Croatia Has Granted Citizenship to Over 11,000 South Americans Since 2020, Though Few Reside in the Country
Key Takeaways:
1. Since early 2020, Croatia has granted citizenship to over 11,000 South Americans, as of August 2024.
2. Argentinians have been the primary recipients of Croatian citizenship during this period.
3. Some Croatian politicians view South Americans of Croatian descent as a potential solution to labor shortages.
Croatia has issued citizenship to a significant number of South Americans in recent years, though only a small proportion have chosen to reside in the country. According to data from the Croatian Ministry of Interior, between 2020 and August 2024, Croatia granted citizenship to 11,054 South Americans.
Despite the large number of new Croatian citizens, only 342 have declared residence in Croatia, which has raised concerns among authorities. The top recipients were citizens of Argentina, with 5,581 obtaining Croatian citizenship during this time.
Other beneficiaries include nationals from:
- Chile: 2,615
- Peru: 741
- Bolivia: 733
- Brazil: 597
- Ecuador: 206
- Venezuela: 184
- Paraguay: 167
- Uruguay: 125
- Colombia: 105
The Croatian Ministry is also processing 1,233 pending citizenship applications from South American nationals.
Politicians see South Americans of Croatian descent as a potential solution to Croatia's workforce shortages. According to the Central State Office for Croats, there are around 200,000 people of Croatian descent in Chile, 70,000 in Brazil, and smaller communities in countries like Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela. However, many of these individuals choose to live in other EU countries, particularly Spain, after obtaining Croatian citizenship.