How a foreigner gets one: Any foreigner can obtain a Croatian OIB (osobni identifikacijski broj) — the permanent 11-digit personal identification and tax number — free of charge from the Ministry of Finance Tax Administration (Porezna uprava), with no residence permit required. Applying in person with your passport, it is usually issued the same day, and by law the Tax Administration handles foreigners' applications as a priority within 8 days (Zakon o OIB-u, NN 60/08).
Here is the thing most newcomers get backwards: you do not need Croatian residence, let alone citizenship, before you can get an OIB. The law says the opposite. The OIB usually comes first, and having one is a precondition for the very steps people assume must come before it — signing a property contract before a notary, opening a bank account, starting a job. Croatia's statistics office (Državni zavod za statistiku, DZS) counted 70,391 immigrations in 2024, 81.1% of them foreign nationals, against 38,997 emigrations. Nearly every one of those arrivals who works, rents, buys, or registers residence needs an OIB before they can do much of anything.
How to apply for a Croatian OIB, step by step
You apply for an OIB on a single form, the Zahtjev za određivanjem i dodjeljivanjem OIB-a, through one of four routes: in person at your local Tax Administration office, online via eGrađani for EU and EEA citizens, by email to OIB@porezna-uprava.hr, or through a representative in Croatia holding a Croatian-language power of attorney (punomoć), as documented by the Porezna uprava.
For most people arriving in Croatia the in-person route is the simplest, because the certificate is handed over on the spot. You go to the Tax Administration office that is locally competent for where you live, work, or hold property, present your identity document, and walk out with the number the same day.
- Find your locally competent Porezna uprava office.
- Fill in the form Zahtjev za određivanjem i dodjeljivanjem OIB-a.
- Bring a valid passport or EU/EEA ID card (plus a copy, if you are a non-EU national).
- Submit at the counter — there is no fee.
- Collect your OIB certificate, usually the same day.
The four ways to apply
The in-person route works for any foreigner and delivers the certificate the same day; the other three suit specific situations. EU and EEA citizens with eGrađani credentials can apply online through the europe.gov.hr Electronic PIN (OIB) assignment service. The Tax Administration's foreigner pages also describe an email route to OIB@porezna-uprava.hr, where you send the scanned application and documents and then collect the certificate in person — the general foreign-person page treats email as an exception mainly for Croatian pensioners abroad, so treat the counter, the online service, and the power of attorney as the primary routes.
| Route | Who can use it | What you submit | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| In person (or via a proxy) at the local Tax Administration office | Any foreigner (EU/EEA and third-country) | Application form + passport or EU/EEA ID (plus a power of attorney if a proxy applies) | Usually the same day |
| Online via eGrađani / europe.gov.hr (Electronic PIN assignment) | EU/EEA citizens with valid eGrađani credentials | Electronic application form + identity document | About 1–3 working days |
| Email to OIB@porezna-uprava.hr | Foreigners (and Croatian pensioners abroad) | Scanned application form + documents; certificate collected in person | Priority within 8 days |
| Power of attorney to a representative in Croatia | Any foreigner, including from abroad | Application form + identity document + Croatian-language power of attorney | Depends on the representative |
The remote route is where people trip up. A representative in Croatia can apply for you, but only on a power of attorney the Tax Administration accepts.
The power of attorney is required for allocating and assigning of OIB and must be drawn up in Croatian language or translated into Croatian.
— Porezna uprava (Croatian Tax Administration), general rules on assigning the OIB
What documents you need as a foreigner
The document you attach depends on your nationality. An EU or EEA citizen shows a European ID card or passport; a third-country national shows a passport, with the original inspected and a copy attached, or a national ID plus proof of citizenship — always alongside contact details such as an address, email, and phone (Porezna uprava).
EU and EEA citizens
If you hold the citizenship of an EU or EEA country, a valid European ID card or passport is enough, and you have the extra option of applying online through eGrađani without setting foot in an office. That online path is not open to third-country nationals, so it is one of the few genuine perks of an EU passport in this process.
Third-country (non-EU) nationals
Citizens of countries outside the EU and EEA apply with a passport: the original is shown for inspection and a copy is attached to the file. A national identity document from your country together with proof of citizenship also works. Either way you supply your Croatian contact details. Nothing here requires a visa or residence permit to be in place first.
Applying for a child
For a foreign child, a parent lodges the application together with the child's birth certificate (rodni list) and the parent's own identity document. It can be filed at a Tax Administration office, and EU/EEA families can use the online service, exactly as for an adult.
How long it takes, and why it is free
Getting an OIB is free and fast. Applying in person, the Tax Administration usually issues it the same day when your papers are complete; it treats foreigners' applications as a priority within 8 days, and the statutory maximum for delivering the certificate is 30 days from the moment the number is assigned (Zakon o OIB-u, NN 60/08).
There is no administrative fee on any route — in person, online, by email, or by power of attorney. The Act (čl. 20) let the Minister of Finance prescribe a fee, but the implementing Pravilnik never set one, so in practice nothing is charged. What the law does penalise is misuse after the fact: failing to use an assigned OIB as required is a minor offence carrying a fine of 1,000 to 10,000 kuna (čl. 17) — a figure the consolidated text still expresses in kuna even though Croatia adopted the euro on 1 January 2023, which at the fixed rate of 7.53450 kuna per euro works out to roughly €133 to €1,327.
This article does not replace professional legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner get an OIB without living in Croatia or holding a residence permit?
Yes. A residence permit is not a prerequisite for a Croatian OIB — any foreigner can obtain one once a reason for monitoring arises, such as buying property, taking a job, or opening a bank account (Zakon o OIB-u, NN 60/08, čl. 8). You can even apply from abroad through a representative holding a Croatian-language power of attorney. In fact, when a foreigner registers residence, the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) notifies the Tax Administration, which assigns the OIB as part of that process.
How long does it take to get an OIB in Croatia?
Applying in person at a Tax Administration office, the OIB is usually issued the same day when your documents are complete. By its own guidance the Tax Administration processes foreigners' applications as a priority within 8 days, and the statutory maximum for delivering the certificate is 30 days from the moment the number is assigned (Zakon o OIB-u, NN 60/08).
Is getting an OIB free?
Yes, assigning an OIB is free of charge on every route — in person, online, by email, or by power of attorney. The Tax Administration charges no administrative fee; although the Act empowered the Minister of Finance to set one, the implementing ordinance (Pravilnik) never did.
What documents do I need to apply for an OIB as a foreigner?
You need the application form (Zahtjev za određivanjem i dodjeljivanjem OIB-a) and a valid identity document. EU and EEA citizens use a European ID card or passport; third-country nationals use a passport (original inspected, copy attached) or a national ID with proof of citizenship, plus their Croatian contact details (Porezna uprava).
Can I apply for an OIB online?
Only EU and EEA citizens can apply for an OIB online, through the eGrađani / europe.gov.hr Electronic PIN (OIB) assignment service using valid eGrađani credentials. Third-country nationals apply in person, through a proxy, or from abroad by power of attorney. If you later forget your number, the free Moj OIB service lets you look up your own data in the OIB register.
Do I need an OIB before buying property in Croatia?
Yes. You need an OIB before you can complete a property purchase in Croatia, because the number is required to sign before a notary and to enter the transaction in the official registers (Zakon o OIB-u, NN 60/08). This is the clearest example of the OIB coming first: you obtain it — including from abroad by power of attorney — before the purchase, not after.