Depending on the status of international students and the type of study programme they are enrolling in, the admissions process and its requirements can differ. Students are therefore advised to check these accordingly. The usual types of international student status in Croatia include:
- Degree-seeking students (undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate)
- Exchange students (Erasmus+, CEEPUS, Bilateral agreements)
- Guest students (free-movers, short-term study).
Students who are citizens of EU member states may enrol in study programmes under the same conditions as Croatian citizens. There might be different enrolment conditions for third country nationals, so please check with prospective HEI.
For admission to a higher education institution, there are some general and some institution-specific requirements depending on the level of study.
Admissions to study programmes in the Croatian language are administered through the central online application system www.postani-student.hr, for which prospective students must register and select up to 10 study programmes they wish to apply to at any higher education institution in Croatia. Please consult the List of Study Programmes in English and/or the Register of Study Programmes.
Higher education institutions determine the enrolment criteria which are the basis for classification and selection of candidates. For degree programmes, these usually consist of:
- Educational qualifications (type of previously completed education)
- Achievements from previous education (grades obtained), and for undergraduate programmes in Croatian language the results of State Matura exams (national school leaving exam) or intrenational externally evaluated exams
- Special knowledge, skills or abilities, if requested by higher education institution
- For undergraduate programmes, specific entry requirements, such as knowledge of either the Croatian or the English language, medical documentation, listening to particluar subjects during secondary education, etc.
- Specific accomplishments, such as results of particular national and international competitions, for undergraduate programmes
For some programmes in Croatian, foreign citizens might be required to take the standardized Croatian language test at Level B2.
