Insured but without a family doctor? Thousands of Nepali workers are in that gap

HZZO figures published on October 8 show more than 9,800 workers from Nepal have not chosen a family doctor. Having health insurance is one step; choosing a doctor is a separate step you can take yourself.

Published 2026-10-10 · Source checked 2026-10-08

Health insurance through your job does not automatically give you your own doctor. According to HZZO data published by the fact-checking site Faktograf on October 8, more than 188,000 foreign nationals were insured in Croatia at the start of September, and more than 86,000 of them had not chosen a general or family doctor. In the figures published, the largest groups without a doctor were from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by Nepal, with more than 9,800 workers.

These numbers need some care. HZZO does not keep a separate count of third-country workers, the total also includes EU citizens and others, and early September is still the peak of seasonal work. For comparison, at the end of December 2025 there were about 151,600 insured foreigners, and about 62,200 had not chosen a doctor. Faktograf links the gap mainly to language barriers and to not knowing how the system works.

Finding a doctor is not always easy. Index.hr reported on October 8 that Croatia has 171 fewer family-medicine teams than the network plan foresees, 25 of them in the City of Zagreb, and that 113 teams have no permanent doctor. If the nearest surgery is full, you may need to ask at more than one.

How to choose, according to HZZO: you pick one family doctor, as a rule near where you live, for at least one year. There are three ways to register: at the surgery of the doctor you want (the doctor sends the statement to HZZO electronically), through e-Građani, or at an HZZO office with the form signed and confirmed by the new doctor. A doctor may refuse only if the list is already full (2,125 patients in family medicine) or if relations have broken down. HZZO's website lists contracted doctors and surgery locations, and care with the new doctor starts from the date given in HZZO's notification.

What to do: ask colleagues which surgeries near you are taking new patients, and ask the surgery which documents to bring. If your Croatian is limited, take someone who can help. A separate point: nationals of visa-regime countries who extend a temporary stay now need a medical check at a public health institute within three months before applying. The employer refers you and pays. Keep the certificate you receive.

Sources

1. Faktograf.hr · Newspaper
2. Index.hr · Newspaper
3. HZZO – Opseg prava iz obveznog zdravstvenog osiguranja · Official source
4. HZZO – Pravo na slobodan izbor doktora (FAQ) · Official source

This explanation is based on linked sources and does not claim independent on-the-ground reporting.