Healthcare in Croatia for retirees
Healthcare in Croatia for a foreign retiree means joining HZZO, the public insurer, within 8 days of getting a residence permit and paying the monthly contribution.
The hospitals retirees use, what insurance does and does not cover. Checked against official and hospital sources on Oct 8, 2026.
- Life expectancy
- 78.9 years US 78.9. World Bank, 2024
- Doctors
- 3.9 per 1,000 US 3.7. World Bank, 2022
- Health spending
- $1,548/person Per year; US $13,473. World Bank, 2023
- Paid out of pocket
- 9.4% Of all health spending; US 10.9%. World Bank, 2023
Hospitals retirees use in Croatia
Zagreb
University Hospital Centre Zagreb (KBC Zagreb)
- Clinics across most specialties, including cardiology, neurosurgery and oncology
- Unified emergency hospital admission
- Service for international patients
KBC Zagreb. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Split
University Hospital Centre Split (KBC Split)
- Unified emergency hospital admission
- Clinics for heart and vascular disease, oncology and surgery
KBC Split. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Dubrovnik
General Hospital Dubrovnik
- Emergency service open 24/7
- Owned by the Ministry of Health since 1 January 2024
- Teaching hospital for the University of Dubrovnik and the medical faculty in Split
General Hospital Dubrovnik. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Pula
General Hospital Pula
- 432 beds and more than 20 departments
- Emergency hospital admission
- ISO 9001 certified
General Hospital Pula. Checked Oct 8, 2026.
Public care in Croatia runs through compulsory insurance with HZZO, the Croatian Health Insurance Fund. A foreigner on temporary stay, whatever its purpose, who is not covered through EU rules or a social security agreement must register with HZZO within 8 days of approval and pay the monthly contribution; this includes people whose only pension comes from abroad. Before cover starts you pay a one-off sum equal to the contribution on the lowest base for the time since your last cover ended, up to 12 months. If contributions go unpaid for 30 days, cover shrinks to emergency care until you pay. Digital nomads are exempt: they keep private insurance and pay all their medical costs themselves.
Paying for care in Croatia
9.4% of health spending in Croatia is paid directly by patients, close to the US share, so plan how you will pay before you move.
Retirees use either an international health plan, which can also cover care at home and in other countries, or a local plan from an insurer in Croatia, which costs less but covers care there only. Prices depend on age and on the insurer's terms for existing conditions; compare written quotes.
If you are on Medicare
Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States; the exceptions are narrow, such as a foreign hospital closer to your US home than the nearest US hospital.
Medicare.gov. Checked Oct 7, 2026.
Healthcare questions
Does Medicare cover me in Croatia?
Medicare usually does not pay for care outside the United States; the exceptions are narrow, such as a foreign hospital closer to your US home than the nearest US hospital. Plan on private insurance or paying directly for care in Croatia.
Do I need health insurance for the Temporary Stay visa?
The first permit needs proof of health insurance: private or travel health insurance, or an EU health card or HZZO certificate where it applies. A national of a country without a social security agreement with Croatia attaches private or travel insurance and then registers with HZZO once the stay is approved.
How much of the bill do people pay themselves?
In Croatia, 9.4% of all health spending is paid out of pocket, against 10.9% in the US (World Bank, 2023).
Do Croatian hospitals accept insurance from the USA?
For a first residence permit, private or travel health insurance is accepted as proof of cover. Once the permit is approved, a foreign resident without other cover must register with HZZO, the public insurer, within 8 days and pay the monthly contribution.
What medical coverage do seniors in Croatia get?
A foreign retiree on temporary stay joins Croatia's compulsory public insurance through HZZO and pays the contribution, even when the only pension comes from abroad. If contributions go unpaid for 30 days, cover is limited to emergency care.
Where are the main hospitals for retirees in Croatia?
University Hospital Centre Zagreb in the capital, University Hospital Centre Split, General Hospital Dubrovnik and General Hospital Pula in Istria, each with an emergency department.
