is nice and very informative to read across your blog and have some good understanding about Croatia. I am a non-EU citizen who setup a company here in January 2017 and got 1 Year Temporary Resident Permit which is expiring on January 2018. My company capital was 200,000 Kunas and I have 3 Croatian employees in my company as I was told that I need to have 3 Croatian employees for getting Resident Visa to stay and work here.
I wanted to ask that since I would be applying for renewal of my Temporary Resident Permit Card in January 2018, will I be having it renewed for same 1 Year or will it be for 3 or 5 years? Secondly, can you shed some light regarding if I need to keep 3 Croatian employees for sure or can I drop them off as part of my temporary resident permit requirement? As right now my work does not need me to have 3 employees, am more of working myself at my company.
Looking forward for you response!!
Thanks,
Hassan.
August 30, 2017 @ 3:31 pm
Hi Hassan,
In my experience, it will be required for you to employ 3 Croatian employees for the duration of your temporary residence. Most visas are issued for 5 years. Since you were issued a 1-year visa, then your next visa may also be 1 year, likely because they want to ensure you are keeping Croatians employed. I would confirm this with an immigration attorney.
Cheers,
Sara
September 12, 2017 @ 9:16 pm
Hi Sara,
Thanks for the information. An expert advice on this will be highly appreciated.
Also, is it possible for me to undertake work in Germany based on my Croatian Resident Permit? A client of mine has offered me a consultancy work to work for him in Germany, so can I work there based on my Croatian Resident Permit or would I need separate Resident Permit for Germany and insurance? (since Croatia is not in Schengen states till now).
Looking forward for your feedback.
Thanking You,
Hassan.
September 13, 2017 @ 8:20 am
Hi Hassan,
Thanks for reaching out!
You may only work in Germany with a German work permit. The Croatian residency permit does not give you permission to live or work in any other countries other than Croatia.
Cheers,
Sara
September 13, 2017 @ 1:51 pm
Hi Sara,
Many thanks for the response above. which is well understood.
I have Croatian Health Insurance from HZZO and I also applied for EHIC (European Health Insurance Card), so if I undertake any job in Germany would I still need to take separate Health Insurance in Germany or will my Croatian Insurance suffice that?
Here I would like to say that your blog is quite helpful in terms of understanding in Croatia particularly for expats!!!
Kind Regards,
Hassan
September 13, 2017 @ 2:01 pm
Hi Hassan,
Glad to hear you are finding the resources helpful! For insurance coverage in Germany, you’ll need to “trade” in your Croatian policy for a German one. I recommend going to the state health insurance in Germany to discuss how to go about trading in your policy.
Cheers,
Sara
August 25, 2017 @ 7:49 am
Hi guys&gals,
Need some help.
I’m a bit in confusing situation.
I’m Croatian citizen, worked until the end of April, 2017. Was bit of lazy and didn’t have a clue, since it was my first job, that I should’ve register myself at HZZO after that in next 2 weeks.
So I left without health insurance.
Now I got job oportunity on Cyprus, virtually, and I will get “boravište” there, but my primary adresse will stay in Zagreb, Croatia.
Do you guys have any helpfull information for me, how to settle my health insurance?
Thanks!
August 30, 2017 @ 3:33 pm
Hi J,
Since you did not have health insurance in Croatia, you cannot exchange it for a policy in Cyprus. This means you’ll need to get a new policy in Cyprus independent of Croatia. If you want to exchange the policy as an EU citizen, then you’ll need to go to HZZO and ask how much you’ll need to pay to get current.
Cheers,
Sara
September 15, 2017 @ 7:15 pm
HOLY CRAP!!!!
I was going to move to Croatia, because it is “so cheap”, but the health insurance is more than my entire pension! Why can’t you just go to the doctor for free like other countries? Or just, not have insurance?
September 16, 2017 @ 1:19 pm
Hi Heinrich,
The initial application fee is unreasonably high. However, the monthly cost is extremely reasonable.
There is no such thing as going to the doctor for free. Someone has to pay for it, whether it be you, the government or the taxpayers. Requiring health insurance for residents, especially foreign residents, makes sense. You never know what will happen to you and the government and citizens of your host country should not foot the bill for you choosing to not have insurance.
Regards,
Sara
January 19, 2019 @ 1:23 pm
Thanks for the practical information but I’ll have to disagree that the monthly cost is extremely reasonable. Not all family members of Croatian citizens who move to Croatia come from privileged first world countries. Anything that becomes a hindrance to allowing a Croatian citizen to live in their own country with their family is pretty crap. And for some people in certain situations, the fees are a problem.
February 8, 2019 @ 12:07 pm
Hi Dan,
As I stated “if you come from the [United] States”, then it is a bargain. I am only speaking from my experience and am not generalizing that it is a reasonable cost for everyone. I grew up with for-profit healthcare in a land where any moderate injury or sickness could put you out of work or in debt.
Those that are employed in Croatia have their insurance paid by their employer so are not concerned with monthly cost.
I agree that anything that prevents a Croatian from living in their own country comfortably (as long as they do all that they are supposed to) is crap. Unfortunately, that is a problem in a lot of countries and not just Croatia.
Regards,
Sara
September 30, 2017 @ 9:54 pm
This is really disheartening as my husband and I were literally booking a 6 month trip to do some work on his family home in Zagreb until I read this. That is an unreasonable fee for us to pay to only stay 6 months. We plan on leaving Croatia a few times during the stay to do some traveling- does this impact this requirement if we aren’t in Croatia for over 90 days at any given time?
I’m so disappointed I can’t justify paying that considering we are also still paying for our policy in the US while we are there.
October 1, 2017 @ 9:48 am
Hi Caitlin,
I understand your frustration. Were you planning on applying for a visa for such a short trip? If you are not planning on applying for a long term visa, then there is no need to get the health insurance, especially if you’ll be in and out of Croatia during that time. To be sure of your options, I recommend consulting an immigration attorney. From my perspective, it sounds like you are on holiday instead of immigrating, so you could likely get away without having it.
Cheers,
Sara
October 4, 2017 @ 7:37 am
Hi Sara – thank you again for the info. I haven’t found an attorney yet that is comfortable with the Croatian process. Don’t we have to get some sort of visa to remain in Croatia for 90 days out of 180, even if we are on holiday?
October 5, 2017 @ 4:18 pm
Hi Caitlin,
You do not need a visa to be in Croatia for 90 days. Up to 90 days, you are considered to be a tourist.
Cheers,
Sara
October 26, 2017 @ 1:24 am
I worded that poorly I meant for *more* than 90 days out of 180? So if we stay for 120 days, we have to pay for the health insurance with the long term visa..
November 9, 2017 @ 10:40 am
Hi Caitlin,
For stays of 90 days or under, you do not need to register with the police or get health insurance with HZZO.
Cheers,
Sara
January 19, 2019 @ 1:01 pm
Hi Caitlin,
Yes, I would agree that the requirement to pay this much for health insurance is ridiculous and annoying – not all EU countries do this to family members of citizens. Imagine a family (not from a rich country like the US) moving to Croatia because one of the spouses is Croatian, and then being asked to pay 5000 kuna up front per child plus the monthly fees. You may not think it’s much as a privileged American but say as a Bosnian or a Russian or whatever married to a Croatian that would be absurd. It’s a real bastardly law unless you have first world privelege. (By the way now I hear they’re forcing all Croatians to pay some monthly sum for HZZO or about to.) On top of that it is even more annoying that Croatia changed their law in 2017 so that non-EEA spouses of Croatian citizens are only eligible for a 1 year renewable visa. This is annoying not only because you have to renew it every year, but worst of all you can only leave the country one month at a time (except in special circumstances) without losing your residence permit (not to mention making things difficult for permanent residency in 5 years). For some people this is absurd and ridiculous. Before the change in the Zakon o Strancima in 2017, spouses of Croatian citizens, no matter what their nationality, were eligible for 5 year residence permits like EEA citizens along with much more freedom of movement: 6 months per year out of the country up to 12 months in special cases. By the way usually they just make you pay some cheap traveler’s insurance while your visa is in process (in my case one week). Paying the HZZO was not required in order to get the residence card. They give you a letter to take to HZZO and tell you do do it, but you get the residence card first…
October 17, 2017 @ 12:06 pm
Hi there,
Thanks so much for the informative post, its been super helpful.
I am a little stuck and was hoping you could help.
My mother recently moved to Croatia. She came from Australia and she has just received her Croatian passport (as she left when she was little). She went to get a healthcare card and was advised about this 5,000 kuna fee and ongoing monthly fee. At first I thought it was mum just not understanding the lady and now I see that she is infact correct. I can’t get over how high this fee is and it may mean she will need to come home as it’s so expensive.
Can I ask, do you still pay this large upfront fee if you are a citizen? I mean, there are people across the country on such low incomes, how did they all afford this when Croatia became part of the EU?
Is there a way around this upfront fee? I can help contribute to the monthly payment, but this upfront fee is just a bit ridiculous.
October 17, 2017 @ 2:22 pm
Hi Tammy,
Thank you for the question!
The 5,000 kuna fee is a one-time fee. It only needs to be paid once at the start of the new insurance term. It is not applicable to Croatian citizens and residents who were here when Croatia became EU because they already had existing state insurance policies and were therefore not obligated to pay this fee.
Hope this clears it up.
Cheers,
Sara
November 9, 2017 @ 2:29 am
Hi! Great article! Really appreciate the links 🙂 I’m wondering if what I want to do is even possible..
My situation is a bit complicated. I am a Croatian citizen but have never lived there. I will be studying in another EU country starting next year. I would like to go to Croatia for 2 months or so *before* starting university in this other EU country. Can I register for temporary residence in Croatia, join the HZZO (paying whatever fees I have to) and then get the form to use the EHIC in this other EU country (I’ve checked and it’s accepted in that country, I’m wondering if it’s possible from the Croatian side)? And if I register for temporary residence, is a hostel address enough?
November 9, 2017 @ 10:38 am
Hi Natalia,
I wouldn’t bother registering with the police or getting insurance with HZZO if you are only here 2 months. Tourists can be here for 90 days without doing either, so the same would apply to you. It makes more sense to sign up for insurance in the country where you’ll be living permanently. No reason to deal with the bureaucracy if you don’t have to.
Cheers,
Sara
December 10, 2017 @ 11:42 pm
Hi Sara,
Thank you for your advice. However, I would like to have proper insurance during my time in Croatia – it’s supposed to be 2-3 months but I might stay for longer so I’d rather join the HZZO as soon as I get there to avoid problems later. Would you happen to know the requirements for joining? As in, do I need a permanent address or is the hostel address enough to join and I can change it later?
December 3, 2017 @ 7:52 am
Hi Sara
Great blog. Thanks for all the info. My question is related to the Pension and Insurance.
My wife and I are wanting to retire in Split. If we apply for a temp resident visa and pay 5000 Kuna initially, do we have to pay this same amount each year when renewing visa?
Will we be granted a temp resident Visa if we do not work, are retirees and have no family ties to Croatia, but have funds to support ourselves?
I understand that I am able to apply for the Pension when I turn 65 as there is a Social Security Agreement with my home country Australia. How long do I need to be paying health insurance monthly fees in Croatia before I can apply for the Pension
December 18, 2017 @ 3:00 pm
Hi Craig,
Thanks for the question!
Currently, Croatia does not have a visa or policy specifically related to non-EU nationals that want to retire in Croatia. In this case, the best option is to apply for the temporary 1-year visa, which requires prepayment of health insurance and rent for 1 year. You will need to also prove you have the funds to support yourself, by putting an amount (that the police will give you) in a bank account in Croatia. It would be beneficial to also provide proof of retirement and social security during the application process. Please note that this current temporary visa is only valid for 1 year and is not renewable. HOWEVER, I have heard situations where retirees have been allowed to extend it. There is nothing official in the law about retirees, so it depends on who you talk to, in what jurisdiction and what kind of mood they are in.
The 5000kuna fee is one-time at the time of initial application, not annual.
I’m not sure about the process for applying for pension as a non-citizen, but will look into it for a future post.
Regards,
Sara
February 22, 2018 @ 4:37 pm
Hello!
Is it really mandatory to join HZZo health insurance?
When I was applying for the 1 year staying permit, they told me I can use any health insurance that I would find eligible.
Nobody told me that I must enroll under HZZO.
So I am still buying worldwide health insurance form Cifna that covers all medical bills in Croatia.
I pay around 80 Eur per month. But does it mean, I still have to enroll and pay HZZO?
February 22, 2018 @ 5:29 pm
Hi Jekaterina,
Thank you for the comment! Yes, you must enroll in HZZO. Have you already been approved for your one-year permit? It would surprise me if you received approval without showing HZZO enrollment, but I’ve learned that one should never be surprised in Croatia.
Cheers,
Sara
February 22, 2018 @ 5:49 pm
I enrolled with the travel insurance.
The police workers told me it is fine. Also, they did not mention AT ALL they I must enroll under HZZO.
They told me I have options and that’s it. So I calmly bought Cigna insurance.
SO, what I must do now?
I lived in Croatia for almost a year now, if I go to HZZO will I have problems?
May 20, 2018 @ 10:40 pm
Hi,
My understanding is EHIC only valid for temporary stays, but if one has UK National Health does that still mean the 5000 Kuna necessary to be paid for longer stay ?
If staying with friends does that count for residency ? In our case plan to spend part of year in Croatia, part in UK- but thinking best to apply for longer term residency before the earliest Brexit date of March 2019 ( my understanding is probably there will be 2 year transition period after that). (Looke dinto Croatian copany but holding costs if little activity seem to be several hundred Euros a month between mandatory insurance and bookkeeping/regulatory costs).
For tax ID , is that pretty straightforward providing Passport ID, local mailing address ? Is other documentation needed?
Thanks.
May 29, 2018 @ 12:16 pm
Hi Ray,
Thank you for the question!
The 5000 kuna is only charged for long term residents who have signed up for a HZZO policy. If you are only traveling on holiday in Croatia as an EU citizen, then you are not obligated to pay this fee.
The longest stay allowed without a residence permit is 90 days. If you intend to stay longer, then you will need to apply for residence regardless of where you are staying.
Getting an individual tax ID is very easy. Here is a post about it: https://www.expatincroatia.com/how-to-get-an-oib-croatian-identification-number/
You are correct, there are high costs associated with opening a company for the purpose of residency.
Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Sara
December 3, 2018 @ 11:29 pm
Hi Sara,
I have had an apartment in Porec for 10 years now and obtained a 5 year residence card earlier his year after recently taking early retirement. I don’t get a pension but live on my savings. This year I have been traveling a lot and spent 5 months in Spain, 5 months in Croatia. Next year I intend to spend about 8 months in Croatia. Do I need get an S1 form from the UK to give to the HZZO office? Once I move my health insurance to Croatia do I get a new EU health card from Croatia and have to give up my UK one?
Also can I transfer back my health insurance after a few years when I return to the UK?
Once I have the HZZ0 insurance do I have to register myself with a doctors surgery?
Keith
December 11, 2018 @ 12:34 pm
Hi Keith,
To answer all of your questions at once, YES. To your last question, I’m not sure what you mean by “doctors surgery”. With HZZO insurance, you will need a general practitioner doctor.
Cheers,
Sara
December 29, 2018 @ 6:12 pm
Hey there,
First off, great job on getting some clarity on how HZZO process works to all of us that can’t figure it out on our own. What doesn’t help is HZZO and their website.
I looked it over several times and nowhere can I found 5,000 kuna requirement. What also cannot be found is monthly cost per person per month. If you try to shoot ’em a question, OIB is required and I’d say most non-Croatians that need answers don’t have one.
Questions are:
1.) do you know where one can actually find one time fee and monthly cost on HZZO site
z.) if they cannot be found, do you know what is the monthly cost for the end of 2018
#.) is one time 5,000 kuna really one time or can it be re-requested say 3 years after you leave Croatia only to come back
Thanks in advance.
Oh, and Happy New 2019!
January 10, 2019 @ 3:14 pm
Hi Tony,
I don’t know if it is published on the HZZO site or not, but have heard enough widespread accounts of the 5000kuna fee that I’m confident it is the case so be prepared for that.
The approximate monthly cost as of end of 2018 is 460kuna.
The 5000kuna fee is one time, but that is assuming no service interruption. If you stop paying at some point and leave Croatia then return without closing your account, you must pay all back premiums before your insurance will be valid again. You cannot just start paying the monthly again.
Regards,
Sara
January 4, 2019 @ 6:41 am
Hello Sara,
If i apply for temporary residence and in the case i dont have health insurance neither EHIC as a EU citizen:
Is it possible to apply for health insurance in croatia by paying the Initial 5000 kn + monthly fees and NOT having an EHIC ?
In other words: your case as EU citizen. Possible ?
January 10, 2019 @ 3:11 pm
Hi Zoran,
Yes, you can apply for health insurance fresh without EHIC. BUT, I have heard of cases where you must prove that you do not have health insurance in your home country.
Regards,
Sara