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How long does a patent last in Croatia?

Written by Abhishek Awasthi, Patent Strategist · Last reviewed: 12 October 2026 · 4 min read

Short answer

A patent in Croatia lasts up to 20 years from the date the application was filed, and a utility model up to 10 years (Zakon o patentu, Art. 87). Both only stay alive if the annual maintenance fees are paid: they are due from the third year after filing, and a missed fee can still be paid within six months with a surcharge (Art. 88). A European patent validated in Croatia also runs 20 years from its European filing date.

The maximum term: 20 years for a patent, 10 for a utility model

Under the Croatian Patent Act, a patent lasts 20 years counted from the day the application was filed, and a utility model lasts 10 years from its filing date (Art. 87). The clock starts at filing, not at grant, so the years spent waiting for a decision count against the term.

A European patent that has been validated in Croatia is treated the same way: its term also ends 20 years after the filing date of the European application.

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Annual fees keep it alive

The full term is a maximum. To keep a patent or utility model in force, the owner pays an annual maintenance fee to DZIV, from the third year after filing and for every year after that (Art. 88).

If a fee is missed, DZIV notifies the owner, and the fee can still be paid within a further six months, together with an additional fee (Art. 88). If it is not paid in that period either, the right ends early. In exceptional cases, where the deadline was missed despite all due care, a request for restoration of rights can be filed within strict time limits (Art. 28). Many patents simply end this way, long before their 20 years are up, because the owner decides they are no longer worth the fees.

The current fee amounts are published by DZIV and change from time to time.

Free toolPatent CheckIs a patent or utility model still in force in Croatia?Try it →

Medicines and plant protection products: up to five years more

For medicines and plant protection products, a separate EU instrument, the supplementary protection certificate (SPC), can extend protection after the patent expires, by up to five years. It compensates for the time lost waiting for marketing authorisation, and it covers only the authorised product, not everything the patent claimed.

What happens when it ends

When a patent expires or lapses, the invention it protected becomes free for anyone to use in that country, unless another patent still covers it. That is why a product can be blocked by a newer patent on an improvement, even when the original patent has expired. If you plan to use an invention after a patent ends, check whether related patents are still in force.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Croatian patent be renewed after 20 years?

No. The 20-year term is a maximum and cannot be extended. The exception is the supplementary protection certificate for medicines and plant protection products, which can add up to five years for the authorised product.

When do the annual fees start?

From the third year counted from the filing date, and then every year after that (Zakon o patentu, Art. 88).

What if I forget to pay an annual fee?

You can still pay it within a further six months, together with an additional fee (Art. 88). If you miss that period too, the right ends; restoration is possible only in exceptional cases, where the deadline was missed despite all due care, and within strict time limits (Art. 28).

Does the term start at filing or at grant?

At filing. Both the patent and the utility model terms are counted from the day the application was filed (Art. 87).

Sources

Checked on 12 October 2026 against the Croatian Patent Act (Zakon o patentu, NN 16/2020) and the European and EU rules listed in the sources. This guide gives general information, not legal advice, and rules and fees change: check the official sources, or talk to us about your situation.