WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/LIC/N/3/HRV/6 
30 September 2011 
 (11-4737) 
Committee on Import Licensing Original:   English 
  
 
 
REPLIES TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
1 
 
Notification under Article 7.3 of the Agreement  
on Import Licensing Procedures 
 
CROATIA 
 
  The following communication, dated 26 September 2011, is being circulated at the request of 
the Delegation of Croatia. 
 
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Outline of system 
 
1.  As a rule, imports to the Republic of Croa tia are free with the exception of those imports 
specified in the national legislati on (products affecting public security  and order, health, environment 
and cultural heritage).  Products s ubject to import licensing are specifie d in the tariff headings and are 
imported under prior authorisation issued by the co mpetent ministry or authorised body.  The licensing 
system is regulated by the Trade Act, Articles 58 and 59  (OG No. 87 on 25 July /2008, and No. 116 on 
11 October 2008) and by the Regulation Specifying G oods Subject to Export an d Import Licences (OG 
No. 77 on 19 June 2010).  New Regulation includ es provisions of former Regulation Specifying 
Goods Subject to Export and Import Licences No . 79 from 24 June 2009 and was put in place to 
indicate the changes introduced to tariff headings  for harmonization purposes and new List of Military 
goods.  
 Import licensing for agricultural products and foodstuffs  is regulated by the Act on 
Organisation of Agricultural Markets, Article 26,  published in the "Official Gazette" No. 149 of 
15 December 2009 (amendments of  published in the "Official Gazette" No. 22 on 18 February 2011),  
by the Ordinance on the allocation of tariff quotas fo r agricultural products a nd foodstuffs published in  
"Official Gazette" No. 121 of 28 October 2010 and by the Ordinance on import and export licences for 
agricultural products published in  "Official Ga zette" No. 74 of 16 June 2010 (amendments products 
published in "Official Gazette"  No. 106 of 8 September 2010). 
 
Purposes and coverage of licensing 
 
2.  Licences are issued to comply  with international agreements, for national security purposes, 
protection of life and health of humans, animals and plants, the environm ent and of exhaustible 
natural resources of the Republic of Croatia, as well as  to protect the public morals, import control of 
pieces of art and particular precious metals.  
                                                      
1 See document G/LIC/3, Annex, for the Questionnaire. G/LIC/N/3/HRV/6 
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   Import licences are compulsory for tanks, war vessels, military arms, revolvers, pistols, guns, 
parts and equipment for arms, ammunition, swords and sabers, nuclear reactors, radioactive materials, isotopes, derivatives, hydrocarbons, mint postage  stamps, gold, coins, iron tubes and bars.  
  The licences are issued by the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship which is 
also the licensing authority for the import of substances depleting the ozone layer (Montreal 
Convention) and for import of chemicals liste d in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) 
Schedules.   Drugs and medical products, gl ands and other organs, vaccin es, drugs, pharmaceutical goods, 
dialysis appliances, and narcotics are subject to li cences issued by the Ministry of Health and Social 
Welfare or by the Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices; imports of veterinary drugs and vaccines are licensed by the Ministry of Agri culture, Fisheries and Rural Development.  
  Imports of rough diamonds into the customs terr itory of the Republic of Croatia is legally 
prohibited except if it is accompanied by the Kimb erley Process Certificate issued by the competent 
body of the exporting country. The certificates for the import of rough diamonds are verified by the Customs Authorities of the Republic of Croatia.  
The approval of imports of radio equipment a nd telecommunications te rminal equipment is 
issued by the Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency. 
 
Licences for imports of armaments and military equipment for Croatian Army and Croatian 
Police are issued by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of the Interior, respectively.      Licences for the import of radioactive goods are issued by the State Office for Radiological 
and Nuclear Security.  Licences for import of nuclear  materials are issued by Ministry of economy, 
labour and entrepreneurship with prior consent from the State Office for Radiological and Nuclear 
Security.  3.  The licensing regime applies e qually to imports from all countries. 
 
4.  The licensing system is not intended to restrict  the quantity or value of imports but to protect 
national security, health, environment and cultural he ritage and to fulfil the Republic of Croatia's 
commitments undertaken by the international agreements.  5.  Import licensing system is regulated by the Trade Act, Articles 58 and 59,  published in the 
"Official Gazette" No. 87 on 25 July 2008 and the Amendments of Trade Act published in the 
"Official Gazette" No. 116 on 11 October 2008.  Impor t licensing is also regulated by the Act on 
Organisation of Agricultural Markets, Article 26,  published in the "Official Gazette" No. 149 of 
15 December 2009 and the amendments of the Act on Organisation of Agricultural Markets published 
in the "Official Gazette" No. 22 on 18 February 2011.  
 The system of licensing can be abolished or  changed by the Government without changing 
the Trade Act.   
Procedures 
 
6. With regard to the agricultural products there are no products prescribed to be imported under 
restriction as to the quantity or value of imports.   G/LIC/N/3/HRV/6 
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  (i) Licences for goods subject to tariff quotas 
 Agricultural products are not prescribed to be imported under restriction as to the quantity or 
value of imports.  
Nevertheless, there is a licensing system applied to certain agricultural products in order to 
administer imports under tariff quotas, whose purpose is  to fulfil commitments undertaken by Croatia 
regarding preferential or free trade agreements.  In these cases the governmental body responsible for 
issuing licenses for certain agricultural products is the Paying Agency for Ag riculture, Fisheries and 
Rural Development.  This system applies to specifi ed agricultural products originating in the countries 
with which Croatia concluded preferential or free tr ade agreements.  Those agricultural products that 
are intended to be imported within tariff quotas are subject to import licensing.  
  The executive branch can abolish abovementi oned system without legislative approval. 
 
(ii) Import licenses for agricultural products 
 In Croatia, licenses are needed for import of  certain agricultural products but the licensing 
regime is not intended to restrict the quantity or value of imports.  The purpose of licenses is to ensure 
the administrative monitoring of imports of agricultural products.    The governmental body which is responsible fo r issuing of import licenses is the Paying 
Agency for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development. 
 
 The licensing regime applies equa lly to imports from all countries. 
  The executive branch can abolish this system without legislative approval. 
 (iii) General Procedures  
 Licences for import under Regulation Specifyin g Goods Subject to Export and Import are 
issued by the competent ministries and authorised state bodies upon written application of the importer.   Exceptionally, if the application for issuing import licences falls under specific regulations 
then it is submitted according to specific regulation as set forth in the Regulation Specifying Goods 
Subject to Export and Import Licences.   The competent ministries i.e. other competent government administration bodies shall issue the licence not later than within 15 days from th e date of the duly submitted application if not 
specifically regulated. 
 7.  When there is no quantitative limit on impor tation or no limit on importation from a particular 
country:  (a)  There is no fixed time-limit for subm itting an application before importation; 
 
(b)  A license cannot be granted immediately up on request. Prior review of the application is 
 required; the licenses are issued within 10 days from the date on which the complete 
 application was submitted;  
(c)  There are no limitations as to the period of the year during which applications can be made; 
 G/LIC/N/3/HRV/6 
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  (d)  Import licences are issued only by one admi nistrative body and it is the Paying Agency for 
Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development.  The importer does not have to approach more 
than one administrative organ. 
 8.  For non-agricultural products applications coul d only be rejected if the importer did not fulfil 
the conditions stipulated in interna tional conventions for specific goods or  did not meet standard criteria 
for the transportation of certain goods.     Import licenses for certain agricultural products shall be issued by the Paying Agency for 
Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development acco rding to particular request submitted by an 
applicant in ten days following the receipt of a valid  application.  If the Paying Agency finds out in 
the administrative control that a particular request is  incomplete or ineligible, the applicant shall be 
given a possibility to complete the application within 7 days from the date on which the initial 
application was submitted. An importer denied an import license could submit a complaint if a licence application is refused.  Eligibility of importers to apply for licence 
 9.  All persons, firms and institutions are eligible to apply for licences.  
 
Documentational and other requireme nts for application for a licence 
 
10.  The application for import of certain produc ts has to provide the following information: 
 1. Title and seat of the company, i.e.  title and residence of natural person; 
2. Company ID number, i.e. persona l identity number for natural persons; 
3. Title and seat of the end user with  written Statement of End-Use for Goods; 
4. Commercial description, quantity and va lue of the imported goods respectively; 
5. Chemical description, structural formula a nd concentration for chemicals referred to in 
Annex III of Regulation;  
6. Classification of nuclear material, nuclear content by weight, chemical and physical 
characteristics; radioactivity (Bq/kg); 
7. CN Code; 
8. Unit price; 9. Country of production; 10. Title and address of producer; 11. Exporting country; 
12. Title and address of the exporting company and, importing company; 
13. Import deadline. 
 
For import licenses of products under tariff quotas as well as import licenses for certain 
agricultural products the application for impor t has to provide the following information: 
 
- Company name and full address or name and full address of person; 
- Company code; - Quantity of importing products; - Tariff number and tariff code;  - Import country. 
 
The importer is also required to supply ot her documentation depending on the products 
imported (weapons, munitions) such as end-user statemen t, contract and the material safety data sheet. 
  G/LIC/N/3/HRV/6 
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  For import under tariff quotas or import of certain  agricultural products, the importer is also 
required to supply other documentation such as eviden ce of the registration in the relevant registry 
(copy of the Decision of the registration in the Tr ade Court Register; Crafts register or copy of 
identity card), certificate of income for the year pr eceding the year of application, original specimen 
of the certificate on fulfilment of financial obligations towards the state budget.  
 
11.  Upon actual importation the importer has to present to the customs authorities invoice, transport documents, specifications, customs declara tion, certification of origin and import licence.  
 12.  For non-agricultural products an administrative fee of HRK 125.00 is charged for each import 
licence.  As regards import within tariff quota th ere is no administrative charge, and for import 
licences of certain agricultural products, a certain amount of security must be lodged, the amount of which shall be determined depending on the quantity and type of produc ts for which the application is 
being made.   
13.  There is no deposit or advan ce payment requirement regarding the issuance of licence except in 
case of import licenses for certai n agricultural products.  At the time of submitting the application for an 
import license for certain agricultural products  the importers must pay the security the am ount of which 
shall be determined depending on the quantity and type  of products for which the application is being 
made.  In cases where the total amount of the secu rity per application for an import licence comes to 
HRK 730.00 or less, the applicant shall not be required to lodge a security.  The Paying Agency will 
reimburse the security payment provided that the importer has submitted the documents proving the 
level of fulfilment of the obligations under the import licence.  
Conditions of licensing 
 
14.  For non-agricultural products in most cases th e import licence is valid for six months during 
which it has been granted.  The validity of a licen ce could be extended upon request of the licence 
holder except for weapons and narcotics.   In case of import licences for cer tain agricultural products the va lidity of a licence depends on 
the type of product for which the licence is issu ed.  The validity of a licence cannot be extended. 
In the case agricultural products under the tariff quot as the validity of import licences is until the end 
of a calendar year in which they are issued.  15.  There are no penalties for the non-utilization of a licence or a portion of a licence.  The exception is import licences for certa in agricultural products where the penalty for non-utilization of 
the license, or its partial utilisation is full or par tial retention of the security deposit lodged at the time 
of application.  16.  Licences are not transferable to other importers.  17.  There are no other conditions rela ted to the issuance of a licence.  
 
Other procedural requirements 
 
18.  No other administrative procedures are required.  
19.  The foreign exchange issues are not applicable to import licensing.  
  
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