Croatia - Social benefits in Croatia - Old-age pension

This chapter will explain what you need to know about old-age benefits. This chapter covers:

old-age pension (starosna mirovina);
early old-age pension(prijevremena starosna mirovina).

In what situation can I claim?

Under the statutory pension scheme (first pillar of pension insurance), you may receive your old-age pension when you have completed 15 years of qualifying period (men and women) and reach 65 years of age if you are a man. If you are a woman, you may claim your old-age pension in 2023 if you have reached 63 years and 3 months.

Under the capitalised pension scheme (second pillar of pension insurance), you are entitled when you meet the eligibility conditions for the first pillar of pension insurance if you were a member of the mandatory pension fund.

What conditions do I need to meet?

People with mandatory insurance under the statutory pension scheme are employees or self-employed, those who perform an independent or professional activity, those involved in agriculture and others.

The same people under the statutory pension scheme are insured under the capitalised pension scheme, but there are exceptions.

You are entitled to a first pillar old-age pension when you reach 65 years of age (men) or 63 years and 3 months of age (women) in 2023 and have completed at least 15 years of the qualifying period.

The retirement age for women is being gradually raised, by 3 months every year, to bring it into line with the age condition for men by 2030.

Men who reach 60 years of age and have completed at least 35 years of the qualifying period are entitled to an early old-age pension. In 2023 women must reach 58 years and 3 months of age and have at least 33 years and 3 months of qualifying period in order to receive an early old-age pension. And in the case of bankruptcy, you have to be unemployed for at least 2 years prior to qualifying for retirement because your employer went bankrupt.

If you have reached 60 years of age and have at least 41 qualifying years, you are entitled to an old-age pension for long-insured persons.

People who were members of the mandatory pension fund are also entitled to a second pillar pension when they become entitled to a first pillar pension.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Old-age pension

The amount of your old-age pension is calculated by multiplying your personal value points by the pension factor and the actual value of the pension (see Jargon busters).

If you retire after 65 and have completed 35 years of qualifying period, your pension will increase 0.34% for each month of deferment (maximum for 5 years).

If you only claim a first pillar pension and it is lower than the minimum pension (najniža mirovina), you will receive the amount of the minimum pension.

From January 2023. the minimum pension is increased by 3%.

Likewise, the amount of the maximum pension (najviša mirovina) which can be paid out under the first pillar is set by a separate regulation (Maximum Pension Act).

Early old-age pension

The amount of your early old-age pension is set in the same way as the old-age pension. However, it is lowered for each month of early retirement.

The amount of early old-age pension is permanently reduced by 0.2% for each month before retirement age, i.e. by 2.4% per year up to 12% for five years prior to retirement. The reduction is permanent and does not depend on the length of the completed qualifying period.

The procedure for claiming an old-age pension or early old-age pension is instituted by submitting a pension application to the competent regional office of the Croatian Pension Insurance Institute (HZMO) or online. The competent regional office of the HZMO is the one located in your place of permanent residence or temporary residence.

If your place of permanent residence is abroad, the competent office is the one located in the last place you were insured.

An insured person may notify the HZMO about their intention to file an application for recognition of the right to an old-age pension or early old-age pension 12 months in advance. This notification is not considered an application to receive a pension.

For a second pillar pension, you need to choose a pension insurance company which will pay you the pension. The HZMO shall provide the Central Registry of Affiliates (REGOS) with the information from the pension recognition decision for members of the second pillar scheme. After the prescribed procedure, REGOS issues an order to transfer funds from the personal account of the fund member, the future pension recipient, to the account of the chosen pension insurance company.

The pension insurance company will sign a contract with the beneficiary and pay out a lifetime monthly pension from the transferred funds (reduced by the prescribed fee).

Jargon busters

Value point - the annual salary of the person concerned/insurance base divided by the average annual salary in Croatia. It is set based on all salaries earned by the insured person during their working life.
Actual value of the pension
Pension calculation formula - the method in which a pension is calculated.
Pension factor

Forms you may need to fill in

Know your rights

You can find out about your legal rights at the links below. They are not European Commission websites and do not represent the views of the Commission:

Commission publications and websites:

Retiring abroad: your rights as an EU citizen in other EU countries.

Who do you need to contact?

Croatian Pension Insurance Institute
A. Mihanovica 3
HR-10000 Zagreb
Croatia
Tel. +385 14595500, +385 800636363
http://mirovinsko.hr/default.aspx?id=4298

Central Registry of Affiliates
(only for a 2nd pillar pension)
Gajeva 5
HR-10000 Zagreb
Croatia
http://regos.hr/default.aspx?id=207

Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy
Ulica grada Vukovara 78
HR-10000 Zagreb
Croatia
https://mrosp.gov.hr/

Language selector

Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion