The first thing to know about healthcare in Croatia is that you cannot skip the question of insurance: it is compulsory, and the rule that applies to you depends on how you are insured at home. The second is that the system is less complicated than it looks once you identify which of the four categories you belong to. This guide follows the pages of the HZZO, the national health insurance institute (Hrvatski zavod za zdravstveno osiguranje).
Which category are you in for healthcare in Croatia?
- Employee or self-employed in Croatia. You are insured through your activity; your employer declares you to the pension and health systems before your first day.
- Insured in another EU country. A pensioner with an S1, or a posted worker with an A1, is covered by the other country and treated in Croatia on the same terms as a Croatian insured person, within the EU rules. You do not need to join.
- Not employed and not covered elsewhere. With an approved temporary stay, you must register yourself with the HZZO.
- Exempt. The HZZO lists students with proof of cover, EU citizens with proof of comprehensive private health insurance, and third-country digital nomads. They must hold a private policy and pay for their own care.
How do you register with the HZZO?
Register within 8 days of the approval of your temporary stay, or of the decision becoming enforceable, at the HZZO regional office (područni ured) where you live. Declare your stay at the police first; see residence in Croatia for EU citizens. Bring the police certificate and your ID, plus the S1 or A1 if you have one. The HZZO does not publish a full document list on the pages we read, so the regional office will tell you what else it needs.
What does it cost to join the system yourself?
To enter, you pay a one-time amount equal to the contribution calculated on the lowest contribution base, for a period of up to 12 months. The monthly lowest base is 757.34 euros in 2026 (order published in Narodne novine 150/2025), and the health contribution rate is 16.5%. The HZZO pages we read do not state the resulting amount, so ask your regional office for the exact figure.
Other costs: a patient co-payment (sudjelovanje) of at least 1.32 euros and at most 530.88 euros per invoice. Supplementary insurance (dopunsko zdravstveno osiguranje), which covers your share, costs 15 euros a month (180 euros a year) since 1 February 2026, according to the HZZO. If you fail to pay for 30 days, your rights fall back to emergency care until the debt is settled.
Which of the four categories you belong to depends on an S1, an A1, a job start date or your private policy, and the official pages do not ask what your case is. Moovy can identify your category, the deadline that applies and the questions to ask the HZZO office. It does not register you or give medical advice.
How do you find a doctor and use healthcare in Croatia day to day?
Once insured, you choose a primary care doctor (izabrani liječnik) and a dentist, freely, usually near home. If you are covered by a foreign institution and hold an S1, you do not choose a doctor: you can see any primary care doctor contracted with the HZZO. For emergencies call 112, or 194 for an ambulance.
Expect Croatian in the surgery. The HZZO pages we read explain who is insured and how to choose a doctor, but they do not set out waiting times, referral rules or how prescriptions work in practice, so ask your doctor and your neighbours how the local services run. The co-payment of 1.32 to 530.88 euros per invoice applies to the care you receive.
In big cities and tourist areas English is common, but in a small town the receptionist may not speak it. Bring a Croatian-speaking friend to your first appointment, and ask the doctor which pharmacy is nearest.
Can you use the EHIC or GHIC?
Yes, for temporary stays. The European Health Insurance Card covers care that cannot wait until your planned return home, with providers contracted by the HZZO (a sticker at the entrance indicates it), on the same terms and prices as a Croatian insured person, co-payment included. It is not designed for living in Croatia or for planned treatment. The HZZO also accepts the British GHIC for care that cannot wait during a temporary stay.
What if you need dental care, a specialist or emergency treatment?
The HZZO page describes a freely chosen dentist alongside the primary care doctor, and the national contact point lists "necessary care" for visitors, meaning care that cannot wait. For planned treatment as a visitor, the European card is not the right tool; ask the HZZO before you travel to a clinic for a planned procedure. In an emergency, call 112 first and sort out the paperwork afterwards. Keep the receipts of anything you pay yourself and keep your insurance papers with your identity documents.
Supplementary insurance deserves a thought. It covers your share of costs, at 15 euros a month since February 2026, which for a family that sees a doctor often is a small price. Compare it with a private policy if you want faster access or cover abroad, and check the exclusions. Read the notice on the HZZO site before you subscribe.
What about Swiss and British citizens?
Swiss citizens follow the same regime as EEA citizens: register if you are not insured elsewhere, and the Swiss card is accepted for temporary stays. British citizens are treated as third-country nationals: GOV.UK says health insurance is compulsory in Croatia, and the HZZO lists the United Kingdom among countries whose nationals on a temporary stay must insure themselves in Croatia if not insured elsewhere. For an NHS-funded S1, ask the HZZO how the form is registered. See moving to Croatia from the UK.
What is the order of steps for HZZO registration as an expat?
- Declare your address and your temporary stay with the police and keep the certificate; see residence in Croatia for EU citizens.
- Work out your category: employed in Croatia, insured elsewhere with an S1 or A1, or not covered.
- If you are not covered, go to the regional HZZO office within 8 days with your ID and the police certificate, and ask for the exact amount of the first payment.
- Pay the contribution for the period you choose, up to 12 months, and keep the receipt.
- Choose a primary care doctor and a dentist near home, unless you hold an S1.
- Decide on the supplementary insurance, and keep the EHIC for trips to other countries.
The pages we read do not set out how a spouse or children are covered, so ask the HZZO office what applies to them. HZZO registration for expats is one of the few steps with a hard deadline, and it is cheaper to ask a question at the counter than to pay a penalty later.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Letting the 8 days pass.
- Living on an EHIC. It is for visits.
- Not paying contributions. After 30 days your rights shrink.
- Looking for a family doctor with an S1. You see any contracted doctor.
- Assuming private insurance exempts you without being comprehensive. The exemption is for comprehensive cover.
The rules for your situation can depend on your pension or your job, so the safest step is a short visit to the regional HZZO office. For the rest of your arrival checklist, see the guide to moving to Croatia.