Temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification may be granted to third-country nationals who meet the general conditions required to be granted temporary stay and who are close family members of:
- a Croatian national,
- a third-country national who has been granted permanent stay,
- a third-country national who has been granted temporary stay,
- a third-country national who has been granted long-term residence,
- a third-country national who has been granted protection in line with the provisions of special legislation governing international protection.
ATTENTION: A close family member of a third-country national staying in the Republic of Croatia based on a valid stay and work permit granted for a period of one year in line with Article 97 of the Aliens Act may be granted temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification only if a third-country national with whom family reunification in the Republic of Croatia is requested has already been granted temporary stay for at least 1 years.
Temporary stay for the purpose of family reunification will not be granted to a family member of a third-country national who has been granted a stay and work permit for seasonal work, who has been granted temporary stay for other purposes, and who is a service provider or posted worker.
Within the meaning of the Aliens Act, the following categories of aliens are considered as close family members:
- a spouse,
- a common law partner,
- a minor child common to spouses and common law partners, life partners or informal life partners, and a minor child of each of them, their minor jointly adopted child, or a minor child adopted by either of them who is not married, as well as a minor child of a life or informal life partner or his minor adopted child who is not married,
- parents or adoptive parents of a minor child who is a Croatian citizen, third-country national who has been granted long-term residence or permanent stay, asylum or subsidiary protection.
The following must be submitted as proof of marriage:
- extract from the marriage register.
The following documents must be submitted as proof of common law partnership:
- extract from the birth register for a child common to both partners or a decision of the competent authority on the adoption of the child, or
- extract from the birth register or a single status certificate, or an extract from the register of common law partnerships, a statement made by the common law partners on their life together, statements made by witnesses about the existence and the duration of the common law partnership, proof of living together in a shared household in the Republic of Croatia or abroad for at least three years immediately prior to submitting the application, or some other proof indicating to the existence of a common law partnership and the intention to continue living together.
The following documents must be submitted as proof of a parent-child relationship:
– extract from the birth register or a decision of the competent authority on the adoption of the child.
Exceptionally, any other relative may also be regarded as a close family member of a Croatian national, a third country national who has been granted temporary or permanent stay or long-term residence and a third country national who has been granted asylum status, if there are special personal or serious humanitarian reasons for family reunification in the Republic of Croatia.
Note: family members of Croatian nationals do not have to provide extract from the birth register or birth certificates, certificates of marriage or extract from the register of marriages, as they will be provided from the registry office ex officio.
