Keeping hens · National rules

Can you keep backyard chickens in Croatia?

Registration: conditions apply, for the keepers covered below. What we found on bird flu, welfare and the keeping rule follows, including what we couldn't establish.

Read from 5 official sources23 passages quotedChecked October 29, 2026

At a glance

Registering your flock

Conditions apply

National keeping rule

No rule identified

Bird-flu housing orders

Status needs rechecking

Welfare rules

Rule identified

A sourced reading of national law in Croatia, not legal advice. Local ordinances and zoning, HOA rules, and any local rooster or coop limits aren't covered here yet: check your local code before you get hens.

Keeping your flock

These findings cover the national scope stated below. They do not determine whether chickens are allowed at a particular home. City zoning, property restrictions and other local rules are outside this research.

Registering as a poultry keeper

Conditions apply to this finding

Jurisdiction: Croatia

Applies to: Operators of all establishments where terrestrial animals are kept (Animal Health Act art. 51(1)).

Outside this finding's scope

  • From Animal Health Act registration only: establishments keeping up to 50 poultry and/or captive birds from which animals are not to be moved, or whose animal products are not for public consumption (NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a)).

What the checked sources say

  • All establishments where terrestrial animals are kept must be registered (Animal Health Act art. 51(1)); apply to the Ministry before you start keeping animals (art. 51(2)).
  • Exempt from registration under the Animal Health Act: up to 50 poultry and/or captive birds from which animals or germinal products are not to be moved, or whose animal products are not for public consumption (NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a)); exempt keepers may still apply to register to exercise certain rights (art. 6(2)).
  • The Animal Protection Act separately requires people keeping animals bred and used for production to be registered in the competent body's records (art. 40(2)); whether this reaches flocks exempt under NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a) was not established. Ask the Ministry, which takes registration applications (Animal Health Act art. 51(2)).
  • With the application you confirm that the place is not in a zone where local or regional self-government bans keeping animals (NN 102/2025 art. 7(2)).

Thresholds

  • Up to 50 poultry and/or captive birds, with the conditions of NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a).

Exemptions and their limits

  • From Animal Health Act registration: up to 50 poultry and/or captive birds not to be moved off the establishment, or whose animal products are not for public consumption (NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a)); whether the Animal Protection Act art. 40(2) duty still applies was not established.

Authority: Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i ribarstva (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)

Fee: Not established from the sources checked.

The official wording

  • (1) Svi objekti u kojima se drže kopnene životinje moraju biti registrirani u skladu s člankom 84. Uredbe (EU) 2016/429, Delegiranom uredbom (EU) 2019/2035 i odredbama ovoga Zakona.

    Zakon o zdravlju životinja, čl. 51. st. 1. · Checked

  • (2) Subjekti odgovorni za objekte iz stavka 1. ovoga članka dužni su, prije početka aktivnosti držanja životinja, Ministarstvu dostaviti zahtjev za registraciju

    Zakon o zdravlju životinja, čl. 51. st. 2. (opening words) · Checked

  • (1) Od obveze registracije, u skladu s člankom 3. Provedbene uredbe Komisije (EU) 2022/1345

    Pravilnik NN 102/2025, čl. 6. st. 1. (opening words) · Checked

  • a) objekti na kojima se drži do 50 komada peradi i/ili ptica u zatočeništvu s kojih životinje i/ili zametni proizvodi nisu namijenjeni premještanju iz objekta ili proizvodi životinjskog podrijetla iz tih objekata nisu namijenjeni stavljanju u javnu potrošnju

    Pravilnik NN 102/2025, čl. 6. st. 1. t. a) · Checked

  • (2) Iznimno od stavka 1. ovoga članka, subjekti odgovorni za objekte navedene u stavku 1. ovoga članka mogu podnijeti zahtjev za registraciju objekta, u svrhu ostvarivanja određenih prava.

    Pravilnik NN 102/2025, čl. 6. st. 2. · Checked

  • (2) Fizičke i pravne osobe koje drže životinje koje se uzgajaju i koriste u svrhu proizvodnje, uključujući i uzgoje divljači moraju biti registrirane te upisane u evidenciju koju vodi nadležno tijelo.

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 40. st. 2. · Checked

  • kao i da se objekt ne nalazi u zoni zabrane držanja životinja kojeg propisuju jedinice lokalne ili područne (regionalne) samouprave, odnosno da se objekt nalazi na području na kojem je dozvoljeno držanje životinja pod uvjetima utvrđenim propisima iz područja veterinarstva, stočarstva i zaštite životinja.

    Pravilnik NN 102/2025, čl. 7. st. 2. (closing words) · Checked

Bird-flu housing orders

Current status needs rechecking

An official current-status link has not been established.

Orders can change between checks. A missed check or an expired order does not establish that no order applies.

Housing-order finding as checked on 2026-10-29

The scope and conditions below are a dated record, not confirmation of today's position.

Rule identified for the scope below

Uses housing orders in this scope: Yes, according to the checked evidence.

Jurisdiction: Croatia

Applies to: Orders (naredba) of the agriculture minister setting additional disease-prevention measures (Animal Health Act art. 7(6)).

What the checked sources say

  • The minister may set additional measures to prevent and control animal diseases by order (Animal Health Act art. 7(6)).
  • A November 2023 order made on that basis (NN 138/2023) required, across Croatia, all poultry and captive birds to be confined in closed housing; a May 2024 amendment (NN 55/2024) replaced that measure with keeping all poultry and captive birds so that any contact with wild birds is prevented.
  • Under the 2023 order, the areas in protection and surveillance zones were to be listed in a decision published on the Ministry of Agriculture website (NN 138/2023 art. 2(2)).
  • This page does not say whether any bird-flu order applies now, or where; check the Ministry of Agriculture website.
Checked
Recheck due

Historical evidence, as checked

These quotations record what was checked on the dates shown. They do not confirm an order's current status.

  • (6) Ministar može naredbom odrediti dodatne mjere radi sprječavanja i kontrole bolesti iz stavka 1. ovoga članka kao i za bolesti iz stavka 1. članka 6. ovoga Zakona,

    Zakon o zdravlju životinja, čl. 7. st. 6. (opening words) · Checked

  • Na temelju članka 7. stavka 6. i članka 36. stavka 6. Zakona o zdravlju životinja (»Narodne novine«, br. 152/22. i 154/22.) ministrica poljoprivrede donosi

    Naredba NN 138/2023, preamble · Checked

  • 1. zatvaranje i držanje sve peradi i ptica u zatočeništvu u zatvorenim nastambama

    Naredba NN 138/2023, čl. 1. t. 1. (as published 2023) · Checked

  • NN 55/2024 (10.5.2024.), Naredba o izmjenama Naredbe o mjerama za sprječavanje pojave i širenja influence ptica na području Republike Hrvatske

    NN 55/2024, gazette heading · Checked

  • »1. obavezno držanje sve peradi i ptica u zatočeništvu na način da je onemogućen svaki kontakt s divljim pticama«,

    Naredba NN 55/2024, čl. 1. a) · Checked

  • 2. Popis područja obuhvaćenih zonom zaštite i zonom nadziranja iz točke 1. ovoga članka utvrđuje se rješenjem koje se objavljuje na mrežnim stranicama Ministarstva poljoprivrede.

    Naredba NN 138/2023, čl. 2. t. 2. · Checked

Small-flock welfare minimums

Rule identified for the scope below

Jurisdiction: Croatia

Applies to: All vertebrate animals (Animal Protection Act art. 3(1)) and their keepers (posjednik, art. 4(1) point 23); art. 39 covers animals bred and used for production.

What the checked sources say

  • Killing animals, inflicting pain, suffering or injury on them, or intentionally exposing them to fear or disease, contrary to the Act, is prohibited (art. 5(1)).
  • Keepers must seek veterinary help in time and care for sick, injured or exhausted animals (art. 6(2)).
  • Animals bred and used for production may be kept only if their biological needs can be met (art. 39(1)); space, freedom of movement, housing, microclimate, care, water, food and contact must suit their needs (art. 39(2)).
  • Numeric space minimums for small flocks were not found in the articles read (arts 3-6, 39 and 40); the minister's rulebook on keeping laying hens (art. 39(8)) was not read.

The official wording

  • NN 102/2017 (18.10.2017.), Zakon o zaštiti životinja

    NN 102/2017, gazette heading · Checked

  • (1) Ovaj se Zakon primjenjuje na sve životinje kralježnjake.

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 3. st. 1. · Checked

  • 23. posjednik životinje (u daljnjem tekstu: posjednik) je svaka pravna ili fizička osoba koja je kao vlasnik, korisnik ili skrbnik stalno ili privremeno odgovorna za zdravlje i dobrobit životinje

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 4. st. 1. t. 23. · Checked

  • (1) Zabranjeno je životinje usmrćivati, nanositi im bol, patnju i ozljede te ih namjerno izlagati strahu i bolestima protivno odredbama ovoga Zakona.

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 5. st. 1. · Checked

  • (2) Posjednik mora pravodobno zatražiti veterinarsku pomoć i osigurati zbrinjavanje bolesnih ili ozlijeđenih životinja, veterinarsku pomoć pri porodu ako je potrebna i osigurati odgovarajuću njegu bolesnih, ozlijeđenih i iscrpljenih životinja.

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 6. st. 2. · Checked

  • (1) Životinje koje se uzgajaju i koriste u svrhu proizvodnje mogu se držati samo ako se može udovoljiti njihovim biološkim potrebama na način da se ne ometaju njihove fiziološke funkcije i vrsti svojstveno ponašanje.

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 39. st. 1. · Checked

  • (2) Posjednik mora osigurati da prostor, sloboda kretanja, konfiguracija tla, konstrukcija zgrada i nastambi u kojima se životinje drže, mikroklimatski uvjeti, njega, voda i hrana, kao i mogućnost međusobnog kontakta, uzimajući u obzir vrstu, dob i stupanj razvoja, mogućnost prilagodbe i udomaćenost životinja, odgovara njihovim fiziološkim i etološkim potrebama

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 39. st. 2. (opening words) · Checked

  • (8) Način držanja kokoši nesilica koje se uzgajaju i koriste u svrhu proizvodnje u skladu sa stavkom 1. ovoga članka pravilnikom propisuje ministar.

    Zakon o zaštiti životinja, čl. 39. st. 8. · Checked

National rules on keeping poultry

No rule identified in this research

Jurisdiction: Croatia

Applies to: Rules on where chickens may be kept at an address.

What the checked sources say

  • A national rule on where chickens may be kept was not found in the texts read (Animal Protection Act arts 3-6, 39 and 40; Animal Health Act arts 7 and 51; NN 102/2025 arts 4-7).
  • A national rulebook refers to zones where keeping animals is banned, prescribed by local or regional self-government units (NN 102/2025 art. 7(2)). How to check: ask your town, municipality or county whether such a zone covers your address.

The official wording

  • (2) Subjekt uz podnošenje zahtjeva iz stavka 1. ovoga članka prilaže izjavu kojom potvrđuje istinitost i točnost svih podataka navedenih u zahtjevu

    Pravilnik NN 102/2025, čl. 7. st. 2. (opening words) · Checked

  • kao i da se objekt ne nalazi u zoni zabrane držanja životinja kojeg propisuju jedinice lokalne ili područne (regionalne) samouprave, odnosno da se objekt nalazi na području na kojem je dozvoljeno držanje životinja pod uvjetima utvrđenim propisima iz područja veterinarstva, stočarstva i zaštite životinja.

    Pravilnik NN 102/2025, čl. 7. st. 2. (closing words) · Checked

This does not establish that keeping is unrestricted or that all rules are local.

Selling eggs in Croatia? →License, small-flock line, markets and cartons, on their own page.Selling: Registration

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Common questions

Do I have to register backyard chickens in Croatia?
Registration: conditions apply. The finding covers: Operators of all establishments where terrestrial animals are kept (Animal Health Act art. 51(1)). Up to 50 poultry and/or captive birds, with the conditions of NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a). Outside this finding's scope: From Animal Health Act registration only: establishments keeping up to 50 poultry and/or captive birds from which animals are not to be moved, or whose animal products are not for public consumption (NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a)). Exemptions and their limits: From Animal Health Act registration: up to 50 poultry and/or captive birds not to be moved off the establishment, or whose animal products are not for public consumption (NN 102/2025 art. 6(1)(a)); whether the Animal Protection Act art. 40(2) duty still applies was not established. Authority: Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, šumarstva i ribarstva (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries).
Can I keep chickens in my backyard in Croatia?
The national sources we read don't settle it, though they name the bodies shown under “National rules on keeping poultry” on this page. Check your local rules before you get hens.
Do I have to keep my hens indoors for bird flu in Croatia?
Housing orders come and go, so we never show one as current. We haven't confirmed an official current-status page for it.

Allowed where you live? Then keep the records.

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