Registration for compulsory health insurance is obligatory for foreign citizens who have been granted a permanent stay in Croatia, citizens of other European Union (EU) Member States, European Economic Area Countries (EEA - Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway), Switzerland and the UK and who have been granted temporary stay in Croatia provided that they are not covered by compulsory health insurance in their home country or citizens of a country that is not an EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK with temporary stay in Croatia unless otherwise stated by European Union Regulations on the coordination of social security systems, international treaty on social security, or special bylaw.
When applying for temporary residence in Croatia (for the purpose of studying), international students are not required to register for the Croatian compulsory health insurance if they can provide another proof of valid health insurance, such as:
- European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) (for EU/EEA/Swiss/UK nationals)
- bolesnički list (certificate of entitlement to healthcare under bilateral agreements for students from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, North Macedonia, and Albania)
- comprehensive private health insurance (third country nationals).
During their temporary stay in Croatia, students with compulsory health insurance in EU/EEA/Switzerland/UK have access to health care through the EHIC, which is issued by their national health insurance providers. For more information on how you can use the EHIC, visit the dedicated European Commission website.
Requirements can vary depending on your nationality and residence status, so it is important to check the latest guidance from the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO): https://hzzo.hr/en/national-contact-point-ncp/health-insurance-republic-croatia.