- Homosexuality
- ⚢✔ Legal
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✔ Civil unions (marriage rights)
- Censorship
- ✔ No censorship
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Legal, but requires medical diagnosis
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✔ Legal
- 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
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✔ Legal
- Donating Blood
- ✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- ✔ Equal
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Public Opinion
Surveys in Croatia have revealed a prevalence of resistance towards LGBTQ+ rights.
OPPOSE
SUPPORT
Perception of LGBTQ+ People
Survey results from 13 LGBTQ+ Equaldex users who lived in or visited Croatia.
Overall
Perceived Safety**Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.
Equal Treatment
Visibility & Representation
Culture
Services
History
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.
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.
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.
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.
Paragraph 285: for unnatural fornication between persons, the perpetrator shall be punished with strict imprisonment, unless the act turns into a more serious crime.
Same-sex marriage in Croatia is civil unions (marriage rights).
Current status
Since Aug 5, 2014
Civil unions (marriage rights)
The Law on Life Partnerships of Persons of the Same Sex was adopted on July 15, 2014.
Same-sex couples became equal to married couples in everything except the adoption of children. However, the law allows custody of the partner's child in some situations.
The adoption of the law was preceded by the Constitutional Referendum on the definition of marriage held on December 1, 2013. The citizens declared that they were in favor of including a provision in the Constitution according to which marriage is the life union of a man and a woman.
Same-sex couples became equal to married couples in everything except the adoption of children. However, the law allows custody of the partner's child in some situations.
The adoption of the law was preceded by the Constitutional Referendum on the definition of marriage held on December 1, 2013. The citizens declared that they were in favor of including a provision in the Constitution according to which marriage is the life union of a man and a woman.
Unregistered cohabitation
The Law on Same-Sex Unions was adopted on July 14, 2003.
The law allowed same-sex partners who have lived together for a minimum of 3 years similar rights to unmarried heterosexual partners in terms of inheritance and financial support, but not the right to adoption or any other right under family law. Such relationships could not be registered, nor did they have rights in terms of taxes, joint property, health insurance, pensions, etc.
The law allowed same-sex partners who have lived together for a minimum of 3 years similar rights to unmarried heterosexual partners in terms of inheritance and financial support, but not the right to adoption or any other right under family law. Such relationships could not be registered, nor did they have rights in terms of taxes, joint property, health insurance, pensions, etc.
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.
Right to change legal gender in Croatia is legal, but requires medical diagnosis.
Current status
Since Nov 20, 2014
Gender-affirming care in Croatia is legal.
Current status
Since 1979
Legal
Gender-affirming care is legal in Croatia, however it is very difficult to access. Transgender Croatians often have to travel abroad to receive treatment.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Croatia is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized
Non-binary options missing.
LGBT discrimination in Croatia is illegal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Illegal
On July 9, 2008, the Croatian Parliament approved a unified anti-discrimination law, known as Law on Suppression of Discrimination which prohibits, among other categories, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in all areas.
Illegal in some contexts
Before the adoption of the Anti-Discrimination law in 2008, several laws prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation: - Law on Croatian Radio and Television (2003), Article 8; - Labor Law, amendment (2003), Article 2; - Law on Gender Equality (2003), Article 6; - Law on Scientific Activity and Higher Education (2003), Article 77; - Law on Electronic Media (2003), Article 15; - Sports Law (2006), Article 1; - Criminal Code, amendment (2006), Article 14; - Law on Volunteerism (2007), Article 9; - Law on Asylum (2007), Article 2.
LGBT employment discrimination in Croatia is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Article 8 of the Anti-Discrimination Law from 2008 bans labour discrimination. Discrimination is prohibited on basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression among others.
Until Jul 18, 2003
No protections
Before this date there was no protection of the LGBT population from discrimination in Employment in the Croatian legislature.
LGBT housing discrimination in Croatia is sexual orientation and gender identity.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 2009
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Article 8 of the Anti-Discrimination Act from 2008 bans discrimination in Housing. Discrimination is prohibited on basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression among others.
Until Dec 31, 2008
No protections
Before this date there was no protection against discrimination in Housing in Croatian legislation.
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.
Single only
There are no restrictions for single individuals based on sexual orientation, but there are restrictions to single people in general. A child may be adopted by a person who is not married if it is of particular benefit to the child (Article 133, paragraph 2).
Intersex infant surgery in Croatia is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
There is no official ban on unnecessary genital 'normalisation' surgery on intersex infants in Croatia.
Serving openly in military in Croatia is legal.
Current status
Since Jun 26, 2013
Legal
In Croatia, there is no regulation that would prohibit LGBT persons from participating in the Armed Forces.
Article 12 (3) of the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, adopted on June 14, 2013, prohibits discrimination in the army on several grounds, one of which is sexual orientation.
Article 12 (3) of the Law on Service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, adopted on June 14, 2013, prohibits discrimination in the army on several grounds, one of which is sexual orientation.
Blood donations by MSMs in Croatia is banned (indefinite deferral).
Current status
Since Feb 16, 1999
Banned (indefinite deferral)
Homosexual behavior is one of the grounds for permanent exclusion from donating blood (Guidelines on blood and blood components, Article 16)
Conversion therapy in Croatia is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Laws in force in Croatia do not regulate or restrict conversion therapies.
Equal age of consent in Croatia is equal.
Current status
Since Jan 1, 1998
Unequal
The age of sexual consent was 18 years old for anal intercourse between men and 14 years for other sexual practices.
LGBT Rights by County
View the LGBT laws in each individual county of Croatia.
- Bjelovarsko-bilogorska županija
- Brodsko-posavska županija
- Dubrovacko-neretvanska županija
- Istarska županija
- Karlovacka županija
- Koprivnicko-križevacka županija
- Krapinsko-zagorska županija
- Licko-senjska županija
- Medimurska županija
- Osjecko-baranjska županija
- Požeško-slavonska županija
- Primorsko-goranska županija
- Sisacko-moslavacka županija
- Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
- Varaždinska županija
- Viroviticko-podravska županija
- Vukovarsko-srijemska županija
- Zadarska županija
- Zagrebacka županija
- Šibensko-kninska županija
- Grad Zagreb (City)
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Alternative names: Hrvatska (local name)
