Foreign individuals
An OIB is commonly needed for residence or citizenship procedures, buying or inheriting Croatian real estate, acquiring securities, establishing a company, opening a bank account or entering an official register.
Croatian OIB for foreigners
How to obtain an OIB in Croatia as a foreigner
A foreign individual or company needs a Croatian personal identification number when participating in Croatian legal or official procedures, acquiring assets, establishing a company, opening an account or becoming a taxpayer. This guide explains where to apply, which documents to prepare and when a certified Croatian translation is required.
Quotes usually sent within 30 minutes during business hours · same-day delivery depends on scope and availability.
Essential rules
An OIB is a permanent identifier, not merely a number used to pay tax.
The OIB has 11 digits and is used across Croatian official records. A foreign person receives one when there is a legal reason for Croatian authorities to record that person so that rights can be exercised or obligations met. Once assigned, the number does not change with a change of name, address or other personal details.
Foreign companies
A company based outside Croatia may need an OIB when acquiring real estate or securities, establishing a Croatian company, opening an account, entering an official register or becoming a Croatian taxpayer.
The OIB remains permanent
The assigned number continues to identify the person in Croatian records. A certificate issued by the Tax Administration proves the OIB but is not an identity document.
OIB application procedure
Identify the reason, application route and competent local office.
The Tax Administration distinguishes residence and citizenship cases from other reasons for obtaining an OIB. The route and supporting documents also depend on whether the applicant is an individual or a company.
- 01
State why the OIB is needed
Identify the concrete reason: real estate, inheritance, company formation, a bank account, an official register, tax obligations or another Croatian procedure. This determines the competent authority and local office.
- 02
Choose the application route
In Croatia, an application to the Tax Administration can be filed in person or through an authorised representative. EU/EEA citizens with an accepted electronic credential can use the “Electronic PIN (OIB) assignment” service through the e-Citizens portal for EU/EEA citizens.
- 03
Prepare the form and identity document
A foreign individual provides the completed application and presents a passport, enclosing a copy. If the person has no passport, an EU citizen may provide a European identity card; another applicant may provide an identity document from the country of citizenship together with proof of citizenship.
- 04
Translate documents that must be in Croatian
A foreign company encloses its instrument of incorporation, decision or competent-register extract in Croatian or translated into Croatian by a sworn translator. A power of attorney for the OIB application must likewise be drafted in or translated into Croatian.
- 05
File with the competent office
Territorial competence follows the place where the reason for recording the foreign person arose. For real estate acquired by purchase or inheritance, it follows the location of the property. If competence cannot be established, the official guidance directs applicants to the Zagreb Regional Office at Avenija Dubrovnik 32.
Application documents
What to prepare when applying for a Croatian OIB.
These are the core documents listed by the Croatian Tax Administration. The competent authority may request clarification or appropriate certification depending on how the application is filed and the circumstances of the case.
- 01Completed Application for determination and assignment of PIN (OIB)
- 02Passport presented for inspection and a copy enclosed for a foreign individual
- 03European identity card for an EU citizen who does not have a passport
- 04Another national identity document with proof of citizenship where applicable
- 05Instrument of incorporation, decision or foreign-register extract for a foreign company
- 06Certified Croatian translation of the corporate record if it is not in Croatian
- 07Specific power of attorney for determination and assignment of OIB when applying by proxy
- 08Croatian translation of the power of attorney if it was not drafted in Croatian
- 09Notarised copy of the identity document if the representative cannot present it for inspection
Preparing the translation
We translate the OIB document set as a coherent filing package.
- 01
Send the complete records
Upload the legible register extract or incorporation document, power of attorney, all certifications and any written instruction received from the Tax Administration or another authority.
- 02
Confirm the purpose and deadline
Tell us whether the applicant is an individual or company, who will file the application, why the OIB is needed and which local office will receive the documents.
- 03
Receive the certified translation
After review, we confirm the price, deadline and scope and prepare a certified translation covering every page, signature, seal and certification forming part of the document.
Practical answers
Common questions about obtaining an OIB in Croatia as a foreigner.
01When does a foreigner need an OIB in Croatia?
A foreign individual needs an OIB when entering Croatian official records or becoming a taxpayer—for example in connection with residence or citizenship, real estate, securities, establishing a company, a bank account or another official registration. Croatian Tax Administration — general OIB rules ↗
02Can a foreigner obtain an OIB without travelling to Croatia?
An application in Croatia may be filed through an authorised representative. EU/EEA citizens with an accepted credential can also use the “Electronic PIN (OIB) assignment” e-service. The current official guidance mentions email only as an exception for pensioners living abroad who receive a Croatian pension, so an ordinary application should not be emailed without confirmation from the Tax Administration. Croatian Tax Administration — foreign persons ↗
03Does the power of attorney need to be notarised?
It must specifically cover determination and assignment of the OIB and be in Croatian or translated into Croatian. The Tax Administration states that no notarisation is required when a notary, lawyer, tax adviser, public-law body or bank is appointed. If an individual files for a foreign individual, notarisation is required; in other cases the authority may request it where authenticity is in doubt.
04Do a foreign company’s records need a certified Croatian translation?
Yes, if the instrument of incorporation, decision or competent-register extract is not in Croatian. The official guidance requires the document to be in Croatian or translated into Croatian by a sworn translator.
05Which Tax Administration office is competent?
The competent office is determined by the place where the reason for recording the foreign person arose. For real estate acquired by purchase or inheritance, it is the office for the location of the property. If competence cannot be established, the official guidance identifies the Zagreb Regional Office at Avenija Dubrovnik 32.
06How long does it take to obtain an OIB?
The cited official pages do not publish one guaranteed general processing time for every case. Timing depends on a complete application, the filing route, the competent office and whether further verification is needed. Abacus can confirm the translation deadline, but not the authority’s processing time.
07Can abacus obtain the OIB or represent me?
Not as part of this service. Abacus prepares specialist and certified Croatian translations of powers of attorney, register extracts and other foreign documents for the application. The OIB itself is assigned by the Ministry of the Interior or the Tax Administration, depending on the reason.
08How is the translation price calculated?
Each price is determined individually after the document has been reviewed, taking account of the language pair, volume and type of text, certification, deadline and any other requirements. A certified-translation quote may be based on Croatia’s Ordinance on Permanent Court Interpreters. The Ordinance calculates written translations by a standard line of 50 characters, with one standard page of 30 lines—or 1,500 characters—as the minimum unit. Ordinance on Permanent Court Interpreters (official Croatian text) ↗
Verified sources
Official sources used for this guide
Professional review: Toni Nogolica · sources checked 28 August 2026.- Croatian Tax Administration — Foreign personCompetent authority, filing routes, supporting documents, powers of attorney and territorial competence.↗
- Croatian Tax Administration — General OIB rulesPurpose and permanence of the OIB, reasons for assignment to foreign persons and the OIB certificate.↗
- Croatian Tax Administration — OIB formsOfficial Croatian, English and German application forms and Tax Administration contact guidance.↗
- e-Citizens for EU/EEA citizensAccess to the electronic OIB-assignment service for users with an accepted credential.↗
Quote within 30 minutes
Send your documents now.
During business hours, we usually answer complete requests with a quote within 30 minutes. For shorter documents, we will also check whether same-day delivery is available.
Emailinfo@aba-cus.hrPhone+385 1 4886 500AddressIlica 7310 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Files are retained only to prepare your quote and perform the requested translation.
Each price is determined individually after document review. A certified-translation quote may be based on Croatia’s Ordinance on Permanent Court Interpreters.