💬 NEW! Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!

LGBT Rights in Croatia

    Homosexuality
    ✔ Legal
    Gay Marriage
    ✖ Civil unions
    Censorship
    ✔ No censorship
    Changing Gender
    ✔ Legal, no restrictions
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✔ Illegal
    Employment Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Housing Discrimination
    ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
    Adoption
    ✔ Legal
    Military
    ✖ Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
    Donating Blood
    ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    ✔ Equal

Surveys in Croatia have revealed a prevalence of resistance towards LGBTQ+ rights.

History

Homosexual activity in Croatia

?

Homosexual activity in Croatia is legal.

Current status
Since Jul 1, 1977
Legal
The Criminal Code of the Socialist Republic of Croatia adopted on June 16, 1977 decriminalized consensual male homosexuality on the territory of Croatia in the then SFRY.
Added by lewisslate  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jul 1, 1951–Jun 30, 1977
Male illegal, female legal
The Criminal Code of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia adopted on February 27, 1951 criminalized consensual sexual intercourse between men throughout its territory including Croatia.
Article 186: for unnatural fornication between persons of the male sex, the perpetrator shall be punished with imprisonment for up to two years.
The 1959 amendment reduced the prison sentence by one year.
Added by matkoglibota  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1930–Jun 30, 1951
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
The Criminal Code for the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kingdom of Yugoslavia as of October 3, 1929) adopted on January 27, 1929 criminalized "unnatural fornication" without specifying the definition of the mentioned term.
Paragraph 285: for unnatural fornication between persons, the perpetrator shall be punished with strict imprisonment, unless the act turns into a more serious crime.
Added by Aleksandar  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Croatia

?

Same-sex marriage in Croatia is civil unions.

Current status
Since Sep 9, 2014
Civil unions
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jul 24, 2003–Sep 9, 2014
Unregistered cohabitation
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Croatia

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Croatia is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
In Croatia, there are no laws restricting the discussion or promotion of LGBTQ+ topics.
Added by equaldex  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Croatia

?

Right to change legal gender in Croatia is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since Nov 15, 2014
Legal, no restrictions
Since Nov 15, 2014. Missing non binary options on documents.

Article 2 (2):
"No person shall be forced to undergo medical procedures, including surgical sex adjustment, sterilization or hormone therapy, as a condition for recognition of a change of sex or life in another gender identity."
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jan 1, 1994–Nov 15, 2014
Legal, but requires surgery
Surgery now required
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Croatia

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Croatia is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
Non-binary options missing.
Added by Notdog1996  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Croatia

?

LGBT discrimination in Croatia is illegal.

Current status
Since Jul 2003
Illegal
producing homophobic material can carry up to one year's imprisionment
Added by lewisslate  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Croatia

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Croatia is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jul 15, 2008
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Included in incitement to hatred.
Added by Ausyk  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Jul 15, 2008
Sexual orientation only
Protection only to sexual orientation.
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Croatia

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Croatia is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2008
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Croatia

?

Same-sex adoption in Croatia is legal.

Current status
Since May 26, 2022
Legal
Despite not having same-sex marriage, Croatia allows joint adoption for same-sex couples. This follows a six-year legal battle which was finally settled when the High Administrative Court rejected an appeal by a government ministry against an earlier ruling by the Zagreb court. The ministry can no longer appeal this verdict.
Added by chae  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jul 16, 2003–May 25, 2022
Single only
there are no restrictions for single individuals based on sexual orientation
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Croatia

?

Serving openly in military in Croatia is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.

Current status
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned
Only 22 countries allow trans military service, Croatia is not one of them
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Croatia

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Croatia is banned (indefinite deferral).

Current status
Since Dec 24, 1998
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Croatia

?

Conversion therapy in Croatia is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
Laws in force in Croatia do not regulate or restrict conversion therapies.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Croatia

?

Equal age of consent in Croatia is equal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1998
Equal
With Criminal Law from 1997 the edge of consent of 14 years became equal for everyone.
The limit was raised to 15 years with Criminal Law adopted in 2011.
Added by lewisslate  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Jul 1, 1977–Dec 31, 1997
Unequal
The age of sexual consent was 18 years old for anal intercourse between men and 14 years for other sexual practices.
Added by matkoglibota  ·  1 accurate vote  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Until Jun 30, 1977
N/A
Consensual anal sex between two men was illegal before 1977 in Croatia.
Added by Aleksandar  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log