Indians need a Croatia visa to travel to Croatia. Nevertheless, once you have lived in Croatia for a couple of years, and you do not know whether Croatian citizenship suits you well, you must know the difference between the two.
Permanent residency enables you to permanently stay and work in Croatia, but citizenship is not granted, and you will not be able to vote. A different visa would be required to travel to other countries in the Schengen zone.
Croatian citizenship, on the other hand, offers you permanent residency benefits with the addition of holding a Croatian passport, right to vote as well as travel without a visa in Europe, particularly within the European Union. You would be regarded as a full-fledged Croatian citizen, where you could live, work, and study anywhere within the EU.
Citizenship normally has a more demanding process than PR and may include a prerequisite of a residency period, as well as possible tests on the Croatian language and culture.
It depends on what you have in mind in the long run. PR is enough in case you want to live and work in Croatia.
Croatia citizenship requirements: How to consider eligibility to acquire Croatian Citizenship as an Indian
Indians can have a few ways of acquiring Croatian citizenship, with each having its own conditions of eligibility.
These are the fundamental elements of eligibility which the authorities at the Embassy will consider keeping in check as they peruse through your application so that you can become a citizen of Croatia
Residence
It is a normal need for most of the paths. You will usually have to show that you have been living in Croatia continuously, which can mostly be between 5 and 8 years.
Evidence of economic activity
You will have to demonstrate that you are economically good enough to stay in Croatia. This could be in the form of evidence of income, property ownership or bank statements.
Clean criminal record
Proving that you have no criminal record in India, Croatia, a police certificate is normally required.
Abdication of existing citizenship
Sometimes you have to abdicate your Indian citizenship to obtain a Croatian one.
At this time, Indians have to fulfil some conditions stipulated in the Croatian Citizenship Act to become a Croatian citizen through naturalisation:
- They should be 18 years old (the special conditions are related to the minor population).
- They must have resided in the Republic of Croatia as permanent residents for 8 years.
- They have to pass the test of the Croatian language and culture in case they are under 60 years old.
In particular, the acquisition of Croatian citizenship by minors is possible with naturalisation:
- In cases where both parents are naturalised as citizens.
- One parent is a citizen because of naturalisation, and the child is living in Croatia and a permanent resident.
- When one of the parents (supporting those children through normalisation) gets citizenship, the other parent is a stateless person or he/she is a citizen of an unknown nation, but the latter lives in another country.
Indian citizens can apply to be a citizen of Croatia in the following ways
Indian citizens can have a number of ways of obtaining Croatian citizenship, each having its procedure and conditions.
Residence naturalisation
This is the most popular path and it takes some steps:
Take a temporary residence permit in Croatia. This is usually caused by such things as work, education, or entrepreneurship.Once some time has passed (typically, one year), replace your temporary permit with a permanent residency. Stay as a permanent resident and live legally in Croatia for a continuous period of 8 years to be eligible to obtain citizenship. In the next 8 years, collect evidence of your financial solvency, social and cultural adaptation into the Croatian society, and the lack of a criminal record. The other best option is to make a formal application of citizenship to any local police station in Croatia. The hiring procedure is usually associated with the interviewing practice and a possible language test in Croatian at an elementary level.
The citizenship by marriage in Croatia
This route is easily accessible in comparison to naturalisation through residence which is a slower route to citizenship. When you get married to a Croatian citizen after 3 years, you have a right to apply to get citizenship. Nonetheless, you both have to be present in Croatia for a due time 3-year with your spouse. One has to submit documents indicating a true marriage relationship, i.e. joint bank accounts, lease agreement or utility bills.
Descent
You could have the right to become a Croatian citizen by descent, in case you have one of the parents or both parents born as Croatian citizens.
Immigrants’ documents to Croatia from India
Depending on the purpose of immigration, the documents that should be prepared to immigrate to Croatia from India may differ. Nevertheless, there is a basic package of documents which are usually needed, regardless of the motivation for immigration:
Passport
A valid passport that will not be expiring anytime soon, and that is at least 1.3 years after the date of departure.
Police clearance certificate
It is an official document that certifies that the applicant has no criminal record and is issued by the relevant authorities.
Certificate of income and financial situation
This is a document that shows financial stability and capabilities of self-support in Croatia, which could include bank statements, work contracts, or other documentation showing all the financial facts.
Marriage certificate (where necessary)
This is necessary in cases where one is married and would want to immigrate together with his or her spouse.
Medical insurance
The evidence of travel health coverage insurance guarantees the provision of medical services in Croatia.
Receipt of payment of administrative fees
Proof of payment of a sum covering any administrative fees to exist in the immigration process.
You can also view these posts:
Understanding the impact of criminal records on immigration to Croatia
Getting a job as an expat in Croatia
Preparing for the immigration interview in Croatia
