Author
According to the LITP, beneficiaries of international protection have the right to elementary, secondary and higher education under the same conditions as Croatian citizens, pursuant to separate regulations.[1]
Asylees and foreigners under subsidiary protection shall exercise the right to adult education pursuant to the regulations on adult education as well as the right to recognition of foreign qualifications, both under the same conditions as Croatian citizens.
For asylees and foreigners under subsidiary protection, who for justified reasons are not able to provide the necessary documentation to prove their foreign qualifications, an assessment of their prior learning shall be conducted. The assessment of the prior learning of beneficiaries of international protection shall be conducted by a competent body, pursuant to the regulations governing regulated professions and recognition of foreign vocational qualifications.
A decision to refuse an application for recognition of foreign vocational qualifications cannot be based exclusively on the fact that no official documents exist to prove a specific foreign vocational qualification.
If an asylee or foreigner under subsidiary protection does not have sufficient financial resources available, the translation of foreign documents for the purpose of recognition of foreign qualifications shall be provided from the State Budget under the item of the Ministry competent for education.
Challenges in the recognition of qualifications and nostrification of diplomas when people have documents proving their level of education, as well as the absence of adapted procedures for recognising qualifications when they do not possess documents were reported by Centre for Peace Studies (CPS). CPS also reported there are insufficiently available re-training programs that are closely related to the lack of knowledge of the Croatian language.[2]
However, in 2024, the Ordinance on the Method of Application and Implementation of the Validation of Prior Learning entered into force.[3] According to the Ordinance, the validation of prior learning may include the recognition of sets of learning outcomes and the assessment of competencies acquired through non-formal and informal learning.[4] Persons who have been granted international or temporary protection are also eligible to undergo the validation process.[5]
In October 2025, the Ordinance on Amendments to the Ordinance on the Conditions and Manner of Exercising the Right to a State Scholarship Based on Socio-Economic Status entered into force.[6] The Ordinance recognizes students who have been granted asylum and students under subsidiary protection as beneficiaries eligible for the state scholarship.
During 2025, the CRC, 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.[7]
In 2022, the MoI took the decision to terminate the agreement with the Ministry of Science and Education, among other things, due to the fact that Croatian language courses were not held.[8]
Since then, NGOs have consistently warned that the Croatian language courses at the national level are not being provided.
At the local level, a Croatian language courses were provided by NGOs with the support of the City of Zagreb. Alongside civil society organisations, the Callidus School of Foreign Languages also offered free Croatian-language courses. These courses offered the opportunity to take the proficiency exam and obtain a language certificate, which is required to regulate legal status in the Republic of Croatia, pursue further education, or secure employment.
Within the framework of the Public Call for the allocation of financial support for the education of secondary school students and university students beneficiaries of international or temporary protection for 2024, a total of 75 financial grants in the amount of EUR 2,000 each were awarded at the beginning of 2025 as support for the education of secondary school pupils and university students beneficiaries of international or temporary protection.[9]
CPS reported several problems in the educational system: problems with preparatory classes for children; lack of preparedness of schools; insufficient number of teaching assistants; problems in realising the right to higher education; difficulties with the recognition of qualifications and nostrification of diplomas when persons have documents proving their education, as well as a lack of customised procedures for recognition of qualifications when they do not have documents. CPS reported that schools are often not informed about the rights of persons under international protection, and that it is questionable whether they have received the necessary support from the ministry responsible for education.[10]
The Ombudswoman for Children, also underlined that sometimes children have preparatory classes in other schools, therefore losing part of the classes at their schools. She further stressed that 140 hours of Croatian language classes are not sufficient for a child to independently participate in education. In addition, there are still no textbooks that are adapted to children from other speaking areas. The Ombudswoman also warned that 15-year-old children are being referred to adult education programs, which is inadequate for the developmental needs of an adolescent child entering a new community, and does not include preparatory language classes. Furthermore, in the absence of a school certificate, assessing prior learning is often impossible within adult educational programs, causing children who have turned 15 to remain outside the education system for longer periods. The Ombudswoman also highlighted the lack of support for language learning and homework assistance. Sitting in classrooms with peers while awaiting the approval of teaching causes frustration among children due to their lack of language proficiency and understanding of the curriculum. They are often placed in lower grades, which negatively impacts their socialization, leading to isolation and peer violence. Additionally, there are difficulties in determining their level of education due to a lack of documentation and differences between educational systems. For children dealing with trauma, the school psychologist is often the only systematic support available. However, they do not speak the child’s native language, making this support insufficient relative to the children’s actual needs.[11]
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.[12]
In 2022, the new Law on Recognition and Evaluation of Foreign Educational Qualifications entered into force.[13] The Law prescribes the possibility of evaluating foreign educational qualifications for the purpose of continuing education at the same or higher level of education and for the purpose of accessing the labour market for beneficiaries of international and temporary protection and their family members.
At the end of June 2023, the Ordinance on conditions and methods of exercising the right of students in regular status to subsidised housing entered into force.[14] The Ordinance prescribes that an additional 750 points will be given to students under international protection, due to their specific situation.[15]
In October 2025, the Ordinance on Amendments to the Ordinance on the Conditions and Manner of Exercising the Right to a State Scholarship Based on Socio-Economic Status entered into force.[16] The Ordinance recognizes students who have been granted asylum and students under subsidiary protection as beneficiaries eligible for the state scholarship.
To be included into the education system, beneficiaries must have a certificate of their status in Croatia, a certificate of residence, an identity document (e.g., birth certificate, identity card, passport or relevant document of the Ministry of Interior) and a document proving previous education. If it is not possible to enclose a document on previous education, it is necessary to give a statement before a notary public, which is then presented to the school’s professional service to organise an enrolment test in order to determine the class that the candidate can attend.
The Society for Psychological Assistance has been implementing the second year of the project titled: ‘Support in the Integration of Children and Families Under International Protection,’ funded by the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. Within the project, which is carried out in Zagreb, they are partnering with three Zagreb primary schools. 13 children under international protection or at risk of social exclusion have been paired with volunteers from helping professions who provide them with learning support (once a week for a minimum of one school hour).
The students were also included in three workshops conducted by volunteers from helping professions, focusing on time management and the introduction and practice of various learning techniques and methods. These workshops were delivered to a class selected by the school support staff that would benefit most from them, which also includes students under temporary or international protection. Furthermore, the Society for Psychological Assistance provided individual psychosocial counseling to 15 persons granted asylum.[17]
In the field of education, in the course of 2025, AYS assisted in the realization of the rights of persons under international protection by supporting enrolment in kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, higher education, and adult education.[18]
AYS also reported that in the course of 2025, they continued to provide educational support to children granted international protection, i.e., 45 volunteers provided 1,016 hours of educational support to 41 children from 21 families. The support programme included support in language learning, mastering school materials, building independence in academic context, expanding the social network, cooperation with schools and mediation in communication between parents and the school. Volunteers had the obligation to spend a minimum of 2 hours a week working with children.
However, as further reported by AYS, obstacles in the access to education have continued. Children who turn 15 and have not completed primary education are referred to adult primary education programs, which are not adequate for the developmental needs of adolescents integrating into a new community. These programs also do not include preparatory classes for learning the Croatian language. In the absence of a certificate, the institution providing adult primary education is required to carry out an assessment process. However, this testing is conducted very rarely, involving prolonged waiting periods, which mostly results in an extended period outside the education system for children aged 15 and older. AYS also reported that, although the Law on Primary and Secondary School Education allows for enrollment into the regular education system for students over the ages of 16 and 18, respectively, this does not happen in practice, and students over the age of 18 are excluded from regular education. In such cases, these students are referred to secondary adult education programs, which cost between 1,000 and 2,500 euros per year. This leads to situations where children who were, by age, entitled to regular secondary education, miss that opportunity due to delays by institutions, and by the time they are considered, they have exceeded the age limit for regular secondary school enrollment.
In addition, AYS reported that the problems related to inclusion of children to preparatory classes continued in 2025. For students who have insufficient knowledge of the Croatian language, the school is obliged to organise preparatory classes. According to AYS, 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.
AYS further reported that, for children arriving in Croatia through family reunification procedures, further development of systematic support and follow-up mechanisms would be beneficial. In practice, school enrolment and related support are frequently facilitated by civil society organizations, and the process may take several months.
CPS also reported that in practice, obstacles in the access of beneficiaries granted international protection to higher education continued in 2025.[19] Although, they have the right to higher education equally as Croatian citizens, there is no specific category for enrolling persons granted international protection to faculties, so they are enrolled either as other foreigners, which means they have to pay high tuition fees, or as Croatian citizens – which means that they have to take state graduation exam and have Croatian citizenship. In addition, as refugee students are enrolled in colleges in the quota for foreigners – they do not have access to all the majors, because not all faculties provide all majors for foreigners as well. There is also the problem of non-recognition of foreign educational qualifications in cases where beneficiaries have documents to prove their previous education as well as very high prices for beneficiaries of international protection who have to take different subjects which are not provided free of charge to them. In addition, problems arise in the exercise of most of the rights enjoyed by full-time students.
The City of Zagreb reported that the implementation of the project ‘ALTERNative Education – Intercultural School Lesson‘ also continued in Zagreb’s primary and secondary schools. This project, which contributes to reducing prejudice by creating the conditions for building a fair and inclusive society, was implemented during 2025 in 33 Zagreb schools (14 primary and 19 secondary schools), involving aproximatelly 1,100 students, as well as 21 workshops at the Youth Center Ribnjak, with an additional 200 participants.
The Coordination of the City of Zagreb for the Integration of Foreigners also continued its work in 2025. The Coordination consists of a total of 24 members from the ranks of city administrative bodies, public institutions owned by the City of Zagreb, civil society organizations, religious communities, the academic community, and representatives of migrant groups.[20]
During 2025, the Croatian Red Cross and the Education and Teacher Training Agency held three professional training sessions for elementary and high school staff on the topics of Migration and Integration of Persons under International Protection and Refugee Children, and Human Trafficking Prevention.[21]
[1] Article 70 LITP.
[2] Information provided by Centre for Peace Studies, 2 March 2026.
[3] Official Gazette 79/2024, available at: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2024_07_79_1339.html
[4] Article 2 (1) Ordinance on the Method of Application and Implementation of the Validation of Prior Learning.
[5] Article 3 (1) Ordinance on the Method of Application and Implementation of the Validation of Prior Learning.
[6] Ordinance on Amendments to the Ordinance on the Conditions and Manner of Exercising the Right to a State Scholarship Based on Socio-Economic Status, Official Gazette 126/2025, available at: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2025_10_126_1818.html.
[7] Information provided by the Croatian Red Cross, 13 February 2026.
[8] Ministry of Interior: Decision on the cancellation of the Decision on the allocation of financial resources for the implementation of the project “Integration of asylees and foreigners under subsidiary protection into Croatian society, education and preparation for inclusion in the labor market“; available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/3lzxqtk.
[9] Information provided by the City of Zagreb, 13 February 2026.
[10] Information provided by Centre for Peace Studies, 2 March 2026.
[11] Ombudswoman for Children: Report on the work of the Ombudswoman for Children in 2025, available at: https://dijete.hr/hr/download/izvjesce-o-radu-pravobraniteljice-za-djecu-za-2025-godinu/.
[12] Information provided by UNICEF Office for Croatia, 4 February 2025.
[13] Law on Recognition and Evaluation of Foreign Educational Qualifications, Official Gazette 69/2022, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/3OPwI79.
[14] Ordinance on conditions and methods of exercising the right of students in regular status to subsidized housing, Official Gazette 68/2023,77/2024.
[15] Ombudswoman, Report of the Ombudswoman 2023, available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/4crt2kR.
[16] Ordinance on Amendments to the Ordinance on the Conditions and Manner of Exercising the Right to a State Scholarship Based on Socio-Economic Status, Official Gazette 126/2025, available at: https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2025_10_126_1818.html.
[17] Information provided by Society for Psychological Assistance, 16 February 2026.
[18] Information provided by AYS, 17 February 2026.
[19] Information provided by Centre for Peace Studies,2 March 2026.
[20] Information provided by the City of Zagreb, 13 February 2026.
[21] Croatian Red Cross: Annual Report of the Croatian Red Cross for 2025,available at: https://www.hck.hr/UserDocsImages/dokumenti/Pristup%20informacijama/Dokumenti,%20zakonski%20i%20podzakonski%20akti/Izvje%C5%A1%C4%87e%20o%20radu%20HCK%20u%202025.pdf?vel=3338517.