Health & Protection in Croatia

There are several ways to shield yourself, your family, and your assets in Croatia. The country’s local and international insurance industry is stable and as a member of the European Union, EU expats can also utilise the EU health and social security services while living in Croatia. Allow us to guide you through how to get a proper insurance coverage for your life in Croatia as well as how to take advantage of the services you can get with insurance policies. Arm yourself with information on how to protect the most important things in your life while you’re living abroad.

Getting Insurance

Foreign workers in Croatia can gain access to public health and social security services through a mandatory contribution paid by both the employer and employee. The monthly payment will be deducted from your salary.

As part of your relocation discussions with you Human resources department make sure to understand well the level of benefits your new position will be providing you. If this is not possible in the dynamic you are moving to Croatia, talk to some people in your network or join early on some Chambers of commerce and address this question early by sharing their experiences.

If you are an EU expat as we’ve mentioned earlier, you can gain access to public health and social security services. You need only to show your EU citizen card should you need any medical or emergency social security assistance. However, for efficiency and additional services, it is still advisable to get a private insurance coverage for you, your loved ones and especially for assets that cannot be covered by public insurance.

You can get local and international insurance coverage in Croatia by signing up online, calling offices, or sending emails to the companies you’re interested in. It is always advisable to set up your insurance coverage before you arrive in Croatia to ensure you are fully covered at all times.

Importance of Insurance

Insurance is imperative for a life abroad, especially if you have valuable assets and a family. While public social security services can be efficient in Croatia, it cannot cover you for all types of emergencies you might need. It can also be very limited when it comes to accessibility. There are several services you can use in a private insurance plan that can save you a lot of time and effort, like gaining membership to a roadside assistance service, or having an electronic access to your medical records anywhere you go.

The amount of money you pay for your insurance plans will always be accounted for whether it’s for emergency situations, or even with just getting the additional services that can be tailored to your lifestyle in Croatia.

"If you have money you are okay, as you can see many wonderful doctors privately. If you are relying on the state health care, there are long waits, below average service and not all doctors care to speak English with you so take a local to help out."- Sarah-Jane, Expat in Zadar, Croatia

Local Insurance in Croatia

Croatia’s largest and oldest local insurance company is Croatia Osiguranje. This company offer coverage for all general insurance such as car, home, and property insurance, and it also offers maritime, health, and moving insurance services. The company is very stable and trusted in the country, therefore most local residents prefer this company for private insurance needs. As Croatia Osiguranje’s presence in the local insurance industry is quite dominant in the country, there are very few other local insurance companies that can compete with it.

International insurance companies, however, are still widely favoured by expats in the country simply for the wider range of coverage outside the EU and all over the world. International insurance can also offer several services specifically for expats such as virtual access to medical records, repatriation, and medical evacuation. International insurance companies such as April International, AXA, and Aetna offer services in Croatia.