A total of 60 Croatian passports were awarded to people of Croatian descent two days ago, according to officials from the Croatian Embassy in Brazil.
These figures bring the number of Croatian citizens in the South American country to 120 in February 2025 alone, Schengen.News reports.
According to a report from Index HR, Croatian descendants from São Paulo and nearby territories who qualified for citizenship came to the headquarters of the Croatia Sacra Paulistana association to pick up their passports.
Authorities in Croatia applied changes to the citizenship law in 2020, in order to facilitate the process of obtaining citizenship for the Croatian diaspora. The decision came as a result of a declining population and labour shortage.
Under the same conditions, it is also possible to acquire Croatian citizenship by origin for persons over 21 years of age (born after the entry into force of the currently applicable Croatian Citizenship Act, ie after 8 October 1991) if within two years from the entry into force of this Act, they submit a request for entry into the Croatian citizen register.
Brazilians Among Top Beneficiaries of Croatian Citizenship
The statistics from the Croatian Ministry of Interior revealed that from the beginning of 2020 until the end of August 2024, Croatia issued citizenship to a total of 11,054 nationals from countries of South America.
The statistics from the Ministry revealed that among the top beneficiaries of Croatian citizenship during the period mentioned above were nationals of the following countries, including Brazil:
- Argentina- 5,581
- Chile- 2,615
- Peru- 741
- Bolivia- 733
- Brazil- 597
- Ecuador- 206
- Venezuela- 184
Last year, a total of 276 residents of Brazil obtained Croatian citizenship, based on the statistics provided by the Central State Office for Croats Abroad, reported by Index HR.
The same source reveals that 3,897 residents from nine South American countries became citizens of Croatia in 2024.
One of the key goals of the government is the return of our emigrants to their homeland.
There are nearly 3.8 million people living in Croatia and about 3.5 million nationals of Croatia and their descendants living abroad.
The 2023 EURES Report revealed that Croatia is dealing with labour shortages in a total of 30 occupations across the country, with the most affected fields being construction, food production, hospitality and information and technology.
According to a report from Index HR, there are over 120,000 foreign workers in Croatia at present, while the government is attempting to attract more foreign workers, particularly in fields like construction and tourism.