Study and Living in Croatia

Studying and living in Croatia is affordable. Read on to know about the cost of study and living, student accommodation and travel options etc. in Croatia.

In Croatia, there are many student organisations. Many of the international student organisations have branches in Croatia. The international student organisations work in the field of exchange and mobility programmes, international cooperation and agreements; organize seminars, summer courses, internships, etc.

Each higher education institution in Croatia has a student union (In Croatian: studentski zbor). This union takes care of the pupil’s interest and needs

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IAESTE , AEGEE - European Students’ Forum, eStudent , BIUS , AIESEC Croatia , ELSA - European Law Students' Association , BEST - Board of European Students of Technology , EMSA - European Medical Students' Association, IACES - International Association of Civil Engineering Students , and IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

In Croatia, there are many accommodation options available for students. The student accommodation options are:

In Croatia, student dormitory is available for students, but this option is limited. To get a place in student dormitory, international students must contact the international cooperation office of the chosen higher education institution.  The Student Centres (Studentski centar) are available at higher education institutions that are responsible for student dormitories. These centres provide accommodation as per the quota system and availability.

International students coming for study purpose in Croatia as part of an official exchange programme are eligible to apply for student dormitories. The Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes make accommodation arrangements for their bilateral programmes and CEEPUS pupils. The ERASMUS students are offered accommodation by the relevant higher education institution. Other international pupils must search for their accommodation themselves.

In student dormitories, two students share a room. All the necessary facilities are available. Student cafeteria, computer labs, gyms etc are also available. Social activities are also organized for students in the dormitory.

Student dormitory is inexpensive. The price varies depending on the location and facilities. 

Contact the International Cooperation Office of your chosen Croatian higher education institution to know more about the student dormitory.

Students can go for private accommodation- rent a room or apartment/flat. The cost of private accommodation varies depending on the location, no. of rooms and amenities. Students can expect to pay around 150 EUR per month for a one-bed, bathroom and kitchen; and about 250 EUR per month for a studio apartment. Students are required to pay the rent at the start of each month. 

Students can contact the Student centre of the higher education institution, search the advertisement papers and web portals. 

In order to find a room to rent we recommend posting advertisements at faculties, in the Studentski centar (Student Centre), advertisement papers and web portals etc.

In Croatian, there are many youth hostels available for students. To know about the youth hostels in the country, visit the official website of the Croatian Youth Hostel Association www.hicroatia.com

The tuition fees for international students vary depending on the higher education institution, study level and programme.  The higher education institutions in Croatia set their own tuition fees for different courses of study. 

• For social sciences and humanities courses, students can expect to pay between 6,000 Kuna and 16,500 Kuna per year.
• For technical sciences courses, students can expect to pay around 22,000 Kuna per year
• For medical studies and other sciences courses, students can expect to pay approximately 27,000 Kuna per year.

The tuition fees for graduate and postgraduate studies at Croatian higher education institutions vary. 

Contact the higher education institution in Croatia to know about the exact tuition fees. 

Students can expect to spend between 400 and 700 EUR per month, including accommodation, travel, food, utilities and other necessary expenses. The costs of living vary depending on the accommodation type- student dormitory or private accommodation, lifestyle and the location-inside or outside the city.  

All the full-time students must have an identification card-“iksica (or “X-ica)”. This card enable students to get all the necessary benefits, such as travel discounts, subsidized meals at student cafeterias, etc. 

International pupils in Croatia can get a student card if they are one of the following:

• ERASMUS pupils
• Pupils in bilateral exchange programmes or agreements of the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of Croatia and the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes
• Pupils studying in Croatia as a member of faculty-level exchange programme or a free-mover. 
• Pupils coming from the CEEPUS network

Student cafeterias are located at student residence halls and faculties. 

The full-meal price in student cafeterias is approximately 20 Kuna or 3 EUR per meal. To get the subsidized meal at student cafeteria, students must possess a student card-iksica. A specific amount of money is provided for meals every month for each student card. Pupils studying in Croatia as part of a faculty-level exchange programme or free-movers have to pay the full costs of the meal that is 20 Kuna per meal.

In Croatia, there are many modes of transport available for students. Students can select any mode depending on their need and budget. Students can easily travel around the country through public transport. Public transport in Croatia is well-developed and comprises of railways, buses and trams. Also, inter-city bus network is available in Croatia.

Motorways: Croatia has a well-developed motorway network that connects Zagreb to most parts of the Croatia. The country has above 1,200 km of motorway network.  The well-known motorways are the A1 that connects Zagreb to Split, and the A3 that connects east and north-west Croatia.    

By car: You must hold a valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance documents, and automobile registration card. International students who have a temporary residence permit in Croatia are allowed to drive a motor vehicle only if they possess a valid foreign driver’s license of 1 year following the day of arrival in Croatia.

Croatia has a widespread bus network connecting all regions of the country. There are inter-city bus lines in Croatia. 

The most regular inter-city bus line is Zagreb-Split, with buses running every 30 minutes. Other bus lines are also available that run every hour or many a times per day. The price of the ticket is determined on the basis of destination. 

In Croatia, the largest bus terminal is the Zagreb bus station. 

International bus connections:  In Croatia, there are many bus services that connect Croatia with all the neighbouring and European countries.  

There are many trains running within Croatia, connecting cities of Split, Osijek, Zagreb and Rijeka. Along with regular trains, “tilting trains” are also available in Croatia that connects Split, Osijek, Zagreb and Rijeka.  The rail network of Croatia connects all major cities of Croatia except Dubrovnik.

Tickets can be taken at ticket sales booths available at every railway station. At smaller stations, tickets can be purchased only on-board. Discounts are available to EURO-26 or ISIC card holders and to those who make reservations early.

There are many international direct flights to Croatia from Europe. The national airline company is Croatia Airlines, which is a member of the Star Alliance airline association and allows people enables to travel around the world. 

Airports: Croatia has 3 major international airports: Split, Dubrovnik and Zagreb.  Also, there are many other airports in Croatia. 

There are domestic as well as international ship and ferry services. Croatian coastal cities and town are connected by ferry and ships. The islands are also connected to the mainland by ships/ferries.

In Croatia, the largest ferry operator is Jadrolinija. 

To know more about the ferry and ship services in Croatia, visit the official website of the Croatian Tourism https://croatia.hr/

Croatian and International students who are studying at a higher education institution in Croatia full-time are eligible to apply for occasional student work. The Student Service Centre manages the employment of full-time pupils.

International pupils who are pursuing short study or exchange programmes at Croatian higher education institutions must check with the institution to know the applying conditions for occasional student work.

International students who are permitted for occasional student work, they must register to the Student Service Centre in person. Such students must fill in a form and submit it to the centre along with the following documents:

• Student transcript book (“Indeks”)
• Full-time student status certificate: It must be of the ongoing academic year.
• Passport or any other valid Identification document, and 2 photographs
• Certificate indicating that you have opened a giro account in a bank in Croatia