Registering a birth
The birth of a child is registered at the registry office corresponding to the child’s place of birth. A birth can be registered directly by the parent(s) at the registry office or by a written notification by the parent(s) via the e-Novorođenče (e-Newborn) service.
Registering a birth
The registration of the birth of a child in the birth register is done by going to the registry office directly, or by written notification to the registrar corresponding to the child’s place of birth. The birth of a child in a healthcare institution shall be notified to the registrar by the institution in writing.
For a child born outside a healthcare institution, a registration may be made by:
- the father of the child
- a person in whose apartment the child was born
- the mother when she is able to do so
- a midwife or a doctor attending the birth
- a person who has become aware of the birth of a child.
When registering the birth of a child outside a healthcare institution, medical documentation of the birth or proof of maternity shall be presented to the registrar on registration.
The time limit for registering birth by a healthcare facility or a person with knowledge of the birth is 15 days from the birth of the child.
The time limit for parent(s) to name the child is 30 days from the date of birth of the child.
Until all documents for the child are received, the discharge papers from the maternity centre are used as the child’s identity document.
Registration is done at the registry office corresponding to the place of birth on the basis of:
- direct notification by parent(s) at the registry office, or
- written notification by parent(s) via the e-Novorođenče service.
At the time of the direct notification by the parent(s) at the registry office, it shall be possible to:
- register the child on the birth register
- register the child on the citizenship records
- register the child’s residence at the parent’s address
- regulate compulsory health insurance of the child
- apply for a one-off grant for a newborn child
- declare changes in the personal deduction on parent(s)’ tax cards.
The child’s residence certificate can be obtained by the parent(s) as soon as registration at the civil registry office is completed. The Croatian Health Insurance Fund will send the child’s health insurance card to the registered address of residence within 15 days.
By registering the birth of a child via the
e-Novorođenče service, the parent(s), via the personal user’s box, will be provided with:
- an electronic record of the birth of the child (immediately after registration)
- an electronic record of the child’s nationality (immediately after registration)
- certificate of residence for the child (immediately after registration is authorised)
- registration certificate for compulsory health insurance (within 5 days) and link to the registration form for compulsory health insurance (T2 printout)
- confirmation of the approved one-off grant for a newborn child, and
- if the parent is registered in the ePorezna (eTax) system, notification of delivery of the tax deduction form within three days.
Naming the child
The time limit for naming a child is 30 days from the birth. The name of the child shall be determined by the parent(s) personally and by mutual agreement at the registry office.
When naming the child, the parent(s) may choose the name that they wish. It is essential that the desired name is composed of words which, in their view, indicate a name.
The determination of the surname is conditional on the parents’ common surname. In the case of different surnames, parents may decide that the child bears the surname of one of them or the surname of both parents.
Information on the necessary documents can be obtained from the relevant registry office and a list of civil registry offices by county and their contact details can be found on the website of the
Ministry of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation.
If only one parent is present, a written mutual declaration on the name of the child is required. In the event that one of the parents is not alive, has been declared deceased, his/her address is unknown, has been deprived of parental responsibility, has been totally deprived of legal capacity, or the decision partially depriving him/her of legal capacity provides that he or she cannot take any action concerning his or her personal situation, the name shall be determined by the other parent. If the parent(s) have not agreed on the personal name of the child, the personal name shall be determined by the relevant social welfare centre within 30 days of the date on which the application was lodged by one of the parents.
If in the birth register, a person has a personal name consisting of several words, he or she may, by means of a declaration, specify which words in his or her personal name shall be used in legal matters.
On registering the child in the birth register, the registrar shall automatically notify the information on the child to the personal identification number system (OIB) for the purpose of determining the OIB. An OIB certificate is issued after the OIB of the child has been determined.
Identification number and residence
Once the child has been entered in the civil register and birth register, the relevant civil registry will forward details of the registration in the birth register and civil register to the relevant police department/Ministry of Interior for the purpose of determining the identity number of the citizen and registering the child’s residence at the address where the parent(s) also have their registered residence. If the parents have registered their residence at different addresses, the child’s place of residence shall be registered at the address of one of the parents, with the agreement of the other parent.
Upon completion of the registration of residence, a residence certificate will be generated and forwarded to the relevant registry office for printing and delivery to the parent(s). If the child’s registration is carried out using the e-citizen system, the residence certificate will be submitted to the parent’s personal user’s box.
Text also available at:
https://gov.hr/moja-uprava/obitelj-i-zivot/roditeljstvo/prijava-rodjenja-djeteta/326
