Authorised Representatives in the Field of Industrial Property Rights are patent representatives and representatives for trademarks, industrial design, geographical indications and designations of origin of products and services, and topographies of semiconductor products (representatives for trademarks).

First option – FREEDOM OF CROSS-BORDER PROVISION OF SERVICES

A person with a business establishment registered in another state of the European Economic Area (EEA) can provide services on an occasional and temporary basis without having to register a business establishment in Croatia.

Before starting to provide services, the Office must be informed by a written statement via e-zastupnici@dziv.hr.

The statement needs to be accompanied by:

a) for natural persons:

• certificate of citizenship of the EEA state;
• certificate of residence in an EEA state;
• evidence of a qualification degree to perform the activity of an authorised representative in an EEA state issued by a foreign authority of the EEA state;
• certificate of performing the activity of an authorised representative in an EEA state and of not being even temporarily banned from it;
• corresponding evidence of minimum C1 level of Croatian knowledge (certificate of an accredited school for foreign languages).

b) or legal persons:

• proof of the right to pursue the activity of an authorised representative in the state of business establishment;
• proof of business establishment in the EEA state;
• proof of meeting the requirements as provided by Article 5 paragraph 1 item 4 and Article 5 paragraph 2 item 3 of the Act on Representation (that it employs or cooperates with a person meeting the conditions for an authorised representative);
• proof that it performs the activity of an authorised representative in the EEA state and that it is not even temporarily banned from it;
• corresponding evidence that the person for whom it delivers proof of meeting the conditions as referred to under item 3 of this paragraph has minimum C1 level knowledge of Croatian (certificate of an accredited school for foreign languages).

The aforementioned documents that can be checked via the IMI system need not to be delivered but only referred to in a statement.

A person performing the activity on an occasional and temporary basis shall be automatically temporarily registered as a pro forma member of the Croatian Chamber of Patent and Trademark Representatives.

Second option – FREEDOM OF BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT

I. FREEDOM OF BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT WITH TAKING THE PROFESSIONAL EXAM

Natural persons, legal persons, attorneys and law firms can provide services on a permanent basis in Croatia, upon registration of business establishment and fulfilment of the following requirements:

A patent representative may be:

1. a natural person who is a citizen of Croatia or another EEA state or a citizen of the OECD Codes Adherent State and has a residence in Croatia or another EEA state or an OECD Codes Adherent State, completed a graduate university degree in technical or natural sciences and who passed a professional exam for a patent representative before the Office;
2. a natural person who is a citizen of Croatia or another EEA state or a citizen of the OECD Codes Adherent State and has a residence in Croatia or another EEA state or an OECD Codes Adherent State, completed a graduate university degree in the field different from technical or natural sciences, who has experience in working at the activities of granting and maintaining industrial property rights of minimum five years, acquired upon having completed the study and who passed a professional exam for a patent representative before the Office;
3. an attorney entered in the register of attorneys with the Bar Council of Croatia, who passed a professional exam for a patent representative before the Office, or a law firm employing such attorney or cooperating with him based on another contractual relationship;
4. a legal person with a residence in Croatia or another EEA state or an OECD Codes Adherent State, employing minimum one person who meets the requirements indicated under point 1 or 2 or cooperating with such person based on another contractual relationship and performing the activities of representation before the Office as its registered activity.

A trademark representative may be:

1. a natural person who is a citizen of Croatia or another EEA state or an OECD Codes Adherent State and has a residence in Croatia or another EEA state or an OECD Codes Adherent State, completed a graduate university degree and who passed a professional exam for a trademark representative before the Office;
2. an attorney entered in the register of attorneys with the Bar Council of Croatia, who passed a professional exam for a trademark representative before the Office, or a law firm employing such attorney or cooperating with him based on another contractual relationship;
3. a legal person with a residence in Croatia or another EEA state or an OECD Codes Adherent State, employing minimum one person who meets the requirements indicated under point 1 or cooperating with such person based on another contractual relationship and performing the activities of representation before the Office as its registered activity.

The right to perform the activity of an authorised representative in the territory of the Republic of Croatia shall be acquired by entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives, upon meeting the aforementioned requirements.

Professional exam for representatives

Professional exam shall be held twice a year, and it shall be taken at the premises of the Office in Zagreb, Ulica grada Vukovara 78. The dates for taking professional exams shall be announced on the website of the Office at least 30 days before the date determined for taking a professional exam. The professional exam shall be taken in Croatian.

The application for a professional exam shall be filed with the Office at e-zastupnici@dziv.hr.

Necessary documents to take the exam:

a) for natural persons:

• evidence of citizenship and residence of the applicant;
• evidence of qualification degree as required;
• certificate of experience in working at the activities of granting and maintaining industrial property rights of a minimum of five years, acquired upon having completed the study (for persons who completed a graduate university study in a field other than technical and natural sciences) – only for patent representatives;

• evidence of paying the costs (889.24 EUR) for taking the professional exam.

b) for attorneys:

• evidence of citizenship and residence of the applicant;

• evidence of qualification degree as required;
• a certificate of the Bar Council of Croatia stating that the attorney was entered in a corresponding register of the Bar Council of Croatia;
• evidence of paying the costs (889.24 EUR) for taking the professional exam.

Entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives

The application for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives shall be filed with the Office at e-zastupnici@dziv.hr.

The application shall be accompanied by:

a) for representatives of a natural person:

• evidence of passing a professional exam for a representative – indication of certificate number and date of the professional exam for representatives;
• evidence of payment of the fee (6.64 EUR) for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives.

b) for representative attorneys and law firms:

• evidence of passing a professional exam for a representative – indication of certificate number and date of the professional exam for representatives;
• evidence that it employs an attorney who passed a professional exam for representatives or that it cooperates with him based on another contractual relationship (for law firms only)
• evidence of payment of the fee (6.64 EUR) for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives.

c) for representatives of a legal person:

• evidence that it employs minimum one person or that it cooperates with such a person based on another contractual relationship who passed a professional exam for an authorised representative;
• evidence of payment of the fee (6.64 EUR) for entry into the register of representatives.

It is mandatory for authorised representatives to become members of the Croatian Chamber of Patent and Trademark Representatives, as an autonomous and independent organisation acting as a legal entity.

II. FREEDOM OF BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT WITHOUT TAKING THE PROFESSIONAL EXAM

Instead of taking the professional exam, a citizen of the EEA state may file a request for recognising foreign qualification for the regulated occupation of an “authorised representative in the field of industrial property rights”. The request for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives needs to be filed upon recognition of foreign qualification.

Recognition of foreign qualification

The request for recognition of qualification shall be filed with the Office at e-zastupnici@dziv.hr.

The request shall be accompanied by:

• evidence of citizenship;
• evidence of residence in the territory of the EEA state;
• evidence of competence or a necessary professional qualification degree required by the EEA state to access and perform the regulated occupation of an authorised representative issued by the responsible authorities of the EEA state in accordance with national regulations; or
• evidence of having performed this profession full- or part-time in a minimum one-year period in the last ten years in the EEA state in which this profession is not regulated, provided that the applicant has one or several certificates of competence or proof of necessary professional qualification level as referred to under Article 5 item 1 and 2 of the Act issued by a responsible authority of a member state where this profession is not regulated;
• evidence of payment of the fee for recognition of foreign professional qualifications (13.28 EUR);
• corresponding evidence of minimum C1 level of Croatian knowledge (certificate of an accredited school for foreign languages).

The aforementioned documents that can be checked via the IMI system need not to be delivered but only referred to in the request.

Entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives

The request for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives shall be filed with the Office at e-zastupnici@dziv.hr.

The request shall be accompanied by:

• proof of recognition of foreign professional qualification – indication of decision number and date;

• evidence of payment of the fee (6.64 EUR) for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives.

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Fees

889.24 EUR for professional exam (potentially 491.07 EUR for repeat exam)

Costs of taking the second professional exam shall be charged in the amount of the costs determined for taking the professional exam, reduced by 30%.

6.64 EUR for procedural request examination costs for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives

Payment by Internet banking

Recipient: State Budget

IBAN: HR1210010051863000160

Model: HR 63

Reference number: 5681 – 6179 – 700002

Purpose of payment – taking a professional exam for an authorised representative and/or entry in the register of representatives

13.28 EUR for recognition of foreign qualifications

Payment by Internet banking

Recipient: State Budget

IBAN: HR1210010051863000160

Model: HR 63

Reference number: 5681 – 6179 – 900001

Purpose of payment: costs of recognising foreign qualifications

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Competent authority and regulations

State Intellectual Property Office

Ulica grada Vukovara 78, 10 000 Zagreb

+385 1 61 06 100

e-zastupnici@dziv.hr

info@dziv.hr

Act on Representation in the Field of Industrial Property (OG 54/05, 49/11, 54/13, 17/25)

Regulations on Recognising Foreign Professional Qualifications and Cross-Border Representation in the Field of Industrial Property Rights on an Occasional and Temporary Basis (OG 68/25)

Regulations on Professional Examinations for Authorised Representatives in the Field of Industrial Property Rights (OG 84/13)

Act on the Fees in the Field of Intellectual Property (OG 66/21)

Regulation on Fees for Proceedings in the Field of Intellectual Property and Professional Services of the State Intellectual Property Office (OG 119/21)

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Authorisation

The Office shall decide on permitting the provision of services within 60 days upon receipt of the proper statement.

The Office shall decide on the request for entry into the Register of Authorised Representatives within 30 days upon receipt of the proper request.

The Office shall decide on the request for recognising professional qualification – within 3 months upon receipt of the proper request upon receipt of the proper request (4 months where there are reasonable grounds for extending the time limit).

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Right to Appeal

An administrative dispute within 30 days upon receipt of the decision before a local administrative court in the Republic of Croatia.

Last updated on 24 June 2025