Croatian police to alert 13,000 citizens about expiring ID cards

More than 13,000 Croatian citizens who hold personal ID cards with permanent validity issued before 1 January 2003 will see those documents cease to be valid on 3 August 2024. The police will mail notices to the recipients' home addresses, explaining how to apply for a replacement at the nearest police station.

The European Union has deemed the old cards insufficiently protected against forgery, prompting the introduction of newer, technologically advanced IDs with additional security elements. Those who fail to submit a renewal request within 15 days of the expiry may be fined €66.36, while individuals without any valid ID face fines between €390 and €590. The fee for a new card with one or two certificates is €13.27; senior citizens (over 70) pay €9.29, with expedited processing costing up to €66.36.

Most citizens have already replaced their documents, but roughly 13,000 still need to do so, and authorities urge them to verify the issue date on their current IDs.