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    • Welcome
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    • Asylum in Croatia
  • Welcome
  • Why Croatia
    • About Croatia
  • Asylum in Croatia

Croatia ready to recieve Ukraine Refugees

Where to apply for asylum?

You must request protection/asylum immediately, as soon as you enter Croatia. It can be at the border crossing, at a police station or with the first police officer you see, or at the Reception Centre for Foreigners (Detention Centre). In exceptional cases, you can also express your intention to seek protection in the Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers. You can also request protection if you have been caught while irregularly crossing the state border or irregularly staying in Croatia.   General emergency number: 112

What happens next?

After you have stated that you need protection, police will take your fingerprints, and if you are older than 14, photograph you. The Ministry of the Interior will issue you with an official note confirming your status as an asylum seeker and will direct you to report to a reception centre for asylum seekers within a certain period of time, usually within 48 hours. This phase is usually called ‘expressing an intention to seek asylum.  


If you are below the age of 18 and have arrived in Croatia alone, immediately inform the authorities/police so that a guardian can be appointed to you. Your guardian will protect your rights during the asylum procedure. 

For more information on the asylum procedure if you are under the age of 18, please check here for more information: 

Information leaflet for unaccompanied children – Procedure in police station     

Information leaflet for unaccompanied children – Accommodation in home for children


After being placed in the Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers, the asylum officials within the Ministry of the Interior will invite you for an interview to formally submit your asylum application, in the presence of an interpreter. During the interview, your application for asylum will be officially recorded. You must state your personal data, describe the route you took to arrive in Croatia, and explain your reasons for seeking protection.

Legal Aid / Counselling

The official who is talking to you when accepting your intention to seek asylum has the duty to inform you about the asylum procedure. You will also be given more detailed information during the interview/when submitting an official application for asylum by asylum officials from the Ministry of the Interior.


If you have sufficient funds of your own, you can engage an attorney/lawyer. You have the right to legal information related to your case which can be provided to you by the asylum official or by a legal NGOs providing services in your reception centre.


If your application is rejected and you have no money, you are entitled to free legal aid in drafting an appeal before the administrative court. The asylum official dealing with your case will provide you with a list of attorneys who provide legal aid together with the decision regarding your application for asylum. There are also organisations that can provide you with legal information or advice during the whole procedure.


Reception centers and other helpful services

Croatian Red Cross

The Croatian Red Cross has been implementing a program of psychosocial assistance and protection for asylum seekers in Reception Centres for Asylum Seekers (RCAS) since 2003, in cooperation with, and with the support of the Ministry of the Interior and UNHCR. The Assistance and Protection Program seeks to respond to the psychosocial, educational and humanitarian needs of asylum seekers during their stay in reception centres and, with their active participation in planning, to offer quality programs tailored to their interests, age and cultural values.

The main areas of work of the Croatian Red Cross in RCAS Zagreb and Kutina are the following: 

  • organization of daily life and practical assistance,     
  • individual and group psychosocial support,     
  • organization of social, educational and sports activities,     
  • special care for vulnerable groups (children, among them especially unaccompanied and separated children, women, people with health and mental health problems, survivors of torture and trauma),     
  • advocacy to improve the reception and care of asylum applicants.  


Croatian Red Cross 

Address: Ulica Crvenog križa 14, Zagreb 

Website: www.hck.hr 

E-mail: azil-migracije@hck.hr

Médecins du Monde (MdM)

Médecins du Monde (MdM) / Doctors of the World is an international humanitarian medical organization in Croatia. They operate as part of the Belgian branch of Médecins du Monde – Belgique (MdM-BE), a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency and long-term health care to vulnerable groups and advocates for equal access to health care for all. In Croatia, MdM are implementing two projects related to asylum seekers:

  • Disease prevention, psychological support, access, and assistance in health care for applicants for asylum,
  • Empowerment of women and children to combat sexual and gender-based violence.


Médecins du Monde (MdM) 

E-mail: fieldco.croatia@medecinsdumonde.be 

Website: http://www.medecinsdumonde.be

HPC – Croatian Law Center

The Croatian Legal Center (HPC) has an important position in the non-governmental sector for legal advocacy of human rights protection and raising awareness of the political responsibility of all subjects of political life as well as the initiation of accountability mechanisms. The mission of the HPC is to contribute to accelerating the process of transition of the political culture of the subjects into the political culture of the citizen, ie to enable the building of civil society in Croatia.


HPC – Croatian Law Center 

Address: Andrije Hebranga 21, Zagreb 

Website: www.hpc.hr 

E-mail: hpc@hpc.hr 

Association MI

Association "MI" - Split since its inception in 1997 has implemented support programs for citizens and community development by encouraging cooperation, solidarity and civic activism in order to establish social cohesion. The association has been functioning continuously as an active non-profit business entity that employs 5-15 workers with the engagement of part-time employees and volunteers. The name of the association reflects the basic objectives of the association and stresses unity among people.  


In its initial stage MI was connected to the program for refugees and displaced persons, supported by an international organization International Rescue Committee. 


Association MI

Address: Sinjska 7, 21 000 Split 

Website: www.irh.hr 

E-mail: info@udruga-mi.hr

PGP – Civil Rights Project

The Civil Rights Project Sisak is a non-governmental, non-political, unprofitable, humanitarian organisation registered in Sisak on 2 December 2003. CRP Sisak works in the Sisak-Moslavina and Karlovac counties, and in co-operation with other non-governmental organisations in the territory of the whole Croatia. CRP Sisak continues the work of the Civil Rights Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council.


PGP – Civil Rights Project

Address: Stjepana i Antuna Radića 6/5, Sisak 

Free legal phone: 0800 200 098 

Website: http://www.crpsisak.hr 

E-mail: pgp-sisak@crpsisak.hr

JRS – Jesuit Refugee Service

JRS Croatia provides education, legal assistance, and psychosocial support to forced migrants in the Ježevo detention centre. With support from UNICEF, it also runs a Child Friendly Space in the reception centre for asylum seekers in Zagreb, offering children a safe space to stay.


JRS – Jesuit Refugee Service 

Address: Maksimirska cesta 286, Zagreb 

Website: www.jrs.hr 

E-mail: info@jrs.hr

CCD – Center for Culture of Dialogue

At a time when we are witnessing ever-increasing radicalism, where hate speech is constantly fueling xenophobia and racism, there is a need, more than ever in the modern world, to strongly and uniquely support human rights and stop this wave of extremism and rejection of others. 

The Center for the Culture of Dialogue-CKD, founded in 2015 in Zagreb as a non-governmental organization whose purpose is to contribute to improving the cultural and economic quality and standard of living of citizens through strengthening the culture of dialogue among members of different personal identities.


CCD – Center for Culture of Dialogue 

Address: Prilaz Safvet-bega Bašagića, Zagreb 

Website: http://ccd.hr/ 

E-mail: info@jrs.hr

DPP – Society for Psychological Assistance

The Society for Psychological Assistance (SPA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1993, primarily as an answer to the consequences of the war for welfare and mental health of the population. In its first years, SPA is focused on working with people in crisis in war and post-war period and offering comprehensive community-based psychosocial assistance. Over time, SPA expands its field of work and introduces innovative psychosocial services in the community and develops trainings for professionals.   


DPP – Society for Psychological Assistance 

Address: Ulica kneza Mislava 11, Zagreb 

Website: www.dpp.hr 

E-mail: spa@dpp.hr

RCT – Rehabilitation Center for Stress and Trauma

ZAGREB RCT is an independent , humanitarian and non-profit organization that provides psychosocial support for the disadvantaged.


RCT – Rehabilitation Center for Stress and Trauma 

Address: Kvaternikov trg 12, Zagreb 

Website: www.rctzg.hr

Information for Asylum Seekers.pdf

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Know your rights

Your rights

  • Residence in the Republic of Croatia     
  • Accommodation     
  • Employment     
  • Healthcare     
  • Education     
  • Freedom of religion     
  • Free legal aid     
  • Social welfare     
  • Family reunification     
  • Assistance for integration into the society     
  • Ownership of property     
  • Acquisition of Croatian citizenship, according to the legislation regulating the acquisition of citizenship.

Your obligations

  • Respect the Constitution, laws and other regulations of the Republic of Croatia     
  • Register place of residence within 15 days from the service of the decision approving asylum     
  • Always carry a residence permit with you and show it to the authorized person if requested     attend a Croatian language, history and culture course 

For more information visit official Croatian goverment sites: 

Applicants for international protection

Asylum and subsidiary protection 


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