Croatia Funds Diploma Translations to Attract Skilled Returnees

Croatia is taking a proactive step to attract skilled professionals back to the country by covering the costs of translating their foreign university qualifications. The Ministry of Demography and Emigration has awarded initial grants to four women from South America – a medical doctor, a dentist, a pharmacy graduate, and an industrial engineering graduate – to facilitate their return and integration into the Croatian workforce.

This pilot project, the first of its kind in Croatia, directly finances the official translation of documents needed for recognizing foreign higher education qualifications. The cost for these four individuals amounts to 25,330 euros. Officials emphasize that this investment is significantly more cost-effective than the expense of educating a doctor who then leaves the country.

The initiative aims to dismantle administrative hurdles that returning migrants face when seeking diploma recognition. Minister of Demography Ivan Šipić stated that the ministry is committed to making Croatia not only a place for return but also for staying. He highlighted the country's need for doctors, nurses, engineers, and professors, underscoring the project's role in addressing these shortages.

In addition to supporting individuals, the ministry has also allocated 508,843 euros to 13 local and regional government units across Croatia. These funds will support projects focused on improving conditions for returning emigrants through housing, healthcare, social services, education, and infrastructure development. Several cities and municipalities have been approved for this funding, signaling a broader effort to encourage and facilitate the return of Croatian emigrants and their families.

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Doctor of medicine, doctor of dental medicine, industrial engineering graduate, and pharmacy graduate Natalija, who will join us in a few weeks, are our returnees who will give their best to Croatia. Croatia lacks doctors, nurses, engineers, professors, and other specialists. The Ministry of Demography and Emigration is doing everything to make Croatia not only a place of return but also a place of staying.