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Where to take the Croatian language exam for foreigners: approved institutions by city
By Bok! · Checked on 19 October 2026
Short answer
The Ministry of Science, Education and Youth (MZOM) publishes the official list of institutions approved to run Croatian courses and exams for foreigners. The list (17 June 2026) has 90 institutions. Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar all have several. The list is for the long-term residence exam. It is not yet confirmed for the A1.1 work permit exam.
What is the MZOM list?
The list is called Popis ustanova koje provode ispit iz znanja hrvatskoga jezika i latiničnog pisma za strance ("List of institutions that run the exam in Croatian language and Latin script for foreigners"). You can find it on the MZOM website. It is a table on the page, dated 17 June 2026.
MZOM publishes it under article 154, paragraph 5 of the Law on Foreigners (Zakon o strancima). Article 154 is about the language exam for long-term residence. That exam follows the rulebook in NN 100/2021, at level B1.
Important: the new A1.1 exam for work permits is in a different article, 92.a. Paragraph 2 says who may run it. One group is adult education institutions with approval from the education ministry. So it is likely that many institutions on this list will also run the A1.1 exam. But this is not confirmed yet. [UNVERIFIED, checked 19 Oct 2026: whether the institutions on the MZOM list will run the A1.1 exam under art. 92.a.]
Note: the A1.1 rule (art. 92.a para 2) names language schools in the voucher system, universities and adult education institutions. It does not name secondary schools, so not every type of institution on this list may qualify. The list includes several secondary schools, for example MEDICINSKA ŠKOLA ANTE KUZMANIĆA - ZADAR and SREDNJA ŠKOLA OTOČAC.
A1.1 is a beginner level of Croatian. It is much easier than B1.
Approved institutions by city
Names are written exactly as on the MZOM list. "Seat" means the institution's main address. "Other location" means the list shows an extra address in that city (izvan sjedišta). We do not list prices, dates or contacts.
| City | Institutions on the MZOM list (17 June 2026) |
|---|---|
| Zagreb | Seat: ANGLA - Centar stranih jezika - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih (2 addresses) · Callidus - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · EUROPSKA USTANOVA ZA OBRAZOVANJE ODRASLIH · HRVATSKO KATOLIČKO SVEUČILIŠTE · Obrtničko učilište - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Poliklinika za rehabilitaciju slušanja i govora SUVAG · Privatna gimnazija i turističko-ugostiteljska škola Jure Kuprešak · Pučko otvoreno učilište Zagreb · SOVA JEZIČNO UČILIŠTE - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Svijet jezika, Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Učilište EduSS · USTANOVA HOLISTIKA - CENTAR CJELOŽIVOTNOG UČENJA · Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Filozofski fakultet · Sveučilište Algebra Bernays Other location: Pučko otvoreno učilište ŽIŽIĆ |
| Split | Seat: CENTAR ZA KULTURU I CJELOŽIVOTNO OBRAZOVANJE ZLATNA VRATA · CENTAR ZA OBRAZOVANJE ODRASLIH TRSTENIK · CENTAR ZNANJA - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · EDUKACIJSKI CENTAR - Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Pučko otvoreno učilište Božić · Suvremeno učilište u Splitu · Učilište Jantar - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Učilište Meštar - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih „Maksima“ · Sveučilište u Splitu, Filozofski fakultet Other locations: Pučko otvoreno učilište ŽIŽIĆ (2 addresses) · Sveučilište Algebra Bernays |
| Rijeka | Seat: EKSPERT, ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Narodno učilište - ustanova za obrazovanje i kulturu · Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih Dante · Sveučilište u Rijeci, Filozofski fakultet, Riječka kroatistička škola · Visoka poslovna škola PAR Other location: Sveučilište Algebra Bernays |
| Osijek | Seat: Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih Dialog · Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku Other location: Sveučilište Algebra Bernays |
| Zadar | Seat: Acro - Ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · JAVNA USTANOVA PUČKO OTVORENO UČILIŠTE ZADAR (2 addresses) · MEDICINSKA ŠKOLA ANTE KUZMANIĆA - ZADAR · Učilište Kalelarga - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Sveučilište u Zadru (listed as 'seat and outside seat', one address) Other locations: Učilište Studium - ustanova za obrazovanje odraslih · Sveučilište Algebra Bernays |
Other places on the list: Bjelovar, Čakovec, Dubrovnik, Đakovo, Gospić, Karlovac, Knin, Koprivnica, Kutina, Labin, Ogulin, Omiš, Opuzen, Otočac, Pakrac, Pazin, Poreč, Požega, Prelog, Pula, Rovinj, Samobor, Sesvete (part of the City of Zagreb), Šibenik, Sisak, Slavonski Brod, Trogir, Umag, Varaždin, Velika Gorica, Vinkovci, Virovitica, Vukovar and Zabok. See the full MZOM list for names and addresses.
Note: one extra address of Suvremeno učilište u Splitu (Heinzelova 62a) has no city on the list, so we did not place it in the table. Small list errors: SOVA and Studium Knin appear twice; Studium and Algebra in Zadar share an address.
Croaticum (University of Zagreb)
Croaticum runs Croatian courses and exams at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (Filozofski fakultet), University of Zagreb. The faculty is on the MZOM list under article 154, paragraph 5.
A1.1 course for foreign workers. Their 2026 programme (announced 17 July 2026) is online, in the evening, two times a week (2 school hours each time). It runs from September to December, 70 hours in total. The price is EUR 600 per person, with a maximum of 12 people per group. Employers can write to them by email. (Croaticum A1.1 page)
[UNVERIFIED, checked 19 Oct 2026: whether a Croaticum course certificate counts as proof under art. 92.a para 5. The page does not say this.]
Language tests. Croaticum's exam page (Provjera poznavanja hrvatskoga jezika) says:
- It runs Croatian exams "for different purposes", by levels of the European framework.
- You can take the exam at the Faculty in Zagreb or at Macquarie University in Sydney. Places are limited.
- You must contact the Croaticum office at least 10 days before the exam. You need a passport or other ID. You get payment details when you register.
- The exam has five parts: listening, reading, grammar, writing and speaking.
- The page has sample tasks for level B1.
The page does not mention the A1.1 work permit exam. It links to separate pages for exam dates and prices, which we did not check.
Checklist for workers and employers
- When: the duty starts on 4 June 2027 (article 70 of NN 55/2026; confirmed by MUP).
- Who: workers from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland with at least 1 year on a residence-and-work permit (article 97, or article 110 item 32). MUP counts the year from your first entry into Croatia. Seasonal workers are not covered.
- Not only renewals: you also need proof when you ask for a new permit under article 97 (for example with a new employer) or under article 110 item 32 (article 92.a para 6).
- Who pays: the employer pays for the exam (article 92.a para 3). The law does not say who pays for a course.
- Course instead of exam: a finished course at A1.1 or higher counts, if the institution is approved to run the standardised A1.1 exam (para 5).
- Format and price: a rulebook will set them (para 9). The law says the current rulebook (NN 100/2021) must be updated within six months after 4 June 2026, so around 4 December 2026 (our calculation; NN 55/2026 art. 69 para 3). The law says "align" (uskladiti) with the new law and does not mention A1.1, so the A1.1 rules may or may not come through this update. [UNVERIFIED, checked 19 Oct 2026: we found no published A1.1 rulebook; the deadline to align NN 100/2021 is around 4 December 2026.]
- Before you book: ask the institution in writing if its exam or course is valid for the A1.1 work permit rule.
- Keep the certificate: the proof is part of the employer's worker records (para 4).
More details: Croatian A1.1 exam for your work permit: who needs it, who pays, how to prepare.
Start free with Bok! Short Croatian lessons with audio and quizzes, explained in Nepali, Tagalog, Hindi or English.
FAQ
Can I take the A1.1 exam at any institution on the MZOM list?
Not confirmed. The list is for the long-term residence exam (article 154). Ask the institution if it will run the A1.1 exam under article 92.a.
Is there an approved institution in Split, Rijeka, Osijek or Zadar?
Yes. All five big cities have institutions on the list, including the universities in Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar.
How much does the exam cost?
For A1.1, the price will be set by a rulebook that we could not find yet. The employer pays for the exam (article 92.a para 3).
Is the MZOM exam the B1 exam?
The list is published under article 154, the long-term residence rule. The long-term residence exam (NN 100/2021) is B1. The A1.1 exam is a different, beginner exam.
Can I take the exam online?
Croaticum's A1.1 course is online. We found no official information about an online A1.1 exam.
Sources
- MZOM, list of institutions (17 June 2026): mzom.gov.hr/…/4827
- Croaticum, A1.1 programme for foreign workers: croaticum.ffzg.unizg.hr/?lang=hr&p=7536
- Croaticum, language tests: croaticum.ffzg.unizg.hr/?lang=hr&page_id=1051
- Narodne novine 55/2026 (art. 19 adding art. 92.a; art. 69; art. 70): narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2026_05_55_692.html
- Law on Foreigners, NN 133/2020 (art. 154), amended in NN 114/2022, 151/2022, 40/2025 and 55/2026: narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2020_12_133_2520.html
- Rulebook on the long-term residence language exam, NN 100/2021: narodne-novine.nn.hr/clanci/sluzbeni/2021_09_100_1800.html
- Ministry of the Interior (MUP), information for third-country nationals: mup.gov.hr/…/281820
Checked on 19 October 2026.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Lists and rules can change. Always check the official MZOM list and ask the institution before you book.