WHAT CAN CROATIA DO FOR YOU

By: Consul General Renee Pea

WHAT CROATIA HAS TO OFFER
Croatia welcomes thousands of tourists from around the world.  The country also provides several programs to attract Croatian descendants to learn about its rich history, language, business opportunities and more.  

DOMOVINA BIRTHRIGHT PROGRAM
The Domovina Birthright Program is an unforgettable experience for young adults of Croatian descent between the ages of 18 – 30 who want to learn about their Croatian heritage, explore the beauty and excitement of Croatia, connect with their Croatian identity and meet other young Croatian adults. Domovina is a unique partnership between the people of Croatia through their government and the Association of Croatian American Professionals (ACAP). It is an 14-day cultural and educational immersion tour of Croatia organized by the Croatian government. Domovina’s founders created this program to send young Croatian adults from all over the world to Croatia as a gift in order to strengthen the ties between Croatia and Croatian communities around the world. Participants travel throughout the country, exploring sites of historic, cultural, and religious significance, hiking and taking in Croatia’s immense beauty. More  information: https://www.croampro.com/page/domovina_program

BUSINESS AND WORK OPPORTUNITIES
Active employment scheme called „I Choose Croatia – workforce mobility“ - The aim of I choose Croatia scheme is to strengthen the business activities and increase their range in most parts of the Republic of Croatia, focusing on underdeveloped areas and especially depopulated rural areas of Slavonia, Dalmatinska Zagora, Banovina, Kordun, Lika, Gorski Kotar and the islands, and at the same time to encourage the return of active workforce from European countries and from seven overseas countries, including USA,  where members of Croatian Diaspora live. Eligible applicants are granted funds for opening businesses and coming back to work in Croatia. More information: https://hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr/UserDocsImages//arhiva//5.2.%20WORFORCE%20MOBILITY%20-%20I%20CHOOSE%20CROATIA.pdf

SCHOLORSHIPS TO STUDY IN CROATIA
Scholarships for members of the Croatian diaspora to study in Croatia - The main goals of this project are to strengthen the educational and scientific cooperation with the Croatian community abroad, strengthen the roles of educated individuals in their local communities, and promote the involvement of Croats abroad in Croatian social and political life. the State office for Croats abroad grants scholarships to members of the Croatian community abroad to study in high schools and universities in Croatia. Scholarships may be obtained through public tender, according to determined criteria. Successful applicants attending high schools and universities in Croatia can be accommodated  in the  University of Zagreb student dormitories, which have a total of 80 beds allocated for students with residency abroad. These rights are regulated by the State Office Rulebook which determines the rights and obligations for students placed in the dormitory.

HIGHER ED QUOTAS FOR CROATIAN DIASPORA
Special Enrollment Quotas at Croatian Higher Education Institutions for Members of the Croatian National Minority and the Croatian Diaspora - several higher education institutions have provided special enrollment quotas for members of the Croatian national minority and the Croatian diaspora: University of Zagreb, Catholic University of Croatia,Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, University of Split, University of Zadar, University North of Varaždin, and College of Applied Sciences “Lavoslav Ružička” in Vukovar, thereby allowing successful implementation of one of the very significant projects aimed at connecting young Croatians abroad to their homeland by them coming to Croatia, learning more about the Croatian culture, language, and everyday life and receiving a high-quality education. More information here: https://hrvatiizvanrh.gov.hr/programs-and-projects/special-enrollment-quotas-at-croatian-higher-education-institutions-in-the-2022-2023-academic-year-for-members-of-the-croatian-national-minority-and-the-croatian-diaspora/4920

FREE CROATIAN LANGUAGE CLASSES
Free A1 and A2 Level Online Croatian Language Courses - One of the most important identity features of both a person and a nation is language. Therefore, we have provided free and high-quality online Croatian language courses both to those of our compatriots who have little or no command of the Croatian language and to all other people wishing to learn it. The courses were created by experts from Croaticum - Center for Croatian as a Second and Foreign Language at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Zagreb. Judging by the positive reactions and comments we received, it turned out that these online courses provide specific linguistic and cultural assistance to our compatriots, members of the Croatian diaspora and Croatian national minority, who need such assistance and motivate them to explore their roots and get to know Croatia and connect to it. The interface, instructions, and support are available in English and Spanish. You can apply for the online course with your Facebook or Google account. Both online courses are guaranteed to be permanently free for all participants.
Free online course of the Croatian language, A1 level, is available at: https://a1.ffzg.unizg.hr
Free online course of the Croatian language, A2 level, is available at: https://a2.ffzg.unizg.hr

These are all programs of the State Office for Croats abroad who also  issue two tenders a year that Croatian societies and clubs abroad can apply. The funds (quite significant ) can be allocated  for specific projects, such as projects aimed at strengthening the position of Croatian communities in the political and social life of the countries in which they live, or project contributing  to the preservation of Croatian culture, heritage and language, as well as strengthening Croatian unity. This program (tenders) are carried out in cooperation with the competent diplomatic/ consular representations of the Republic of Croatia.