Knowledge base · Americans & Canadians
Dual Citizenship Explained
For Americans & Canadians
Can you hold both your US or Canadian passport and a Croatian one at the same time? Yes, and it is fully legal on all sides. Here is everything you need to know before you apply.
01 / The basics
What dual citizenship actually means.
Dual citizenship, sometimes called dual nationality, means holding full citizenship in two countries simultaneously. You are legally a citizen of both, with all associated rights and obligations in each. There is no hierarchy: neither citizenship supersedes the other. You hold two passports, both valid, both usable.
For most Americans and Canadians pursuing Croatian citizenship by descent, the question of dual citizenship is not a legal obstacle. It is simply a matter of understanding the rules on all sides. The short answer is: the US does not prohibit it, Canada explicitly allows it, and Croatia fully permits it for those acquiring citizenship through ancestry.
What makes the combination of a US or Canadian passport and a Croatian (EU) passport particularly compelling is that each document opens doors the other cannot. Your US or Canadian passport gives you home; your Croatian passport gives you a continent.
02 / What you gain
What dual citizenship gives you.
Two passports, maximum mobility
With both a US or Canadian passport and a Croatian (EU) passport, you hold two of the world’s most powerful travel documents. Use your US or Canadian passport for travel to and from home. Use your Croatian passport to travel freely across the EU’s Schengen Area, with no 90-day limit and no visitor restrictions. The Croatian passport currently grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 182+ countries, ranking among the top ten globally.
Fully legal, no renunciation required
Americans and Canadians do not need to give up their existing citizenship to become Croatian. The US government does not prohibit dual citizenship; it simply treats dual citizens as US citizens for all purposes. Canada has explicitly permitted dual citizenship since 1977 with no restrictions. Croatia, in turn, fully allows dual citizenship for those acquiring citizenship by descent, with no renunciation required on either side.
No generational limit on descent claims
Croatia removed the generational cap on citizenship by descent in 2019. You can apply whether your Croatian ancestor is a grandparent, great-grandparent or earlier, as long as you can document the lineage. The language test requirement was also abolished in 2020, removing one of the most common barriers for diaspora applicants. There is also no requirement to have ever visited Croatia.
Full political rights in both countries
Dual citizenship does not diminish your existing political rights. US citizens abroad can continue voting in federal elections via absentee ballot. Canadians abroad retain full federal voting rights following the 2019 Supreme Court ruling. As a Croatian citizen, you also gain the right to vote in Croatian national elections and European Parliament elections, one of the world’s largest democratic exercises, representing 450 million people.
Right to live and work across the EU
Croatian citizenship is EU citizenship. Once you hold a Croatian passport, you have the unrestricted right to live, work, study, and retire in any of the 27 EU member states, including Germany, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Austria, France and the Netherlands, with no visa, no work permit and no employer sponsorship needed. You are treated as a local in one of the world’s largest single labour markets of 450 million people.
Property, banking & inheritance rights
Croatian citizens have the same property rights as domestic residents, including the right to purchase real estate and inherit property without the restrictions that apply to foreigners. You also gain access to EU banking infrastructure: open accounts across 36 SEPA countries, send money at domestic rates, and access financial products available only to EU citizens or residents. For families with Croatian-origin assets, citizenship can simplify inheritance significantly.
03 / The legal picture
Three jurisdictions, three answers, all of them yes.
- US
United States
US law does not prohibit dual citizenship. The State Department’s official position, unchanged for decades, is that a US citizen who voluntarily acquires foreign citizenship does not automatically lose their US citizenship, provided the act is not performed with the explicit intent to relinquish American nationality. In practice, tens of millions of Americans hold dual citizenship openly and without consequence.
A bill introduced in 2025 (the “Exclusive Citizenship Act”) would change this, but as of early 2026 it has a single co-sponsor, has not progressed past introduction, and legal analysts estimate a roughly 3% chance of passage given over 50 years of Supreme Court precedent protecting the right to hold foreign citizenship. This is not current law. You should not delay or avoid an application because of it.
- CA
Canada
Canada has explicitly permitted dual citizenship since 1977 with no exceptions, restrictions, or notification requirements. You are not required to inform the Canadian government when you obtain a second citizenship. There is no political debate about changing this.
Canadian-Croatian dual citizens hold both passports simultaneously with no legal complications on either side. Of all the jurisdictions involved, Canada’s position is the clearest and most unambiguous.
- HR
Croatia
Croatia’s position depends on how you acquire citizenship. For those applying through standard naturalisation (which requires eight years of registered residence in Croatia), Croatian law requires renouncing prior citizenship. For those acquiring citizenship by descent, the route available to diaspora members with Croatian ancestry, dual citizenship is fully permitted with no renunciation required.
The Croatian Citizenship Act was significantly liberalised in 2019–2020: the generational limit was removed (there is no “too many generations back” cutoff), and the Croatian language proficiency test was abolished. As a result, the descent-based route is now accessible to a wider pool of applicants than at any point since Croatian independence.
04 / Questions
Common questions answered.
The questions diaspora applicants ask most often about taxes, passports, military service and timing.
All questions and answersQ1Will the US make me choose one citizenship?
Not under current law. The US government does not require citizens to choose between US citizenship and a foreign one, a position upheld through decades of Supreme Court precedent.
A bill introduced in 2025 (the Exclusive Citizenship Act) would change this, but as of early 2026 it has one co-sponsor, has not left committee, and legal analysts give it roughly a 3% chance of passage. You do not need to act on it.
Q2Do Americans face extra taxes by holding Croatian citizenship?
Obtaining Croatian citizenship alone does not trigger new US tax obligations. However, the US taxes citizens on worldwide income regardless of residency. If you open Croatian bank accounts exceeding $10,000, you must file an FBAR annually.
The US-Croatia income tax treaty was signed in 2022 but awaits Senate ratification. Until ratified, the Foreign Tax Credit remains available to prevent double taxation on income earned and taxed in Croatia.
Q3What about Canadian taxes?
Canadians have it simpler. Canada taxes based on residency, not citizenship. If you continue living in Canada, obtaining Croatian citizenship has no Canadian tax impact at all.
Canada and Croatia already have a tax treaty in force. There is no Canadian equivalent of FBAR for non-residents. Simply holding a second passport creates zero new Canadian tax obligations.
Q4Does Croatia’s military service requirement affect me?
Croatia reintroduced mandatory military service in October 2025. However, the Croatian Ministry of Defence has confirmed that call-up notices are not sent to dual citizens residing permanently abroad.
Dual citizens who have completed military or civil service in their other country of citizenship are also exempt. If you live in the US or Canada and are not registered as a Croatian resident, current policy does not require you to serve.
Q5Which passport should I use when?
US citizens must enter and exit the US on their US passport; this is a legal requirement. Canadians must use their Canadian passport to enter and exit Canada.
Within the EU and Schengen Area, always use your Croatian passport, since it gives you free movement rights that your US or Canadian passport does not. Many dual citizens keep both passports on hand when travelling internationally.
Q6How long does the Croatian application take?
Preparation depends on where your records are, and gathering and certifying the genealogical documents is usually the most time-consuming part. It moves faster with help.
The Ministry’s review and consular waiting times are set by the authorities, and no package shortens them. With Full Representation the office prepares the file and coordinates the translations; you lodge it in person, as the Act requires, and our partner lawyers then take the case over under power of attorney.
05 / Law updates
Stay up to date on Croatian citizenship law.
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06 / Do you qualify?
The real question is whether your ancestry qualifies you for the Croatian side.
Six questions about your family history, an automated preliminary result on screen in under two minutes, for free. A lawyer's review is a separate step, only if you want one.
Croatian Roots
Citizenship-by-descent casework, Zagreb
Reviewed by Croatian Roots, Croatian citizenship by descent, Zagreb. Last reviewed 22.03.2026.
General information about Croatian law, not legal advice, and not a prediction of any outcome. Requirements vary by consular post and change without notice. Every application is decided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Croatia.
07 / Related guides
Keep reading.
- Croatian Citizenship Is EU Citizenship: How It Compares to Italy, Ireland and PolandWhat a Croatian passport gets you across the EU, what it does not change, and how the route compares
- EU Passport & Free MovementTravel and live anywhere in the European Union
- Croatian Citizenship by Descent: The Complete 2026 GuideWhich route applies, how far back you can claim, what you prove, what it costs
- Benefits of Croatian CitizenshipEU passport, travel freedom, and property rights
- Documents Required for Croatian Citizenship by Descent: The Complete ListEvery document in a descent file, which need an apostille and translation, how fresh they must be
- Services & pricingThree fixed-price packages and what each covers