Documents you need for Croatian citizenship
Everything an Australian or New Zealand applicant gathers for the Article 11 route, where to get each document and whether it needs an apostille and a Croatian translation.
Four rules that apply to everything
- Bring originals. The consulate wants to see the originals of all your documents.
- Keep them recent. Birth and marriage certificates and police checks should be issued no more than six months before you lodge.
- Apostille, then translate. Australian and New Zealand public documents need an apostille; anything in English then needs a certified Croatian translation, stamps included.
- Make the names match. Names, surnames and birth details must agree across every document, so collect the certificates that explain any difference.
About you
Every adult applicant brings these.
| Done | Document | Australia | New Zealand | Apostille | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your full birth certificateIssued within the last six months | State or territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages | Births, Deaths and Marriages (DIA); the certificate, not a printout | Yes | Yes | |
| Your marriage certificateIf you are married or your name changed; within six months | State or territory Registry; not the ceremonial certificate | Births, Deaths and Marriages (DIA) | Yes | Yes | |
| Police checkWithin six months; also from your country of birth if you were born elsewhere | For example an AFP National Police Check, as a hard copy | Ministry of Justice, full record of convictions | Yes | Yes | |
| Your current passportProof of your present citizenship | Your passport | Your passport | No | No | |
| Biography or motivation letter (životopis)A page about you and your Croatian family | You write it | You write it | No | In Croatian, or translated with the English enclosed |
About your Croatian ancestor
For the Article 11 route through a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent who emigrated.
| Done | Document | Australia | New Zealand | Apostille | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Their Croatian birth recordFrom the register of births (matica rođenih) | Requested from Croatia | Requested from Croatia | No (a Croatian document) | No (already in Croatian) | |
| Proof that they emigratedOfficial evidence of how and when they left | Records held by the family or by authorities | Records held by the family or by authorities | Yes, if issued here | Yes, if not in Croatian | |
| A Croatian parent’s citizenship papersParent path only | Their Domovnica, Croatian passport or identity card | Their Domovnica, Croatian passport or identity card | No | No |
Linking the generations
Each certificate names the person in the next generation, so the line is unbroken.
| Done | Document | Australia | New Zealand | Apostille | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate of each generation between you and your ancestor | The Registry where each birth was registered | Births, Deaths and Marriages (DIA) | Yes, if issued here | Yes, if not in Croatian | |
| Marriage certificates that explain a surname change | The Registry where the marriage was registered | Births, Deaths and Marriages (DIA) | Yes, if issued here | Yes, if not in Croatian | |
| Records of any other name changeSo names and birth details match across every document | The authority that recorded the change | The authority that recorded the change | Yes, if issued here | Yes, if not in Croatian |
Forms and family
At your appointment.
| Done | Document | Australia | New Zealand | Apostille | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The application form | From the consulate | From the embassy | No | No | |
| Consular feePaid when you lodge; not refundable | Paid at the consulate | Paid at the embassy | — | — | |
| Each child’s birth certificateChildren under 18 included in your application | State or territory Registry | Births, Deaths and Marriages (DIA) | Yes | Yes | |
| The other parent’s written consentFor each child, unless an exception in Article 13 applies | Signed by the other parent | Signed by the other parent | Ask the consulate | Ask the consulate |
The consulate confirms the exact list at your appointment and may ask for more. Applying through a spouse or for children? Their pages list the extra documents.
Frequently asked questions
Do my documents need an apostille and a translation?
Some do. Australian and New Zealand documents generally need an apostille and then a certified Croatian translation before the consulate accepts them.
Read the apostille guideDo I need to apostille my criminal record?
Yes. Your Australian or New Zealand police check needs an apostille for a citizenship by descent application, like your other documents.
The name is spelt differently on every record. What now?
The consulate requires names, surnames and birth details to match across documents. Each difference needs a document that explains it, such as a marriage certificate or a change-of-name record.
Which marriage certificate do I need?
The official certificate from the registry, not the decorative one handed over at the ceremony, which cannot be apostilled in Australia. It needs an apostille and a certified Croatian translation.
I was not born in Australia. Do I need another police check?
Yes. The consulate asks for a check from the country where you hold citizenship or permanent residence and, if you were not born in Australia, from your country of birth as well.
How recent must my certificates be?
For applications lodged in Australia, the consulate asks for birth and marriage certificates and police checks issued no more than six months before you lodge.
Do I need original documents?
Yes. Originals of all documents are presented at your appointment.
Sources
- Applying for Croatian Citizenship (Australia), Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Apostilles and authentications, Australian Embassy, Germany. Checked 13 November 2026.
- How to obtain a police and character clearance report from Australia, Australian Embassy, Ireland. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Get your own criminal record, Ministry of Justice, New Zealand. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Order a birth certificate, govt.nz, New Zealand Government. Checked 13 November 2026.
- Croatian Citizenship Act (Zakon o hrvatskom državljanstvu), consolidated text, Narodne novine, as reproduced on our law page. Checked 13 November 2026.