Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Canada.ca Services Departments Français Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Refugee Claims Refugee Appeals Admissibility Hearings Detention Reviews HomeImmigrationResearch Appeals Program Responses to Information Requests National Responses to Information Requests Documentation Packages Recent Research Responses to Information Requests (RIR) respond to focused Requests for Information that are submitted to the Research Directorate in the course of the Responses to refugee protection determination process. The database contains a seven-year Information Requests archive of English and French RIRs. Earlier RIRs may be found on the UNHCR's Refworld website. Please note that some RIRs have attachments which are not electronically accessible. To obtain a PDF copy of an RIR attachment, please email the Knowledge and Information Management Unit. 10 July 2013 HRV104439.E Croatia: Requirements and procedures for issuance and replacement of passports, including from abroad (2012-June 2013) Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa Croatia started issuing biometric passports in 2010 (EU 9 Nov. 2010, 55; Croatian Times 18 Jan. 2010; HINA 14 Jan. 2010). Media sources report that old passports can be used until their expiry date (ibid.; Croatian Times 18 Jan. 2010). According to the news website Croatian Times, biometric passports are valid from five to ten years (ibid.). A Croatian news agency, Hrvatska Izvjestajna Novinska Agencija (HINA), states that new passports "contain a chip with personal information, a digitized face picture and prints of both index fingers" (HINA 14 Jan. 2010). Croatian Times also indicates that biometric authentication is used in new passport for facial and fingerprint recognition, as well as for personal identification numbers (18 Jan. 2010). Media sources indicate that passport applications in Croatia can be submitted at any police station (Croatian Times 18 Jan 2010; HINA 14 Jan. 2010). A European Commission report states that since January 2010, biometric passports are issued by all police stations and all diplomatic missions and consulates, except Tripoli (EU 9 Nov. 2010, 55). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an official of the Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia in Mississauga indicated that the requirements and procedures for issuance and replacement of passports are the same when applying from within Croatia and from abroad (Croatia 21 June 2013). In order to renew his or her passport in Canada, an individual should submit to the nearest mission the following: an application form, which can be picked up at the nearest mission; two photographs; http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=454656&pls=1[4/3/2018 4:20:22 PM] Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada previous passport; proof of legal status in Canada; and an application fee (ibid.). In order to obtain a passport for the first time in Canada, an applicant must submit the following: an application form; Croatian citizenship certificate (domovnica); birth certificate; proof of legal status in Canada; and an application fee (ibid.). According to the consulate official, passport applications must be submitted in person (ibid.). The website of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington, D.C., also indicates that "all passport applications should be submitted in person" (ibid. n.d.a). The website of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington and the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Pretoria indicate that as a proof of Croatian citizenship, an individual can submit Croatian citizenship certificate or a ruling of the Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia (rješenje o primitku u državljanstvo), which confirms that an individual obtained Croatian citizenship (ibid. n.d.a; ibid. n.d.b). According to the consulate official, if an individual's passport was lost or stolen, in addition to the documents required for first time applicants, he or she must submit a confirmation from the police that the incident has been reported to them (ibid. 21 June 2013). This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Croatia. 21 June 2013. Consulate General of the Republic of Croatia, Mississauga, Canada. Telephone interview with an official. _____. N.d.a. Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Washington, D.C. "Applying for Croatian Passport." <http://us.mfa.hr/?mh=185&mv=4385&id=15478> [Accessed 20 June 2013] _____. N.d.b. Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Pretoria, South Africa. "Documents Required for Acquiring a Croatian Passport." <http://za.mvp.hr/Portals/ZA/doc/putovnica_en.pdf> [Accessed 20 June 2013] Croatian Times. 18 January 2010. "New Biometric Passports Introduced." <http://www.croatiantimes.com/news/General_News/2010-01- 18/8363/New_biometric_passports_introduced> [Accessed 6 June 2013] European Union (EU). 9 November 2010. European Commission. Croatia 2010 Progress Report Accompanying the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council: Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2010-2011. (COM(2010) 660 final) <http://eur- lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SEC:2010:1326:FIN:EN:PDF> [Accessed 20 June 2013] Hrvatska Izvjestajna Novinska Agencija (HINA). 14 January 2010. "Issue of Biometric Passports in Croatia to Begin Jan 18." (Factiva) http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/ResRec/RirRdi/Pages/index.aspx?doc=454656&pls=1[4/3/2018 4:20:22 PM] Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives of the following organizations were unsuccessful: Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Ottawa, Ministry of Interior in Zagreb and Police of Croatia. Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Balkan Investigative Reporting Network; Balkans.com; British Broadcasting Corporation; Canada – Embassy of Canada in Zagreb, Travel.gc.ca; Citizenship in Southeast Europe; Council of Europe; Croatia – embassies of the Republic of Croatia in Ottawa and Pretoria, Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, Office of Human Rights, Police; ecoi.net; EUR-Lex; Factiva; Freedom House; HG.org; Hrvatski Pravni Centar; Human Rights Watch; Narodne Novine; Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; United Nations – Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Refworld; United States – Department of State, Embassy of the United States in Zagreb. Tips on how to use this search engine. 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