Author
There is a difference in the type and duration of travel documents issued to refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection. Asylees are issued a passport for refuges valid for 5 years,[1] while foreigners under subsidiary protection are issued special passport for foreigners, valid for 2 years.[2]
Recognised refugees can travel within the EU without a visa, while foreigners under subsidiary protection may be required to apply for a visa in order to travel to other EU countries.
A special travel document for foreigners may be issued to a foreigner who has been granted subsidiary protection and is unable to obtain a national travel document due to no fault of his or her own.[3] Such a special travel document for foreigners is valid for a 2-year period.[4]
The request for both passport for refugees and special passport for foreigners should be submitted to the competent police administration or police station.
Beneficiaries are requested to notify authorities of their intention to travel or stay abroad, irrespective of the destination as they do not have to mention their destination. If a person stayed abroad longer than the allowed duration, for example 6 months, she or he might lose his or her right to stay in Croatia and would thus have to regulate his or her stay again upon return.[5]
In 2021, a total of 77 travel documents were issued in accordance with Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and 5 special travel documents for persons granted subsidiary protection.[6]
[1] Article 75(6) LITP.
[2] Article 75(8) LITP; Article 6(3) Law on Foreigners.
[3] Article 8(1) Law on Foreigners
[4] Article 65(8) Ordinance on stay of third country nationals in the Republic of Croatia.
[5] EMN study, Beneficiaries of international protection travelling to their country of origin, November 2019, available at: https://bit.ly/2Rfrtz1.
[6] Croatian Law Centre: The Croatian Asylum System In 2021 – National Report, The report was prepared as part of the project “Access to the territory and the asylum system in Croatia – legal support and capacity building” with the financial support of UNHCR; available in Croatian at: https://bit.ly/3NgBDfc and in English at: https://bit.ly/3NBvVpC.