🏠 Do I have to register my address when I move?

Yes

Quick answer

Yes — every time you move you must register your new address within 15 days of the day you actually settle there. The registration is filed with the MUP police administration or station for your area, and since 2023 it can also be done online through the e-Građani system. If you stay somewhere for more than 3 months without settling permanently, you register a temporary residence (boravište) rather than a permanent one. Here the common myth falls: registration is not automatic when you collect a new ID card, and there is no "30-day grace period" — the deadline is 15 days, and anyone who misses it, gives false data or a false statement of settling commits an offence carrying a fine of 60 to 660 euros (Art. 16 of the Residence Act). The old figure of "500 to 5,000 kuna" still circulating online is outdated — since the euro changeover the law is written in euros.

📋 The rules

The deadline is 15 days from actually settling in: permanent and temporary residence are registered with the competent MUP police administration or station for the place where you live (Art. 4(1) of the Residence Act).
Temporary residence for a temporary stay: if you stay at an address for more than 3 months without settling permanently, you register a boravište, which may be registered for up to one year.
Fine for failure: 60 to 660 euros for an individual who fails to register or deregister in time, gives inaccurate data or a false statement of settling (Art. 16).
The landlord has duties too: anyone who lets someone use a flat for more than 3 months must, within 15 days, give MUP the details of that person and the address (Art. 10(4)).
MUP can deregister on its own initiative: if a field check shows you do not actually live at the registered address, the police deregister the fictitious residence by decision (Art. 12).

🔓 Exceptions

Homeless persons: for someone with no address or means, MUP determines residence by decision at the address of a social-care institution or accommodation provider, and they may register a contact address (Art. 6).
Temporary stay abroad: anyone away for more than one year for education, work or medical treatment does not deregister residence but reports a temporary departure to the authority or via a consulate (Art. 3).
Institutional accommodation: military personnel, care-home residents, students and persons in prisons register temporary residence, and may register permanent residence, at the institution's address under its rules (Art. 7).

⚠️ Penalties & fines

A missed or false residence registration is an offence for which the Residence Act prescribes a fine of 60 to 660 euros for an individual (Art. 16), while an accommodation provider that fails to register a guest staying over three months faces 660 to 1,990 euros (Art. 17). Losing the address itself can cost more than the fine: if a MUP field check finds you do not live where you are registered, it deregisters the residence on its own initiative, and without a valid address you cannot renew your ID card, vote, enrol a child by catchment area or reliably receive court and tax mail. A false statement of settling made to enrol a child, claim a benefit or gain a better tax position also invites suspicion of graver offences. The stale "up to 5,000 kuna" figure repeated on forums does not match the law — since 2023 all fines are in euros.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-07-12

❓ Frequently asked

How many days do I have to register a new address?

You must file the registration within 15 days of the day you actually settle at the new address, regardless of when you change your ID card. There is no 30-day deadline, and missing the statutory period is an offence carrying a fine of 60 to 660 euros.

Can I register my address online?

Yes, MUP lets you register and change your address electronically through the e-Građani system with a suitable credential. In some situations, for example where the statement of settling is doubted, an in-person registration and a field check may still be required.

What if I register an address where I do not actually live?

A false statement of settling is itself an offence punishable by 60 to 660 euros, and MUP can establish the real situation through a field check. If it turns out you do not live there, the police deregister that fictitious residence on their own initiative.

Do I need the flat owner's consent?

Yes; if you register at someone else's address you need the landlord's certified statement or their consent given directly at the police administration. A landlord who lets a flat be used for more than three months must also report it to MUP within 15 days.

Why does registered residence matter at all?

Your registered address determines where you vote, which school and health centre you belong to by territory, and where official, court and tax mail is delivered. An incorrect or deregistered address can block renewal of your ID card and the exercise of many rights.

🔎 Common searches

What people search to land here:

“registering address croatia”
“address registration deadline 15 days”
“register address online e-gradani”
“change of address mup”
“temporary residence registration”
“fine for not registering address”