Author
The right to education is a constitutional right for all children staying in Croatia. According to the LITP, child applicants are entitled to primary and secondary education under the same conditions as for Croatian nationals.[1] Applicants who have begun to exercise the right to secondary education are allowed to continue secondary education even after they have turned 18.[2]
According to the LITP, children can access education within 30 days of lodging an application.[3]
According to the Ministry of Interior, the procedure for enrolment of asylum-seeking children in pre-school, elementary or high school is performed by the employees of the Reception Centre for Applicants for International Protection, while for those children who are accommodated in social welfare institutions, the procedure is carried out by their guardians.
According to the Ministry of Science and Education, in order to be included in the educational system, candidates are required to have the following documents: a certificate of status in the Republic of Croatia; a certificate of residence in the Republic of Croatia; an identity document (birth certificate, identity card, passport or corresponding document of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Croatia); and a document testifying to a previous education.[4] If they do not have a document on previous education, they need to give a statement before a public notary and present it to the services of the educational institution in order for them to organise an enrolment test and determine which class the candidate can attend.
Child applicants are also entitled to special assistance to learn Croatian and to make up for the knowledge they might lack in some school subjects, in the form of preparatory and supplementary classes.[5] In November 2011, a Programme of Croatian for preparatory classes for primary and secondary school students who do not speak or speak Croatian insufficiently was adopted.[6] This is an intensive 70-hour course of Croatian, spread over a maximum of one academic year.
According to the MoI, in 2025, 51 children were enrolled in primary school (28 boys and 23 girls), while 7 were enrolled in secondary school (5 boys and 2 girls).[7]
The implementation of the project “ALTERNATIVE TEACHING – INTERCULTURAL SCHOOL CLASS” continued in Zagreb primary and secondary schools. This project, which contributes to the reduction of prejudices by creating prerequisites for building a fair and inclusive society, was implemented during 2025. A total of 63 sessions were held, including 42 lectures across 33 schools (14 elementary and 19 secondary schools) with approximately 1,100 participants, alongside 21 workshops at the Ribnjak Youth Center involving an additional 200 participants. In total, around 1,300 students participated across all activities, gaining the opportunity to develop intercultural sensitivity, reduce prejudice, and contribute to building a just and inclusive society.[8]
The Ombudsperson for Children, reported in her 2025 Annual Report that children seeking international protection and children granted international protection continue to face difficulties within the educational system. Children who reach 15 years of age are referred to adult education programs. The primary adult education program is inadequate for the developmental needs of an adolescent entering a new community, and it does not include preparatory language classes. In the absence of a school certificate, it is often impossible to conduct an academic assessment within adult primary education programs, causing children who have turned 15 to remain outside the education system for longer periods.
Children seeking international protection and children granted international protection have the right to attend preparatory classes in Croatian language, in which schools are legally required to enroll them. However, the process is slow, and students often wait several months for these classes to begin, delaying crucial support for the child. Furthermore, the total of 140 hours of Croatian language that is offered is insufficient for a child to participate independently in education and achieve academic goals, and there is still a lack of textbooks tailored to children from different language backgrounds.[9]
AYS reported that the problems related to inclusion of children to preparatory classes continued in 2025. According to them, in practice, organisation of preparatory classes is extremely lengthy and children often wait for months before preparatory classes are approved. Also, some children have to go to another school for preparatory classes, and as a result, they cannot attend part of classes at their own school. If a child after 70 hours of preparatory classes does not meet the minimum requirements for inclusion in the regular education system, they should once again attend the program of preparatory classes. At the same time, in most cases, 140 hours of learning Croatian language is not enough for a child to be able to use the language independently to successfully achieve academic goals. [10]
The UNICEF Office in Croatia reported that in 2024 standardized tests for assessing Croatian language proficiency in non-native speaking students have been developed and printed in cooperation with the National Centre for External Evaluation of Education. Schools can apply free of charge to administer these tests, and the results provide schools with a more objective insight into the Croatian language proficiency of non-native students.[11]
At the local level of the City of Zagreb, the Croatian language course was conducted by civil society organizations selected by the City of Zagreb through a public call for expressions of interest of civil society organizations. In addition to civil society organizations, a free Croatian language course, with the opportunity to take the exam and obtain a certificate of Croatian language proficiency required for status regulation in Croatia, further education, or employment, was also conducted by the Callidus Language School, where a total of 172 participants attended the course.[12]
During 2025, the Croatian Red Cross, in cooperation with the Education and Teacher Training Agency, delivered regular online trainings on migration, integration, and psychological first aid to kindergarten, primary, and secondary school professionals across Croatia, ensuring broad accessibility and participation.[13]
Beyond access to schools, several organisations provide educational activities and language classes as described in detail in Conditions in Reception Facilities.
[1] Article 58(1) LITP.
[2] Article 58(2) LITP.
[3] Article 58(3) LITP.
[4] Information provided by the Ministry of Science and Education during the webinar „The Protection of Unaccompanied Children: Procedure and Exercising Rights After the Accommodation of Children” organised by the Croatian Law Centre on 2 March 2021.
[5] Article 58(4) LITP; Article 43 Law on Education in Primary and Secondary Schools (Official Gazette 87/2008., 86/2009., 92/2010., 105/2010., 90/2011., 5/2012., 16/2012., 86/2012., 94/2013., 152/2014., 7/2017., 68/2018., 98/2019., 64/2020., 133/2020., 151/2022., 155/2023., 156/2023.)
[6] Official Gazette 151/2011, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/3Xs6dsO.
[7] Croatian Law Centre: The Croatian Asylum System in 2025- National Report; available at: https://www.hpc.hr/en/2026/06/17/2025-national-asylum-system-report/
[8] Information provided by the City of Zagreb, 13 February 2026.
[9] Ombudswoman for Children: Report on the work of the Ombudswoman for Children in 2025 , available at:
[10] Information provided by Are You Syrious,15 January 2025.
[11] Information provided by UNICEF Office for Croatia, 4 February 2025.
[12] Information provided by the City of Zagreb, 13 February 2026.
[13] Information provided by the Croatian Red Cross, 13 February 2026.