Croatia

Tuition

Public and private higher education institutions set their own fees per field of study. Official figures for international students give combined ranges of about EUR 1,000-6,000 per year in natural and technical sciences, EUR 1,100-10,400 in humanities and social sciences, and roughly EUR 10,000-12,000 in medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine; a one-off application fee of about EUR 60-300 may also apply. Citizens of EU/EEA member states are admitted to Croatian higher education 'under the same conditions as Croatian citizens', which can include access to state-funded places in Croatian-taught programmes; no separate official euro figure for this specific case was published as of August 2026, so EU applicants should confirm the exact cost with the chosen faculty before enrolling. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Visa

Third-country nationals generally need an entry visa (issued by a Croatian embassy or consulate) before travel and must then obtain a temporary residence permit for study purposes, evidenced by a biometric residence card; EU/EEA citizens do not need either and can register based on free movement rights. — 20 hours per week. ^{[4] [5] [6]}

Applications

For Croatian-taught, state-funded places, admissions run through the national 'Postani student!' system in two rounds for 2026/2027: a main round with registration opening 1 February 2026, provisional rankings around 8 July 2026 and enrolment starting 16 July 2026, plus an autumn round for remaining places with registration from 20 July 2026 and enrolment from 17 September 2026. Centrally coordinated graduate ('diplomski') admissions run from around 1 July to late September 2026. English-taught programmes and direct applications from non-EU students are not part of this national calendar; each faculty sets its own deadlines for international applicants, so contacting the chosen institution directly is recommended. ^{[7] [2]}

Application portals

• Postani student! (national admission system for Croatian-taught programmes)
• NISpVU - Diplomski studij (centralised graduate admissions)
• Study in Croatia - How to Apply

Language

Croatian. Croatian is the language of instruction at most public universities, and Croatian-taught bachelor's programmes may require applicants to pass a standardised Croatian-language test at level B2. According to the national study portal, Croatian higher education institutions also offer around 109 full degree programmes taught entirely in English across all levels: about 17 bachelor's, 47 master's, 7 integrated bachelor's-and-master's programmes (mainly in biomedicine and health sciences), 18 doctoral and 20 postgraduate specialist programmes, concentrated in business/economics/tourism, technical and natural sciences, and health sciences. ^{[8] [2]}

Health insurance

Health insurance is mandatory for the whole duration of study in Croatia. EU/EEA, Swiss and UK students can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Türkiye, North Macedonia or Albania can use the bilateral 'bolesnički list' certificate. All other third-country nationals must either register with the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) or hold comprehensive private health insurance, and must prove valid coverage when applying for their residence permit. This is general information, not insurance or legal advice; check current requirements with the competent Croatian authorities or your host institution before travelling. ^{[9] [5]}

Universities

• University of Zagreb, Zagreb ^{[11] [12]}
• University of Split, Split ^{[11] [13]}
• University of Rijeka, Rijeka ^{[11] [14]}
• University of Zadar, Zadar ^{[11] [15]}
• J. J. Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek ^{[11] [16]}

Scholarships

• Scholarships of the Republic of Croatia (Bilateral Programme) — Annual Croatian government scholarships for foreign students, teachers and researchers, awarded either under bilateral agreements between Croatia and partner countries (Pool 1) or to students of Croatian language/Slavic studies at foreign universities (Pool 2). Depending on the scholarship type, funding covers anything from a one-semester Croatian-language course to a full postgraduate doctoral programme at an accredited public Croatian institution. The programme is administered by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes (AMEUP) on behalf of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth. ^{[17] [18]}
• CEEPUS — Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies: funds mobility stays, from a few weeks up to a full semester, for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students as well as teaching staff between universities in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Mobility is mostly arranged through university networks, but 'freemover' applications outside a network are also possible. In Croatia the programme is coordinated by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes. ^[19]
• Erasmus+ — EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. It enables students already enrolled at a higher education institution abroad to spend one or two semesters (study or traineeship, including blended or virtual formats) at a Croatian university under an inter-institutional agreement. ^{[20] [21]}