Participating in municipal elections and European Parliament elections

Municipal elections – Croatia

Nationals of other EU Member States with permanent or temporary residence in Croatia must register separately if they wish to vote in in elections for members of representative bodies of local and regional self-government units.
Nationals of other EU Member States with permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Croatia can register by submitting an application for registration in the electoral roll with the relevant authority which keeps the electoral roll for their place of residence no later than 30 days before election day.
 
The application shall be accompanied by:
  • a copy of the foreign identification document
  • a statement authenticated by a notary indicating their nationality and their permanent or temporary address in the local administrative unit where the election is being held
  • a statement that they have not been deprived of the right to vote in the Member State of the European Union of which they are a national.
Nationals of other EU Member States who have registered to vote in local elections remain on the local electoral roll. They can be removed from the electoral roll at their request. They may also be removed from the electoral roll at the discretion of the local authority if they lose their right to vote or no longer live in Croatia.
Nationals of other EU Member States may stand for election and be elected as members of local representative bodies under the same conditions as those applying to Croatian citizens under the Local Elections Act, provided that they have not been deprived of their legal capacity by a final court decision or deprived of their right to stand in elections by a ruling in criminal or civil proceedings in Croatia or their home Member State.
 
If a candidate standing for election as a member of a representative body is a national of another Member State of the European Union, the list of candidates or the candidacy must be accompanied by a statement by the candidate, certified by a notary, stating his/her nationality and permanent or temporary address in the unit where the elections are being held, and evidence or a document from the relevant authorities of the State of which he/she is a national confirming that he/she has not been deprived of the right to stand for election in that State or a document stating that no such disqualification is known in that State.
 
Nationals of other EU Member States may not stand for election and be elected as members of executive local authorities or bodies (i.e. municipal or city/town mayor or county prefect).

 

Home country elections – Croatia

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Voters who do not reside in the Republic of Croatia, and who wish to vote in Croatia’s diplomatic and consular missions abroad in elections for the Croatian Parliament, the President of the Republic of Croatia, the national referendum and the election of representatives from the Republic of Croatia to the European Parliament should apply for active registration.
 
Croatian citizens without residence in the Republic of Croatia who hold an e-ID card do not have to register actively for elections.
Voters without residence in Croatia who have applied for an e-ID card will, ex officio, be actively registered and included in the electoral roll under the address of their residence abroad in the e-ID.
 
If, on election day, they wish to vote in the territory of another diplomatic/consular mission abroad or in the Republic of Croatia or have a registered place of residence at an address other than the one indicated in the identity card with a foreign address, they must apply for a change in the place of active registration.
 
An application for active registration and a change of place of active registration shall be submitted to the diplomatic and consular mission of the Republic of Croatia abroad or to the relevant administrative authority in the county or the City of Zagreb, which keeps the electoral roll according to the place in Croatia where you will be located on election day.
The deadline for submitting the application shall be no later than 10 days before the day of the election or the national referendum.
The application forms, ahead of the elections, are published on the website of the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration:
https://mpu.gov.hr/
Voters without residence in the Republic of Croatia and who have not been actively registered may vote on the day of the elections subject to a voting certificate issued by the diplomatic and consular mission of the Republic of Croatia abroad.
 
Voters with residence in the Republic of Croatia who wish to vote in the diplomatic and consular missions of the Republic of Croatia abroad in elections to the Croatian Parliament, the President of the Republic of Croatia, the national referendum and the election of representatives from the Republic of Croatia to the European Parliament may apply for prior registration or, exceptionally, ask the relevant administrative authority in the county or the City of Zagreb where they are registered in the electoral roll for a certificate to vote outside their place of residence.
 
A request for prior registration shall be submitted to the relevant administrative body in the county or the City of Zagreb, which keeps the electoral roll in the Republic of Croatia or the diplomatic and consular mission of the Republic of Croatia abroad, not later than 10 days before the date designated for holding the election or the national referendum.
 
Voters with residence in the Republic of Croatia who have not previously registered or have not obtained a certificate to vote outside their place of residence cannot vote abroad, but only at their place of residence in the Republic of Croatia.
The application forms, ahead of the elections, are published on the website of the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration:
https://mpu.gov.hr/
 
European Parliament elections
Exceptionally, when elections for the EU Parliament are held, Croatian citizens residing in another Member State may choose whether they wish to vote for its Members (MEPs) in the diplomatic and consular mission of the Republic of Croatia for Croatian Members (MEPs) or before the relevant authority of another Member State where they have registered residence.
 
If you wish to vote before a relevant authority of another Member State, you must apply to the relevant authority of that country in the manner and within the time limits laid down in that Member State’s specific rules, thus losing the right to vote for Croatian MEPs.