January the 28th, 2023 - An enormous number (221,000 in total) of Croatian ID cards expired back during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and given the fact that the Interior Ministry (MUP) told people not to bother worrying about it until after the end of the pandemic was declared, people just carried out with their lives. Now there's quite a monumental administrative task at hand.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, closed schools, restaurants, cafes, hair salons, bars, bans on gatherings, passes and COVID certificates. All of the above was our bizarre and unprecedented reality not so long ago. Almost three years ago, more precisely on March the 11th, 2020, the novel coronavirus entered the country and an epidemic was declared in Croatia. Is it over now? Yes and no.

"If the end of the pandemic ends up being declared, it means that the virus is still very much here, that it has entered into its endemic phase and that it will remain among us forever. Whether a decision will be made soon is very difficult to say. The information I received from Geneva is that this is the one million dollar question," said the director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health, Krunoslav Capak.

This is being discussed by the World Health Organisation's emergency committee for COVID-19. There were sixty known and confirmed new cases of infection across the Republic of Croatia in the last 24 hours, and 411 patients are being treated in hospital for more severe clinical pictures.

"The situation is currently stable, we have 10 to 15 hospitalised patients. The situation now is completely incomparable to the one we had at the beginning. We knew little about this new virus or the issues it would present, we didn't have a vaccine, we didn't have the knowledge about what medicines we could use, but now the clinical picture of COVID-19 is milder,'' said the head of the Dr. Fran Mihaljevic Clinic for Infectious Diseases, Ivan Puljiz.

71 percent of the Croatian adult population has now been fully vaccinated and had boosters, and there are more vaccines available.

"The government made a decision that large quantities of vaccines will now be exported to more distant countries. We unfortunately destroyed some 300,000 doses because their deadlines expired, and we were unable to donate them," explained Capak, adding that many people have come to terms with the new virus living among us like many others do and are no longer worried about it.

For now, the end of the pandemic doesn't mean the end of wearing masks in healthcare facilities, pharmacies, and care homes where clinically vulnerable individuals reside.

"In our case, meaning in the case of Croatia, we'll discuss whether this can become a mere recommendation. For now, while the weather is cold and we can get bigger numbers, we won't change anything,'' said Capak.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, expired documents such as Croatian ID cards and the like are still valid. More than 221,000 people now have expired Croatian ID cards, almost twice as many have expired passports. 78,500 people also have expired driver's licenses, writes Danas.hr/Today.hr. Thirty days after the end of the epidemic is officially declared, requests for new documents such as Croatian ID cards must be submitted to MUP.

"Regardless of the end of the epidemic being declared or not, people can start to plan and prepare to get their new documents themselves. We all have phones, search engines... choose your police department, select the services you need and reserve your date to come and get it all done,'' said Marija Goatti, a spokeswoman for the Zagreb Police Department.

While waiting for the announcement of the end of the pandemic, 12 cases of a new strain of the novel coronavirus - Kraken - have now been confirmed in Croatia. Epidemiologists don't expect any major problems to occur owing to it.

For more, check out our news section.

November the 30th, 2022 - The Trustech fair in Paris has seen Croatian ID cards showcased by the Dutch company Keesing Technologies, which highlighted them as among the most aesthetically pleasing.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at the Trustech fair, which is deemed to be the most important technology fair for identity and payment solutions, the Dutch company Keesing Technologies decorated the exhibition space with images of the protective elements of Croatian ID cards, which can also be seen on the cover of the "Overview of travel documents" magazine.

Trustech, the most important technology fair for solutions in the field of identity and payment solutions, is being held in Paris from November the 29th to December the 1st and expects more than 5,000 visitors and 150 exhibitors, Irena Papes, the advisor of the AKD Public Relations Directorate, announced on Wednesday.

According to the impression and statements from Keesing Technologies, Croatian ID cards are "some of the most beautiful identification documents created in the last few years". The Croatian company AKD which produces them, is more than happy with that opinion.

The Dutch company Keesing Technologies has otherwise existed since 1911, and within its DocumentChecker solution, it owns a database of identification documents and banknotes for 200 countries around the world, and through AuthentiScan, they enable verification of the authenticity of said identification documents.

In addition, the protection elements of Croatian ID cards - the partially metalised Kinegram made with ZERO.ZERO technology - adorn the cover of the aforementioned "Overview of travel documents 2016-2021" magazine.

"I'm proud that the design of Croatian ID cards, as well as the entire IT solution, is an entirely Croatian product made at AKD. We'd like to thank our colleagues from the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) for their excellent cooperation with us,'' said Jure Sertic, the CEO of AKD, a company that produces personal documents and protected printed matter, develops advanced IT solutions in the field of identity and security, advanced traceability systems, and provides services to the banking and fintech sector.

AKD is recognised as a leader by international partners as well, stated the advisor of the Administration, Irena Papes.

The Agency for Commercial Activities (AKD) is a company of special interest to the Republic of Croatia and is 100 percent owned by the state.

For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.

August the 5th, 2021 - There are some big changes coming to Croatian national ID cards, with new biometric tech and the ability to do much more using just them and not other documents on the horizon. Croatian driving licenses will also eventually be integrated into these new ID cards according to State Secretary Zarko Katic, making life even easier, hopefully.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) Zarko Katic spoke live about the new ID cards and just what they'll be able to offer their holders for N1 Studio.

On the first day of their announcement, over 7,200 applications for new second-generation ID cards were submitted, almost twice as many as are normally submitted to MUP for approval on a daily basis.

''There's a thirty day wait for the new ID cards, when done and paid for in an accelerated procedure, the wait is ten days, and if the application is done in an urgent procedure, then the wait is three days. In Zagreb in that final case, the cards are done and provided on the same day. In that case, personal ID cards are a bit more expensive,'' explained Zarko Katic.

As of 11:30 yesterday morning, 8,500 requests for a new ID card had been received by MUP.

Just how Croatian driving licenses will be integrated into this new card is prescribed by an EU directive, and until the directive is changed, a driver's license cannot be integrated into an identity card, Zarko Katic added.

The application process is entirely protected, and identity theft isn't possible, he pointed out and added: ''ID cards and passports are protected by the highest measures. The possibility of counterfeiting is not only not minimal, I would say it's impossible.''

Who needs to get a new ID card?

Zarko Karic reminded once again that citizens aren't obliged to change their ID card if their current one hasn't expired yet. Nor do they need to get one if their current one isn't damaged or of the holder hasn't changed their personal data.

"Only those who need a new one now should come and get one,'' he said.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

August 4, 2021 - The launch of the new ID the other day spurred me to check the government website for the steps I needed to take to become an E-citizen. So, how easy is it to look for information on the web in Croatia? 

I think we can all agree that the Croatian language is not the easiest language to learn. Fortunately, the local bar owners and shopkeepers can often help you along when ordering a meal or a drink by easily switching to English when they find that you are struggling even with the most basic of words. So I was hoping that the government (local and national) would offer an English language option on their website. 

Hooray, I thought, when I clicked on the Government website and found the ‘English’ option. I clicked on the news page and all was clear as it was on several other pages that ‘front’ the site. Knowing the Croatian love of documents and stamped documents I thought it would be useful to look at that page of the site. I may need to check some information that the government wants me to be aware of. The National plan looked like something worthy of reading, so I clicked on the link which said the document is available in English. In anticipation of becoming better informed, I clicked on the link, but sadly no, the document (as with others I clicked on) is only available in Croatian. Many just carry a reference number that does not explain what the actual document is, so I remain in the dark as to the plans and forms for our country. To be fair to the government, the website does at least give availability to the user the option of another language (in this case English) on its pages, so that is good news.

As for becoming an E-Citizen, well as someone from the UK who has residency before the end of last year, I am not sure of the process I need to follow, so have sent a message to double-check. I’m pleased to say the relevant page is in English so that is also good news. Well done the Croatian Government, now you don’t read that very often!

So, is the local government site also available in English?  Sadly as far as I can tell it is not.  

I looked at my local site for Grad Kastela. The website does not offer an English (or other language) option to those who may wish to visit the site for local information. 

Ok, maybe I don’t want to know what the latest planning rules are but if I was a visitor or tourist I may want to know what events are on in Kastela so I can go along and enjoy the singing or dancing, or as a resident of the area (where Croatian is not their first language), I may want to know what is happening with the local amenities or access a document. I can already hear some folk saying ‘learn Croatian then’ and of course they are right, but a little help along the way would be nice, especially in some of the more popular languages (English German perhaps) spoken by visitors or those new to the area which might help them along the path to understanding Croatia.     

For more on lifestyle, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July the 16th, 2021 - Croatian national ID cards are set to have their prices bumped up, with both adults and children needing to pay more for these mandatory documents.

As if waiting and watching the clock tick in long lines in airless rooms at MUP offices only to be told you're missing one piece of paper wasn't quite exciting enough, you'll now have to pay more for the pleasure of it.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, according to the new Ordinance on this matter, obtaining new electronic Croatian national ID cards will cost 100 kuna for all those who take one out for the first time or need to replace them due to loss or the card having reached its expiration date.

The only excluded category of Croatian citizens are those older than 70 who don't want an identity card with a certificate, and they will have to pay 70 kuna for their new Croatian national ID cards, which is 20.50 kuna more than it was before, according to a report from Slobodna Dalmacija.

Unlike the ''old'' Ordinance regarding this, which took into consideration the category of children under five years of age, whose parents paid an 60 kuna for Croatian national ID cards, under this new Ordinance, children have been equated with adults.

This means that everyone will now need to pay a single fee of 100 kuna (so far, most citizens have paid 79.50 kuna for their e-ID cards, children under five had to pay 60 kuna, and those older than 65 had to pay 49.50 kuna).

Now, for children up to the age of five, obtaining Croatian national ID cards will increase by 40 kuna, while adults fared a little better because they will now have to pay just 20.50 kuna more for their own ID cards.

All in all, the new rules on these mandatory documents means that the new price of Croatian national ID cards will be mostly felt by the pockets of parents who want to obtain documents for their children.

For more, follow our dedicated lifestyle section.

December the 18th, 2020 - Far more modernised new Croatian ID cards are set to be introduced next year, and their features will go several steps beyond what we already have. Parliament has now formally adopted the new ID Card Act.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, after the Croatian Parliament officially adopted the new ID Card Act, which will enter into force in August next year, HRT's Dnevnik learned that an application (app) is being prepared that will enable the use of the new Croatian ID card on mobile devices with the highest security standards.

Previously issued ID cards will be valid until their expiration date, and the price of their production remains the same, according to a report from HRT

"We'll be able, as we are now, but from our mobile devices or tablets, to literally sign our documents, we'll practically be able to sell our property or buy it digitally from the comfort of our own homes," Bernard Grsic, Secretary of State of the Central State Office for the Development of the Digital Society, revealed to HRT.

Amendments to Croatia's ID Card Act were adopted to implement the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on strengthening the security of identity cards of Union citizens and residence documents issued to Union citizens and their families exercising the right to free movement, which entered into force on the 1st of August 2019, and is directly applicable across all EU member states as of the 2nd of August, 2021.

As the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) explained to HRT, the novelty brought by the amendment to the ID Card Act is that the new Croatian ID cards will boast another chip which will contain biometric identifiers of the identity card holder, ie a display of the identity card holder's face and two of their fingerprints (the papillary lines of the index finger of the left and right hands) in interoperable digital formats.

The appearance of the new Croatian ID card will be somewhat changed in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned EU Regulation, meaning that on the front, it will contain a two-letter mark of the Republic of Croatia printed in negative in a blue rectangle surrounded by twelve yellow stars.

Age limit raised

The validity period for which these new Croatian ID cards will be issued to persons up to the age of 70 will be five years.

Amendments to the Act changed the age limit for issuing identity cards that were issued without a validity period in such a way that the age limit (formerly 65) was raised to 70, so persons who are 70 will be issued an identity card with a duration of 40 years. In reality, this means that new Croatian ID cards issued to these individuals will boast an unlimited validity period. This continues to be expressed in years so that the validity period of these identity cards can be more easily read on electronic document readers.

Most of the previously issued identity cards will remain in use until their expiry dates, and some will need to be replaced within a certain period, as provided for in the above Regulation. Here's more:

- Cards issued on the basis of the provisions of the 2015 Identity Card Act with a validity period of five years and identity cards issued on the basis of the provisions of the previous 2002 Identity Card Act with a validity period of ten years will remain valid until their expiry and will not need to be changed.

- Cards issued to persons aged 65 and over without a period of validity pursuant to the provisions of the existing Identity Card Act (2015) shall cease to be valid on the 3rd of August, 2031, and persons will have to replace them with those issued pursuant to the provisions of this Act. Exceptionally, this doesn't apply to persons who will be 70 years of age or older as of the 2nd of August 2021, and those people will continue to be able to use their identity cards issued without an expiration date even after the 3rd of August, 2031.

- Cards issued without a period of validity pursuant to the provisions of the Identity Card Act 2002, will be abl to be used after August the 3rd, 2031 and their holders aren't obliged to replace them with new Croatian ID cards issued pursuant to the provisions of this Act.

- Cards issued without a period of validity pursuant to the provisions of the 1991 Identity Card Act shall cease to be valid on the 3rd August 2026 and their holders will have to replace them with new Croatian ID cards issued pursuant to the provisions of this Act (because they won't contain the minimum security standards).

Logging into the e-Citizens (e-Gradjani) system

In addition to the provisions ensuring the implementation of the above Regulation, the amendments to the ID Card Act also contain provisions that will enable the creation of preconditions for the use of identity cards on mobile devices such as phones and tablets, and not only on computers as was the case before. Digital certificates stored on the current Croatian ID card's chip can now only be used via a smart card reader connected to a computer from which a particular electronic service is accessed, such as services made available by the e-Citizens system.

After activating the electronic part of the new Croatian ID card, the holder will be able to download the appropriate software solution for mobile devices free of charge, ie, the ID mobile app in which they'll be able to log in to the previously created access on the Electronic ID Card Portal.

The appropriate software solution for mobile devices, ie the application ID, will then be ready for use and will enable easy login to the e-Citizens system with the highest level of security, as well as valid electronic signing via mobile phones. This new service/software solution for mobile devices will not come with any extra charges.

The provisions of the existing ID Card Act were also amended, which prescribed the obligation for both parents to participate in the procedure of issuing an identity card to a child. Namely, in the implementation of the ID Card Act, a number of problems arose in obtaining identity cards for children when one of the parents couldn't participate in the procedure due to objective reasons or had difficulty in giving consent to the other parent to conduct the procedure. Amendments to the Act will enable either parent, as the child's legal representative, to submit a request and deal with the issuing of their child's new Croatian ID card.

This law will enter into force on August the 2nd, 2021.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 12th of May, 2020, as of the 11th of May, which marks the third phase of Croatia's gradual releasing of its formerly stringent anti-epidemic measures, changes are in effect when it comes to applying for obtaining new government-issued documents such as Croatian ID cards, new passports, driving licenses and various other items, according to MUP.

As of Monday, May the 11th, 2020, MUP has announced that all Croatian police administrations and police stations that also deal with particular administrative affairs are back to working normally and in full scope, but with measures to ensure safety firmly in place for both employees and those needing new documents.

The administrative activities stated in the announcement from the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) relate to the issuance of travel documents/passports, Croatian ID cards and driving licenses, the registration and deregistration of residence and stay, the changing of address, and activities related to the acquisition and legal registration of weapons, status regulation and the issuing of documents and ID cards for legal foreign residents.

In order to follow the epidemiological instructions which remain in place across Croatia in the best way possible, MUP has organised the performance of these administrative tasks in two shifts in accordance with specific circumstances with the fulfillment of all of the prescribed measures implied, and, if necessary, with pre-agreed arrival dates and times between administration employees and people requiring new documents.

''People can be informed about way things are operating in a specific competent police administration or police station and arrange for their arrival or another way of performing that task via e-mail or by calling the publicly available telephone numbers of police administrations and stations,'' states the aforementioned MUP announcement.

For more on MUP, ID cards, gaining residence in Croatia as a foreigner, obtaining citizenship and much more, make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated lifestyle page.