💉 Can I refuse to have my child vaccinated in Croatia?

Quick answer

No — vaccination against the diseases listed in Art. 40 of the Act on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases is a legal duty, not a recommendation. A parent or guardian who does not have the child vaccinated commits an offence punishable by a flat 2,000.00 kn — Art. 77 of that act was never converted into euro and still states the amount in kuna, so it is converted at the fixed rate of 7.53450 and comes to 265.45 €. The Constitutional Court upheld the duty by a ruling of 30 January 2014 (NN 22/14): deciding on vaccination "is not a parental right". The myth "you do not really need the jabs for nursery" is false — enrolment in a nursery is conditional on being properly vaccinated. Only school is different: primary education is compulsory, but the fine on the parent stands.

📋 The rules

Art. 40 of the Act on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases (NN 79/07–143/21) makes vaccination compulsory for everyone of a given age against 10 diseases: tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, measles, rubella, mumps, hepatitis B and disease caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B; the annual Mandatory Vaccination Implementation Programme for 2026 adds pneumococcal disease — 11 diseases on the current schedule.
Every vaccination in the Programme is free: mandatory vaccination is among the services HZZO (the health insurance fund) covers at 100 % (ZOZO Art. 19(2)(9)).
How it is enforced in practice: the paediatrician or family doctor refers refusing parents to an epidemiologist for a mandatory counselling interview; persistent refusal is reported to the sanitary inspection of the State Inspectorate, which opens misdemeanour proceedings or issues the order for the fine under Art. 77; the doctor may also report the family to social services for neglect of the child.
Enrolment in a nursery (dječji vrtić) is legally conditional on being properly vaccinated under the Programme (Part III of the Programme of Health Care for Children in Nurseries, NN 105/02, adopted under Art. 18 of the Preschool Education Act) — the only exception is children with documented medical contraindications; primary school is different, because basic education is compulsory, so an unvaccinated child may not be turned away at enrolment (though the fine on the parent still applies).
The Constitutional Court confirmed that vaccination is mandatory in ruling U-I-5418/2008 and others of 30 January 2014 (NN 22/14): deciding on vaccination "is not a parental right", and unvaccinated children are not unconstitutionally denied an education.

🔓 Exceptions

A medical contraindication — temporary or permanent — is established under the Ordinance on the conduct of immunisation (NN 103/13) by the doctor who administers or supervises the vaccination; a permanent one is confirmed by a certificate, and a child with a confirmed contraindication may be enrolled in a nursery unvaccinated.
A child with no BCG scar may exceptionally be admitted to a nursery if the medical history carries no risk, with the tuberculosis vaccination given later, after testing.
If there is a permanent contraindication to one component of a combined vaccine, the remaining vaccinations must be given as monovalent vaccines — a partial exemption, not a full one.

⚠️ Penalties & fines

The fine is a flat 2,000.00 kn = 265.45 € under Art. 77, and it falls on the parent or guardian — the law still states the figure in kuna, and it is one amount, not a range. The rest costs more: refusal travels the chain epidemiologist → sanitary inspection → misdemeanour proceedings, the child cannot enrol in a public nursery (unless a contraindication is confirmed), and the doctor may report the family for neglect — in extreme cases the law knows family-law measures and even criminal liability for gross neglect (Criminal Code Art. 177). Whether the fine can be imposed repeatedly for persistent refusal is claimed in the media and in legal commentary, but is not confirmed in any official source.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

How much exactly is the fine for not vaccinating a child?

A flat 2,000.00 kuna under Art. 77 — that article was never converted into euro, so the amount is converted at the fixed rate of 7.53450 and comes to 265.45 €. It is not a range but one fixed, predetermined amount.

Which diseases is vaccination mandatory against?

Art. 40 of the act lists 10 diseases, from tuberculosis and diphtheria to hepatitis B and Hib. The Implementation Programme for 2026 adds pneumococcal disease, so the current schedule covers 11 diseases in total.

Can a nursery turn away an unvaccinated child?

Yes — enrolment in a nursery is conditional on being properly vaccinated under the Programme, except for children with a documented medical contraindication. Primary school is different: education is compulsory, so a child cannot be refused at enrolment.

Is there a medical exemption from vaccination?

There is: a temporary or permanent contraindication is established by the doctor who gives or supervises the vaccination, under Ordinance NN 103/13, with a certificate for a permanent one. A special "commission" is often mentioned, but its role is not confirmed in any official source.

Is mandatory vaccination constitutional?

It is — on 30 January 2014 (NN 22/14) the Constitutional Court rejected the challenges and held that deciding on vaccination "is not a parental right". It also found that unvaccinated children are not unconstitutionally denied an education.

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