Studying in Croatia

What a year costs

Tuition. Each institution sets its own fees. Study in Croatia gives these ranges for international students:

• Humanities and social sciences: €1,100-€10,400 a year
• Natural and technical sciences: about €1,000-€6,000 a year
• Medicine: €10,000-€12,000 a year
• Application fees: €60-€300

Confirm the fee for your programme and your citizenship with the faculty directly, as fees for EU and non-EU students often differ.

Living costs. The University of Zagreb publishes a rough monthly budget for students in the capital:

• About €600 a month living in a student dormitory (dorm €135, food €250, transport €15, other €200)
• About €1,100 a month in private accommodation, with a rented room and utilities at around €600

The university notes these are rough figures and you may spend more or less. Dormitory places are limited, so plan on the private-room budget unless you have a confirmed place. Split, Dubrovnik and other coastal cities see sharp summer rent rises, and some landlords let rooms only from October to June.

The visa

You need temporary stay for the purpose of study (privremeni boravak u svrhu studiranja). If your nationality needs a visa for Croatia, you normally apply through a Croatian embassy or consulate; Study in Croatia advises submitting documents no more than three months before your planned arrival. The permit is usually granted for one year or for the academic year and then renewed.

The money. The Ministry of the Interior sets the monthly requirement for students at 25% of the previous year's average monthly net salary. On 4 March 2026 the national statistics office published the 2025 average as €1,449 (Official Gazette No. 21/26), so the monthly figure is €362.25. You must also show funds for your return journey of at least 60% of that salary, which is €869.40. A scholarship can be shown instead of the monthly amount.

For a 12-month permit that works out at €4,347 in monthly funds plus €869.40 for the return journey. The Ministry describes the requirement as a monthly amount; ask the office handling your case whether it expects evidence for the whole period of stay.

Fees, from the Ministry of the Interior:

• €46.45 to be granted temporary stay
• €31.85 for the biometric residence permit card, or €59.73 for accelerated production
• €9.29 administrative fee for issuing the card

Health insurance is a general condition of temporary stay. A criminal record certificate must be no older than six months, according to Study in Croatia. After arrival you must register your address with the police. The deadline is short, so ask the police administration or your international office about it before you travel.

Working while you study

The EU Immigration Portal states that students may be employed or self-employed for up to 20 hours a week, outside study time.

Most students work through the Student Service (studentski servis), which is open to third-country nationals and arranges part-time, temporary jobs. According to Study in Croatia, the minimum net rate for student work in 2026 is €6.56 an hour, with 50% extra for Sundays, public holidays and nights. From 2026, students can earn up to €12,000 net a year from student work without it being taxed; whether that exemption applies to you also depends on any tax treaty between Croatia and your country.

After you graduate

The EU Immigration Portal states that after completing your studies you can stay for one year, renewable for one more year, to look for work or set up a business. Two years in total is longer than many EU countries allow. Apply for the extension before your study permit expires: a third-country national who applies before the permit runs out may stay in Croatia until the decision is final.

Language

Undergraduate programmes taught in Croatian are admitted through the central online application system Postani student and require State Matura results. Study in Croatia notes that foreign citizens may be asked to take a standardised Croatian language test at level B2.

English-taught programmes, especially medicine and a range of master's degrees, set their own English requirements and often their own entrance exams. You do not need Croatian for the permit, but police administration, landlords and most student jobs outside tourism will expect at least basic Croatian.

When to apply

• Croatian-taught undergraduate programmes: through Postani student, where you can list up to ten programmes. Dates are in the application calendar on the portal.
• Graduate programmes: some go through the central system at diplomski.studij.hr, others are run by the institutions themselves.
• English-taught medicine and other international programmes: apply directly to the faculty, which sets its own deadlines and often its own entrance exam.

Your foreign secondary school certificate generally needs to be recognised before enrolment. Allow time for that and for the permit, which you cannot apply for more than three months before arrival.

What to watch out for

The monthly amount changes every March. It is tied to the previous year's average salary, so the figure rises each spring when the statistics office publishes new data. Check the Ministry page in the month you apply, not last year's guide.

The return-journey requirement is separate. Many applicants show the monthly amount and forget the €869.40 for the return journey. Show both.

Seasonal rents on the coast. In Split, Zadar and Dubrovnik, some private rooms are available only outside the tourist season, and prices spike from June to September. Get a year-round contract in writing before you pay a deposit.

Fees are set per institution. The ranges above are wide. A medical programme at €12,000 a year is a very different commitment from a humanities master's at €1,100. Ask the faculty in writing for the fee for your citizenship and each year of study.

Documents expire. The six-month limit on criminal record certificates catches students whose appointment is moved. Order the certificate close to your application date.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it.