Acquiring the right to old-age pension/early retirement pursuant to EU regulations and/or international agreements on social insurance
- The right to an old-age pension is acquired by an insured person who has reached 65 years of age and completed 15 years of qualifying periods.
- If you were insured in one or more countries with which the Republic of Croatia applies EU regulations on coordination of social security systems, the procedure for obtaining the right to pension is initiated by submitting an application to the pension insurance holder in the state in which you have residence.
- An application submitted in one state shall be deemed as an application submitted in all states in which you have completed your insurance periods.
- You will be entitled to pension in all states in which you have been insured, in accordance with EU regulations on coordination of social security systems and/or international agreements on social security and if you satisfy other conditions under the national regulations of those states.
- Your old-age pension will be paid regardless of where you reside.
The right to a disability pension pursuant to EU regulations on coordination of social security systems
requirements to qualify for a disability pension:
- partial or complete loss of working capacity
- years of service.
Partial loss of working capacity exists when an insured person has experienced a loss of working capacity and due to his or her age, health condition, education and abilities cannot be rehabilitated to work on other tasks full time, but can work at least 70% of full time on adapted tasks with the same or similar professional skills and if such adapted tasks correspond to the tasks he or she previously performed and require the same or similar level of education.
Complete loss of working capacity is defined as permanent loss of working capacity, with no remaining working ability.
If partial or complete loss of working capacity occurred due to illness and/or injury outside work before the age of 65, the person acquires the right to a disability pension if his or her qualifying periods cover at least one third of the person’s working life.
Applying international agreements on social insurance If you were insured in one or more countries with which the Republic of Croatia applies bilateral agreements on social insurance, the procedure for obtaining the right to pension is initiated by submitting an application to the pension insurance holder in the contracting state in which you have residence or in the contracting state of last insurance.
- An application for a disability pension submitted in one state shall be deemed as an application submitted in all states in which you have completed your insurance periods.
- Each Member State applies its national regulations when determining the degree of disability.
- Medical expert evaluation for persons that are residents abroad is started based on medical documents delivered by the foreign pension and disability insurance holder.
- In the procedure of acquiring the right to a disability pension pursuant to EU regulations and international agreements on social insurance, the assessment and opinion of the foreign medical expert is not binding for determining the disability status.
- Experts from every pension insurance holder make an independent evaluation regarding the insuree’s disability and apply the legal and medical definition of disability from their own legislation.
- Your disability pension will be paid regardless of where you reside.
Acquiring the right to survivors’ pension pursuant to EU regulations and/or international agreements on social insurance
Family members of a deceased insured person are entitled to a survivors’ pension if the person from whom the right is executed fulfilled one of the following conditions:
- completed at least 5 years of insurance periods (working life) or at least 10 years of qualifying periods (working life and, or special periods, e.g. in war)
- met the requirements relating to the length of qualifying periods for acquiring the right to a disability pension
- was a beneficiary of an old-age, early retirement or disability pension
- was a beneficiary of the right to occupational rehabilitation
If the death of an insuree or insured person occurred as a result of an accident at work or occupational disease, his or her family members have the right to a survivors’ pension regardless of the length of qualifying periods completed.
- The procedure for obtaining the right to survivors’ pension is initiated by submitting an application to the competent pension insurance holder in the contracting state in which you have residence.
- An application submitted in one state shall be deemed as an application submitted in all states in which the deceased has completed insurance periods.
- Survivors’ pension will be paid to the surviving family member regardless of the place of his or her residence in any of the contracting states.
Starting the procedure
- Application for granting the right to old-age pension/early retirement pension/old-age pension for a long-term insured person/early retirement pension due to employer’s bankruptcy: https://www.mirovinsko.hr/UserDocsImages/tiskanice/Tiskanica_zahtjeva_br_1_1.pdf
Along with the application, please include:
- employment record card, original or certified copy or a statement of not having an employment record card
- written evidence regarding the working period that is not entered into the employment record card or a statement of not having the written evidence
- decision on termination of employment or the amended employment contract
- certificate regarding insurance periods with extended duration
- written evidence on employment abroad (e.g. overview of insurance periods abroad, certificates regarding employment, insurance number from a foreign insurance holder, etc.)
- certificate of citizenship (copy of personal identification card or nationality certificate)
- birth or marriage certificates, if you worked abroad
- birth certificates for every child (not older than 6 months)
- certificate confirming the period of participating in the Croatian War of Independence – PS form (persons who participated in the Croatian War of Independence)
- certificate confirming the status of a war veteran from the Croatian War of Independence – volunteer in the Croatian War of Independence – BR form (persons who participated in the Croatian War of Independence).
Application for granting the right to disability pension/assessment of working capacity/temporary disability pension: https://www.mirovinsko.hr/UserDocsImages/tiskanice/Tiskanica_zahtjeva_br_1_2.pdf
Along with the application, please include:
- Report regarding the assessment and opinion on the health status and working capacity (form 1-IN, issued by a chosen physician)
- form 2-IN (work description)
- report on work injury certified by the Croatian Institute of Public Health
- decision on the established professional illness
- original employment record card or certified copy or a statement of not having an employment record card
- written evidence regarding the working period that is not entered into the employment record card or a statement of not having the written evidence
- certificate regarding insurance periods with extended duration
- written evidence on employment abroad (e.g. overview of insurance periods abroad, certificates regarding employment, insurance number from a foreign insurance holder, etc.)
- certificate of citizenship (copy of personal identification card or nationality certificate)
- birth and marriage certificates, if you worked abroad
- birth certificates for every child (not older than 6 months)
- certificate confirming the period of participating in the Croatian War of Independence – PS form (persons who participated in the Croatian War of Independence)
- certificate confirming the status of a war veteran from the Croatian War of Independence – volunteer in the Croatian War of Independence – BR form (persons who participated in the Croatian War of Independence).
Along with the application for early disability retirement, please include:
- certificate from the Employment Service regarding the periods of unemployment.
Application for granting the right to compensation for physical damage: https://www.mirovinsko.hr/UserDocsImages/tiskanice/Tiskanica_br_1_3.pdf
Application for granting the right to survivors’ pension / widow / widower / child / parent /child with a status of a disabled person with the remaining working capacity determined pursuant to regulations on occupational rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons: https://www.mirovinsko.hr/UserDocsImages/tiskanice/Tiskanica_zahtjeva_br_1_4.pdf
Along with the application, please include:
A) After the death of the pension beneficiary
- death certificate
- birth certificates for members of the family – for every child (not older than 6 months)
- marriage certificate for widow or widower (issued after the partner’s death – not older than 6 months)
- certificate regarding schooling for children older than 15
- medical documents if complete loss of working capacity is to be determined for the beneficiary’s family member
- in case the pension beneficiary worked abroad and is not entitled to pension with the foreign social insurance holder, written evidence on employment abroad (e.g. overview of insurance periods abroad, certificates regarding employment, insurance number from a foreign insurance holder, etc.).
B) After the death of an insured person (1 – 5)
- employment record card from the deceased insured person, original or certified copy or a statement of not having an employment record card
- written evidence regarding the working period that is not entered into the employment record card or a statement of not having the written evidence
- certificate regarding insurance periods with extended duration
- certificate confirming the period of participating in the Croatian War of Independence – PS form (if the deceased insured person participated in the Croatian War of Independence)
- certificate confirming the status of a war veteran – volunteer in the Croatian War of Independence – BR form (if the deceased insured person participated in the Croatian War of Independence)
- medical documents if complete loss of working capacity is to be determined for the insured person’s family member
- in case the pension insured person worked abroad and is not entitled to pension with the foreign social insurance holder, written evidence on employment abroad (e.g. overview of insurance periods abroad, certificates regarding employment, insurance number from a foreign insurance holder, etc.)
SPECIAL NOTE: The beneficiary of the above-mentioned rights shall report to the competent service of the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute within 15 days regarding any change that occurred in personal or real circumstances that affects the right or the scope of using the right (concluding an employment contract, marriage, changing the permanent residence address or registering the temporary residence address, termination or completion of regular schooling and other).
More info:
Institution
Croatian Pension Insurance Institute, Regional Office in Zagreb
Tvrtkova 5 ; Zagreb 10000
Tel: +385 1 4595 500
E-mail:
zagreb@mirovinsko.hr
Working hours: 8:15 – 15:45 (Monday-Friday)
The Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO) is a public institution established under the Pension Insurance Act. https://narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2019_10_102_2048.html
The Croatian Pension Insurance Institute is a legal person with rights obligations and responsibilities established Law and by the Statute and it has public authority in resolving on the rights and obligations from pension insurance. The HZMO operates independently and it is represented by its director. The ministry in charge of the pension system performs administrative supervision of the HZMO and the ministry competent for family supervises and monitors the implementation of child benefit regulations.
There are three legal entities in HZMO’s ownership:
• Croatian Pension Insurance d.o.o. (HMO d.o.o.),
• Croatian Pension Investment Company d.o.o. (HMID d.o.o.).
• Croatian Pension Insurance Company (HR MOD d.d.).
HZMO’s head office is in Zagreb, A. Mihanovića 3
Info: HZMO
