Admissions

Depending on the status of international students and the type of study programme they are enrolling, the admissions process and its requirements can differ. Students are therefore advised to check these accordingly. The usual types of international student status in Croatia include:

Students who are citizens of EU member states may enrol in study programmes under the same conditions as Croatian citizens.

Before applying

All higher education institutions that accept international students usually have an International Cooperation Office or a designated contact person who provides information for prospective international students. Prospective students should contact that office well before starting their studies in order to obtain relevant information on application procedures and other important matters.

Starting from the academic year 2010/2011, admission procedures for enrolment at higher education institutions in Croatia are centralised and managed by the Central Application Office which is a part of the Agency for Science and Higher Education. The basis for the admissions ranking are secondary school grades and success at the newly introduced State Matura (or a recognised equivalent from countries that have external evaluation of secondary education), implemented at state level. Higher education institutions are autonomous in deciding on the weight given to the results of the State Matura.

Admission periods and application deadlines

Enrolment into a degree programme is carried out based on a public call announced by the higher education institution that implements it, at least six months prior to the commencement of the programme. The competition includes information on: enrolment criteria, number of places available, application procedure, data on required documents and closing dates for the competition and enrolment.

The months of July and September represent two main admission periods for study programs beginning in fall at most higher education institutions. However, the September admission period is only announced if the enrolment quota for a particular study programme has not been filled in July. Candidates who need to take the Croatian State Matura exams usually need to register for the exams and send all available application documents by February in order to sit the State Matura exams in May and compete in July admission period. Further details on State Matura exams may be found in the sections below. Candidates who do not take the State Matura exams may normally apply to study programmes by July in order to compete in July admission period.

For Information on student enrolment quotas and special application deadlines for particular study programs, as well as the list of exams required for admission to particular study programmes, please email @ – info@studyincroatia.org

Registering on Central Application System

Prospective students who apply to undergraduate study programmes as degree-seeking students and who have completed the minimum of four years of secondary education outside Croatia can apply to higher education institutions in Croatia using the Central Application System. The Central Application System allows prospective students to:

• Check the application information and calendar
• Register at the Central Application System
• Fill in the application forms entering personal and educational data
• Apply to 10 study programmes in order of candidate’s priority for admission
• Register for State Matura exams if necessary (applicable only for students applying from countries that do not have an established system of external evaluation of secondary education)
• Check the results of the State Matura exams (if applicable) and admission ranking lists of particular study programmes and register for a study programme for which the right of enrolment has been gained.

Recognition of educational qualifications

Foreign secondary school certificates that are issued outside of Croatia should undergo a process of recognition, which is conducted by the Education and Teacher Training Agency for general, gymnasium and art secondary school degrees and the Agency for Vocational Education and Training and Adult Education for vocational secondary school degrees. Further information on recognition of foreign educational qualifications can be found in the section “Foreign qualifications and degrees”.

Applying through the Central Application System

The application procedure through the Central Application System for candidates who have completed four years of secondary education outside Croatia is the following:

1. Register as a new user on www.postani-student.hr (central application web site).
2. The new user will be assigned a user account, password, PIN (personal identification number) and TAN (number for enrolment confirmation of the selected study programme)
3. Enter personal information
4. Enter information on education and secondary school grades
5. Print the application form (if you are applying for the State Matura exams)
6. If taking State Matura exams,register for State Matura exams, usually by February to compete in July admission period
7. If not taking State Matura exams, applyfor study programmes by July for July admission period (for candidates who have a recognized equivalent of State Matura from their own country)
8. Submit all the application documents for verification, including the recognised secondary education certificates, to the relevant state institutions. More details in the Posting application section below.

For any additional questions on application please Email: info@studyincroatia.org

Posting application

After registering at the Central Application System to take State Matura exams and/or to apply for admission to Croatian higher education institutions, candidates should also post the following documents to the relevant institutions:

1. Completed application
2. Proof of citizenship (certificate of citizenship for Croatian citizens and copy of international passport for other nationals)
3. Proof of completion of all secondary school levels by that date (certificate of each level)
4. Proof of completion of secondary school (secondary school diploma)
5. Official results of the final secondary school exams (only if exams are taken as part of an established system of external evaluation of secondary education)
6. Confirmation of the results of national or international competitions (if any)

The candidates, who are taking Croatian State Matura exams, should send the above mentioned documents, along with the registration form for State Matura exams, by registered mail to the National Centre for External Evaluationof Education (usually by February). Please note the results of national or international competitions should exceptionally be sent to the Central Application Office in this case.
The candidates, who have a recognized equivalent of State Matura from their own country and who are applying to study programmes without taking the Croatian State Matura exams, should send the same set of application documents, along with the results of final exams taken in their country, by registered mail to the Central Application Office (usually by July).