October 4, 2021 - Along with the rest of the EU, Croatian ID cards are no longer accepted for entry to the United Kingdom. 

From the British Embassy in Zagreb:

Have you travelled to the UK using your Croatian/EU ID card?

Entry requirements have changed!

From 1 October 2021, EU, EEA and Swiss nationals can only travel to the UK using a valid passport.

ID cards will no longer be accepted as a valid travel document and it will not be possible to enter the UK using one.

This will not apply to anyone who has applied to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Those who are eligible to continue to use their ID card for travel, should ensure it is registered to their UKVI account to avoid any unnecessary delays at the border.

All info available here.

Those who do not have status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), can enter the UK for holidays or short trips for up to six months as visitors, visa free.

However, now freedom of movement has ended, those coming to the UK to work or study must prove they meet UK entry requirements.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals can only cross the UK border using a valid passport ( not an ID card ) which should be valid for the duration of the visit.

January 25, 2021 – Replacing the outgoing Andrew Dalgleish, Simon Thomas new ambassador to Croatia is an expert on security and counterterrorism

After five years in his position, the United Kindom's popular ambassador to Croatia, Andrew Dalgleish will move on to pastures new in July 2021. Britain has appointed Simon Thomas new ambassador to Croatia. He has a background in diplomacy and is an expert on security and counterterrorism.

Simon Thomas new ambassador to Croatia is a career diplomat but has held several positions outside of the diplomatic service. He joined the United Kingdom Diplomatic Service in 1997, after graduating with honours in Russian language and literature at the University of Birmingham. His first appointment saw him assigned to the Russia department of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office before he took up the position of Second Secretary in the United Kingdom Embassy in Warsaw, Poland.

Simon Thomas, the United Kingdom's new ambassador to Croatia © Simon Thomas

After over two years at this station, he spent time at the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York and the UK Representation to the European Union before being recalled to the UK to work in the field of counter-terrorism in the Cabinet Office.

After returning to the Russia department of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for over two years, this time in a more senior position, he went back to New York for a couple of years to take up the First Secretary position of the UK Mission to the United Nations.

From there, he was promoted to Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he remained for over three years. Following another UK-based appointment, he again took up the position of Deputy Head of Mission, this time at the British Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he spent over two years.

In the period since, Simon Thomas new ambassador to Croatia returned to education. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the Royal College of Defence Studies where he spent a year studying strategy, leadership and international affairs alongside senior military and civilians from more than 50 countries. He has also been learning Croatian. He also holds a master's degree in International Security and Strategy from King’s College, London. He was awarded the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE ) for merit in foreign policy in 2008.

The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Zagreb © UK in Croatia

Simon Thomas new ambassador to Croatia tweeted “Delighted to be appointed the next United Kingdom British ambassador to Croatia, succeeding Andrew Dalgleish in July. Very much looking forward to getting to know Hrvatska and her people, and to deepening the great friendship between our two countries.”

The outgoing ambassador echoed his sentiments: “Excellent news of the appointment my successor, who takes over when I leave beautiful Croatia this summer,” tweeted the popular Mr Dalgleish, who will obviously miss the country he has called home for the last half-decade.

“Simon, get ready for one of the best jobs you could wish for!” furthered Mr Dalgleish. “Until then, I've still got so much to see and do!”

Mr Dalgleish will be transferring to another appointment within the United Kingdom Diplomatic Service. We wish him the best of luck and warmly welcome Simon Thomas new ambassador to Croatia.

The outgoing United Kingdom ambassador to Croatia, the popular Mr Andrew Dalgleish, pictured with a colleague from the Spanish Embassy at Zagreb Pride in 2019 © Andrew Dalgleish

MUP has finally spoken!

Where do things stand for you as British citizens lawfully resident in the Republic of Croatia? 

* When this article was first written, it was a draft law. This law was fully adopted in July 2019 and will come into force in the case of a no deal Brexit*

If you see a little * and italic font at the end of or underneath a sentence written by MUP, that's our little comment to give you our advice on the matter, too.

RESIDENCE:

Residence registration is very important in the case of any scenario for future relations between the European Union and the UK.
 
Therefore, all UK citizens and their family members residing in the Republic of Croatia are strongly recommended to register their residence as a British/EU citizen/apply for a residence card as a family member of a British/EU citizen.

Please click here and click on the following links: Form 1b, (for EU citizens, this needs to be clicked on for British nationals too) Form 2b (for family members of EU/British citizens who are third country nationals), of Form 3b for both EU/British citizens and his/her family members who want to apply for permanent residence.

* Please note that permanent residence can be applied for only after five years of lawful, uninterrupted temporary stay in the Republic of Croatia, you can have changed your address as many times as you like, but you must have been registered as legally living on Croatian territory for five years on an uninterrupted basis. Lawful, uninterrupted residency can be shown when applying for permanent residence with every ID card you've held, as the dates on them will attest to the five year time period. Some MUP officials claim you cannot apply for permanent residence until your temporary residence expires, others say you must be in possession of a temporary residence card which is still valid at the time of application. We advise you go to MUP and ask about your case individually, as they seem to alter this rule depending on who you talk to.

* According to EU law, the right to permanent residence ''after five years'' actually means five years + one day, but once again, MUP can misinterpret this and assume you need to come and start the process before the temporary residence expires. Don't leave it up to fate. At least go and ask in person before your temporary residence card expires.

* If you were not given an automatic five year residence permit when you first applied for some reason or another, and when you've renewed your temporary residence the official has taken your old ID card from you, there is no need to worry. Present the ID card you have and your legal residence will show up when a case worker checks you out to approve your permanent residence application.
 
Once the applicants have completed the registration of a temporary residence in accordance with the provisions of the Aliens Act (OG 130/11, 74/13, 69/17 and 46/18), they will be immediately issued with a Registration Certificate registration of a temporary residence in paper form, free of charge. If they wish, they can apply for a residence card (for which the administrative fee is to be paid in the amount of HRK 79.50).

* We strongly recommend you pay for the residence card, the white sheet of paper is merely confirmation of your residence/address, the residence card has your photo and details on it and acts as ID in Croatia. It is also weatherproof and easier to carry around on your person, which, just like nationals, you must and can be fined for not being able to present a form of ID if asked to by the police.
 
UK citizens who apply for permanent residence will be issued with residence cards (for which the administrative fee is to be paid in the amount of HRK 79.50).
 
Family members of UK nationals, who are not nationals of an EU Member State, are required to apply for a residence card/permanent residence card as a family member (for which the administrative fee is to be paid in the same amount of HRK 79.50).
 
UK citizens and their family members can register their residence at a police administration/police station according to their place of residence (The list of police administrations/police stations is available here).
 
The registration of residence and the relevant documents are a clear proof that their holder is a citizen of the United Kingdom or a family member [of said British national] who has already resided in the Republic of Croatia before the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.
 
DRIVING LICENSES:
 
Starting from the day on which the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland leaves the European Union, UK driving licenses will be subject to regulations concerning foreign driving licenses.
 
UK driving licenses will be valid in the Republic of Croatia for up to one year from the day that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland leaves the European Union. After that, they will have to be replaced with Croatian driving licenses and the applicant will have to submit a certificate of medical fitness to drive.
 
UK nationals and nationals of other countries who are holders of UK driving licenses are advised to apply for the replacement of their driving licenses with a Croatian driving license as soon as possible.

Applicants who submit their application before the date on which the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland leaves the European Union will be able to replace their UK driving licenses under the conditions set for the replacement of EEA driving licenses in which case it is not necessary to submit a certificate of medical fitness to drive.
 
Both the EU driving licenses and the former paper driving licenses are equally recognised.
 
UK driving licenses are replaced with Croatian driving licenses without any obligation to take a driving exam/test, regardless of the category of vehicle listed on the UK driving license.

Border checks on persons at the EU external border (This section does not apply for travel in the Common Travel Area between the United Kingdom and Ireland):

EU law on border checks at the EU external borders on persons distinguishes between the control of EU citizens and of third country nationals. As of the withdrawal date, the control of UK nationals on entry and exit from the Schengen area as well as to and from Member States for which the decision on lifting internal controls has not yet been taken, but which apply Schengen rules at their external borders, will follow the rules for third country nationals.

(Please note that UK nationals who are members of the family of an EU citizen exercising their right to free movement are subject to the rules set out in Article 5 of Directive 2004/38 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 77.) On 29 April 2004, the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, OJ L 158, 30.4.2004, p. 77.)

This means that they will no longer enjoy facilitations at the borders provided for EU citizens, nationals of the contracting states of the European Economic Area, and Swiss nationals ("EU / EEA / CH citizens") related to the free movement rights. In particular, UK citizens will not be entitled to use the separate lanes provided for EU / EEA / CH citizens to carry out checks at border crossings and will be subject to thorough checks of all entry conditions for third country nationals upon entry.

The entry checks for UK citizens will include verification of:
 
The possession of a valid travel document for crossing the border; the document must have a validity of no more than ten years, and shall remain valid for three months after the intended departure from the Member States; (Please note that UK national passports issued before the withdrawal date remain valid travel documents).
 
The duration of the stay:

For short stays in the Schengen area, UK citizens will be subject to restrictions on the authorised duration of stay within the Schengen area (with a maximum of 90 days in 180 days); for long stays, they will in principle require a residence permit or a long-stay visa issued by national authorities, under the national rules; The identity and the nationality of the third country national and of the authenticity and validity of the travel document for crossing the border, and in particular, if an alert has been issued in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry and checking potential threats to public policy, internal security, public health and international relations; the purpose (eg tourism or work) and the conditions of the intended stay (eg accommodation, internal travels); the existence of sufficient means of subsistence (i.e. having sufficient means to pay for the intended stay and return travel). ("Schengen-visa"), when the transitional period for the stay in the United Kingdom is reduced by the amount of the short-stay visa ("Schengen-visa"), on 13 November 2018 the Schengen area is 90 days within a 180-day period and it is now up to the European Parliament and the Council to adopt this proposal. - visa requirements, following the visa reciprocity principle.)

Travelers are advised to confirm, prior to travel, the validity of travel documents and to ensure that they fulfill all the above conditions before they travel to the EU. The non-fulfillment of any of the entry conditions may result in refusal of entry issued in accordance with the procedure laid down in Union law with respect to third country nationals.

Checks on exit include verification of:

The possession of a valid travel document for crossing the external border; verification that the person did not exceed the maximum duration of stay in the territory of the Member States; relevant databases similarly as upon entry checks.

WHAT DOES THIS JARGON ACTUALLY MEAN?

In short, this is nothing we haven't advised before and we applaud MUP for confirming things.

Make sure you're registered and in possession of a residence card which acts as proof of your lawful residence in the Republic of Croatia before the United Kingdom's withdrawal (if it ever happens) from the EU. In other words, these act as your acquired rights that you were entitled to before a law change, ie, your EU treaty rights.

Apply for permanent residence when you hit the magic five year mark.

Switch your driving license over to a Croatian one now, even though you don't need to right away, why bother with the headache?

You won't be able to use the EU lanes when arriving in an EU country using a British passport anymore.

Croatia is not in Schengen, but when travelling to and from Schengen, you might be subjected to more questions than you're used to.

If your passport is nearing its end, apply for a new one now to save you the bother.

We'd like to thank MUP, all sarcasm aside, for setting out some guidelines. This means that all Brits who have legally resided in Croatia, still live here, and have proof of that, will be fine even in the event of a No Deal Brexit. If May's Withdrawal Agreement manages to pass, then that will come into force. Click here to read that. If Brexit is delayed (likely), or Article 50 is revoked (unlikely, but possible), keep up with us for info.

Make sure to follow our dedicated politics page for much more on Brexit. Sign up to email alerts from the British Embassy in Zagreb for any alterations. Click here for MUP's post.

The British Embassy in Zagreb has released a video for British citizens living and working in Croatia in which UK Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia answered a few common questions from Brits worried about their futures in Croatia after Brexit.

The video, aimed at answering the questions of worried British residents in Croatia in the case of an unwanted and disorderly but still possible No Deal Brexit, saw Andrew Dalgleish sit down and respond to a handful of concerns put to the embassy by Croatia's Brits, of which there are well under 1,000 legally registered.

If you're a British citizen living in Croatia and you're concerned about your rights after the United Kingdom withdraws from the European Union, which, if all goes to plan, will occur at the end of next month, make sure to follow us as we bring you all the information you need, as and when it happens.

If Theresa May's deal is passed, this article will tell you in detail what that means for you as a British national in Croatia.

If an unwanted No Deal Brexit occurs, MUP (Croatian Ministry of the Interior) has assured both Balkan Insight and TCN that British citizens with a biometric residence permit (temporary or permanent residence/privremeni ili stalni boravak) should be able to continue their lives broadly as they do now, and that the proper measures for that will be introduced. Although Croatia hasn't yet delivered any public assurances like several other EU countries have, in the spirit of reciprocity, Croatia will follow.

MUP's statement to me can be found here, along with the direct translation.

For information on how you can work to prepare and thus further safeguard your rights in the event of Britain crashing out of the bloc at the end of next month, read this article.

Make sure to stay up to date and/or sign up for email alerts from the British Government's Living in Croatia page in case any changes to your rights do occur.

In the meantime, make sure you're registered with the authorities in Croatia and are in possession of a valid biometric residence permit before the 29th of March, 2019.

For more on Brexit and on Croatian politics, give our dedicated politics page a follow.

Andrew Dalgleish talks about the unwanted yet still possible No Deal outcome, what this means for Croats in the UK, what it could mean for Brits in Croatia, and how, if at all, Brexit will affect Croatia's tourist industry.

While many British citizens in Croatia remain worried for their future in the country, rest assured that we at TCN, along with the British Embassy in Zagreb, will continue to do our absolute best to keep you informed of any changes, should they occur at all, to your rights to residence, access to healthcare, the labour market, and your access to Croatia's social security system.

We have already written numerous articles on what Brexit is likely to mean when it comes to British citizens living in Croatia with regulated status (biometric residence permit of either temporary (privremeni) or permanent (stalni) residence (boravak), which was your right to claim as EU citizens. I'd like to preface this by saying that there is no need to do anything but remain calm despite the sheer lack of information provided to you, we're fully aware of your concerns and will seek to assure you as best as we can along the way.

MUP has assured TCN in private correspondence with me that British citizens, even in the unwanted event of a No Deal Brexit, who have a valid residence permit of some kind, will not be seen as illegal persons living on the territory of the Republic of Croatia on the 29th of March this year. Please click here for the full article on that, as well as ways to safeguard and prepare, here for MUP's statement to Balkan Insight, and here for Paul Bradbury's meeting with Andrew Dalgleish, the UK Ambassador to Croatia, which took place a few weeks ago. Should the UK leave with May's deal on the UK's Withdrawal Agreement, click here to find out what that means for you.

Although the following article doesn't talk quite enough about the rightful worries and fears of Croatia's resident Brits, the number of which is well under 1,000, Andrew Dalgleish sits down to discuss what a potential No Deal Brexit might mean should it occur, and sought to reassure that British tourists, who are among the most numerous European visitors to Croatia, will continue to come.

As Mark Thomas/Slobodna Dalmacija writes on the 19th of February, 2019, before Britain's (planned) exit from the European Union scheduled for March the 29th this year, we talked with UK Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Andrew Dalgleish, to find out what the future of the always positive relations between Croatia and the UK are set to become.

"Croatian citizens living in the UK shouldn't worry if Britain leaves the European Union without agreement because the [British] Government has taken all the measures to protect [EU] citizens [living in the UK at the time of exit]," the ambassador stated.

The British Government ''is making a huge effort to reach an agreement'', and the outcome of Brexit for Great Britain has two scenarios, at least in this phase of negotiations; the UK leaving the EU, should it continue to stand by its current position, either with or without agreement. Whatever the solution turns out to be, it will bring new questions, as well as new solutions, in terms of citizens' rights.

If Britain leaves the European Union on March the 29th, how will it affect the status of Croatian nationals living in the UK in the case of a No Deal Brexit?

Since the beginning of the negotiations around Brexit, Prime Minister Theresa May has been very clear on this issue: Citizens should not be bargaining chips, the lives of people and their needs are what is really important here. Then, when we came to the end of the negotiations, the prime minister said that regardless of what would happen [regarding the UK's withdrawal from the bloc], Croats and other citizens of European Union countries (EU27) who are legal residents of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will basically hold the same status and enjoy broadly the same rights as they did before the 29th of March, 2019.

Croats should not immediately see any change in their current status in the UK. This is a real indicator of how much Britain truly does appreciate the citizens of other European Union countries living in the UK. No matter what other EU members do in return, the prime minister has been very clear on this matter.

After March the 29th, EU citizens will be able to live normally in the UK, enjoying continued unimpeded access to all the social, health and education services just as they have until now, and the direction further negotiations will take is yet to be seen. There will be procedures to explain to citizens what the futre will look like after Brexit and we want to let them know that we do care about everyone.

At this point there are two possible Brexit scenarios, "Brexit with an agreement" and "Brexit without an agreement", and whatever option is accepted will affect what will happen on March the 29th...

Yes, the British Government is absolutely devoted, with all of its efforts, to reach an agreement. How exactly this arrangement will look remains to be seen. However, it is crystal clear to the government that reaching an agreement is the best way to leave [the EU].

Also, we as the government are highly responsible, which means that we have to prepare for this second scenario [No Deal Brexit] that we wouldn't want, but which could happen. That's why we want to reassure Croatian citizens living in the UK that they don't have to worry if Britain does leave without a deal, because the [British] Government has taken measures to reassure them that they do care about them.

Agreement or not, how will Brexit affect your role as [UK] Ambassador?

Of course, it's already influenced my ambassador's role. I was all set to be the ambassador before the referendum was actually held, I actually arrived in Zagreb three weeks after the referendum. Of course, that means all my preparations changed overnight. But Brexit is real and we've got to face it.

Relations between Great Britain and Croatia have lasted longer outside the European Union than they have within it. Brexit will certainly be a challenge because many of the questions related to our two peoples are being solved at a table in Brussels.

Since we [Britain] will not be sitting at the table in Brussels again, we will make even more of an effort in the future to get London and Zagreb to directly negotiate, more than we did before, so there's a chance there.

How are the negotiations with the Croatian Government progressing, if an agreement [between the UK and the EU] is not reached, and what about the rights of British nationals in Croatia?

Prime Minister May was very clear at the very beginning of negotiations that the [British] Government would take care of the rights of European Union citizens in the UK after March the 29th, so we hope that other [EU] Member States will act in the same way.

The European Commission has stated that it hopes that, after Brexit, all EU member states will be ''generous'' and offer British citizens good conditions, however, each of them will do so in their own way. Discussions are being conducted not only with Croatia, but with other EU member states. Of course, the Croatian Government, as well as the British Government, is hoping for a scenario in which the UK withdraws from the EU with a deal.

It's very important to point out that in the case of a No Deal Brexit, there are many technical questions that require answers, some of which are what it will mean to be a legal citizen (resident) here, to gaining the right to health care, and many other issues.

All of this requires very demanding preparation and this is what we're doing at this moment with the Croatian Government.

Do you think Croatian tourism will suffer a sort of shock after Brexit?

"There is no intent on either side of causing problems in people's lives, going on holiday is a natural thing that people need. No government in these negotiations has said that obstacles should be put in place in order to make things for the tourist industry more difficult in the future. Of course, if there's an agreement, then every side and every country knows where their place is.

In the event of a No Deal Brexit, we must take care to resolve all of the technical issues and that the British [continue to] come to Croatia on holiday, which is the intention of both Croatia and the UK. I don't see the probability of any problem, as long as we're all doing our jobs in the meantime.

Make sure to stay up to date with everything you need to know about Brexit and Croatia and what might alter for you by following our dedicated politics page.

Click here for the original article by Mark Thomas on Slododna Dalmacija

The British Embassy Zagreb discovers what connects Croatia to the U.K. in their eleventh “What Links Us Together” video.

The British Embassy in Zagreb explores how a UK initiative helps Croatian kids learn how to code.